Term

Fall 2020

Capstone

Capstone Project

Degree Name

MAT

Facilitator(s)

Patty Born Selly

Content Expert

Käri Anderson Suggs

Abstract

Research studies have shown that students reading culturally relevant literature have increased reading comprehension and fluency, experienced affirmation of their identity and an increased understanding of other cultures, and increased reading engagement (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Ebe, 2010; Feger, 2006; Freeman, Y. & Freeman, D., 2004; Clark and Fleming, 2019 ). Bringing culturally responsive competent teaching into literacy and social studies by using culturally relevant texts will allow students to connect these texts to their own lives and experiences. Looking at the social studies textbook used in my school district, I felt it was ineffective in helping to connect students to history in a relevant way, and in some instances it was offensive. The curriculum created for this project was borne out of a need to supplement the social studies textbook to include more culturally relevant texts. A primary focus was on social studies standards covering historical thinking skills. These skills, interpreting connections, posing questions, drawing conclusions from evidence, explaining a historical event from multiple perspectives, analyzing causes and outcomes, cross over into different topics in social studies, but also cross into many other subjects, particularly language arts. Students demonstrating success with this curriculum will grow in their critical thinking and historical thinking skills. They will be able to analyze causes and outcomes of historical events and explain events from multiple perspectives. Using culturally relevant texts, they will be able to describe ways in which people throughout U.S. history developed and maintained their cultural identities ( Education world. 2020). They will increase in their awareness of their own identities, their motivation to read, and their reading proficiency, as measured by state assessments.

Project Type

Curriculum

Keywords

Curriculum, Multicultural Education, Reading

dc_type

text

dc_publisher

DigitalCommons@Hamline

dc_format

application/pdf

dc_source

School of Education Student Capstone Projects

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