Annotated Web-based Multicultural Resource Directory



Annotated Web-based Multicultural Resource Directory

Content Area Resources

Mathematics



*****Highly Recommended

The site is sponsored by Radical Math. Radical Math was founded in 2006 by a Brooklyn educator who is working to integrate issues of economic and social justice into math classes. This one is called “Sandkofa: Routes of Survival” for high school students. It is an algebra assignment that sets up a simulation of traders who traveled across the Sahara Desert to get gold and salt. It lays out the risks involved for the families such as being captured by slave traders, wild animal attacks, and local tribal differences. Students work on a variety of tasks during the mission by picking a family, supplies needed, and routes to travel. Then the students complete algebraic tasks all the while learning about the ways of this culture. The unit involves a variety of tasks such as modes, medians, means, and graphing. The plan also calls for students to write about the experience and explain mathematical work. It is hard to find ways to bring multiculturalism into this content area. The unit “Sandkofa” helps to bridge that gap in a meaningful way. KLM



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Teachers can go to this site and find exchange rates as well as other information about the world. Students can compare the currency of different countries. Information may be copied from the site provided that it is for educational purposes. TME



****Sponsored by University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Research Mathematicians in History

This is a WebQuest for 11-12th grade students. The task is to be completed in teams of 3 where each member is assigned an important educational role. There is a quality rubric for evaluating the final products. I chose this site due to the difficulty in finding an interesting way to study multicultural ideas in math at the high school level. RH



*****Sponsored by , The Multicultural Pavilion

A list of multicultural math education links aimed at teachers of all grades. Topics range from tutoring to Native American geometry. Great starting point although some links are dead. Some of the links on my list come from here. SB



****Sponsored by The Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access

This site provides free online training courses to math and science teachers to help be more effective with students with disabilities and ADHD. Topics range from class set-up to lecture and group work. Students with ADHD and students with vision or hearing impairments are targeted. Applies to grades 6-12. Registration required. SB



*****Sponsored by The Meadows Foundation, Mathematics for English Language Learners (MELL) and Lamar University

This is an online tutoring site that provides hints and suggestions only from volunteers and is also available in Spanish. This site is committed to inquiry-based learning. I’m not sure how multicultural the word “nerd” is but it makes the list because of the Spanish availability. SB



****Sponsored by Agnes Scott College, Biographies of Women Mathematicians

This is a very straight forward site that allows a search of a pretty extensive database of female mathematicians. This could apply to just about any teacher. SB



***Sponsored by The Math Forum @ Drexel

This site provides links to cooperating sites with backgrounds like Navajo, Mayan, Indian and European. This site would be a good resource for any teacher with students that are not the traditional minority. SB



***Sponsored by , Native American Geometry

This site provides links to, among other things, a site dedicated to the origin and practice of Native American Geometry. By itself, it is worth a look to the site. Unfortunately, the site gives little else. SB



*****Sponsored by InfoUse and NASA, Plane Math

This site applies math and science abilities to the study of flight. It applies to grades 4-7, although I would have enjoyed this as a senior in physics. Its goal is to provide a way to study flight for those with disabilities. SB



*****Sponsored by The Math Forum @ Drexel, Ask Dr. Math

This online tutoring site is using “Doctors” from colleges from all over the world. The site includes a FAQ section that corrals common questions into one section. It has sections for elementary to post secondary. Students with learning disabilities often do not like to ask questions in class, so this can be another resource for that student. SB



***Sponsored by the University of Oregon, Women in Math Project

This site provides not only biographies of women in mathematics, but also a searchable database of publications. The content would be too high for an educational resource but an excellent resource if a female student is looking for some inspiration or if it’s part of a class project. SB



****Sponsored by Wikipedia, Ethnomathematics

This Wikipedia entry (with a ton of links) about the study of mathematics as it relates to various cultures. This is not a site for students unless they are working on a class project. This would more likely apply to a teacher leader or principal as something to bring to a meeting. Cultures range from English to Mesopotamian. SB



****Sponsored by Wikipedia, Anti-Racist Mathematics

This is a Wikipedia entry describing the educational reform movement, Anti-Racist Math. Its main focus is to change the way math is taught, not the math itself. Like Ethnomathematics, this applies to students as a project resource and teacher education. SB



*Sponsored by Eisenhower National Clearinghouse

This site bills itself as the only site you ever need to teach math and science. Online resources require a subscription. Some of the items deal with equity and diversity. Beware one who brings the discovery of a Silver Bullet and an order form. SB



***Sponsored by Patricia Donovan of San Joaquin Delta College

This site is for elementary and middle schools. Donovan created five math lessons with specific cultural backgrounds. She draws from China, Islam, Babylonia, Egypt and Africa to teach topics that range from counting to algebra. SB



***Sponsored by Leah P. McCoy of Wake Forest University

This is a rather extensive list of materials aimed to assist teachers in making math more inclusive. Some of the links duplicate others on this list. All grades could benefit from this content - although there are some dead links. SB



*****Sponsored by The Franklin Institute, Melting Pot Math

This site begins with a global map with eleven countries available, including every continent but Antarctica and Australia represented. Some of the activities are as simple as a word problem with Hispanic names to problems that inform about cultural traditions while addressing the mathematical concept. Topics appear to be of the K-8 variety, but could work for 9-12 remediations. SB



*****Sponsored by Scott Williams of University of Buffalo, Mathematician of the African Diaspora

This is a searchable and comprehensive collection of information on the “greatest black mathematicians.” Links include history, biographies, statistics and Amuchma (the online newsletter). Time ranges from ancient to modern. This is a good resource for teachers and students working on a project. SB



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This is an award winning site about all things abacus that includes a page with teacher resources. It has extensive information about the history of the abacus and its uses today (yes, it’s still used). Specifically, it does reference how the abacus is used with blind children in Asia in place of paper and pencil. Grade levels would be limited to K-8. SB



***Sponsored by Core Knowledge

Core Knowledge is an educational reform movement and the only reason it’s included here is that it has a large collection of lesson plans and ideas, some of which have some cultural background like the 3rd grade math lesson that uses worldwide currency to teach a broad knowledge of money. Grade levels are limited to K-8. SB



**Sponsor is unknown

This site teaches Mayan number system and provides a converter. Students can input an English number and the site gives the Mayan equivalent. Grade level likely limited to 5-12. Unfortunately, the rest of the site appears to be in Dutch, so the sponsor and other benefits are unknown. SB



***K-12

This was a book review for Teaching Mathematics in the Multicultural Classroom. The book is a resource for teachers, which suggests different approaches of teaching math to a multicultural classroom. It gives sample lessons as well as vocabulary. They offer professional development workshops. DS



***Multicultural Mathematics Lessons

Patricia Donovan of San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, California

TARGET POPULATION: Elementary Educators (grades 3-6)

A unique combination of cultural history and math instruction makes this a great resource for elementary educators to integrate content areas. Lessons include African Mende Addition; Egyptian Multiplication; Babylonian Square Roots; Islamic Inheritance Mathematics; and Chinese Fraction Reduction. - Great integration of curriculum but, not strongly based in standards; nice start with some activities – but not fully developed. DHW



****All Kinds of Minds and Schools Attuned – A non-profit institute for the understanding of differences in learning

Target Population: Adult Educators and Parents

This site has resources for educators and parents in understanding and educating students with learning differences. It has a parent toolkit that includes examples and activities to use for alternative methods for math, reading, and writing. There is information on specific learning opportunities for educators as well as some of the latest news for teachers to stay informed. AJL

Science



***Recommended

The site is sponsored by Teachers Pay Teachers organization. Teachers must register to become a member either free or pay a small fee to sell plans for profit. Some lessons are free and some lessons cost a small amount. This free lesson is called “Contributions made by Women, Men, African-American, Hispanic-American, Native-American, and Asian-American Scientists.” The lesson is geared from secondary students to work in cooperative groups to research about different ethnic groups and their contribution to science. The students then give oral presentations to the class using computer technology. KLM



*****4-12

This site explains the importance of teaching science differently in a multicultural classroom. Teachers need to approach experiments and lessons differently in a diverse classroom. Example lessons are given as well as a sample rubric. DS



*****Sponsored by West Virginia University, Strategies for teaching Science to Native Americans

This site stresses the need for accommodations in teaching students from another culture. General teaching strategies are also listed. Culturally appropriate ways to approach and engage students is discussed. This site also includes curricula suggestions for adaptations to teaching astronomy, biology, botany, geography, and geology to Native American students. This is a site for science teachers. JD



****Sponsored by West Virginia University

Strategies for Teaching Science to African American Students

This site stresses that educators need to have an authentic knowledge of the African-American culture to enhance the ability to connect and educate this culture. Many of these students speak Ebonics. There is a long list of classroom strategies. As this is a web site for science, minority students should be depicted favorably in posters, discussion, and printed materials related to science. There is a list of preferred study methods. This site is for science teachers. JD



*****Palm Beach County School District Department of Multicultural Education, Department of Multicultural Education Palm Beach County School District, West Palm Beach, FL

This website provides an entire multicultural curriculum that was designed by a school system for grades K-12. It integrates the lessons in social studies, science, and language arts. The website is user friendly and has lesson plans and resources that can be used and printed off for immediate use. JB



*****The Department of Multicultural Education – Palm Beach County School District

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This website is a resource created for educators in Florida’s Palm Beach County. The home page link has a Multicultural Curriculum Matrix that is used to organize information according to grade level in the areas of Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science. The Matrix contains a variety of topics and includes links to grade level appropriate lesson plans for each. (i.e. Haitian and Haitian-American Studies: K – Haiti How Do We Get There?; 1st – I’ll Fly Away; 2nd – Haitian Art; etc.) There is also ESOL Curriculum as well as Dual Language, World Language, and Holocaust Studies informational links. AJL

Language



****Site created and maintained by an ESL learner

Learn English as a second language. This site is geared toward ESL individuals with some background in English. The information is good, but possibly too complex for a beginner with the language. It has a translator that you can copy and paste with to make computer translating easier. It also has an extremely high number of learning tools, practices, and quizzes for the self learner. RH



****Sponsored by University of Minnesota

Effective instruction for English Language learners in the K-12 setting. This page displays a case study that explores issues in multicultural education. There are several series of questions asked of the same diverse group of students. Their responses are presented in video. The questions address cultural identity, curricular issues, parent involvement, and student-teacher relationships. This is very eye-opening. RH



*Sponsored by Unisa (Division of Education, Arts, and Social Studies)

“Welcome to the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures”

Interests, Research, Researchers, Publications, and Professional Activities are all listed as links on this site, however, none were found to be useful. All tabs led to general information about what they do at this “centre,” yet lacked info about what they found! BJM



***** “OTEN” Open Training and Education Network

This site offers courses for non-English speaking adults who have language and vocational needs. Adults may study free of charge under the Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Program (LLNP) in order to gain employment. This would be a great resource available for any student’s parents who are new to the community/ America. BJM



*****Compiled by Lauren Rose (no professional affiliation listed)

This is a listing of web sites for language resources. German, French, Spanish, Italian, Asian languages, Russian, Swahili, and ESL are included. Some of the sites are interactive. These sites would be helpful for elementary to secondary level classrooms. JD



****Bianet Web site. If Your Name is Kurdish Then You Cannot Enter Turkey. Retrieved June 26, 2008

This story is interesting in that it demonstrates how vital the simplest component of language can be to a culture. The letter “W” was banned from being used in names in Turkey since it wasn’t part of the Turkish alphabet. This led to many Kurds not being able to use their given names in Turkey, and actually being turned away at the border when trying to enter the country. This story is appropriate for any grade level although the concept of differing alphabets and the political motivations behind the story may be difficult for younger kids. ND



*****Edsitement – National Endowment for the Humanities

TARGET POPULATION: K-12 Educators

This site includes connections with other websites and lesson plans for Art & Culture; Literature and Language Arts; Foreign Language; History & Social Studies along with updated global news articles. - Lessons can be searched by subcategory and age/grade level; across the curriculum connections; background history/information included with lesson plans; standards-aligned. DHW



*****The Department of Multicultural Education – Palm Beach County School District

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This website is a resource created for educators in Florida’s Palm Beach County. The home page link has a Multicultural Curriculum Matrix that is used to organize information according to grade level in the areas of Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science. The Matrix contains a variety of topics and includes links to grade level appropriate lesson plans for each. (i.e. Haitian and Haitian-American Studies: K – Haiti How Do We Get There?; 1st – I’ll Fly Away; 2nd – Haitian Art; etc.) There is also ESOL Curriculum as well as Dual Language, World Language, and Holocaust Studies informational links. AJL



*****Hand Speak – Jolanta Lapiak

TARGET POPULATION: Educators as well as Students of all ages

This sight states that sign language is the 3rd most used language in the United States and provides many modes in which to acquire sign language information and proficiency. There is some basic information provided on the “complimentary” areas of the site; however, there is more extensive information provided for a small annual fee. There is a basic fingerspelling dictionary offered at no charge. There is more specific information such as asl/sign dictionary, word of the day offered for subscribers who pay the annual fee. AJL



*****World Wise Schools by Peace Corps

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12

This site contains lesson plans organized by grade, region, and subject area. There is information about service learning, enrichment projects and language lessons as well. There are interesting letters, folk tales, poems, and stories form Peace Corps Volunteers that are written specifically to share with students. The video link has several destination videos to directly view the culture of different countries. AJL

Language Arts



*****Palm Beach County School District Department of Multicultural Education, Department of Multicultural Education Palm Beach County School District, West Palm Beach, FL

This website provides an entire multicultural curriculum that was designed by a school system for grades K-12. It integrates the lessons in social studies, science, and language arts. The website is user friendly and has lesson plans and resources that can be used and printed off for immediate use. JB



***Abdullah, M. Poetry. In Awarakany Kurdistan. Retrieved June 25, 2008

This website is a personal website with photo gallery memorials of attacks the Kurds have suffered as well as cultural content. The target population would be people sympathetic with or interested in the Kurdish cause. In general, this site’s cultural content would be appropriate for high school language arts, although the photo memorials of mass killings would probably be unsuitable for all but the most mature students and maybe for a social studies oriented class. Although, we freely use pictures of Nazi camps when discussing Anne Frank, so perhaps the pictures are not too graphic. ND



****Kurdish Cinema, Retrieved June 25, 2008

I’ve included this site because modern cultural attitudes are well displayed in pop culture, and as you investigate a culture in language arts class, you want to get an idea of what is important to its people. Even though the movies may be foreign for my students, themes tend to be universal. This would provide a common platform to look at a different culture. ND



*****The Department of Multicultural Education – Palm Beach County School District

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This website is a resource created for educators in Florida’s Palm Beach County. The home page link has a Multicultural Curriculum Matrix that is used to organize information according to grade level in the areas of Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science. The Matrix contains a variety of topics and includes links to grade level appropriate lesson plans for each. (i.e. Haitian and Haitian-American Studies: K – Haiti How Do We Get There?; 1st – I’ll Fly Away; 2nd – Haitian Art; etc.) There is also ESOL Curriculum as well as Dual Language, World Language, and Holocaust Studies informational links. AJL



****All Kinds of Minds and Schools Attuned – A non-profit institute for the understanding of differences in learning

Target Population: Adult Educators and Parents

This site has resources for educators and parents in understanding and educating students with learning differences. It has a parent toolkit that includes examples and activities to use for alternative methods for math, reading, and writing. There is information on specific learning opportunities for educators as well as some of the latest news for teachers to stay informed. AJL

Literature

resources/diversity/multicultural/multi background.html

****Sponsored by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I found this site helpful because it mentioned many different literature options that could be used to help teach diversity and multiculturalism. There were several books mentioned that I have used in the classroom but had not seen their value in respects to diversity. It was beneficial to see a different perspective. TME



*****Sponsored by Michigan State University Libraries

What a wealth of information on this site! I could have spent hours looking through the information provided here. It connects learners with countless websites and journals all related to multicultural education. This site focuses on providing educators with books related to specific topics. Education majors would also find the site helpful. TME



****Sponsored by the National Japanese American Society

This lesson plan incorporates the novel, “Journey to Topaz,” by Yoshido Uchido. Uchido also wrote, “Jar of Dreams,” which is often used at the elementary level. Elementary students may not be aware of the Japanese American internment camp experience and American discrimination against Japanese people following World War II. This lesson sounds very interesting and I do not believe it would be necessary to purchase the suggested video. It utilizes what seems to be a good simulation activity. RB



*****Sponsored by the Discovery Channel

For grades K-5, but lessons can easily be adapted for older students. One lesson discusses cultural differences in unique, seldom studied areas at the elementary level such as Antarctica, Australia, Nepal and China, and the Middle East. I like the literacy piece that offers numerous suggested readings. The site offers some cool TV program links! RB



****Multicultural Cinderella Folk Tales, Sponsored by Cordova Middle School

This is a WebQuest geared for grades 4-6 to study multiculturalism through the use of Cinderella folk tales. Collaboration and partner work are encouraged for the project and studies. The stories to be studied are online and linked to the WebQuest. Sample projects, activity pages, organizers, and a great rubric are all included as well. RH

index.html

***Sponsored by Making Multicultural Connections Through Trade Books, Curriculum Departments Schools Info Resources

This web-site provides multicultural books that could be used with any age group. A lesson index alphabetizes the books for easy access or you can search by a particular theme that you’re teaching to get a list of books to use. The site provides the bibliography, a synopsis of the book, technology links, and lessons that could be used. JB



*****Sponsored by Awesome Library, EDI and Dr. R. Jerry Adams

This website organizes 35,000 reviewed resources for teachers, teens, parents, librarians, and college students to use on the web. The site narrows the topics and has organized all the information needed to teach or research that particular topic. It not only provides multicultural lessons, discussions, projects, research, and resources, but also has links to news articles that cover multicultural topics past and present. JB



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Various links appear on this screen which enables you to explore multiple items such as speeches, poems, essays, declarations, literature, acts, and songs. Not all items would be considered “multicultural;” however, it provides a narrow resource of items. BJM



*****Sponsored by Education Place, Houghton Mifflin, “Current Events”

This site offers links to Time for Kids, Weekly Reader Feature Zone, and National Geographic Kids News. Each link provides a search engine within the site as well as teaching resources (wksts, mini-lessons, graphic organizers) which would compliment any multicultural study. BJM



*****K-12

This website helps teachers establish a multicultural classroom through literature. It suggests what the teacher should do to get started. Answers are given to why teachers should use multicultural literature, and how to corporate it into the classroom. Book lists are categorized by culture. Examples of activities and graphic organizers are offered. This site is teacher friendly. DS



****K-6

This is a good resource for teachers who are or want to teach cultural diversity through children’s literature. You choose a culture and the site will provide you with related websites and an annotated book list of all genres for that particular country. DS



****Sponsored by the National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education, Using Multicultural Children’s Literature in Adult ESL Classes

Questions are provided for evaluating picture books for adult ESL learners. Ideas are given for the three-part reading process. Extension activities are also provided. There is a list of recommended reading books for beginning to advanced readers. This site would be useful for teaching and ESL student, especially adults. JD

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****Sponsored by Instructor Magazine

How to choose the Best Multicultural Books

50 cultural books are listed with a short synopsis of each book. The books are related to the cultures of Native Americans, Latinos, African-Americans, Jews, and Asian-Americans. The books are for reading levels of K-8 grade. The disadvantage is that there is not a grade level mentioned for each book. This site would be for teachers. JD



*****Sponsored by New Horizons for Learning

This site gives the rationale for multicultural children’s literature. It tells how to evaluate books. Stereotypes in books have started to diminish since the 1970’s. There is still difficulty in finding good picture books. There is a list of books depicting authentic stories for African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Latino, and Hispanic. This site would be good for teachers or to provide students with a list of books. JD



***Multicultural Picture Books for Today’s Children, Duluth Public Library, Duluth, MN

This is a website that could be used K-12. It provides a list of various multicultural picture books. There is a short summary of each book listed. JB

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*****Awesome Library, EDI and Dr. R. Jerry Adams

This website organizes 35,000 reviewed resources for teachers, teens, parents, librarians, and college students to use on the web. The site narrows the topics and has organized all the information needed to teach or research that particular topic. It not only provides multicultural lessons, discussions, projects, research, and resources, but also has links to news articles that cover multicultural topics past and present. JB



*Kurd Library, Retrieved June 25, 2008

I’ve included this site because it was a suggested link from a usable website. Upon following the link, it is a domain for sale that has no Kurdish content. If anything, it represents the difficulties in using the web for academic pursuits. This may have, at one time, been a real website – who knows. I can see lower functioning students using this site, not realizing it has no usable information, then searching from its search box and ultimately including it in a citation as part of a search path. ND



****Project Children L.E.A.D. – Point Park University

TARGET POPULATION: Teachers, Student (age 2- grade 8)

Curriculum, written resources, stories, photo galleries and workshops are all included in this website. Recommended books and related websites. – Lessons can be searched by theme or age/grade level; includes lessons for preschool. DHW



****Culturally Responsive School Library Lessons & Service Ideas

University of Colorado at Denver

TARGET POPULATION: Librarians, Educators, and students (K-12)

This website contains a variety of resources including lessons based on read alouds, school cultural ideas, Web Quests, lesson plans and professional development support. - Time-consuming to navigate but “hidden treasures” found could be great resources; includes connections with texts connecting literacy across curriculum. DHW



*****Multicultural Resources for Children by Internet School Library Media Center

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators, Parents and Students of all ages

This is a site providing multicultural informational resources for teachers, librarians, parents, and students. There is a search feature on the site as well as resources on literary information about multicultural books for children and young adults. There is also a bibliography of multicultural books for each of the following: African American, Africa, Appalachian, Asian American and Asia/Pacific Islands, Christian, European American, Hispanic Americans, Central & South American, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jewish, Native Americans, and Gay and Lesbian. AJL



*****Project: Children L.E.A.D. (Learning Early to Appreciate Diversity)

By Project Children LEAD, Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This is a site designed to provide educators with multicultural information and resources useful for the classroom. There are lesson plans organized by age as well as theme. The resources page contains Children’s stories and activities to use in the classroom. There is an exceptionalities link that has extensive links for learning information about individuals with disabilities. AJL



*****World Wise Schools by Peace Corps

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12

This site contains lesson plans organized by grade, region, and subject area. There is information about service learning, enrichment projects and language lessons as well. There are interesting letters, folk tales, poems, and stories form Peace Corps Volunteers that are written specifically to share with students. The video link has several destination videos to directly view the culture of different countries. AJL



****All Kinds of Minds and Schools Attuned – A non-profit institute for the understanding of differences in learning

Target Population: Adult Educators and Parents

This site has resources for educators and parents in understanding and educating students with learning differences. It has a parent toolkit that includes examples and activities to use for alternative methods for math, reading, and writing. There is information on specific learning opportunities for educators as well as some of the latest news for teachers to stay informed. AJL



****Understanding Hispanic/Latino Culture & History Through the Use of Children’s Literature by Jean Sutherland at Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This site has curriculum units and reference lists dealing with multicultural studies. The site is not extremely visually ‘friendly’; however, the site does have in depth information to teach specific curricular units. The site is simply designed and easy to manage in finding specific multicultural information including African American Studies, Diversity, Hispanic American/Latino Studies, Immigration, and Native American. AJL

Poetry



**Recommended (Content is good. Low rating given to site due to it only being 1 activity.)

The site is sponsored by New Horizons for Learning. Mary Stone Hanley wrote the plan called “A Culturally Relevant Lesson for African American Students.” It is only one activity for grades 6-12 that can be incorporated into a unit based on the parallel struggles in South Africa and the United States. The content and activity provide a way for teachers to tap into the thinking of their students. It is a reading, performance and interpretation of Langston Hughes’ poem “Question and Answer.” KLM



**Sponsored by Texas Women’s University in Denton

Multicultural, Poetry, and Literature for Young Adults. This website has multicultural poems and lessons. Poems are written by African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans. It provides lessons to use with the poems and extension activities. JB



**Multicultural, Poetry, and Literature for Young Adults, Texas Women’s University in Denton

This website has multicultural poems and lessons. Poems are written by African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans. It provides lessons to use with the poems and extension activities. JB

index.html

***Making Multicultural Connections Through Trade Books, Curriculum Departments Schools Info Resources MCPS Web, Rockville, Maryland

This web-site provides multicultural books that could be used with any age group. A lesson index alphabetizes the books for easy access or you can search by a particular theme that you’re teaching to get a list of books to use. The site provides the bibliography, a synopsis of the book, technology links, and lessons that could be used. JB



****Classic and Modern Kurdish Poetry, F. Shakely, from Kerkuk Kurdistane Website, Retrieved June 25, 2008

This page is found within a broader site aimed at disseminating news and cultural information about Kurdistan and the Kurds. There is a heart in the graphic of Kerkuk Kurdistane, so I think Kerkuk Kurdistane may translate to “I love Kurdistan,” but I’m not sure. The discussion on this specific page, written by Shakely from Uppsala University, Sweden, delves into the roots of modern Kurdish literature, the difficulties it has faced and main branches or schools of thought. This depth analysis would probably render the site more fit for upper level high school classes. ND



****16 March 1988 from Kurdistan National Network Website, Retrieved June 26, 2008

This page contains a poem written about the March 1988 chemical attacks on the Kurdish town of Halabja. Poetry is often able to express and emotion, a rawness through imagery that prose is simply not able to do. ND

Picture Books

http:duluth.lib.mn.us/YouthServices/Booklists/Multicultural.html

***Sponsored by Duluth Public Library, Duluth, MN

Multicultural Picture Books for Today’s Children. This is a website that could be used K-12. It provides a list of various multicultural picture books. There is a short summary of each book listed. JB

Art



***Recommended

The site is called “Making Sock Dolls” and is sponsored by Dick Blick. This particular lesson is geared for students in grades 9-12. The students would study the use of dolls in different cultures and time periods before beginning to make his or her own personal doll. This is one example of the many lessons found at . The artistic representations of other cultures give students a hands-on way of looking into humanity. KLM

view lesson plan.asp

*****Sponsored by EDSITEment, a Division of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Grades 3-5 (6th as well, in my opinion) will love the lesson, “History in Quilts.” Believe it or not, quilts bridge many cultural boundaries! They are timeless art forms enjoyed by generations of people worldwide. Some cultures appropriately call them story cloths. This is a tremendous resource. RB



*****Sponsored by KinderArt

This website has many multicultural are projects. There are several projects that celebrate our differences and similarities throughout the world through masks, drums, and paper mache. Other projects focus on several countries – Africa, Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, and North America. There are even links to do sculptures and recycled art. The projects can be used with students K-12. JB



***K-12

This site is a catalog of craft items you can order for your class to create multicultural crafts. Some items you can order are Chinese dragons, African masks, Native American Paper, Japanese windsocks, and many more global craft items. Good site for Art teachers of multicultural schools. DS



*****KinderArt, KinderArt

This website has many multicultural art projects. There are several projects that celebrate our differences and similarities throughout the world through masks, drums, and paper mache. Other projects focus on several countries – Africa, Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, and North America. There are even links to do sculptures and recycled art. The projects can be used with students K-12. JB



*****University of Dohuk from the University of Dohuk Website, Retrieved 6/25/08

The intellectual centers of any culture strongly influence, it not outright control, how the arts develop. The University of Dohuk site is included for its overall content as an indicator of the current culture. The Kurdish population is spread over several countries, so a Kurdish university would provide an approachable cultural focal point. This would probably be best probed by upper level high school students. The site is more user friendly than many American college websites. ND



****University of Kurdistan Hawler from the University of Kurdistan at Hawler Website, Retrieved June 25, 2008

UKHawler is included to provide a second perspective on university like in Kurdistan. Its home page proudly displays the fact that it is a free public university. The University of Dohuk is also free, yet their main page talks about the size and growth of the student body. Goals and aspirations for a people or country can be seen in the university setting and this site provides more cultural insight into the Kurdish people. Usable by high school age students. 3-4 stars due to lack of completeness compared to University of Dohuk. ND



****ArtsEdge (Instructional Unit: “Dreams in the Golden Country”) – The Kennedy Center

TARGET POPULATION: Unit written for use with grades 3-5 by classroom teachers (adaptable for higher-lower grades)

Immigration to America is the focus of this unit including lessons that could be taught independently in various elementary grades. Unique blends of artistic and academic skills and experiences make these lessons interesting, adaptable and integrated across content areas and literacy. - Strong connections to academic standards; include variety of related arts and technology-related activities; easy to navigate; somewhat limited target. DHW



****Kidlink – TARGET POPULATION: Teachers and students (limited use to children up to age 15)

“A place for kids to collaborate and network with friends around the world” is the goal and this website offers some opportunities for children to connect globally by creating art and written pieces. Lifeskills training resources aim to build on and support local school curriculums. - Students could connect globally in a real way and develop socially/emotionally by connecting to real children. DHW



*****The Kennedy Center Arts Edge by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Parents

This is a site that provides grade level appropriate lessons for all subjects. The lessons incorporate arts such as dance, music, theater, and visual arts. There is a great resource on the page called lesson finder that allows viewers to complete a more focused search for specific subject related or arts related information. There is an area called explore that provides some great opportunities for differentiated instruction by allowing viewers to “look-listen-learn” in their investigation of a particular lesson. AJL



*****Artists Pic, Blick Art Materials – Hosted by: Dick Blick Holdings, Inc.

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This site was created for educators, by educators. A variety of art educators were asked to contribute lesson plans and projects for this site. The hosting company/organization believes that “Art has always played a significant role in shaping and recording our cultural history and lifestyles; teaching it from this perspective has become an increasingly necessary discipline in our ever shrinking world.” The resources page has many links useful for relating to a variety of cultures including Aboriginal, African, Asian, European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Native American, and other varied cultures. AJL

Music



***Sponsored by Educator’s Circle LLC, Songs for Teaching-Using Music to Promote Learning

This site has many songs that are about embracing our difference and diversity. Teachers can download the songs free of charge. The lyrics are also available on the site. JB



***Sponsored by Guangzhou University Town Through a Lens, “Economic Development vs. Ethnic Minority Culture”

This site offers background information on China’s 56 different ethnicities. The primary focus of this link was the concern with the lack of ethnic songs known among China’s school children. The author(s) are encouraging more ethnic music to be taught in the primary and middle school education. They are hoping to lessen the gaps between the Mandarin and Mongolian languages. This information could be helpful if your Chinese student lacks patterns/rhythm often produced by music. A lacking in this area may produce deficiencies in oral reading and math. BJM



***Songs for Teaching-Using Music to Promote Learning, Educator’s Circle, LLC

This site has many songs that are about embracing our difference and diversity. Teachers can download the songs free of charge. The lyrics are also available on the site. JB

Games



**Sponsored by Wilderdom Store

This site features some engaging activities for all ages. Many different games are listed. It also gives a listing of the books where these games can be found. I was disappointed with the site because I was hoping for more specific information about the activities. TME



****Sponsored by an organization called, “Simulation Training Systems.”

This site offers simulations for schools on hot-topic issued. I especially like the BaFa, BaFa multicultural game. Marilyn Watkins played this game with us in undergraduate classes. I loved it! There are other games involving the use of firearms, and the power of leadership for older students. For younger students, RaFa, RaFa, a more simplistic multicultural game, is also available. RB



***Sponsored by Germantown Academy, Ft. Washington, PA, Germantown Academy Multicultural Games

This site offers lessons that teach both contemporary and ancient multicultural games. Students can learn about games that are played in other countries while playing them. Also, it provides internet resources so you can see pictures, rules, facts, and the history of the sport. JB



***Germantown Academy Multicultural Games, Germantown Academy, Ft. Washington, PA

This site offers lessons that teach both contemporary and ancient multicultural games. Students can learn about games that are played in other countries while playing them. Also, it provides internet resources so you can see pictures, rules, facts, and the history of the sport. JB

Maps



****Sponsored by Education Place, Houghton Mifflin Company

This site would be a great resource for intermediate grades through 12th grade. It allows the user to print off world maps, historical maps, and maps of all the continents. It’s an easy fast resource for acquiring a map to print off for each student to use. JB



*****Atlapedia Online, Latimer Clarke Corporation Pty. Ltd.

This site could be used for high school students that would like to learn more about any country. The site is easy to search any country alphabetically and provides information about location, geography, climate, people, demographic, religions, languages, education, history, currency, economy, trading, industries, exports, communication, and military. Anyone could use their wonderful maps to teach the geography of countries. JB (listed under “countries” also)



****Education Place, Houghton Mifflin Company

This site would be a great resource for intermediate grades through 12th grade. It allows the user to print off world maps, historical maps, and maps of all the continents. It’s an easy fast resource for acquiring a map to print off for each student to use. JB



*****National Geographic - TARGET POPULATION: Educators and students K-12

A wealth of knowledge and resources are available including educator resources (maps, photos, news, audio/video, education newsletters), student resources (games and online magazines) and educator programs (National Geographic Bee, The Jason Project, Student Expeditions, etc.) - extremely extensive resource; standards-based lessons; fun interactive activities for students. DHW

World Communication



*****ePals, ePals Inc.

This site is designed to safely connect teachers and classrooms globally. ePals has connected classrooms in over 200 countries. Classrooms can email, blog, look at forums, and communicate with other classrooms throughout the world. The site can match classrooms of any age K-12. Every teacher should look at this site. JB

General Education



****Strongly Recommended

This site is called Pete’s Power Point Station. It is a free site full of over 800 power point presentations on just about any topic in education. Under the multicultural section, teachers will find numerous slide shows about Native Americans and other cultures giving pertinent information to students in tidbit sizes as well as many photographs and paintings depicting the time period. The website also features background information for teachers to use in developing lessons for almost any topic. The website is a partnership between Mrs. Donn and Philip Martin. KLM



***Recommended

This site is sponsored by Yale-New Haven Institute. It is a partnership between Yale University and New Haven Public Schools. The site is called “Curriculum Units by Fellows of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute 1978-2007.” It lists many units from all areas of education that have been written by teachers. Multicultural units included Latino Cultures & Communities, Immigration & American Life, and Cultures & Their Myths. Most units were written for middle or high school level students. KLM



***Recommended

This site is sponsored by Chicago Foundation for Education and is used to support Chicago Public School teachers by posting units and lessons. Teachers can look up by subject area and grade level to find a variety of multicultural topics such as Mexico and Chinese Culture. The lesson plans are tied to the Illinois State Standards. KLM



****Strongly Recommended

This site is sponsored by Lincoln County Multicultural Education. It gives a full range of lesson plans for specific grade levels and content areas. The Seventh Grade Language Arts section had weeks and weeks worth of lessons that would allow students to compare cultures and dive deep into the ways of individual cultures all while doing authentic reading and writing assignments. KLM



***Recommended

The site is sponsored by ProTeacher. This site is an 8th Grade Unit that includes 10 topics about culture. The topics range from the basic “What is culture?” to looking at patterns in religion, art, and educational needs through the multicultural lens. The unit lists topics for discussion, cooperative activities, and final projects to engage the students in authentic learning. KLM



****Sponsored by Wellensick

This site would be helpful to a teacher who would like to create a webquest. Allowing students to view this site would not only help them to learn about other cultures, but would also help them to explore a webquest. (Appropriate for grades 1-6) TME



*Sponsored by Masters Communications, Inc.

I assumed Culture for Kids would provide information on a variety of cultures. It does offer a large variety of resources for bilingual and multicultural students. It does not engage the student or reader in any way though. TME

*****Sponsored by Yvonne Marie Andres and Al Rogers

Global Schoolnet provides a perfect reference point for students and teachers interested in increasing their global understanding. One way it accomplishes this mission is by providing teachers and students with project-based, online learning activities. This site is well constructed and safe for children. I will use this site when school begins. TME



*****Sponsored by National Geographic

National Geographic as put together an incredible site. The information and opportunities on this site seem to be limitless. One link for students on this site is called Pearlworld Youth News. This is an international youth journalism community, which gives students in high school the opportunity to write, edit, and publish writings about the world. I cannot wait to take my students to the computer lab this year and use this site. The blog alone provides information that students would find fascinating. TME



*****Sponsored by President Elizaber P. Salett and NMCI Board of Directors

The information on this site would be useful for adults, specifically administrators who are looking to help their staff think globally. It gives helpful information and lists seminars that are going to be available to the public. This would be a reference point for other information as well. TME



*****Sponsored by Houston Public Library

This site is a noteworthy site because it gives children many different resources in a manner easy to access. It is a website parents would feel safe to let their children use. It offers students the chance to find information on topics in which they are learning. At the same time, allows children to make choices about what to research and how. This site lists ten specific culture groups, and gives a variety of options in which to learn about them. I will give this resource to my students. (Best for grades 3-6) TME



****Sponsored by the National Education Association

This is a great website for classroom management ideas and lesson plans. It also discusses ideas about adolescent dropout prevention and has numerous multicultural-related articles for every age group. I use this site a lot. Definitely one to bookmark! RB



****Sponsored by

This site is dedicated solely to elementary education, grades K-6. Tips are offered on disrespectful students, classroom management techniques, professional development, and diversity lesson plans among many other items. It targets teachers, families, and kids concerning hundreds of topics. RB



***Sponsored by an educational journal entitled “Multicultural Review”

These resources are there to assist with multicultural classroom instruction. The website is updated frequently but at the same time, gives insight into past issues. I’d like to read one specific article called, “The Unbearable Whiteness of Literacy Instruction.” RB

lesson/archives/special-themes

*****Sponsored by “Education World, the Teacher’s Best Friend”

I use this website frequently. It offers great ice-breaker activities for the first day of school or for when new students enroll. The multicultural twist that I like is an activity entitled, “Four Days in Paris.” This activity allows students to research various countries and cultures and then to create a travel brochure for their country. This site encompasses all grade levels. RB



***Multicultural Education and the Internet, The McGraw-Hill Company

This site has several wonderful lessons for the classroom teacher. The lessons teach teachers how to set ground rules for their classrooms and allows them to participate in activities that they could then use as part of their own multicultural lessons. These would be good to use at faculty meetings or as part of professional development time. RH



***The Educator’s Reference Desk, Information Institute of Syracuse

This is a teacher site. The page includes nearly 20 lesson plans listed with a grade specification. The lessons are very detailed and range from a 1 day lesson to over 2 week units. RH



**NAME, National Association for Multicultural Education

This is a site for the NAME organization that was created to support continuing growth and study of multicultural education. They also support students in receiving a just education. Membership is required and money is solicited. Workshops and training courses are posted for educators. RH



****Sponsored by Michigan State University

This site was created as a resource for the students and faculty of Michigan State University. There are many links to professional multicultural resources. There are many articles, suggested books, and links listed. This site is easy to navigate and user friendly. RH



*****Sponsored by Project Children Lead, Children L.E.A.D., Learning Early to Appreciate Diversity

This website provides resources to teachers and students to build understanding and appreciation of diversity. The provided curriculum and lesson plans build upon one another. They are grouped by age and grade starting at 2 years old and ending with 8th grade. This is a very user friendly site. RH



*****Sponsored by Scholastic

This website has areas for parents, students, teachers, administrators, and librarians. It also has a search engine where you can type in multicultural for 1,509 resourceful sites. These sites can be sorted by specific age groups. Books, audio clips, articles, internet field trips, games, activities, and lesson plans are all available to be searched on this page. RH



****Sponsored by INTIME

This is a site made for teachers to encourage and promote integration of new technologies into the methods of multicultural education. There are benchmarks that schools can use to assess their move towards building a multiculturally aware environment. There are also lessons, curriculum guides, resources, video clips, and media support guides to use when teaching. RH



****Awesome Library, Evaluation and Development Institute

Search social studies and then multicultural to visit this site’s list of multicultural lesson plans. Then you can click on a multitude of multicultural topics. This then leads to lesson plans, resources, research, papers, lists, projects, and more. This site for teachers is worth the visit due to the amount of topics it covers. RH

Studies/Multicultural Education

***Sponsored by the Information Institute of Syracuse, The Educator’s Reference Desk

This site provides over 3,000 resources including lessons, sites, and a question archive. This site offers lessons for grades K-12. Multicultural lesson plans are provided along with other subjects such as art, computer science, foreign language, health, information literacy, language arts, math, philosophy, physical education, science, and social studies. JB



*****Sponsored by Northern Arizona University, Multicultural Education Internet Resources Guide

This site provides over 50 web-sites created for teachers to locate multicultural information on the Internet. There are lessons, galleries, photos, maps, virtual field trips, pen pals, international radio programming, and much more. This site provides general multicultural education sites, world geography sites, environmental sites, interactive sites, and language sites. This site provides it all! JB



*****Sponsored by Department of Multicultural Education Palm Beach County School District, West Palm Beach, FL

This website provides an entire multicultural curriculum that was designed by a school system for grades K-12. It integrates the lessons in social studies, science, and language arts. The website is user friendly and has lesson plans and resources that can be used and printed off for immediate use. JB



****Sponsored by Brain Pop

Brain Pop (Grades 4-12), Brain Pop Jr. (K-3) and Brain Pop Espanol has many activities and movies that cover a vast array of topics. Brain Pop Jr. has movies about biographies, citizenship, communities, holidays, geography, and cultures. Even though Brain Pop is not free, there is a free trial that teachers can use for a limited time. JB



***Sponsored by InGEAR (Integrating Gender Equity and Reform) and University of Georgia

This site gives links to curriculum aides provided by the multi-university project InGEAR. In effect most of what is suggested is merely “accessories” to what teachers already do. For example, one suggestion is to read books in class about non-traditional families. Most of what is suggested appears to apply to K-4. SB

Studies/Multicultural Education

***The Educator’s Reference Desk, Information Institute of Syracuse

This site provides over 3000 resources including lessons, sites, and a question archive. This site offers lessons for grades K-12. Multicultural lesson plans are provided along with other subjects such as art, computer science, foreign language, health, information literacy, language arts, math, philosophy, physical science, science, and social studies. JB



*****Multicultural Education Internet Resources Guide, Northern Arizona University

This site provides over 50 web-sites created for teachers to locate multicultural information on the Internet. There are lessons, galleries, photos, maps, virtual field trips, pen pals, international radio programming, and much more. This site provides general multicultural education sites, world geography sites, environmental sites, interactive sites, and language sites. This site provides it all! JB



****Brain Pop, Brain Pop

Brain Pop (Grades 4-12), Brain Pop Jr. (K-3) and Brain Pop Espanol has many activities and movies that cover a vast array of topics. Brain Pop Jr. has movies about biographies, citizenship, communities, holidays, geography, and cultures. Even though Brain Pop is not free, there is a free trial that teachers can use for a limited time. JB



*****Webquests Across the Curriculum

Hosted by: Edmund J. Sass, Ed. D., at College of Saint Benedict/St John’s University

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12 who are interested in WebQuests

This site is basically a host site used as a WebQuest directory. The initial information provided includes resources for: describing a WebQuest, building/crating a WebQuest, understanding the benefits of using a WebQuest, and locating WebQuests. There is an extensive directory leading viewers to WebQuests on: Art, Literature for Children, Literature for Adolescents, Geography, Mathematics, Health/Nutrition, Music, Political Science/Government, History, Psychology/Sociology, Religion, Science, Language Arts, and World Languages (German, French, and Spanish). AJL

Cultures

Countries



*****Sponsored by ePals Inc.

This site is designed to safely connect teachers and classrooms globally. ePals has connected classrooms in over 200 countries. Classrooms can e-mail, blog, look at forums, and communicate with other classrooms throughout the world. The site can match classrooms of any age K-12. Every teacher should look at this site. JB



*** Recommended

The site is a lesson plan for high school students called “Do I Have Culture?” The site is called RetaNet: Resources for Teaching about the Americas and is sponsored by the University of New Mexico and Latin American & Iberian Institute. Students often think of culture as something shared by Native Americans or other ethnic groups. Students will examine the basis for their own culture and heritage. They will also deal with the importance of cultural preservation. KLM



***Recommended

The site is called “Exploring China” and is sponsored by Scholastic. It is prepared for students in grades 1-2. It uses a variety of children’s literature to compare lifestyles from China to the United States. The story of Little Red Riding Hood is examined as being similar yet different in another culture with Lon Po Po. The unit ends with a Chinese Cultural WebQuest for students to do. KLM



***Recommended

The site is “Teaching with Asian Children’s Literature: A Thematic Unit of Study for Grades K-6.” It is sponsored by the Teacher’s Asian Studies Summer Institute at California State Polytechnic University. It lists lessons in every content area from reading and math to physical education and music to incorporate a close look at Asian culture. Three units are listed: Good versus Evil, Greed, and Sacrifice. Each unit is written by a different person and highlights many activities that compare and contrast children’s literature while examining these themes of humanity. KLM



**Recommended (Content is good. Low rating is given due to the fact that all students need computer access for several hours per week to be doing this project.)

The site is called “Using the Internet for Multicultural Education: Learn about a Country” designed by Carol Hong Yin, Ed. D. The site is sponsored by Muskingum College in Ohio. The students use the internet to learn about China. Students then work as individuals and in groups to complete the web page and share with each other. This lesson would be done with students who would have access to a computer lab for several hours during a school week. KLM



*****Sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

This website is beneficial for both elementary students and college age students, with a section specifically for young students. It is user friendly for all ages. Students would feel like they had traveled to Japan after a visit to this site. Personally, I enjoyed the different links and the versatility of the site. TME

kids.html

****Sponsored by the presidency of the Republic of Mexico

This site is geared for grades K-6. It provides both English and Spanish languages on the site. The part I would find most helpful as a 5th grade teacher, is the history section. The information included on the site would compliment our state standards on the explorers of present day Mexico. This site will also direct you to a site for adults. The following link is in Spanish and would be perfect for a high school or college Spanish class. TME



****Sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley

The Germany Project is a website that is specifically focused on the changing culture of Germany. It informs readers of how the history of this country is and has played a role in the major changes the people are seeing within their population. It discusses the multicultural dynamics of the changes that are taking place currently in Germany. The site invites input from the general public and from people who have some knowledge about Germany. I found the history, pictures, and information engaging. The site would be useful for students studying WWII or related world cultures. (Jr. High through college) TME



*****Sponsored by Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole

This site chronicles the incredible story of three friends, their trip to Africa, how it changed their lives, and what they are doing to change the lives of children in northern Uganda. They have produced a movie about the lives of the children. Their mission is clear and their plan is working. I found this site inspiring because it shows what can be done when we have compassion and take responsibility. I would use this site for intermediate grades through college with age appropriate objectives in mind. TME



****Site has many sponsors: Yale-New Haven Teacher’s Institute, the Irish-American Historical Society, etc.

This is a great anthology of information and lesson plans to teach students about Irish immigration to the United States. Lessons are written for intermediate elementary students. Many have everything from anticipatory sets to assessments. RB



****Sponsored by the National Geographic Society

These lessons are designed for a week’s worth of study. Students will learn tons of stuff about Mexico!! You may choose your grade level, K-4, 5-8, 9-12. This activity encompasses interpretation of tables and graphs, and some significant math computation skills. Compare/contrast techniques are also used with lessons in which students compare Mexico with the USA. Good map-making activities are included. RB



*****Sponsored by the Discovery Channel

This site is for grades K-5, but lessons can easily be adapted for older students. One lesson discusses cultural differences in unique, seldom studied areas at the elementary level such as Antarctica, Australia, Nepal and China, and the Middle East. I like the literacy piece that offers numerous suggested readings. The site offers some cool TV program links! RB



****ASCD For the Success of Each Learner, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

This is a site where collaboration between the USA and other countries work to have common values and goals in educational practices. This site contains opportunities for professional development, involvement in programs, educational topics, and more. There are videos, articles, and excerpts to guide educators in creating multicultural classrooms. RH



*****

This site could be used for high school students that would like to learn more about any country. The site is easy to search any country alphabetically and provides information about location, geography, climate, people, demographic, religions, languages, education, history, currency, economy, trading, industries, exports, communication, and military. Anyone could use their wonderful maps to teach the geography of countries. JB



***Sponsored by Wikipedia, “Education in Afghanistan”

This website is seen as informational, yet the details are very dry and lacked cultural connections. It did offer insight to the fact that females were forbidden an education from 1996 – 2001. This would be helpful information if you had a female student from Afghanistan who was affected by this decision. BJM



****”Multicultural Education and Ethnic Groups: Selected Internet Sources”

Besides offering texts, lesson plans, and multicultural publishers and distributors, this also offers links to Holidays, Calendars, Celebrations, Folklore, and Mythology. Literature and country resources are also available at the touch of a button. This provides great resources, yet is limited to the number of countries researched. BJM



****Sponsored by Oral History Museum

Activities and historical information for the diverse ethnocommunities in Ontario, Canada are offered on this website. Some of the cultures listed include Hungarian, French, Afghanistan, Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Poland, etc. A search engine is also offered on this site to allow for further investigation. This is a great resource for immigrated Canadians. BJM



***** “World Wide Communities”

This is a kid-friendly website that offers a scavenger hunt about the communities of China, Russia, South Africa, and Puerto Rico. It allows classmates of your multicultural student to research information I the form of a game. Students can be on teams or compete as individuals. This website also offers teacher-tested links in the research of each country. BJM



***** “Welcome to China”

This site offers an annotated collection of resources on Chinese culture, art, facts, etc. Tabs for each of these items are linkable to other sites and a search engine is also offered on the home page. In addition, there are also links to holidays, proverbs, legends, and audio tutorials. Great research for this country. BJM



***Sponsored by ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, Bloomington, IN – Teaching about Japan.

Japan has become a prominent influence in the Pacific and an increasing presence in U.S. business. The countries have become interdependent. Americans need to understand the traditional values of the Japanese. This site gives a few ideas in developing cross-curricular plans. There is also a web link to the history of Japan. This site provides an overview of Japan for grades K-12. JD



***Sponsored by ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Science Education: Bloomington, IN

India is becoming more important in the global economy. To avoid the stereotypes and misinformation there should be information available that discusses their culture and history. Religion is a significant part of the education. Teaching of this culture should be reflective in elementary through high school social studies classes. There is also a web link for the history of India. This site is for teachers of social studies. JD (also listed under Social Studies)



*****Atlapedia Online, Latimer Clarke Corporation Pty. Ltd.

This site could be used for high school students that would like to learn more about any country. The site is easy to search any country alphabetically and provides information about location, geography, climate, people, demographic, religions, languages, education, history, currency, economy, trading, industries, exports, communication, and military. Anyone could use their wonderful maps to teach the geography of countries. JB



*****KinderArt, KinderArt

This website has many multicultural art projects. There are several projects that celebrate our differences and similarities throughout the world through masks, drums, and paper Mache. Other projects focus on several countries – Africa, Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, and North America. There are even links to do sculptures and recycled art. The projects can be used with students K-12. JB



****The Kurds in Turkey from Federation of American Scientists Website, Retrieved June 25, 2008

This page delineates a brief, recent history of Kurds in Turkey and, in general, their mistreatment. It does provide insight into the plight of Kurds and repressed peoples in general. It would be usable for 7th grade and higher. ND



*****Ask – Asia Society

TARGET POPULATION: Teachers and Students (Pre-K to grade 12)

Resources covering some thirty countries that comprise Asia today include lesson plans, essays, maps, images and an international studies resource directory for teachers; resources and context on globalization issues for students; stories, art and more for kids. Instructional variation and interactive games make this website useful for research and fun learning. - Easily navigated; extensive activities for various ages; history and current news both included. DHW



****Alaska Native Knowledge Network, University of Alaska Fairbanks

TARGET POPULATION: K-12 Educators, Students and Parents

Alaskan Native culture and education are the focus of this website. Online resources, publications, maps and support for educators are all available. - Standards-based lessons cover a wide-variety of topics regarding the Alaskan Native culture; easy to navigate and updated information. DHW



*****WorldWise Schools – Peace Corps

TARGET POPULATION: Educators, service-learning providers (grades 3-12)

Weekly podcasts and connecting/linking the class with volunteers are among the curriculum resources on this website. Lessons can be searched by keywords, subject, region, country and grade level (3-12). - Easy to navigate and some more unique resources; current news and information; students able to connect with “real people” who already have a heart for global community. DHW



****French Culture – The Cultural Services of the French Embassy

TARGET POPULATION: Adults – Educators, General Population

This website contains information pertaining to the French Cultural Embassies in different areas of the United States. One of the most interesting and useful links on this site is the “culture” link. The culture link option contains information in the following areas: Arts, Books, Film, Multimedia, Music, and Performing Arts. Each culture category then contains up-to-date, culturally relevant information about the respective areas of French Culture. The site also provides details about French cultural events happening throughout the United States. AJL



*****Mexico for Kids – The Presidency of the Republic of Mexico

TARGET POPULATION: Students K-8

This is a site designed for children to learn about Mexico. It is offered in three languages: Italian, Spanish, and English. The links contain “kid friendly” information about History, Government, and News. There is an explore link that allows viewers to “visit” each Mexican state to learn about the history, geography, economy, rivers & mountains, and flora & fauna of each. There is a very unique link called biodiversity that explains the scope of diversity of Mexico’s country and culture. AJL



*****World Wise Schools by Peace Corps

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12

This site contains lesson plans organized by grade, region, and subject area. There is information about service learning, enrichment projects and language lessons as well. There are interesting letters, folk tales, poems, and stories form Peace Corps Volunteers that are written specifically to share with students. The video link has several destination videos to directly view the culture of different countries. AJL



*****Ask Asia, hosted by Asia Society, a global pan-Asian organization founded by John D. Rockefeller

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

In the About the Materials section of this website, it is described in the following way: “ is an online resource that helps visitors explore critical questions about Asia and global themes. The site features scholarly content about Asia and US-Asia relations; expert K-12 teaching and learning strategies; and useful learning resources, such as maps, photographs, art images, glossaries, timelines and more. It has been our practice for over a decade to bring scholars and master teachers together to create academically and pedagogically sound materials.” AJL

Communities



*****

I love this lesson! This is a unique way to teach community building in any classroom. On the first day of school, the teacher asks the students to brainstorm ideas about what the worst possible classroom would look like. Then students do the opposite – what the best classroom would look like. The teacher writes both lists on chart paper, having students sign the “best” page as a pledge to have this type of classroom all school year. From here, students brainstorm a mission statement, and a multitude of other activities such as creating classroom posters as reminders of their mission. The site targets 6th grade specifically, but what a great way to start any year!



*****Anti-Defamation League - TARGET POPULATION: K-12 Educators

This website contains extensive resources encouraging and supporting anyone seeking to help create an anti-biased community – in and outside the classroom. Curriculum connections, anti-cyber-bullying, professional development opportunities and a variety of historical and current information about the Jewish people are some of what is included. - Easy to navigate; find lessons on one topic for multiple grade levels that could be used for a school/community focus. DHW



***TARGET POPULATION: Grades 6-12 Educators (connects you to K-6 websites, too)

Encouraging teachers to support classrooms and students to “take a stand” and become involved in the global community, this website includes a free program for middle school and high school educators and opportunities for students to get involved in website-based organizations. – Somewhat easy to navigate, but materials are not readily available (free ordering required); had to navigate a bit to find elementary resources/website connections. DHW



*****MCC- Multi Cultural Calendar – Hosted by: Updated by Patti Weeg and Kidlink

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12

This site is a “place for kids to collaborate and network with friends around the world.” There are entries for Parents, Kids & Youth, and Teachers. In the teacher area of the site there are helpful tools in developing like skills including self-reflection and global thinking. This site is a place where students and educators alike can “meet” in an online format and learn from contemporary first-hand/personal stories about other countries and cultures. AJL

Families



****Sponsored by Bet Key Wong

Family Culture would be the kind of resource that students could use independently in a computer lab. This site looks at harvest celebrations from around the world. It allows the students to select what they want to learn about while still helping teachers to focus instruction on state standards. Students could demonstrate what they have learned in a variety of ways. It also gives lists of book resources to teachers. The site is designed for students in elementary school. I am planning on using this site during the Thanksgiving season. TME



*Sponsored by Learning Point Associates

The website starts off displaying tabs with such information as “Beyond Culture: Communicating with Asian American Children & Families,” and “Increasing the School Involvement of Hispanic Parents.” However, whenever I tried to click on these topics, it indicated on the screen that the “page cannot be found.” I tried to go back into it at various time, however, no luck. It would be worth trying again, at a later date. BJM

Minority Groups



Rating*****Highly Recommended

This website is sponsored by Palm Beach School Corporation. It is utilized by practicing teachers and made available to offer consistency in content throughout the corporation. Lessons are listed in a K-5 matrix that highlights special minority groups: Haitian, Hispanic/Latino, Holocaust, Multicultural, and Women’s Studies. Lessons are also listed for science and language arts lessons that incorporate multicultural themes. A resource guide is available to teachers for each minority group that answers frequently asked questions, gives historical timelines, provides maps, and resources for books and videos to be used when planning. Lessons are tied in with the textbooks and also use traditional literature to tell the stories of other cultures. Some lessons are linked to math concepts also. Lessons are developmentally appropriate and tie to the state standards used by Palm Beach, Florida. KLM



***Recommended

The site is not sponsored by an organization; however, it is made by a woman named Evelyn Stahl who credits teachers and guides from the University of South Florida as to giving her the insight into Holocaust education. Ms. Stahl advocates that teaching about themes such as differences, prejudice, different/alike, immigration and rescue in grades K-4 set up the foundation necessary to teach about the actual Holocaust in grade 5. Most of the themes are taught through reading aloud a book with questions available for discussion. KLM



***Recommended

The site is a posting by a classroom teacher on the project used with intermediate elementary students. It is sponsored by . The lesson focuses on each cooperative group picking a different region of Native Americans to study. The students then do research about housing, clothing, transportation, food, etc. to give orally to the class. The class also reads about the “Trail of Tears” then writes a short story telling it from another person’s point of view. KLM

plans/history/native/

*****Sponsored by teAchnology

A cool website for teaching students about Native American culture, these activities incorporate technology into lessons for students in K-12. Also offered are hands-on lessons with drums and rain sticks, not to mention hand-weaving and Wampum bead activities. Bookmark it quickly!



***Sponsored by eMints National Center

This website includes sixteen educational links for instruction of students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6. It includes academic standards (listed by state). Amish beliefs, history, recipes, and crafts are just a few topics kids will discover. eMints National Center created the site but the user should, in my opinion, ignore the commercialism that goes with the information. RB

, pdf?p=6CC6799F8C137F6D9DD101CEBD881127305D76BA6CD0BE5B853C704562B4033&Type=D

*****Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education, Understanding Hispanic Students in Your Classroom

Information is given in a Power Point format regarding family, grading scale (1-10, A-F), work ethic and teaching strategies. This site explains why you should not perform certain actions. The format is easy to read. This site would be beneficial to teachers and employers. JD



*****Classroom and Curriculum Accommodations for Native American Students

This site is from the Professional Development Collection database. It was written by Scott Sparks, PhD, as associate professor of teacher education at Ohio University. Social and learning needs are explored in this article. Knowledge of Native American culture is vital if you have these students in your classroom, as 90% of Native American students attend public schools. It is important to acknowledge that each tribe has its own culture. This site would be helpful to give background information to teachers. JD



****Sponsored by West Virginia University

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States. Teachers have an obligation to learn about this culture. It is important to realize that there is a difference between the cultures that we tend to “lump together” as Hispanic. These groups are Mexican-Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans and South Americans. This site would benefit anyone working with Hispanic students. JD



****Sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education: Urbana, IL

Research on learning styles is discussed. These styles include: environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological, and psychological factors. Counselors and teachers should find this site of interest. JD



*****Sponsored by ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools: Charleston, WV – Cultural Resources for Mexican-American Education

This site lists several web sites for resources. In turn, each site has a variety of additional resources. Subjects covered include: history, media, business, education, politics, and many others. This site would be useful for teachers. There are also resources available for student research. JD



*****Sponsored by childhood Education v73 p77-82 Winter “96-“97

The government gave the native people the name of “Native American.” This group includes not only the stereotype of ‘Indian,’ but also the Eskimos and the people of the U.S. territories and possessions including Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa among others. These groups identify themselves by the name of their original nations. This site tells how to teach about the natives as factual information. This site is for teachers. JD

Ethnic Groups - Diversity

lesson plan.asp?id=306

Rating****Strongly recommended

This website is called La Familia from Edsitement and is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The lessons highlighted at this address are to be used in the primary grades to introduce the Spanish culture to young children who need to first learn about home, school, and community. The set of 3 to 4 lessons talks about the culture and then also introduces children to the words and phrases that would be useful when talking to family members. This set of plans deals with only Spanish culture. KLM



****Sponsored by Susan A. Vega Garcia, Iowa State University

I would not use this website in my classroom; rather, it would be a resource to me as a teacher. This site has been designed as a starting point for people or students who are looking for specific information relating to a certain ethnic group. You can find cookbooks as well as journals written on a variety of topics related to diversity. TME



****Sponsored by Gale Jacobs

Preschoolrainbow would be an asset to any preschool teacher who is interested in developing a healthy perception of the world for his/her students. This website not only gives lesson plans, but practical ways for young students to develop an open mind to the diversity around us. TME



*****Sponsored by the current president, Debra Johnson-Jones

This site has a clear set of objectives for what it wants to achieve. It states its philosophy as well as its ethical guidelines for its members. I found this website to be helpful in the educational process and it is geared more as a resource for adults. A variety of professors have supported this organization with their knowledge and commitment to diversity. This is not a site for children. TME



***Sponsored by the Diversity Store

It may seem strange to show a site that is actually a store; however, the materials are incredible. I often have a hard time finding posters and materials that communicate diversity. This site has posters as well as materials for all kinds of multicultural holidays and events. It would be a resource for ordering supplies for schools and colleges. TME



****Sponsored by Teen Diversophy

Teachers and parents of teenagers, as well as school administrators, should review this information. It targets high school-aged children but many ideas are practical for younger students. This site offers free consultation services and resources to help with diversity issues in the school as well as in the home. RB



****Sponsored by HistoryWorks

This website offers seminars, literature, and various resources including lesson plans for numerous topics. I found “African Americans in the Civil War” while researching “Kent State and the Vietnam War” for my 1960s unit. Most lessons target grades 6-12 and are culturally rich in nature! RB



***Sponsored by Talking Race

This particular article discusses the dangers of the self-fulfilling prophecy and how researchers feel this has caused, in part, differences in ethnic achievement. I especially like the graphic organizer that outlines factors relating to the effectiveness of schools for ethnic minority pupils. This information targets all age groups. RB



****Diversity Council

This website is a great resource for teachers. It contains many well designed lesson plans and activities listed by groupings of elementary, middle, and high school. The lessons and activities address issues such as racism, diversity, heritages, prejudice, bullying, communities, cultures, heritage, and more. RH



*****Race Bridges, Angels Studios

This site is intended for anyone who seeks to unite the races and focus on the items that unite races rather than divide them. There is a section for educators that has several scripted lesson plans that are really good. You will also find scripted project plans that are specifically geared towards use in the classroom, high school, and with faculty. RH



****Commonality in Diversity, Carolyn O. Burleson

This WebQuest is geared towards grades 9-12. It is very exciting that this WebQuest promotes not only our diversity, but our commonalities. Needed resources are linked to the page along with a rubric for evaluation. This WebQuest can be adapted to include the study of cultures represented in individual schools. RH



*****Sponsored by Latin America and Iberian Institute @ University of New Mexico, Resources for teaching about the Americas

This great site offers lesson plans from actual teachers that focus on content and diversity. Subjects range from the core subjects to home economics and foreign language. Grade levels, however, are limited to 6-12. Highly recommended if you have Hispanic students, or even if you don’t. SB



****

A variety of links are offered on this site: Teacher’s Corner (equity and diversity in education), Training and Workshops, Social Justice News, and Multicultural Quizzes. Other items offered include speeches, Multicultural Songs, Film Reviews with Multicultural Themes, and Voices! (Multicultural poetry e-journal) This can be either a great teacher resource or student adapted resource. BJM



**

The home page on this site offers multiple items from Ecology to Performing Arts. If you click on Globalization or Developing World, video names pop up that may be useful for background knowledge or multicultural students. A brief synopsis is given about each video; however, all videos are extremely expensive (26 minutes @ $195)! BJM



****Written by Sue Middleton, Joanne Rennison, Andreas Cebulla, Kim Perren, and Sandra De-Beaman

“Young People from Ethnic Minority Backgrounds: Evidence from the Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots Database”

The research for this document is based out of the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) in the department for education and skills. This is a 58 page report with quantitative data about young people who were interviewed three different times per year for three years at one year intervals (ages 16, 17, 18). The information breaks down which cultures performed best academically, who felt forms of exclusion, which were planning to continue education, and who was their source of advice, etc. Ethnicity that was compared in this report: Indiana, Pakistan/Bangladeshi, Black, and White. This is useful background knowledge to have. BJM



***”Cultural Diversity and Early Education”

Info Reported: Only 4% of all Daycare enrollees are from a single-racial group. With this fact stated, it is understandable why there is such a “Challenge in Cultural Diversity” (topic covered in article). Other issued that are touched upon include: “Role and Meaning of Culture,” ”Assumptions About children and Learning,” “Cultural Diversity at Home,” and “Parental Beliefs.” Example: Latino mothers believe that it is inappropriate for students to learn to read/write before kindergarten. Research was interesting, yet needed more examples. BJM



**** “Ethnic Majority”

This data was driven from a research project entitled, “Education: Quality Education for African, Hispanic, and Asian Americans.” The site offers tabs for academic comparisons per discipline per ethnic background. Line graphs are formulated for each culture including white and black from years 1990 – 2003 for grades 4 and 8. Other ethnic groups are represented as well: American Indian and Alaska Native. Great background knowledge. BJM



*** “Multicultural Background to Gain and Ethical Understanding”

This website directly links you to a PowerPoint presentation about making people aware of cultural diversity in the world. There are 20 slides carrying from multiculturalism, Acculturation, Ethnocentrism, to Factors involved with Diversity. This would be useful for a cultural awareness class or staff development, but does not link you to any additional resources. BJM



***Pre-K

This site answers common questions about multiculturalism and the multicultural classrooms. It offers a book list of multicultural books and other related websites. It shows an example of a “multiculturalpedia” which is an encyclopedia of everyday words in different languages and their meanings. DS



*****K-12

This site discusses the basic elements of a multicultural classroom, openness, creativity, courage, getting acquainted, and endless effort. Since the language difference is the major problem, it suggests that you incorporate activities of all cultures daily and building a multicultural library in your classroom. It ends with a reflection of an observation made in a multicultural middle school classroom in New York. DS



*****Upper-Elementary-High School

This site was created and written by a mother who is also a teacher. The number one problem in multicultural classrooms is the language barrier. Her way of narrowing the gap is to familiarize herself with their culture through movies, songs, posters, TV, and books. Let the students share their life experiences which exposes all the children to many types of life styles and traditions. She lists the top 10 Ways to Increase Multicultural Intelligence. DS



*****Pre-K

This site offers lesson plans and activities for the multicultural classroom. One activity that was really interesting was Internet field trips. Since you can’t take the student to different countries, bring the cultures to the classroom through the Internet. It also provides other links to professional articles and resources dealing with multicultural classrooms. DS



***High School-Adult

This is a resource site for teachers and administrators. The resources are for use in the classroom and for professional development. The resources include a book and video lists. DS



*****Pre-K

This site provides activities and articles that give suggestions for embracing and promoting racial and cultural awareness at school and at home. Parents are provided tips to use at home to help their children and themselves to become more culturally aware. DS



****High School

This article deals with teaching U.S. History in a multicultural classroom. A U.S. History teacher from New Jersey reflects on his struggles of trying to teach historical events to students of different cultures. He then shares his ideas for teaching certain U.S. events. DS



***College

This site deals with diversity at the college level. Chapters are devoted to particular multicultural issues with teaching strategies to embrace those issues. DS



*****K-12

This site introduces you to the program “Global Classroom.” Global Classroom offers international students and scholars to come speak to your classroom or school. They share their true life perspectives of their native country and culture. Global Classroom offers professional development workshops on global classrooms. DS



*****K-12

This site was created by a high school teacher who discovered her students loved to see and touch her artifacts she shared with them from her travels around the world, so she created Ethnic Arts & Facts. This company provides cultural kits to classrooms to allow students and teachers a hands-on experience with different cultures around the world. The kits include CD, books, and artifacts from a particular country. DS



****K-12

This website offers educators the ability to order video and audiotapes that provide in depth information about major educational issues. An issue that is examined is diversity in the classroom. DS



*****K-12

This is a well written, brief summary of what teachers need to start thinking about and doing in their multicultural classroom. Listed are five important thoughts to remember when dealing with students from different cultures. This would make a great resource for teachers to use as a quick review. DS



****K-12

This article discusses cultural issues that children of different cultures bring to the classroom. It provides tips and choices teachers can use to help narrow the gap. Other suggestions are given to help the teacher promote effective learning for all students. DS

http:personal.psu.edu/scs15/idweb/multicultural.htm

****K-12

This article takes a look at understanding classroom dynamics as the first step to an effective multicultural classroom. Ideas are given about how to create a positive classroom environment. Strategies were listed to help support the ELS student. DS

http:2006/Papers/Presentations/YolandaDiaz_MulticulturalClassroom.htm

*****K-12

This article defines some of the vocabulary used with multicultural education. It talks about the different types of multicultural classrooms and strategies to use in them. Good introduction to multicultural education. DS



*****K-12

This is a great website to help you better understand what multicultural education is and what it looks like in the classroom. The authors share their personal experiences about their own multicultural classroom. FREE classroom activities are available. DS



***Sponsored by Paul C. Gorski for EdChange and the Multicultural Pavilion.

20 (Self-)Critical Things I Will Do to be a More Equitable Educator

This is a checklist of 20 concepts related to being impartial and open-minded. The site is a reminder that all educators are important vehicles for social change. Teachers should look at this site. JD



***Sponsored by ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children: Reston, VA

Communicating with Culturally Diverse Parents of Exceptional Children, ERIC Digest No. E497

Educators need to be aware of the feelings that parents of students with disabilities experience. This site informs teachers to be aware of space, touching, eye contact and time order when meeting with parents. This site will help teachers learn how to work with parents. JD



**Sponsored by ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services: Greensboro, NC

Many assessments are based upon assumed knowledge of White students. Knowledge that other cultures could add are generally ignored. Assessments should be performed in a variety of contexts. This site would be for counselors and those who have an input on data driven materials. JD



****Multicultural Lesson Plans and Resources, Pixel Foundry

This website provides lessons and resources on teaching tolerance, Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Immigration, Homelessness and Refugees, Jewish Americans, Russian Americans, and Arab Americans. The units of study are available for grades K-12. The entire website is focused on teaching multicultural topics not only through language arts lessons, but also through art, music, and math. JB

lesson/lesson/lesson294.shtml

****Education World. The Educator’s Best Friend, Education World, Inc.

This website provides lessons that teach tolerance for grades K-12. The lessons teach tolerance through bursting stereotypes and teaching kindness. It also uses music and teaches children to respect diversity. JB

Plans/Social Studies/ Grades K-2/Culture Diversity/index.shtml

***Lesson , A-Z Teacher Stuff, L.L.C.

This website provides lessons that teach culture and diversity. Lessons vary from studying Mexico to lessons about Native Americans. The website has lesson plans for pre-school-high school. JB



*****Kurdish Media, Retrieved June 25, 2008

I’m not quite sure who the organization is behind this site, but it contains articles and essays by various people of apparent Kurdish background. The writings indicate what is important at the time to the people who write, but what struck me as odd, yet appropriate, is that the first linked article is a discussion on holiness. The articles in general cover Kurdish around the globe. This is a portal of simple cultural insight. ND



*****Diversity Council Lesson Plans – Diversity Council, Rochester, MN

Target Population: Elementary to High School Educators and Students

This website includes connections to resources for teachers (and some activities for students). Lessons and activities aim to encourage students to celebrate their heritage while exploring and increasing awareness of prejudice while building empathy and respect. - Easy to navigate; includes lesson plans/activities from a variety of websites (including Teaching Tolerance, PBS, Educator’s Reference Desk, etc.); many lessons directly address academic standards and include extended activities and/or differentiated instruction. DHW



***Making Multicultural Connections through Trade Books

The Program of Assessment, Diagnosis and Instruction from Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Maryland

TARGET POPULATION: Educators K-6

This website is a database of trade books that connect with lessons/curriculum in all subject areas. Books can be searched by title, author, illustrator, cultural group and grade level/subject. Recommended software is also listed to provide a technology link. - Developed by one particular school system to meet curricular needs, so list may not be as extensive as needed by some teacher; list only intended for K-6. DHW



****Educator’s Reference Desk – Multicultural Education Lesson Plans –

Information Institute of Syracuse - TARGET POPULATION: K-12 Educators

A collection of lessons and units of study from teachers and ready to implement makes this website a solid resource. Resource guides and a connection to GEM/ERIC journal databases are also included in this site. - Standards-based lessons/units, assessments and extensions for the lessons; all lessons not equally developed. DHW



****Multicultural Lesson Plans and Resources

Hosted by: Edmund J. Sass, Ed. D., at College of Saint Benedict/St. John’s University

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This is a site providing multicultural lesson plans and resources to educators. The plans are arranged by subject/content area. Within each lesson plan synopsis, there is a basic/brief sentence or two explaining grade level appropriateness and giving some nice connections to resources that can be used for each lesson. AJL



****Diversity Council – Hosted by: Charter Communications

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators

This site’s mission is to “create an inclusive and welcoming community through education.” It includes a series of lessons that are designed to help educate students in grades K-12 and build respect for human differences. The lessons reach this goal through encouraging partnership between the school district and the community to begin exploring and discussing discrimination and respect in areas such as disability, race, body size, social class, gender and sexual orientation, and religion. AJL



**** – Hosted by: Edwin Rutsch

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators, Parents and Students K-12

This site is designed to build “a community and portal for the exploration of human spirits, values, attitudes, principles and emotions.” They accomplish this through thematically exploring human values, using in person and online study groups, discussion groups, creative arts activities, resource links, and computer technology. The links to each attribute provide quotations, community informational links, references for further investigation, related art links, and project ideas. AJL



*****Making Multicultural Connections Through Trade Books

Hosted by: John L. Day at Montgomery County Public Schools

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Parents

This site contains an extensive list of multicultural trade books. Each book is linked to a lesson that identifies the cultural group, subject, topic, theme, and synopsis. There are illustrative lesson ideas and technology links for at least one grade level in each lesson. Many of the lessons have been adapted so that they contain more than one grade level option. AJL



*****Culture & Change; Black History in America – Hosted by: Scholastic

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12

This site is hosted by Scholastic and allows viewers to “meet” African Americans who have made a difference in history through their contribution to the world. There are videos, sound bytes, a timeline, primary resources, and much more to explore the role that many African Americans have played in the formation, growth, and change in our society. AJL

Issues

Tolerance



*****Sponsored by Adele Rosen

This site gives teachers resources to use in their classroom to help students understand and appreciate the uniqueness of others. It gives teachers the tools to educate students. This site would be helpful to college students who are studying a variety of areas related to diversity. TME



****Sponsored by Teaching Tolerance

This is a simulation activity taken from and sponsored by the magazine “Teaching Tolerance.” Upper elementary students will enjoy role-playing as members of two groups. One group is privileged while the other group is ignored as students move through various activities. The goal of this lesson should be to change unfair practices, not to attempt to change who one is. RB



*****Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center

This site can make reading about various cultures fun! The graphics are kid-like in nature. Teachers or students may pick the category of either “kid” or “teen” according to developmental level (differentiated instruction!). There are three categories students progress through, “read,” “play,” and “explore.” Younger (maybe even special needs) students can press the sound button to have the story read to them. The vocabulary component is well done. RB



*****FIGHT HATE AND PROMOTE TOLERANCE, Southern Poverty Law Center

With a homepage for the general population, sections for teachers, parents, teens, and kids this website is equipped to support its title! It has powerful resources, articles, lessons, and activities for everyone. In addition, there are many free and exciting low cost materials for educators. RH



*****Racism. No way., NSW Department of Education and Training

This is the biggest collections of multicultural WebQuests that I have seen. There are lessons, fact sheets, games, a library, and strategies that could all be used to promote and teach cultural awareness and acceptance. RH



****Sponsored by Multicultural Lesson Plans and Resources, Pixel Foundry

This website provides lessons and resources on teaching tolerance, Hispanics, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Immigration, Homelessness and Refugees, Jewish Americans, Russian Americans, and Arab Americans. The units of study are available for grades K-12. The entire website is focused on teaching multicultural topics not only through language arts lessons, but also through art, music, and mat. JB

lesson/lesson/lesson294.shtml

****Sponsored by the Educator’s Best Friend, Education World Inc.

This website provides lessons that teach tolerance for grades K-12. The lessons teach tolerance through bursting stereotypes and teaching kindness. It also uses music and teaches children to respect diversity. JB



****sponsored by Planet Tolerance, Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance

This website is mainly for elementary aged children, but also has a link for teens. There are games, stories, and pictures to explore about justice, equality, women’s rights, bilingual children, and much more. One particular activity I liked inserts children’s name to create their own personal book about diversity. JB

lesson/lesson/lesson294b.shtml

****Sponsored by Education World Inc., Education World Teaching Tolerance Additional Resources

Tolerance lessons are provided on this website for mainly graces 6-12. There are a few lessons for younger children. The lessons range from teaching children to getting along with one another, speaking up, uniting together as a school, and changing attitudes in our country. JB



****Planet Tolerance, Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance-

This website is mainly for elementary aged children, but also has a link for teens. There are games, stories, and pictures to explore about justice, equality, women’s rights, bilingual children, and much more. One particular activity I liked inserts child’s name to create their own personal book about diversity. JB

lesson/lesson/lesson294b.shtml

****Education World Teaching Tolerance Additional Resources, Education World, Inc.

Tolerance lessons are provided on this website for mainly grades 6-12. There are a few lessons for younger children. The lessons range from teaching children to get along with one another, speaking up, uniting together as a school, and changing attitudes in our country. JB



*****Teaching Tolerance – Southern Poverty Law Center

TARGET POPULATION: Teachers (K-12), Parents, Teens, Children

Creating communities that celebrate diversity is the goal of this website full of resources including classroom activities (K-12); kits and handbooks; web exclusives; free online magazine; and grants for teachers and classrooms/schools regarding issues related to fighting hate and promoting tolerance (anti-bullying, sexual harassment, conflict resolution, etc.) - Activities searchable by topic, grade and academic subject; extensive resources; current information and news including global issues. DHW



**Race Bridges – Angels Studio, Chicago

TARGET POPULATION: Middle school & high school educators

Resources about projects aimed to bridge racial and religious division. Jews, Christians and Muslims are invited to “pray at Abraham’s table” and teachers and educators are supported in building inclusive, respectful classrooms with lesson ideas. - Lessons are not developed and limited; resources not all current. DHW



*****: Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance

Hosted by: Southern Poverty Law Center

TARGET POPULATION: Adult Educators and Students K-12

This site contains great articles on understanding ways in which to develop a strong classroom community by addressing the cultural gap that can exist. There is also an emphasis on classroom management, which is sometimes a difficult topic to find helpful resources for. There are also some web exclusives which offer curriculum ideas in the areas of gender differences, ethnic diversity, bias in America, and multicultural studies. AJL

Stereotypes



*****Sponsored by the Discovery Channel

This lesson plan is a little long but teachers can easily choose to do only specific components. There are many great websites listed as extensions, great discussion questions, and easily-implemented activities. Possibly the coolest part is that the teacher can choose the specific stereo types he/she wants students to study based on gender, ageism, cultural differences – you name it! The activities involve movement components (not so much sit and get!) and can be adjusted for any age group. RB

Bullying



*****Sponsored by Live Wire Media,

This is a great interactive site that can be used in a computer lab. Students take a personal survey about how they interact with peers. Following this activity, a video called Nubbs Calls Groark a Bully can be shown (must be purchased) or a short synopsis of the video can be read. Discussion questions from the site can be read and discussed. From there, either the teacher or student may select an activity followed by a choice of writing assignments. The coolest component is a follow-activity to be completed at home by student and parent (a parent letter may be printed to accompany and explain the activity). There are suggested adaptations for middle school teachers. A Spanish version is available by simply clicking on “Spanish version.” RB

Slavery



****Sponsored by the Office of Urban Education & Educational Equity at Michigan University

The WebQuests listed on this page deal with the topics of slaves escaping to freedom and Japanese internment camps. They are not grade specific, but could be used independently by 6th – 12th. The slaves escaping to freedom WebQuest could be completed as a teacher lead project with lower grades. RH

Traditions and Holidays



***Recommended

The site called “Multicultural Calendar” (MCC) is a searchable database of holidays celebrated by people around the world created by Kidlink. Teachers can browse by country, month, or holiday and get a good amount of information to help understand the meaning behind the celebration. It does not give exact lesson plans, but allows teachers to gain the background knowledge of the holiday to share with the students. Maybe the students could even host their own celebration of that holiday. KLM



***Sponsored by James Madison University, Holidays Around the World for K-12

This is an information site about not only American holidays, but holidays in other countries. There are many links about Buddhist, Chinese, Mexican, Islamic, and International holidays. There is also a link to songs and poetry. JB



*****Sponsored by Arts Alliance and Heritage Council

This website advertises for groups or individuals who will present programs based on multicultural traditions for schools/communities. Examples include New Mexico and Latin American traditions presented through puppetry, and “Indiana Bones,” who uses archeology and anthropology to recreate stories of the Brazilian Warau Indian Culture. This sounds like it would be a great convocation. BJM



***

Information from this site offers the roots of the New Orleans jazz funerals, which date back to Africa over 400 years ago. As slaves were brought across to America, their traditions, of course, followed. This site offers literature selections as well as minimal information of the funeral procession. Understanding/compassion could be attained through this site. BJM



*****Sponsored by the 4-H Extension office, “Celebrating Multicultural Traditions”

This is a written report by Debra Hren describing how a particular community (where?) provided an after school 4-H Club celebrating multicultural traditions. The information gave a breakdown of the “Amigos Club,” which was directed to youth from Mexico, yet open to all high school students. Items discussed included sample activities, festivals, crafts, etc. Quote: “The leaders of the group feel they are helping Latino youth build self-esteem and reducing fear and prejudice in the community.” Great thing to try in Richmond?! BJM



*****Understanding the Muslim Student

This website is sponsored by the Islamic Center of Omaha, Nebraska. General information about the Muslim population is available. The terms “Muslim” and “Islam” are defined. Religious procedures are discussed, including daily prayer and Zakah (tithing). Dietary requirements, dress, and gender issues are also addressed. This site would be useful for anyone who wants to learn about the Muslim faith. JD



***Understanding the Hispanic Culture, Sponsored by Ohio State University

Family values (the family unit and extended family) and etiquette (fashionably late is expected) are discussed. Family members are expected to help relatives who are having financial problems, ill, or having other issues. Knowledge of the culture, including physical distance, is important information for teaching strategies. This site would help students, teachers, and administrators. JD



**Sponsored by the Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education, Valuing Diversity in the Multicultural Classroom

This article lists some of the family values differences among Native Americans, Anglo-Americans and Asian Americans. It focuses more on family ESL program results. Parental involvement in the student’s classroom helps to bridge the gap. This information is beneficial for teachers. JD



***Holidays Around the World for K-12, James Madison University

This is an information site about not only American holidays, but holidays in other countries. There are many links about Buddhist, Chinese, Mexican, Islamic, and International holidays. There is also a link to songs and poetry. JB

Food

. secondary/chs/library/Family/Food%20Webquest/multicultural_foods.html#intro

****Sponsored by Caribou High School

This is a WebQuest geared towards secondary students. The multicultural focus of this WebQuest happens through the study of foods in different cultures. There are many books and online sources listed to aid in the study. There are many other quality WebQuests listed when you search Caribou High School WebQuests. RH

Religion



**Kurds: Religion and Expressive Culture from Thomson-Gale Website, Retrieved June 25, 2008

This page covers a lot in a small amount of space. The main website is called . While this actual article is copywrited by Advameg Inc., investigation revealed that perhaps the main site is possibly run by Thomson-Gale. This ambiguity, and some of the wording, in the site make what appears to be a scholarly (at least high school scholarly) site somewhat suspect. I would expect it to be better documented as to objectively or factuality. At least the other sites I researched have been blatant in their allegiance. I gave this site 2 stars for the lack of intellectual foundation. ND

Fashion



A Traditional Kurdish Fashion Show from YouTube Website, Retrieved June 25, 2008

This is interesting mainly because it puts a modern face on a traditional topic. There are several videos on YouTube that are related to Kurds and pop culture, and these provide an opportunity for more visual learners to see what is otherwise only read about. ND

Environment



*****Captain Planet by Captain Planet Foundation, Inc. An AOL Time Warner Company

TARGET POPULATION: Students K-8

This site has environmentally focused information from around the globe. It is designed to be “kid friendly” and inviting for students to explore. The goal is to: “encourage innovative activities that empower children around the world to work individually and collectively as environmental stewards.” It celebrates diversity and cultures as it educates students about the environment. AJL

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