THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENACTMENT OF A MULTICULTURAL UNIT WITH FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS: AN EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY by Kelly Lynn Mankovich Bachelor of Science, California University of Pennsylvania, 1995 Master of Science, Duquesne University, 1997 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education University of Pittsburgh 2018 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF EDUCATION This dissertation was presented by Kelly Lynn Mankovich It was defended on August 3, 2018 and approved by Dr. Erika Gold Kestenberg, Visiting Assistant Professor, Center for Urban Education Dr. Byeong-Young Cho, Associate Professor, Department of Instruction and Leaning Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Linda Kucan, Associate Professor, Department of Instruction and Learning ii Copyright © by Kelly Lynn Mankovich 2018 iii THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENACTMENT OF A MULTICULTURAL UNIT WITH FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS: AN EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY Kelly Lynn Mankovich, EdD University of Pittsburgh, 2018 This exploratory case study involved the development and enactment of a multicultural unit. As the population of the school continues to become more diverse there became a need to educate students to become more culturally aware. The main purpose of the study was to raise students’ awareness and appreciation for cultural diversity through carefully selected multicultural books. Three books were chosen for their authentic and diverse cultures and literature styles. In addition to the selected books, other components were identified including student projects, multimedia resources, and guest speakers. The secondary purpose of this study was to consider the contrast between the mandated curriculum used in previous years, and this multicultural unit designed to provide opportunities for students to develop their cultural competence. This case study provided note-worthy findings that supported the idea of incorporating multicultural literature in the classroom. Students had a variety of reactions to the unit. Students’ self-confidence rose and participation increased. Students proposed a call to action, remained after class to extend discussions, arrived early, and demonstrated empathy. The final finding was the contrast of the mandated curriculum to the multicultural unit. The multicultural unit offered: (a) writing opportunities, (b) complete texts, (c) speaking and listening skills practice, (d) authentic learning experiences through culturally relevant guest speakers, (e) personal student connections, (f) exposure to unfamiliar cultures, and (g) high interest lessons. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... IX 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2.0 REVIEW OF SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE ............................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS................................................................... 4 2.2 PERSPECTIVES ON THE USE OF MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE . 5 2.3 RESEARCH WITH MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE ............................ 6 3.0 METHODS ................................................................................................................. 13 3.1 RESEARCH SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS ............................................ 14 3.2 CONTEXT.......................................................................................................... 14 3.3 READ-ALONG TEXTS .................................................................................... 16 3.4 UNIT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................ 17 3.5 DATA SOURCES AND ANALYSES .............................................................. 23 4.0 FINDINGS AND COMMENTARY ......................................................................... 25 4.1 VIGNETTE 1: UNIT LAUNCH....................................................................... 25 4.2 VIGNETTE 2: ROBERTO CLEMENTE: PRIDE OF THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES ............................................................................................................................. 28 4.3 VIGNETTE 3: JUST ADD WATER ............................................................... 36 v 4.4 VIGNETTE 4: THE KOREAN CINDERELLA ............................................ 44 4.5 VIGNETTE 5: UNIT CLOSER ....................................................................... 54 5.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................ 61 5.1 LIMITATIONS .................................................................................................. 61 5.2 FINDINGS .......................................................................................................... 62 5.2.1 MAIN FEATURES DESIGNED TO RAISE STUDENTS’ MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS ....................................................................... 63 5.2.2 STUDENTS’ REACTIONS TO THE UNIT ............................................... 66 5.2.3 MANDATED CURRICULUM AND THE MULTICULTURAL UNIT . 67 5.2.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ......................... 69 5.3 IMPLICATIONS ............................................................................................... 69 6.0 DEMONSTRATION OF SCHOLARLY PRACTICE ........................................... 72 APPENDIX A .............................................................................................................................. 75 APPENDIX B .............................................................................................................................. 85 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 86 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Overview of Unit Activities ........................................................................................... 19 Table 2: Unit Data Sources ........................................................................................................... 24 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Evan and José's Double Bubble Thinking Map. The larger two circles in the center .. 46 Figure 2. Carrie and Jaden's Double Bubble Thinking Map. Instead of comparing the stories, .. 48 Figure 3. John and Nate's Double Bubble Thinking Map. The students pinpointed similarities . 50 Figure 4. Mary, Rhonda, and Sally's "We Are Part of a Diverse World" Literature Chart. ......... 55 Figure 5. Alex and Greg's "We Are Part of a Diverse World" Literature Chart. ......................... 56 Figure 6. John and Nate's “We Are Part of a Diverse World" Literature Chart. .......................... 57 Figure 7. Rhonda's journal cover. ................................................................................................. 58 Figure 8. Jaden's journal cover. .................................................................................................... 59 Figure 9. Carrie's journal cover. ................................................................................................... 60 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Throughout my doctoral studies I have received a significant amount of support and encouragement from many people. First, thank you to my advisor, Dr. Linda Kucan, whose careful eye, thoughtful suggestions, and strong guidance have helped me through this process. Second, I would like to extend a sincere appreciation to my dissertation committee members, Dr. Erika Gold Kestenberg and Dr. Byeong-Young Cho for their steadfast dedication and invaluable expertise. To Dr. Pabon, thank you for igniting a spark that has turned into a burning fire. And to Dr. Richard Milner, whose guest appearances, books, and tokens of wisdom have changed me in many ways; thank you for your inspiration. I would also like to thank Becky Lamanna, for your support, assistance, and encouragement. A special thanks to my Language, Literacy, and Culture cohort members at the University of Pittsburgh. Without the seven of you, I couldn’t have gotten through these past few years. I also want to say how grateful I am to the staff and administration in the school district in which I work. The cooperation of the fifth and the third-grade teachers, both elementary principals, and the elementary supervisor’s support have all helped in making this dream possible. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to my family. For all of our extended family, including my in-laws, I appreciate you. I thank you for preparing all of the holiday dinners, and even approving me to skip a few while I wrote. I would like to thank my father, whose footsteps ix I followed. And to my mother, thank you for showing me what giving back means. Most importantly, I want to thank my husband and my two boys. You sacrificed a great deal to allow this dream to come true. I love you all from the bottom of my heart. x 1.0 INTRODUCTION “The transformation in cross-cultural understanding occurs when people begin to accept that there are different ways of thinking and different values in other cultures” (Louie, 2006, p. 447). In 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau projected that by 2043, the non-Hispanic white population would no longer be the majority population in the United States; instead the U.S. would become a “majority-minority nation” for the first time. In other words, no group will represent