As multicultural education is becoming integral to the core curriculum, teachers often implement this aspect into their courses through literature. However, standards and criteria to teach and promote active discussion about this literature are sparse. Cultural Journeys introduces pre-service and experienced teachers to the use of literature to promote active discussions that lead students to think about racial diversity. More than just an annotated list of books for children, Pamela S. Gates and Dianne L. Hall Mark provide systematic guidelines that teachers can use throughout their careers to evaluate multicultural literature for students in grades K-8. At the same time, the text leads the reader to a deeper understanding of how to use multicultural literature throughout the entire curriculum and not just during specially designated months or time periods. With the example unit plans and extensive annotated bibliography, this book is a valuable resource that pre-service teachers will utilize when they begin teaching and in-service teachers will reference repeatedly during their planning periods.

Chapter 1 PrefaceChapter 2 AcknowledgmentsChapter 3 1. Why Do We Study Multicultural Literature?Chapter 4 2. Defining Literary StandardsChapter 5 3. Picture BooksChapter 6 4. Folktales, Fairy Tales, and Tall TalesChapter 7 5. Historical FictionChapter 8 6. Nonfiction: Biography, Informational Texts, and AutobiographyChapter 9 7. Realistic FictionChapter 10 8. PoetryChapter 11 9. Creating the Climate for SuccessChapter 12 Appendix: Additional Cultural Resources and Unit PlansChapter 13 BibliographyChapter 14 IndexChapter 15 About the Authors