Mullins Culminatingfinal

Running head: TEACHING MULTICULTURALISM THROUGH LITERATURE 1
Question: What does a teacher need to consider when developing, implementing, and analyzing a
curriculum unit?
Teaching Multiculturalism Through Literature
Hannah Mullins
NSHE ID: 2001070064
Email: mullih1@nevada.unlv.edu
Phone: (949)357-9839
Master’s Degree in Education with an Emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction
Submission Date: October 31, 2018
Advisor: Dr. Linda Quinn

TEACHING MULTICULTURALISM THROUGH LITERATURE 2
Abstract
When a teacher develops, implements and analyzes a curriculum unit, they need to
consider many things. They must look first at the needs of their students and the demographic of
their classroom. Besides their academic needs, how can we educate our students socially and
emotionally? How can we help them become the best versions of themselves? Once we have
pinpointed their needs, we implement these lessons to correlate with our students’ academic
needs and our curriculum guidelines. The flow of our unit can change when behavior problems
arise, or concepts are misunderstood. This is why it’s our job as a teacher to proactively manage
both our students and the lessons we develop. When analyzing the unit, the teacher must use
assessments to measure growth and comprehension. Both formative and summative assessments
can help us see where we can improve as professionals and reflect on what things we do well.
Keywords: develop, implement, analyze, needs, proactively manage

Teaching Multiculturalism Through Literature
Learning to teach is an art. When developing curriculum for your classroom, there are so
many different things that you need to take into consideration. Our curriculum reflects ourselves
as professional educators and what beliefs we have as individuals. But we’ve all become teachers
to teach more than just standards, we’re there to teach life skills and prepare our students to be
contributing members of society. We’re here teaching students because we care.
“What then is a teacher? As teachers we use the many sources of professional knowledge,
skill and experience at our disposal to engage the minds and hearts of children and youth
by teaching and inspiring them. And once we mess with minds and hearts, we are
prepared to take responsibility for the messes we have made, the dreams we inspired, the
minds we have brought to life, the prejudices we have forestalled, and the society to
which we have given hope.” (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 1987)
Throughout my master’s education, I have developed, implemented and analyzed a unit I taught
to 4th graders. In this unit, I take a deeper look at reading literature standards, writing standards
and social studies standards that are applicable to my students here in the Clark County School
District. But before developing my unit, I first assessed the needs of my students.
As a teacher, my job description entails that I am an educator for my students. When a
teacher begins to dissect the standards and curriculum put into place by their state and district,
they have to find the most effective way to implement these into their classroom. I’ve worked at
three different schools in three years, two of which are Title I funded and much more diverse.
Although all of our Common Core Standards are the same, there is proof that not all students
receive the same education. “A serious and troubling gap exists between the achievement of
white middle-class students and that of students in most other racial groups.” (Arends, 2006)
This means teachers should be creating curriculum and activities based off the needs of
their own classroom, not just borrowing old resources or outdated textbooks. The needs of my
classroom differ every year, but a common trend I’ve noticed is the lack of diversity in the
recommended texts and programs at each school. There was a no characters of color, diverse
culture or unfortunate situations portrayed. “In a multicultural and diverse world, teachers really
have no choice but to create classrooms that are inclusive and equitable.” (Arends, 2006) A
children’s literature course at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, inspired me when we read a
book written entirely in prose. It was a true story of a young girl who took refuge in the United
States during the Vietnam War. She discussed big picture issues, like equity, racism, culture and
immigration from a 10-year-old’s perspective. Although some may think these are challenging
topics to discuss in an elementary classroom, I saw this book ignite a fire inside my students and
their desire to learn grow and I believe this was from text-to-world connections. This unit was
developed for my explicit reading block each day for two weeks.
Outline of Unit
Day 1: Culture
I started the unit by discussing the definition of culture and we had a whole group
conversation on what they thought culture was. The students contributed their thinking to an
anchor chart on culture, some students contributed holidays, foods and norms they have in their
culture. Then I introduced the book Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lia and gave a
synopsis of the book. Most of my students are unfamiliar with Vietnam, so I had my students
read with a buddy a Read Works Article on The City vs. Country in Vietnam. (Appendix E) This
introduced the landscape and some of the culture in Vietnam. My students then came back for a
whole group discussion on the article and then they answered comprehension questions
independently.
After this was complete, I explained the book was written in prose and elaborated on
prose and poetry for my students. We began reading the book together, I read it aloud to my
students as they followed along in their own book. We closed the read aloud by discussing what
the main character had revealed about her culture in the first few poems of the book. Then I had
the students close the segment by discussing with their shoulder partner this question: Why is
your culture important to you?
Day 2: War
In reading this novel, I thought it was important to discuss what a war is. To engage the
students, I had students do a gallery walk around the room, where they looked closely at some
images of people fleeing before the Vietnam War. The students scribed what they noticed about
each photo and what they wondered about the photo. Then as a whole group we discussed the
definition of a war and several ways they begin. The students then read an article from Engage
NY on the history of the Vietnam War (Appendix F) with their table groups and then we
discussed it as a whole group. After this conversation, the teacher read aloud a portion of Inside
Out and Back Again, and had the students close the lesson by reflecting on what we had just read
about a 4th grader having to flee her own home and country for refuge. The students discussed
with their face partner: How would you feel if you had to leave your own home and country?
Day 3: Communism
After discussing the war, I thought it was best to dive into the reason behind the war.
Students were prompted with the discussion topic of communism. Students shared their thought
and misconceptions with the class as we made a web of the ideas and concepts associated with
communism. The students then read a kid-friendly article explaining communism and other
countries that practice this type of political theory. Then I had the students act out this political
theory with our classroom economy and jobs for the week. We continued to read the novel Inside
Out and Back Again. I closed this lesson with the students completing a think-pair-share
answering the question: What do you think about the idea of communism? Do you think you’d
like to live in a country with this type of government?
Day 4: How Cultures are Different
As we’ve read Inside Out and Back Again, we’ve learned a lot of about Vietnamese
culture. The topic for today is how cultures can differ and what their idea of American culture is.
We had started talking about culture on the first day of this unit and the students had pointed out
some unique things that they do here in America.
We will start by creating two anchor charts, one about what we know about American
culture and what we’ve learned about Vietnamese culture so far. Students will take note of this in
their reading notebook, where we will keep track of the characters in Inside Out and Back Again
and also the plot of the novel. We will continue reading Inside Out and Back Again and add to
our culture anchor charts as we learn more. The lesson will close with a think-pair-share
answering the question: What would be included in your culture?
Day 5: Characterization
Day 5 of this unit would open with the concept of characterization. The students will
discuss their thoughts on characterization and why it’s important. The teacher will make a
characterization anchor chart and the students will start a character map for the main character, Ha.
The teacher will continue reading aloud Inside Out and Back Again. The students are following
along and taking notes if needed. The lesson will close as the students brainstorm with their table
groups and answer the following question: How is Ha characterized in Inside Out and Back
Again?
Day 6: Refuge and the Refugee
At this point in the novel, the main character is about to become a refugee. Today’s
lesson will open with the discussion of what a refugee is. The students will read excerpts from
current news articles about refugees and come to their own conclusion. Then the teacher will
define the word refugee and explain the different situations where people would seek refuge. The
students will take note of this words and its examples in their Inside Out and Back Again
notebook. The teacher will continue to read-aloud Inside Out and Back Again and close the
lesson by having the students answer this question with their shoulder partner: How do you think
a refugee would feel entering a new country?
Day 7: Diversity
This lesson would focus on diversity. The teacher will have the students talk about what
they think diversity means, have they heard it before? The teacher will define diversity and
explain to children that this is a strength, and something seen in our own classroom. The teacher
will then continue to read aloud Inside Out and Back Again. The students will add to their
character map of Ha. The lesson will close with students doing a think-pair-share to answer the
question: Do you think diversity is important? Why or why not?
Day 8: Stereotypes and Biases
This lesson would focus on stereotypes and biases. The teacher will have students try to
define these words on their own. Then the teacher will define the words correctly for students to
take note of in their notebooks. The teacher will provide kid-friendly examples of these words
and explain that we naturally all have them, from the way we were raised and what we
experience in our childhood. That these occur when our brain creates shortcuts, but we must be
aware of them to overcome them. This will correlate with what the character is going through in
Inside Out and Back Again. The lesson will close with a comparison of the stereotypes that Ha
had about American and what Americans thought of her. Then students will discuss the question
with their shoulder partner: How do you think having stereotypes and biases could be harmful?
Day 9: Racism
This lesson will be focused on the idea of racism. In the novel Inside Out and Back
Again, 10-year-old Ha experiences racism in her elementary school. Students come to school
with a preconceived idea of what racism is and what it looks like. This lesson would introduce
the term racism, what it truly means and what it looks like in Ha’s life. The students will help
create an anchor chart about racism and how we could prevent it. The teacher will continue to
read aloud the novel and the students will be taking notes of character development and the plot
in their notebook. The students will close today’s lesson by discussing this question during a
think-pair-share: How can you address racism with others?
Day 10: Multiculturalism
The final lesson is about multiculturalism. The students will start out trying to define it on
their own. The teacher will then define the idea and students will try to infer the benefits of this
ideology. Then the teacher will discuss how multiculturalism has had an impact on the United
States and the term “the melting pot”. Together the students and teacher will come up with some
ideas of what this would look like. The teacher will continue to read aloud Inside Out and Back
Again and have the students close the lesson by discussing the ways we could show respect for
one and other’s cultures and ideas. Together we will make an anchor chart of these ideas for
future reference.
Read Aloud Continued
The teacher will continue to read aloud the novel Inside Out and Back Again and finish
off the novel by addressing Common Core State Standards, including point of view,
characterization, summarizing, etc. The teacher will revisit the topics of race and culture when
we address the theme of the story at the end of the novel.
Curricular Goals and Objectives
The goal and purpose of this unit is far beyond meeting the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) for fourth graders. With the new Social Studies standards coming out next
year, I thought it would be a great idea to start looking at the influence immigrants have on the
United States and how so much of our culture here in America is just bits and pieces of other
cultures. Although my unit addresses many different topics, it aligns nicely with the objectives of
the CCSS for reading, writing, speaking and listening and social studies.
The purpose of this unit was to familiarize students with culture, ethnicity and ideologies
through literature. This was about a ten-day unit that utilized my explicit English Language Art
time each day. Creating my objectives were probably the most challenging part of this unit,
because I was setting up the expectations for what I was going to assess my students on after we
finish the novel, not just this portion of the unit.
“Objectives specify the learning experiences students will have with the selected
information/content to achieve the desired outcomes. Typically, objectives specify the condition s
(information/content inputs), the tasks (or activities) students will be able to do, and a criterion
indicating acceptable levels achievement.” (Hauenstein, 1998)
These were the standards I addressed in my unit. Below each standard I created an
objective for my students that specify the content and the activity. The criterion has differed at
each school I worked at because some school were graded with letter grades and others were
standard-based grading, so I left that portion out intentionally. I would normally discuss what
meets my expectations in class. Here are the standards I addressed throughout the novel and
incorporated with the key concepts we discussed.
Reading:
 RL 4.1- Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
- I can refer to the details in the photo that I noticed or for inferences that I made.
(Vietnam War Activity)
- I can refer to examples in the text that relate to our bigger topic.
- I can refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly or when making an inference.
 RL 4.2- Determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in the text; summarize
the text.
- I can determine the theme of the poem from details in the text.
- I can summarize the text.
 RL 4.3- Describe in depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text (e.g. a character’s thoughts, words or actions).
- I can describe Ha in depth.
- I can describe the setting in depth.
- I can describe events in the story in depth.
 RF. 4.4b- Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.

- I can read on-level prose and poetry orally, following the rhythm of the text.
Speaking and Listening:
 SL 4.1- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,
and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly.
- I can engage in collaborative discussion with different partners on our text or topic.
- I can build upon others’ ideas and add to a group conversation.
 SL 4.1c- Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information
and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
- I can pose questions about our topic to clarify information.
- I can make comments or questions to our group discussions, building off others’ idea.
 SL 4.2-Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud, or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- I can paraphrase what I saw in the photos orally. (Vietnam War Activity)
- I can paraphrase portions of the text read aloud orally or visually.
Writing:
 W 4.9ba- Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a
character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
[e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).
- I can use writing to describe in depth a character, setting or event.
 W 4.10- Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

- I can write for extended periods of time or shorter time frames. I can write to
research, reflect or revise my current writing.
Social Studies:
 H3 4.2- Recognize that communities include people who have diverse ethnic origins,
customs, and traditions, and who make contributions to Nevada.
- I can recognize that our community includes a diverse group of people who all my
contributions with their customs, traditions and cultures.
 H3 4.3- Define social responsibility.
- I recognize that valuing others in my community is part of my social responsibility.
- I know that social responsibility is ___________________.
 H1 4.5- Identify contributions of immigrants in Nevada.
- I can identify some of the many contributions of immigrants here in Nevada.
 H3.4.5- Discuss major news events on the local and state levels.
- I can discuss major news events on the local and state level.
Activities and Experiences for Students
Most of the activities and experience I am using for this unit are discussion topics or
materials I’ve gathered from the internet. The reason I did this is because it gives my students
opportunities to share their previous background knowledge with their classmates and
collaborate to build upon that knowledge. I work at a school with a high English Language
Learner (ELL) population and according to the National Council for Social Studies, “Involving
your students in varied activities using a buddy and providing lots of media and realia will also
support language development.” (Cruz et al., 2003) My lessons follow the themes or ideas
presented in the novel Inside Out and Back Again and each day I will be teaching a new key
concept with a group discussion or activity. We will be making an anchor chart explaining the
new concept on each of the 10 days.
Materials
Most of the material for this unit are common classroom items. In my classroom each
year I make sure to have a plethora of chart paper, markers, notebooks, etc. I also have purchased
a class set of the novel Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. The materials for the gallery
walk can be printed off the internet because they were a part of the free unit for Engage NY that
also involves this novel. The pdf url page is included in Appendix A. The photos I used for the
activity were carefully chosen from a CBS photo slide show. (Appendix B)
Assessment Tools
The assessments I will give for this unit are anecdotal. A majority of my unit is centered
around collaborative discussion, so as the teacher I take this time to circulate and listen into
conversations. I normally carry a clipboard with a blank roster and make notes about the depth
and length of partners, or group conversations. All of the paper activities will be turned in for a
grade, as well as at the end of each day, the students must complete a brief comprehension check
question. I have included some examples of responses in Appendix C.
The summative assessment for this unit will be a group project. This allows my students a
unique approach to show their understanding about the topics, as well as showing me an
understanding of how the topics are related to the book. Each group of students will choose any
detail from the book we have read this far and relate it to one of the discussion topics we
discussed in class. This allows my students different ways to show they are proficient. This will
be a summative assessment for the speaking and listening standards addressed in this unit.
Analysis of Unit
Student Demographic
I currently work at a Title 1 school here in Las Vegas. My school is in a middle-class
neighborhood and surrounded by low-income housing. 51% of the students that attend my school
identify as Hispanic/Latino, 3% identify as Asian, 19% identify as Black or African American
21% of my students identify as White or Caucasian and 5% identify as more than 2 races
according the Nevada School Performance website. In my classroom I have 26 students. 3 of my
students are white; the other 23 are students of color. The school population consists of 24%
English Language Learners and 79% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. I have a
room full of diverse learners, languages, religions, cultures and backgrounds. That’s why I
decided to go with an environmental approach for this unit-
“The basis of the environmental approach is the belief that behavior is a function of
perception and that human perceptions are the result of both experiences and
understandings. When students have positive experiences that are self-enhancing, their
perception and understanding of themselves and the world around them are altered.”
(Wiles &Bondi, 2015)
Context
I was inspired to create this unit when I realized how much knowledge my students bring
to our classroom. Each of my students are intelligent and unique, bringing with them a variety of
knowledge and I need to respect what they already know and build upon that foundation with
key concepts and state mandated curriculum.
“Why not, for example, take advantage of the students’ experience of life in those parts
of the city neglected by the authorities to discuss the problems of pollution in the river
and the question of poverty and the risks to health from such rubbish heaps in such areas?
Why are there no rubbish heaps in the heart of the rich areas of the city? This question is
considered ‘in bad taste.’ Pure demagogy. Almost subversive say the defenders of
democracy. Why not discuss with the students the concrete reality of their lives and that
aggressive reality in which violence is permanent and where people are much more
familiar with death than with life? Why not establish an ‘intimate’ connection between
knowledge considered basic to any school curriculum and knowledge that is the fruit of
the lived experience of these students as individuals?” (Freire, 1998)
As my experience in teaching has grown, I know that in order to engage a student in a topic, it
must be related to their life, relevant and applicable to the real world. We’re handed so much
cookie-cutter curriculum from administration and higher ups, but learning is not “one size fits
all”. We need to cater to the students’ background knowledge, their learning abilities and styles
to truly assess whether or not they’ve mastered the content or standard. I’ve started to alter my
curriculum to meet the needs of the psychological environment of my students- creating this unit
with the cognitive theory in mind. Many teachers emphasized this theory in their classroom
through problem-based learning and inquiry-based lessons. But I think this theory can also be
express through means of discussion and connections to prior knowledge.
“The role of the teacher is to guide meaningful inquiry and to present material in an
understandable manner, allowing the child to learn from personal experiences. Ausubel
(1965), like the other cognitive theorist, believes that all knowledge should be made
meaningful to the learner… In order for new material to be meaningful to the learner it
must be attached to previous knowledge which will ‘anchor’ the new knowledge in the
mind of the learner. New material coming into cognitive structures is subsumed by
existing ideas. Subject matter is the focus of this learning theory, which stresses
organizational principles to insure meaningful learning.” (Wulf & Schave, 1984)
I used topics and subject matter to cognitively approach this novel. This novel is more
than simple prose, it’s rich with content, emotions and real-world issues. It has affected every
one of my students in a different way, based off their connection to the topics, the text and their
prior knowledge. This book can be used to visit so many different depths of knowledge but is
also still extremely useful at the surface level alone. The language is simple enough for my ELL,
but the themes and morals of this story can be taken to an extremely complex level- fitting for
my out-of-the-box thinkers.
Another set of skills I am incorporating into this year’s curriculum and future years is
metacognition and thinking about your thinking. I’ve used some of the strategies from
Comprehension Connections by Tanny McGregor to teach my students about these abstract
reading skills. In recent years, I noticed that some of my most fluent readers, were not
comprehending the material or thinking about their thinking.
Evidence was found by Max Weber and Karl Marx that suggested there were educational
gaps between students in upper class neighborhood and those in the working-class
neighborhoods. “It should be noted that during discussions of school knowledge not a single
child in either working-class school used words such as ‘think’ or ‘thinking.’ Most spoke in
terms of behaviors or skills, and only one mentioned the word ‘mind’.” (Anyon, 1981) All
students, regardless of socio-economic background should be offered a challenging and engaging
education that offers them ample opportunities to know what they’re learning, why they’re
learning it and how to apply these concepts and skills to the outside world.
Meaning of Curriculum and Development

When I initially began teaching, curriculum had one simple meaning to me- the Common
Core State Standards (CCSS). As I sat and crafted my lessons, without the help of a team or
mentor, I realized curriculum is so much more than that. “The concept curriculum has undergone
marked changes during the twentieth century without any consensus having been reached on an
appropriate definition.” (Tanner & Tanner, 2007)
The meaning of curriculum is truly dependent on the models of curriculum you use and
your philosophical perspective on your job as an educator and your students’ education in your
classroom. My thoughts are that curriculum is the experience of education as a whole. Yes, you
are guided with expectations by the CCSS, but how you choose to lead your students to those
objectives is entirely up to you. Some would argue that administration has a say in this, which I
would have to agree with. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with educational colleagues that
respect the knowledge you bring to the table and acknowledge the fact that no “curriculum
textbook” is going to reach the needs of every student in your classroom like you can through
your own development of explicit instruction, activities and assessments based off the
demographics and needs of your classroom.
“A definition offered by Caswell and Campbell in 1935 states that curriculum is
‘composed of all the experiences children have under the guidance of teachers’ (p. 66). A
report on the Eight-Year Study, published in 1942, concluded that ‘the curriculum is now
seen as the total experience with which the school deals in education young people’
(Giles, McCutchen, & Zechiel, p.293) … The definition offered by Tyler in 1957,
conceived of curriculum as ‘all of the learning of students which is planned by and
directed by the school to attain its educational goals’ (p.79). Tyler went on to point out
that this inclusive definition includes educational objectives, all planned learning
experiences (including extraclass and learning activities at home insofar as they are
planned and directed by the school to attain its aims), and the appraisal of student
learning.” (Tanner &Tanner, 2007)
When developing this curriculum, I find it important to have structure. First and foremost,
curriculum should always be developed with the needs of the learners in mind- the who, what
and why needs to be something your students can connect with. I do this through topics, themes,
key concepts or ideas a lot like the sheltered method of instruction. This is not only to make sure
my content is scaffolded, but also to engage the student in the content of their everyday lives
through school subjects with standard-based objectives. “This type of transfer is at the heart of
the educational process- the continual broadening and deepening of knowledge in terms of basic
and general ideas… It is simple enough to proclaim, of course, that school curricula and methods
of teaching should be geared to the teaching of fundamental ideas in whatever subject is being
taught.” (Bruner, 1960)
Jerome Bruner goes on to explain that there is an obvious problem in this equation which
still holds true to today’s curriculum in elementary education. “The problem is twofold: first,
how to have the basic subjects rewritten and their teaching materials revamped in such a way that
the pervading and powerful ideas and attitudes relating to them are given a central role; second,
how to match the levels of these materials to the capacities of students of different abilities at
different grades in school.” (Bruner, 1960)
Models of Curriculum Used
After reading through the many leading curriculum models for education, I think I relate
with one developer, far more than the rest. I believe Ralph Tyler and I have a very similar view
on curriculum. I also am partial to Hilda Taba’s model of curriculum as well. I’ve always
believed that education wasn’t just for the purpose of knowing facts. Education is necessary to
help us craft our views and interests and have a deeper understanding of our wants and needs as a
human being in a world that continues to change. Our job as a teacher is not only to educate or
students but prepare them for the world and jobs of the future. Although it is extremely difficult
to prepare students for jobs that do not yet exist, we know thinking creatively and
metacognitively are important skills to develop.
In Tyler’s model of curriculum, he describes our objectives as educational goals
or end points. Students should eventually reach a level of mastery, but their interaction with the
subject matter should go beyond mastery of a skill. As their curriculum developer, you need to
take in to account their community, social needs, wants and realistic goals that are achievable.
Ralph Tyler is “credited with framing questions that led to a cynical model of development that
begins with an analysis, proceeds to a design stage, undergoes implementation, and then is
evaluated for effectiveness. This evaluation leads to a new analysis. In more recent times, this
logical progression has been presented as a self-refining system.” (Wiles & Bondi, 2015) This is
much like the system I implement in my classroom today. It’s the cycle of analyzing, planning,
implementing, evaluating and repeating until a majority of students have mastered the skill.
I’m still very much an existentialist though and follow Hilda Taba’s method of
curriculum as well. I followed her seven major steps and created my unit by identifying the
needs of my students. From there I carefully chose my objectives, selected my content, selected
the learning experiences I wanted to incorporate, organized them and determined how I would
evaluate my students’ understanding of the content. “Curriculum is the planned and guided
learning experiences and intended outcomes, formulated through systematic reconstruction of

knowledge and experience… for the continuous and willful growth in personal-social
competence.” (D. Tanner & L. Tanner, 1995)
Philosophical Perspective
As an educator, I view my classroom as a place for self-discovery, knowledge and
reflection- very different than my education as a child. My role in the classroom is as a
facilitator- there to display and interpret knowledge, but also to lead my students to question their
own understanding of content and personal skill. The role of the student in my classroom is very
independent. My students are there to receive knowledge, but to question it, in hopes to aid in
their own understanding and that of others. I also want these skills and knowledge applicable to
their outside world, not just inside my classroom.
I tend to lean toward more interactive activities to get students’ wheels turning, I also
know my students benefit from discourse in the classroom. My educational philosophy is
complicated, but if I have to put myself into a category, I would choose existentialism. I relate
most with “Teacher-student interactions would revolve around assisting students in their personal
learning journeys.” (Wiles& Bondi, 2015) Soren Kierkegaard, a famous existentialist, advocated
for one’s cognitive processes, rather than end processes. He believed all truth was subjective, but
you had to know how to come to your own conclusion. This is a journey I like to take my
students on, during reading, math, science, or social studies- I love to implement classroom
conversations or Socratic seminars where students have to come to their own conclusion and
share their cognitive process in getting there.
As an educator I’m constantly evolving finding little things that work best for my class
and me- looking for ways to better myself and my curriculum. I really strive to be able to explain
procedures, routines and programs enough so that my students can experience a personal journey
through their own education with me as the facilitator, not the lecturer. The positive advances to
education have brought me joy. I’m excited to implement the new, more diverse Social Studies
standards next year and challenge my students to think and read about the world around them.
I want my students on their own quest to understanding. I want them to question, discuss
and elaborate the content of our classroom and its application to their own life. In this process
my students will discover things about themselves, the world around them and the impact you
can make with knowledge. I’m also a supporter of a democratic classroom, I embrace diversity,
and I want multicultural education in my classroom, so I’ve researched, developed and
implemented units I think students will find engaging.
I’ve come to the realization that there is a big difference between equity and equality and
I want that to be clear to my students. My students need equity, they need me to give them
everything they need to be successful and that is different for each and every one of my students.
Curriculum should be adjusted to meet the needs of a community and the classrooms full of
culturally and linguistically diverse students who need to discuss the importance of culture and
diversity because it’s applicable to the real world.
Meeting the Needs of my Students
Today’s classrooms are more diverse than ever. When creating curriculum for your
students, it’s important to look at the social, emotional and physical needs of your classroom. In
my current classroom a majority of my students come from a low socioeconomic household and
over half have a different primary language spoken at home. When I’m creating activities or
lessons, I take that into consideration and differentiate accordingly. I also look at the academic
and social needs of my students. With over half of my students speaking a second language,
discourse plays a huge role in many of my lessons. With this language barrier, I also have a lot of
students reading below grade level. I’ve met the needs of my students with the help of my fourth-
grade team. Three times a week we do reading groups called, What I Need (WIN) time. This
offers my students a 50-minute block that is catered to their reading level and abilities, while also
offering enrichment for my higher leveled thinkers. I make each of my lessons easy to
manipulate for the needs of my students. I try not to adjust the amount of work, instead I adjust
the depth of knowledge in which they are thinking at. In John Dewey’s book How We Think, he
explains that a teacher must know the needs and intelligence of their students in order to find the
methods that work best for their classroom. Stating that “The teacher who is an intelligent
student both of individual mental operations and of the effects of the school conditions upon
those operations, can largely be trusted to develop for himself methods of instruction in their
narrower and more technical sense- those best adapted to achieve results in particular
subjects…” (Dewey, 1933)
Classroom Management and Classroom Environment
If I could sum up how I manage my classroom and create my classroom environment in
one single word, it would be relationships. It took me two years to understand just how important
my relationships with my students are. Not only does this make management easier, but it also
allows open communication in my classroom, between my students and I, and my students and
their peers.
Another important skill I’ve learned is that in order to manage students and create a safe
classroom environment, students need to be heard and seen. I do this through weekly class
meetings. “As part of learning, children make mistakes and choose poorly. Yet if children are
given the opportunity to solve problems, these very mistakes can provide them with an
opportunity to develop moral and ethical thinking. Teachers can use children’s ‘mistakes’ and
‘problems’ as fertile grounds for learning in class meetings, just as logical consequences use rule
breaking for further learning.” (Charney, 2002)
Another strategy I use largely in my class in prevention or proactive management,
“Proactive Management: Using information about past behavior to teach skills and arrange the
environment in a way that prevents future occurrence of the problem.” (Scott et al., 2012) As I
begin teaching for my third year, I reflect on how much time I wasted reacting to problems
instead of preventing them. I reward students with positive behavior supports through our
classroom economy. Students earn money for jobs, good behavior and kindness and they can
lose money for breaking classroom or school rules. At the end of each month, students can trade
in their money for all sorts of goodies. I’ve found this to be more effective in my classroom than
ClassDojo or other point systems because they can hold the reward in their hand. I also have
them name their price for breaking rules as a part of my democratic classroom. They help make
these rules and often enforce them with their peers more than I need to as the facilitator.
My classroom environment is crucial for engagement. I send home weekly newsletters,
have class meeting and develop personal relationships with each of my students. Their classroom
is a home away from home, a safe spot to make mistakes, fail and learn from one and other. This
is one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. My students grow so much over nine months and I
try to implement strategies that my students can use for the rest of their lives.
Teaching Strategies
Collaborative Discourse:
I’ve never formally researched a strategist who endorses these types of classroom
conversations. I’ve read some Kaegan strategies and researched some ways to implement
speaking & listening standards in my classroom and found that this is a great way to assess
where my classroom is with our discussion topic and if I need to clarify content in any way. I’ve
changed the discussion rules, switched partners and ask them to report back with their partner’s
answer to make sure we are actively listening in my classroom. I’ve noticed that this is a great
behavior strategy as well because it gives every single one of my students the chance to talk and
actively listen. I’ve also used this as a part of my Sheltered Lesson Plan for my ELL students,
this gives them a chance to hear the vocabulary that is being used and collaborate with their
partners to use the vocabulary and sentence starters they know.
Multicultural Curriculum:
There is a lot history in the United States education system. For some it’s easy to forget
the shortcomings of our past, but this is a topic I want my students to relish in. I want my
students to know the mistakes we have made as a country; the accomplishments women and
people of color have made in this nation and the perspectives of people of color and their role in
literature. The biggest thing that my students took from this curriculum unit was how much
people of different cultures, customs and backgrounds have contributed to this country and how
we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. It’s important to understand the negative
aspects of our society on our quest to better ourselves and the communities around us.
Existentialism/Freedom:
As I’ve previously discussed, I promote self-growth in my classroom. “Teacher-student
interactions would revolve around assisting students in their personal learning journeys.”
(Wiles& Bondi, 2015) This happens through discussions, text-to-self connections and the power
of freedom. John Dewey put it best when he said, “Let me speak first of the advantages which
reside potentially in increase of outward freedom. In the first place, without its existence it is
practically impossible for a teacher to gain knowledge of the individuals with whom he is
concerned.” (Dewey, 2015)
Assessment Approaches
My formative assessments were done throughout this unit by evaluating my student’s
participation in classroom discussions and activities. I took anecdotal notes of those who were
engaged and adding to our classroom anchor charts and walked around during classroom
activities to make sure they were participating in think-pair-share portions and sparking
conversations as needed. I also assessed my student’s writing and comprehension through short
answer questions that responded to the text. These were done in an interactive notebook during
the reading of our novel and checked periodically. At the end of the novel, the students turned in
the notebook and completed their content presentations with their groups.
From these assessments, I gleaned the fact that all my students were emotionally invested
in this novel. Their responses were in-depth, and they protested every time we would stop at a
cliffhanger. From my students’ discussions I discovered that race, culture, ethnicity and diversity
were things they thought were not okay to talk about. This was eye-opening for me, to see a
group of 4th graders who thought the topic of diversity and culture were taboo, when instead they
should be something celebrated and shared.
Analysis of Experience
Reflecting is one of the hardest things to do as a teacher, not because I don’t want to, but
sometimes there’s not enough time in the day to look back on the things you could’ve improved
until there’s a moment to breath. I’m so glad I enjoy and feel comfortable teaching
multiculturalism in my classroom. This was an excellent set of key concepts to introduce to my
classroom and my students were able to find the correlation to our read-aloud almost instantly.
The one thing I would have liked to do differently is my assessments. This is not my strongest
area as a teacher and I don’t think I formally assessed enough in a non-oral or written form.
Developing, implementing and analyzing a unit is so much more work than it seems like. When I
first became a teacher, I was ill prepared and honestly didn’t know what I signed up for.
My favorite part about curriculum and instruction is that at my school I am allowed the
freedom to implement my own pedagogy as long as the standards are incorporated. The most
important part of my unit was my key concepts. The different topics each day engaged my
students and activated their prior knowledge so that each and every one of my students could
relate in a different way. Some days, these concepts were hard to talk about- challenging and
sometimes uncomfortable. But something became very clear to me, most people are
uncomfortable with these topics and if educators don’t discuss them with students- who will?
I’ve learned a lot about myself, my students, curriculum, instruction and management
over the past three years. I’ve learned that every student is capable of mastery, the content and
differentiation is key. I’ve learned that curriculum and instruction are best implemented when
they are structured, have a theme and are interdisciplinary. I’ve also discovered that management
is much simpler than it seems, it requires lots and lots of modeling, practicing, reminding,
explaining and redirecting in the beginning, but proactive management has changed my life. I
once had a teacher tell me to “Inspect your expectations. Your students don’t know what you
want until you show them, practice it and do it all over again.” I repeat this to myself every time
I get frustrated or angry, I have to remind myself that their children, not adults who “know
better”.
I have improved so much as a teacher. I’m certainly not the greatest, but I am eager to
learn more, accepting the fact that I can make mistakes and learn and analyze every challenging
situation I encounter. But I know now, I made the right choice choosing this profession. I want
future generations to be educated, treat others with respect and discover the skills they need to
grow- all things I teach in my classroom. I’m here for all the right reasons. I’m here because I
care.
References
Anyon, J. (1981). Social class and school knowledge. Curriculum Inquiry, 11, 3-42.
Arends, R. I. (2006). Learning to teach (7th ed.). Boston, MA.: McGraw Hill.
Bruner, J. S. (1960). The process of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Charney, R. S. (2002). Teaching children to care: classroom management for ethical and
academic growth, K-8. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.
Cruz, B., Nutta, J., O'Brien, J., Feyton, C., & Govoni, J. (2003). Passport to learning: teaching
social studies to ESL students. Silver Spring, MD: National Council for the Social
Studies.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Boston: D.C. Health and Company.
Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage. Translated by
Patrick Clarke. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Hauenstein, A. D. (1998). A conceptual framework for educational objectives: A holistic
approach to traditional taxonomies. Lanham: University Press of America.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (1987). What teachers should know and be
able to do. Arlington, VA: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Nevada School Performance Framework. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2018, from
http://nspf.doe.nv.gov/School/Overview/02/02163.1?years=2015
Scott, T. M., Anderson, C. M., & Alter, P. (2012). Managing classroom behavior using positive
behavior supports. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Tanner, D., & Tanner, L. (2007). Curriculum development: Theory into practice. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Wiles, J., & Bondi, J. (1993). Curriculum Development: A guide to practice (4th ed.). New
York: Merrill.
Wulf, K. M., & Schave, B. (1984). Curriculum Design: A Handbook for Educators. Glenview,
IL: Scott, Foresman and Company.

Appendixes
Appendix A:
Notice and Wonder Sheet (pg.8)
https://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/8m1.pdf
Appendix B:
Vietnam Photos for Gallery Walk
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/fall-of-saigon-vietnam-anniversary/
Appendix C:
Sample of Comprehension Questions

Appendix D:
Anchor Charts
Culture
Cultural Differences
Appendix E:
Life in the City vs. Country Article

Appendix F:
Vietnam War Article

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Running head: TEACHING MULTICULTURALISM THROUGH LITERATURE 1

Teaching Multiculturalism Through Literature

NSHE ID: 2001070064

Master’s Degree in Education with an Emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction

Submission Date: October 31, 2018

Advisor: Dr. Linda Quinn

Keywords: develop, implement, analyze, needs, proactively manage

Teaching Multiculturalism Through Literature

contributing members of society. We’re here teaching students because we care.

As a teacher, my job description entails that I am an educator for my students. When a

your culture important to you?

like to live in a country with this type of government?

Day 4: How Cultures are Different

some unique things that they do here in America.

answering the question: What would be included in your culture?

Day 6: Refuge and the Refugee

a refugee would feel entering a new country?

question: Do you think diversity is important? Why or why not?

Day 8: Stereotypes and Biases

think-pair-share: How can you address racism with others?

Day 10: Multiculturalism

Read Aloud Continued

we address the theme of the story at the end of the novel.

Curricular Goals and Objectives

finish the novel, not just this portion of the unit.

indicating acceptable levels achievement.” (Hauenstein, 1998)

incorporated with the key concepts we discussed.

explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

(Vietnam War Activity)

explicitly or when making an inference.

- I can summarize the text.

 RL 4.3- Describe in depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on

specific details in the text (e.g. a character’s thoughts, words or actions).

- I can describe Ha in depth.

- I can describe the setting in depth.

- I can describe events in the story in depth.

expression on successive readings.

Speaking and Listening:

 SL 4.1- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

ideas and expressing their own clearly.

- I can build upon others’ ideas and add to a group conversation.

 SL 4.1c- Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information

- I can pose questions about our topic to clarify information.

 SL 4.2-Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud, or information presented in diverse

media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

- I can paraphrase portions of the text read aloud orally or visually.

 W 4.9ba- Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a

[e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).

- I can use writing to describe in depth a character, setting or event.

discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

research, reflect or revise my current writing.

customs, and traditions, and who make contributions to Nevada.

contributions with their customs, traditions and cultures.

 H3 4.3- Define social responsibility.

- I recognize that valuing others in my community is part of my social responsibility.

- I know that social responsibility is ___________________.

 H1 4.5- Identify contributions of immigrants in Nevada.

- I can identify some of the many contributions of immigrants here in Nevada.

Activities and Experiences for Students

new concept on each of the 10 days.

question. I have included some examples of responses in Appendix C.

I currently work at a Title 1 school here in Las Vegas. My school is in a middle-class

identify as Hispanic/Latino, 3% identify as Asian, 19% identify as Black or African American