Running Head: MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES
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Running head: MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES Multicultural Fairy Tale Curriculum: Celebrating Diversity Through The Use of Fairy Tales by Christine Watt A Project Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Education __________________________ Erika Daniels, Ed. D. California State University San Marcos Fall, 2011 MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES ii ABSTRACT Multicultural literature is key to addressing the diverse needs of every student. Because of this, a multicultural literature unit has been created. The curriculum has been designed as a three-week Language Arts unit centered on multicultural fairy tales. It is intended for elementary students, specifically second graders. A thorough review of literature was conducted, and important elements in creating a multicultural curriculum were identified. These topics included culturally relevant literature, culturally authentic literature, and multicultural literature pedagogy. In addition, it has been designed around California and English Language Development state standards. With best practices and review of literature in mind, and a standard lesson plan format, the curriculum was created. Included in the curriculum is comparing and contrasting classic fairy tales with fairy tales from around the world, an introduction to fractured fairytales with a focus on different perspectives, and lastly, having students create their own fractured fairy tale, using themselves as the main character. This curriculum still needs to be piloted, and would benefit from not only feedback from other educators, but also feedback from students themselves. Future studies identifying the effects of using multicultural fairy tales in the classroom would be beneficial to the research. Keywords: cultural authenticity, culturally relevant literature, fairy tales, language arts, multicultural literature. MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my chair, Erika Daniels, my second reader, Anne René Elsbree, and my family for all the support they have given me throughout the course of my masters education. MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. ii Chapter I: Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Project .............................................................................................. 2 Literature Review .................................................................................................... 3 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 4 Significance of the Project ........................................................................................ 6 Summary ................................................................................................................... 7 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................... 7 Chapter II: Literature Review ..................................................................................... 8 Culturally Relevant Literature ................................................................................ 8 Culturally Authentic Literature .............................................................................. 12 Multicultural Literature Pedagogy ......................................................................... 16 Summary ................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter III: Methodology ......................................................................................... 19 Design ..................................................................................................................... 19 Participants and Setting .......................................................................................... 19 Instrumentation ....................................................................................................... 20 Project Procedures ................................................................................................. 21 Project Evaluation .................................................................................................. 23 Summary ................................................................................................................. 23 Chapter IV: Project Presentation ............................................................................. 24 MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES v Project Cover Page ................................................................................................. 24 Project Table of Contents ....................................................................................... 25 Project Overview ................................................................................................... 26 Unit/Lessons ............................................................................................................ 29 Chapter V: Recommendations .................................................................................. 63 Lessons Learned ..................................................................................................... 63 Project Implementation ........................................................................................... 65 Global Implications ................................................................................................ 67 Limitations .............................................................................................................. 67 Future Research or Project Suggestions ................................................................. 68 Conclusions/Summary ............................................................................................. 69 References ................................................................................................................. 71 Appendix A: Pagination .............................................................................................. 8 Appendix B: How to Thrive in Graduate School ........................................................ 8 Appendix C: How to Survive the Research Paper Experience ................................... 8 MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES 1 Chapter One: Definition of Problem In 2009-2010, there were 118,501 English Language learners in the county of San Diego alone (DataQuest, 2011). This means that nearly every public school teacher will most likely teach a class that has students of various backgrounds, and it is imperative that the literature in the classroom reflects this. It is valuable to have curriculum that speaks to each and every student because if the student can relate to what they are learning, they will likely more invested. If the statistic listed above accurately represent the rapid growth of English Language Learners in San Diego County, then multicultural literature becomes even more essential so that the students who do not have English as their first language hear stories in the classroom that relate to their everyday life. “Minority students need to see themselves reflected in the texts they read, and nonminority students need to see minority students in the texts they read as well” (Siu- Runyan, 1996, p. 422). Students learn better when they are given the opportunity to relate to the literature they read in the classroom. St. Amor (2003) explained that, “ greater variety in literature also makes it more likely that all children will have access to narratives that represent their various backgrounds as well as enrich and enlarge their understanding of other backgrounds” (p. 48). Providing teachers with the tools they need to easily embed multicultural literature into their existing Language Arts curriculum will help create tolerance, knowledge, and understanding among students today. St. Amor (2003) promoted the idea that students are aware of cultural differences at a very early age, and drawing on this knowledge can foster intercultural understanding that lasts a lifetime. Due to the above stated reasons, a multicultural literature curriculum has been created for teachers to use in the public school classroom. Covered in this chapter will be MULTICULTURAL FAIRY TALES 2 the purpose of the project, the literature that supports it, methodology, significance, and definitions of key terms. Purpose of Project Because of the diverse backgrounds of students today, educators need to make sure there are enough multicultural lessons and literature embedded into the curriculum. Multicultural education and literature “ provides an opportunity for young students to examine the diversity shaping our world” (Barta & Grindler, 1996, p. 269). Furthermore they argued that, “through such efforts, students learn about variations of culture, such as the way people speak, act, celebrate, or mourn” (p. 269). There are also many political pressures that educators face, with the main focus being on standardized testing. If students are engaged and connected to what is being taught in class, then it will hopefully translate into better