Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15e

Walter C. Parker &

Terence A. Beck

Chapter 2

Teaching in Diverse Classrooms

By: Terence A. Beck, University of Puget Sound

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Chapter Outline

1. The Changing Demographics of Todays Classrooms

2. Understanding Diverse Classrooms
3. Guidelines for Teaching in Diverse Classrooms

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Key Concepts
Diversity
Demography
Cultural deficit model vs Cultural difference model
Race, Ethnicity, & Culture
Social Class
Religion
Language and dialect
Sex/Gender & Sexual orientation
Multiple intelligences
Culturally responsive instruction & Multicultural curriculum
Differentiated instruction
Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Picture This

Each spring, the students in Ginny Simpsons fourth grade class conduct
the Citizenship Simulation. They simulate the ceremony at which people
who have immigrated to the United States become citizens of this country.
One child, playing the mayor, gives a welcome speech. Another, playing a
federal judge, asks everyone a few questions from the citizenship test:
What is the Constitution? Who is eligible to vote? Who lived in
America before Europeans arrived? Then the citizens-to-be take the Oath
of Allegiance, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Afterward, there is a
party with congratulatory speeches and songs.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
Projections of the U.S. population by race and
Hispanic origin, 20152035.
2015 2035
Source: U.S. Census Number Number
% of Total % of Total
Bureau (thousands) (thousands)
Total population 321,363 100 369,662 100
By race
White alone 198,449 62 196,886 53
Black alone 39,850 12 47,141 13
Hispanic/Latino (of any
57,075 18 86,659 23.5
race)
Asian alone 16,441 5 23,979 6.5
All other races
9,548 3 14,999 4
(including mixed race)
Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
Demographic Characteristics of Children in
Classrooms
1. Race, ethnicity and culture 5. Sex and Gender

2. Social Class 6. Sexual Orientation

3. Religion 7. Special Needs

4. Language Differences 8. Multiple Intelligences

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and DiscussRace & Ethnicity

How do you understand the relationship between race and ethnicity?

For example, can White be considered an ethnic group? Why or

why not?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and DiscussRace & Ethnicity

Return to Meira Levinsons story that introduced this section. Read

her story again and notice how race, ethnicity, and culture are impor-

tant, complicated, and intertwined. What do you notice now that you

missed the first time you read the story?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and DiscussSocial Class

Americans are notoriously uncomfortable with issues of social class.

As a teacher, when is noticing social class the right thing to do? When

might noticing social class be harmful?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and DiscussSex and Gender

When have you experienced pressure to act in uncomfortable ways

because people see you as a man or a woman? If this pressure

happened in school, what might your teachers have done to make you

less concerned about fitting in and, as a result, more able to focus on

what you needed to learn?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Reflect and DiscussSexual Orientation

Examine the examples weve provided about kindergarten and third-

grade students talking about sexuality. To what extent do you agree

with the researchers that these examples illustrate heteronormativity?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
Seven Guidelines for Teaching in Diverse Classrooms

1. Culturally responsive instruction

2. Know your cell phone
3. Engaging with learning
4. High expectations for learning
5. Flexible grouping
6. Differentiated instruction
7. Multicultural curriculum

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved
 Guideline 1: Culturally Responsive Instruction

Learn about the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the children

in your class and adapt instruction accordingly. Teach in ways that

bride the gap between childrens home cultures and the school culture.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Guideline 2: Know Your Cell Phone

History begins at home. Teachers need to study their own family

historyits ethnic and linguistic characteristics, social class,

religion, social values, gifts, and disabilities.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Guideline 3: Engaging with Learning

Help students understand the purpose of the information you are

teaching. Provide variety in the ways students acquire information and

express what they are learning.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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Guideline 4: High Expectations for Learning

Expect, assist, and cajole all students to learn the social studies

curriculum.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Guideline 5: Flexible Grouping

Group children in various wayswhole class, pairs, trios, small

groups of four or fivealways with a clear purpose, and change

the groups often.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Guideline 6: Differentiated Instruction

Different children have different needs and addressing those different

needs is the best way to deal with them equitably.

Gloria Ladson-Billings in The Dreamkeepers

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Guideline 7: Multicultural Curriculum

Help children understand key concepts, events, issues, and

historical figures from diverse social perspectives.

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
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 Discussion Question

Which of the seven guidelines for teaching in diverse classrooms do

you most want to focus on in your first couple of years of teaching?

Why?

Copyright 2017, 2012, 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Social Studies in Elementary Education, 15/e, by Parker and Beck.
All Rights Reserved