Multicultural Curriculum Transformation in Social Studies and Civic Education (Foundations of Multicultural Education)

Review
Curriculum transformation is essential for all students, but especially for minoritized students who rarely see themselves affirmed in what is taught. The co-editors have compiled an important and impressive volume of timely chapters that contain high-quality culturally responsive material to guide educators, especially social studies and civic education teachers, in PK-12 settings. -- Donna Y. Ford, Distinguished Professor of Education and Human Ecology, Kirwan Institute Faculty Affiliate, Ohio State University
As both a Black mother of a school-aged child and a teacher educator, I am excited about the work captured in Multicultural Curriculum Transformation in Social Studies and Civic Education. I have heard too many times that teaching for equity and historical accuracy works only in theory and is too difficult to accomplish in ‘real’ classrooms. This volume decimates that tired argument by sharing content area practices accessible to every level of teaching expertise and still honoring our diverse student populations’ cultural and linguistic differences. -- Kimberly A. White-Smith, Dean and Professor of Education, University of LaVerne
The co-editors have assembled a collection of timely and important provocations designed to work with teacher educators as they attempt to navigate the ever-changing policy terrain of PK-12 social studies and civic education. They offer curriculum developers and teacher education considerations about how to incorporate multicultural education into the curriculum in such impactful ways that one would be hard-pressed to find a more vital book to read as we continue to trudge our way to a more perfect union in very trying times. Social studies, civic education, Ethnic Studies, and multicultural education have, until recently, been the forgotten core of education in the United States and this book reminds us of their fundamental value in a perilous and fragile democracy. -- David Lee Carlson, Associate Professor of Qualitative Research, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
This book focuses on multicultural curriculum transformation in social students and civic education subject areas. The discussion of each area outlines critical considerations for multicultural curriculum transformation for the area by grade level and then by eight organizing tools, including content standards, relationships with and among students and their families, and evaluation of student learning and teaching effectiveness. The volume is designed to speak with PK-12 teachers as colleagues in the multicultural curriculum transformation work. Readers are exposed to “things to think about,” but also given curricular examples to work with or from in going about the actual, concrete work of curriculum change. This work supports PK-12 teachers to independently multiculturally adapt existing curriculum, to create new multicultural curriculum differentiated by content areas and grade levels, and by providing ample examples of what such multicultural transformed social studies and civic education curricula looks like in practice.