ABSTRACT

Context: TE Elementary, TE Secondary, Multicultural Education NCSS Standards: I (Culture), IV (Individual Development and Identity), X (Civic Ideals and

Practices) INTASC: 3 (Diverse Learners), 4 (Instructional Strategies), 7 (Planning) Topics: justice, critical literacy, race, racism, multicultural literature, children’s literature, emo-

tional response, bias reduction, ethical-political valuation, students’ lives and experiences, issues-oriented approach, graphic organizer, perspective consciousness, power/authority, government, civics

Multicultural literature written for children and young adults can facilitate the development of pedagogical strategies in teaching for social justice. Teacher educators and teachers, both novice and experienced, oft en struggle to move confi dently from theory to practice and back again to refl ect on their practice in light of theory, especially when they are striving to teach for social justice. Many who try to apply theoretical frameworks to pedagogical practices reach an impasse at the intersection of theory and praxis (Freire, 1970/2003).