Revision 5/27/03

Standards for Instruction in Multicultural Settings

Teachers:
* Form relationships that are meaningful, relevant, and multiculturally inclusive, which respect and value the diversity among all people.
* Use knowledge of all students and their cultures to plan instruction.
* Provide a safe environment that allows each student to share personal experiences/perspectives.
* Are aware of personal biases and societal messages which may influence and impact interactions with students.
* Become aware of influences to students' cultural backgrounds, which include, but not limited to one's ethnicity, race, generation, community, and religion.
* Use multiple instructional strategies which integrate multicultural perspectives.
examples:

* Use materials and activities which are connected and relevant to each student's lives and experiences.
* Use materials in which students will see people like themselves.
* Look at issues and events from multiple perspectives in all subject areas.
* Use universal and Literacy Initiative strategies to tap into prior knowledge, (e.g., K-W-L chart, circle frame) across the content areas.
* Provide opportunities for reflection.
* Create opportunities to work individually and in flexible groups.
* Incorporate multidimensional experiences, (e.g., discussion, drawing, performance, and writing).
* Include activities that engage students in problem-solving and critical thinking.
* Draw upon students' cultural knowledge from home and community where possible and appropriate.
* Provide opportunities for students to use multiple intelligences and varied learning styles.

* Use parent community and/or resources to connect with families.

Examples of Instructional Strategies for Multicultural Standards

CULTURAL CLIMATE IN CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL
* Ensure that all students have equitable opportunities to learn and meet high standards.
* Provide a safe learning environment, free from stereotypes, teasing, bullying, and harrassment.
* Schedule opportunities for continued discussion on white privilege
* Set high expectations.
* Use culturally responsive activities, resources, and strategies to organize and implement instruction.
* Utilize the power of universal themes.
* Discuss and reflect upon cultural diversity and multiple perspectives.
* Make the distinction between global and national representation appropriate to concepts and themes.
* Ensure that guest speakers or presenters reflect that cultural diversity of the classroom across all disciplines.

LITERACY
* Read aloud books with characters from many cultures.
* Draw upon cultures represented in the classroom and encourage students to share with others.
* Write about own or family experience and traditions.
* Compare and contrast different beliefs, celebrations, etc.
* Read from a variety of genres and perspectives.
* Write a journal tying learning to own perspective and real life connections.
* Use thinking maps to enhance cultural understanding.
* Encourage student participation in a variety of community cultural events.
* Consult multicultural bibliographies.
* Read-A-Loud and share books written by authors from diverse cultures.

MATHEMATICS
* Allow and encourage students to create their own strategies.
* Introduce mathematical strategies used in many cultures.
* Have students create problem contexts which reflect multiple cultures. Teachers encourage these creations by using open-ended activities.
* Students learn about women mathematicians and mathematicians from many cultures.
* Connect classroom math to real world math.
* Include ethnomathematics in planning.
* Connect math to art, e.g., fabric design, architecture, jewelry, etc. in different cultures.

SCIENCE
* Explore science discoveries from a variety of cultures.
* Highlight scientists and inventors from many cultures.
* Highlight natural medicines/medical breakthroughs in different cultures.
* Include ethnobotany studies (study of first peoples use of native plants).
* Use geographical understandings to develop scientific concepts (e.g., marine life, climate, land forms).
* Create science timeline using multiple display techniques.
* Examine the accuracies and myths about race from a scientific perspective (DNA, body structure, etc.).
* Extract DNA from student cheek cells. It all looks alike on a macroscopic and microscopic level. Use this as a basis to begin a conversation about human racial differences.
* Engage in genetic pedigree studies of own family.
* Examine pedigree studies of Thomas Jefferson's "2" families with Sally Hemmings.
* Examine Argentian studies of "taken children" under dictatorship.
* Use knowledge of current scientific and brain research to dispel racial misconceptions.
* Incorporate ethical studies that link racial/cultural issues and science.
* Study human population gene frequencies in relationship to disease frequencies, natural selection, environmental adaptation and survival rates.?
* Explore the life stages and span of another culture as an authentic assessment in a development unit.
* Create a multicultural fair in which students represent a variety of cultures.
* Study differences in frequency of blood-type for differing populations.
* Connect science to art through field sketching of scientific specimins, and through contemporary art that raises bioethical issues.

SOCIAL STUDIES
* Explore and describe similarities and differences in the way groups, societies, and cultures address similar human needs and concerns.
* Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.
* Identify and interpret examples of why there is stereotyping and how stereotyping works.
* Examine how experiences may be interpreted differently by people from different cultural perspectives.
* Define seven levels of culture: philosophy, ethics, religion, creative motif, social, economic, and political organizations.
* Analyze ways in which cultures are derived from a people's physical environment and social conditions.
* Identify and describe the influence of perceptions and values on personal identity.
* Collect and share "oral histories" of students, families or community members.
* Describe personal connections to place - as associated with community, nation, and the world.
* Describe the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and across groups.
* Relate personal change to social and cultural contexts.
* Connect memory, identity, voice.
* Provide experiences where students are encouraged to role-play to view the world/nation through the lens of another cultural, racial or ethnic group
* Compare and contrast Gall-Peters Projection Map with Mercator Projection, and/or Robinson Projection Maps.
* Use artifacts, witness account, visuals (posters, video).
* Include history of Indigenous Peoples, past and present.
* Examine the historical impact of Colonialism.
* Analyze current role of cultural imperialism on world culture.
* Examine the history of Human Rights (women and civil rights) and Social Justice Movements.
* Connect social studies to art through examination of artifacts and artworks that are an expression of culture, artistic contribution, and historical context.

ART
* Study art/artifacts and their place in the students' cultural heritage.
* Integrate music, theatre, and art from student's own culture.
* Look at architecture-give examples from all over the world, not just northern Europe.
* Decoupage projects with fabrics from around the world.
* Invite guest artists from various cultures to speak to the class.
* Include displays that reflect many cultures.
* Develop art project/knowledge about student's own or others' cultural arts.
* Create objects or sculptures from various cultures and countries.
* Quilt with patterns and fabrics of world cultures.
* Study world music.

PE/HEALTH
* Study about different physical activities and pastimes from various cultural groups; report out and demonstrate.
* Explore the preparation, presentation, and celebration relative to foods in a variety of cultures.
* Engage in rhythms, dances, games from a variety of cultures.
* Describe diverse family structures (interracial, interreligious, adoptive, divorced, gay/lesbian, traditional, grandparent, multiethnic, single parent), the role of family and cultural implications.
* Explore dietary customs from diverse cultures and nations.
* Compare/contrast dating and marriage customs.
* Analyze health issues, concerns, challenges across cultures and nations.
* Study and analyze advertising and marketing techniques targeted to different races, cultures, and how those impact health.
* Integrate health education with the arts, literacy and social studies to expand multicultural applications.
* Collect personal histories, focusing on stages of life.
* Explore the connections between mental health (i.e. depression) and gossip, rumor, bullying, harassment).