CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

RAY HANNAH JOSH

ABOUT WHAT WE READ
CLAIM // SUPPORT // QUESTION

1. SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM REFLECTS CULTURAL DIVERSITY

2. CULTURAL DIVERSITY SHOULD BE AN INFLUENCE ON THE TEACHING
OF ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES
3. CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING IS EMBEDDED IN SOCIAL
STUDIES TEXTBOOKS
4. TEACHER INHERENTLY IMPLEMENT CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE
TEACHING STRATEGIES
CLAIMS

CLAIM # 1
SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM
REFLECTS CULTURAL DIVERSITY
THE CURRICULUM PROVIDES A
BROADENING EXPERIENCE TO ALL
CULTURES FOR THE STUDENTS
INVOLVED.
(Lee, 2007, 322)
SUPPORT # 1
ONE EXAMPLE WOULD BE
CALIFORNIA, WHOSE LEGISLATURE
STATES THEY MUST PROVIDE
CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THEIR
CURRICULUM.
(Lee, 2007, 322)
Question:
How would the curriculums of a
big city school and a rural
school differ?

Claim #2
Cultural Diversity should be an
influence on the teaching of
elementary social studies
CURRICULUM REFLECTS
DIVERSITY WITHIN THE US AND
SPECIFIC CLASSROOMS.
(LEE, 2007 p. 322)
SUPPORT # 2
ONE EXAMPLE WOULD BE IN CIBOLA COUNTY,
NM - A TEACHER MAY CHOOSE TO EMPHASIZE
THE NATIVE AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS DUE
TO ALMOST HALF OF THE POPULATION
CONSISTING OF NATIVE AMERICANS.
THIS RELATES MORE TO THEIR DIVERSE
STUDENTS.
Question:
How do I ensure I am not
leaving out any important
information about a culture?

CLAIM # 3
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
SUPPORT # 3
AMERICAN STUDENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO
INTERPRET A STATEMENT, EVENT, OR
ACTION BY BEING ALLOWED TO LEARN IN

IS EMBEDDED IN SOCIAL STUDIES

DIFFERENT WAYS OR TO SHARE VIEWPOINTS
AND PERSPECTIVES IN A GIVEN SITUATION
BASED ON THEIR OWN CULTURAL AND SOCIAL

TEXTBOOKS EXPERIENCES, STUDENTS BECOME ACTIVE

PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR LEARNING (NIETO,
1996).

Question:
BETWEEN TEACHER-LED
INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT-
CENTERED INSTRUCTION, WHICH IS
MORE BENEFICIAL TO CULTURALLY
RESPONSIVE TEACHING?
 SUPPORT # 4
CLAIM # 4
CURRICULUM SETS THE STAGE FOR
TEACHERS INHERENTLY IMPLEMENT SUCH INSTRUCTION, BUT
TEACHERS MUST PLAN INDIVIDUAL
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING LESSONS AND THEN IMPLEMENT
THEM (LEE, 2007 p. 324).
STRATEGIES.

Question:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR A
TEACHER TO HAVE INHERENT
ABILITIES? WHAT ARE SOME
EXAMPLES?
“Every student can learn. Just not on the same day or in the same way.” -George Evans