• CHILDREN'S BOOKS WITH MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS AND CHARACTERS CAN

TRANSPORT US ON A GLOBAL ADVENTURE, DISPELLING NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES,

TEACHING TOLERANCE AND RESPECT, ENCOURAGING PRIDE IN KIDS' CULTURAL
HERITAGE, AND SHOWCASING UNIVERSAL HUMAN EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS. WHEN
PAIRED WITH EXTENSION ACTIVITIES, QUALITY MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE TEACHES
KIDS ABOUT THE WORLD BEYOND OUR COMMUNITIES WHILE SHARPENING THEIR
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
 HERE ARE FIVE CONCRETE WAYS THAT
TEACHERS CAN USE LITERATURE TO GET
THEIR KIDS EXCITED ABOUT READING AS
THEY LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD.
1.SEE HOW FAR BOOKS CAN TAKE YOU
• COMBINE GEOGRAPHY AND ELA IN A CLASSROOM DISPLAY. HANG UP A
WORLD MAP, AND MAP THE SETTINGS OF THE BOOKS THAT YOU READ AS A
CLASS DURING THE YEAR. PURPOSEFULLY CHOOSE BOOKS THAT
REPRESENT MANY GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, AND INCLUDE BOTH FICTION AND
NONFICTION. THIS GRAPHIC WALL ORGANIZER WILL HELP YOU RECOGNIZE
REGIONS OF THE WORLD THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED.
2. JOIN A WORLDWIDE BOOK CLUB

• JOIN THE GLOBAL READ ALOUD AND CONNECT WITH STUDENTS IN NEW ZEALAND, INDIA,
AND THE U.K. IN A VIRTUAL BOOK DISCUSSION. USING TWITTER, SKYPE, EDMODO,
KIDBLOG, AND OTHER #EDTECH TOOLS TO MAKE CONNECTIONS DURING A SIX-WEEK
PERIOD, CLASSES FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPATE IN THIS
GROWING COLLABORATIVE PROJECT.
3. COMPARE FAIRY TALES ACROSS
CULTURES
• FINDING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES WHEN READING FAIRY TALES, FOLKLORE AND
FABLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD ENCOURAGES KIDS TO FOCUS ON THE DETAILS AND
HONE THEIR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. THE COMMON CORE INCLUDES THIS "READING
LITERATURE" STANDARD (RL.2.9):
• COMPARE AND CONTRAST TWO OR MORE VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY (E.G.,
CINDERELLA STORIES) BY DIFFERENT AUTHORS OR FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.
• OTHER EXAMPLES THAT KIDS ENJOY ARE THE GINGERBREAD MAN AND TRICKSTER
TALES, WHOSE CLEVER AND SILLY ANTICS APPEAR IN MANY CULTURES AROUND THE
WORLD. THOUGH THE STORYLINES ARE DIVERSE, CHARACTERS HAVE A COMMON NEED
FOR HOPE, SECURITY, AND LOVE FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS. STORIES ALSO SHOW
UNIVERSAL FEELINGS OF HAPPINESS, ANGER AND PRIDE. WHEN READING THE DIVERSE
FAIRY TALES, NOTICE HOW THE CULTURES PORTRAY AND DEAL WITH THESE EMOTIONS,
AND COMPARE THEM TO HOW THE STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS
WOULD SHOW THE SAME FEELINGS.
4. TEACH TOLERANCE, EMPATHY AND
RESPECT
• IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE EXPOSE OUR STUDENTS TO THOSE WHO COME FROM A
DIFFERENT BACKGROUND, WITH DIVERSE STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS, WHO HAVE
DISTINCT EXPERIENCES. AFTER READING SUCH STORIES AND UNDERSTANDING THE
BACKSTORIES MORE FULLY, CHILDREN WILL MORE LIKELY SYMPATHIZE WITH OTHERS.
STORIES ABOUT KIDS FROM OTHER CULTURES -- OR IMMIGRANTS -- INCREASE
CULTURAL AWARENESS AND DEMONSTRATE THE NEED TO SHOW RESPECT AND
COMPASSION.
• IN ADDITION TO FICTIONAL STORIES, TEACHERS CAN READ BIOGRAPHIES
OF LEADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO EMBODY PEACE, AND
DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES THEY HAVE OVERCOME. INTERNATIONAL
LEADERS SUCH AS THE DALAI LAMA, WANGARI MAATHAI, JANE GOODALL OR
NELSON MANDELA PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF CHARACTER TRAITS AND
INSPIRING LESSONS.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR STUDENTS:

• WHY IS HE OR SHE ADMIRED AROUND THE WORLD?

• WHAT CHARACTERISTICS AND VALUES DOES THIS PERSON HAVE THAT MAKES HIM OR HER A GOOD
LEADER?
• THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES HE OR SHE OVERCAME. WHAT WOULD BE THE HARDEST PART FOR YOU
UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES?
• IF YOU COULD MEET THIS PERSON, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM OR HER?
5. DISPEL STEREOTYPES AND GET FACTS
FROM THE SOURCE
• EXPLORE "A DAY IN THE LIFE"-TYPE BOOKS WITH YOUR STUDENTS THAT SHOW TYPICAL KIDS DOING
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES. BOOKS LIKE FLORENCE PARRY HEIDE'S DAY OF AHMED'S
SECRET, STACY BELLWARD'S ETHIOPIAN VOICES: TSION'S LIFE OR MARIA DE FATIMA CAMPOS' CASSIO'S
DAY: FROM DAWN TO DUSK IN A BRAZILIAN VILLAGE FOLLOW CHILDREN THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY FROM
WHEN THEY WAKE UP UNTIL THEY GO TO SLEEP. AFTER READING SEVERAL STORIES, CHART THE
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE CHILDREN'S LIVES AND YOUR STUDENTS' LIVES. TALK
ABOUT WHAT KIDS EAT, WHAT THEY PLAY WITH, WHERE THEY LIVE, WHO IS IN THEIR FAMILY, HOW THEY
GET TO SCHOOL, HOW THEY LEARN, AND MORE. OPEN YOUR STUDENTS' MINDS TO DISTINCT
PERSPECTIVES AND WAYS OF GOING THROUGH THE DAY.