Eldridge, D.B. (1998). Teacher talk, multicultural lesson
plans for theelementary classroom. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
I learned about this book almost
a year ago from a friend in
education. This teacher used the book several times to find alternative
activities for holidays. While other teachers in her school had
Christmas
and Halloween parties, her class created "Eskimo Laughing Masks"
(Halloween alternative) and "Hopi Cradle Dolls" (Christmas alternative).
They had celebrations on the same day other classes had holiday parties,
but avoided the religious undertones of some holidays, and leaving
out
many cultures.
This book is filled with
lesson plans and activities that enrich
your classroom. The lessons are easy to follow and cover a range
of
subject areas. It is worth the $24.95 at the O.S.U. bookstore
for this
valuable resource which you can utilize year round.
Questions for the author and/or educators who use this book:
1) How do parents respond to the alternative holiday activities?
2) Do children ever request a Christmas party rather than the
alternative
activities because they feel left out?
3) What kind of student response do you receive after doing these
activities?
4) Do parents volunteer to share their cultures and traditions
with your
class when they discover that you use this resource?
5) Have you written or discovered any books similar to this resource?
Submitted by Kameroon Cook
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