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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

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multicultural education

Learn more about multicultural education

Bridging Spanish language barriers in Southern schools
These articles provide background on Latino immigrants in North Carolina, administrative challenges in binational education, and strategies through which teachers can build on what Latino students bring to their classrooms to create a learning environment that meets the needs of all students.
Format: series (multiple pages)
Around the world, a multicultural unit
The students will listen to stories from different cultures. They will participate in directed discussion, followed by a related art activity.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts, Guidance, and Social Studies)
By Judy Cliver.
Play in the multilingual classroom
In Bridging Spanish language barriers in Southern schools, page 2.3
Unstructured play is an important way for young children to make social and cultural connections. It also fosters language development and literacy skills for both English language learners and native English speakers.
Format: article
By Kristin De Soto Madson.
When teachers don't understand
Teaching should be informed not only by the content of the discipline but also by the lives of the students.
By Bobby Hobgood.
Deficit thinking
In Bridging Spanish language barriers in Southern schools, page 4.2
Teachers frequently attribute the academic struggles of English language learners to the students' inability or unwillingness to learn English, but this "deficit thinking" can better be replaced by a focus on what immigrant students bring to the classroom.
By Buck Cooper.

Find all 13 resources in our collection.

Education philosophy and curriculum that expands traditional white Western European curricula, highlighting themes and subjects from diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender perspectives. An important focus of multicultural education is to create equal educational opportunities so that all students can succeed in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic society.

Examples and resources

The National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) provides resources for educators, including definitions, position papers, and conference information. In addition, The Multicultural Pavilion organizes information for teachers and students.