Multicultural Literature Teacher Resources

Students examine three different versions of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and complete a comparison activity. Their own version of the poem is created and illustrated in this activity.

Fourth graders listen to The Great Ball Game and discuss the roots of the tale.  In this multicultural tale students identify the realistic facts about the Abnenaki Indians.  Students use the Internet to find out about the author  and...

A six-week unit takes high schoolers through various works of African-American literature, including poems, plays, and short stories. The lesson plan format includes a week-by-week description of activities, goals, materials, and...

Sixth graders begin reading "The Lotus Seed" before determining a plant that is a representative of their country or region. They illustrate the plant and write sentences about it and locate the region on a map. Finally, they make a...

Students read and compare/contrast three different cultural versions of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Using handheld computers, they read eBook versions of each version, complete a BooksLog, and write and illustrate a modern version...

Students read several fictional pieces which examine issues of urbanization and rural cultures. They discuss how the place a person lives affects the kind of person they become.

Students examine the Japanese folktale, Monkeys Grasp for the Moon. In this multicultural literature lesson, students discuss the theme of the folktale. Students choose animal folktales from other Asian cultures for comparison.

Learners read Native American folktales.  In this multicultural literature lesson plan, students research the style of writing used in Native American folktales.  They view a video of a folktale, and discuss the meanings of the creative...

Students visit sites to explore the history, wildlife, and geography of El Salvador. They play an interactive game of Concentration and watch a slide show that includes pie charts and bar graphs on Hispanic population in the United States.

Young scholars read and analyze the book "Angel Child, Dragon Child" by Michele Maria Surat. They chart the main story elements on a graphic organizer, and write three sentences about themselves and draw a self-portrait. Students then...

Third graders, through six lessons, study tales of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin and the Lamp from The Arabian Nights.

High schoolers read Ruthanne Lum McCunn's Thousand Pieces of Gold and as a class, discuss the Chinese practice of foot binding. They work in groups to read further about how women of different cultures attempt to conform. They write...

Students read and analyze the Rudolfo Anaya novel Bless Me, Ultima. They discuss passages from the book, watch a video, view and analyze a mural of Mexican American artwork, and write a journal response.

Students read and analyze the N. Scott Momaday novel, The Way to Rainy Mountain. They share photos of an older family relative, write about the relative, listen to an excerpt from the book, and conduct an Internet research on the Kiowa...

Pupils investigate Southwest Indian Reservations. In this Native American lesson plan, students research Southwest Indian tribes on the Internet and by reading the book, Arrow to the Sun.

Students listen to story, Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, identify and discuss emotions, identify situations that cause people to show emotions, recognize cultural diversity in literature, and act out various emotions.

Students read passages from the Parable of the Sower. They discuss the topic of religion in the story. They write key points and discuss any concerns they have.

Students create questions to ask the poet, Ishmael Reed about his poetry. After the poet speaks, students are broken into groups and are to analyze a poem and report back to the class on their findings.

Learners decode certain passages from the book, Erased Faces. They connect pictures from a picture book previously seen to the chapters in Erased Faces.

Students are read passages from When I Was Puerto Rican and asked to respond to the passages in their journals. They decide on a topic for researching and they use this topic to develop their own memoirs.

Students, in groups, read and analyze portions of Keith Gilyard's "Poemographies". They create original visual "poemographies" and participate in a written response activity.

Students investigate three works by the author James Baldwin. They work in groups to research the author and create a website based on the research.

Students examine the spoken work poetry of Abiodun Oyewole. They discuss the West African Griot tradition, listen to spoken word poetry, write and perform a poem, and watch a video excerpt of a poetry workshop.

Learners read a story about a young Japanese boy and his mother who decide to not banish the community's elders to the hills. They create origami helmets. They work together to make posters appreciating senior citizens.