Creating Powerful Creating Powerful MMuullttiiccuullttuurraall Lessons Using Literature, MusicLessons Using Literature, Music

and Mediaand Media

Cathy A. Pohan, Ph.D.Cathy A. Pohan, Ph.D.

Texas A & M - Corpus ChristiTexas A & M - Corpus Christi

(361) 825-2860(361) 825-2860

The Role of Public The Role of Public Education in the United Education in the United

States States The enculturation of our young into The enculturation of our young into

a social and political democracy a social and political democracy (Goodlad, 2004).(Goodlad, 2004).

To help young people do well in the To help young people do well in the lives they lead outside of school lives they lead outside of school (Eisner, 2004).(Eisner, 2004).

Democratic CitizenshipDemocratic Citizenship

Maintaining a democratic society Maintaining a democratic society and preserving and extending and preserving and extending freedom require citizens who freedom require citizens who Understand and embrace democratic Understand and embrace democratic

values and values and Recognize their responsibility to help Recognize their responsibility to help

narrow the gap between real and narrow the gap between real and idealized American values idealized American values (Banks, 1999).(Banks, 1999).

Democratic EducationDemocratic Education

Students of every age should leave Students of every age should leave school with the following three school with the following three understandings:understandings:

I I cancan make a difference in my world make a difference in my world I I know how toknow how to make a difference in make a difference in

my world.my world. I I care enough tocare enough to make a difference in make a difference in

my world. my world. (Hutchinson & Hunt, 2001)(Hutchinson & Hunt, 2001)

A Call For A Call For Multicultural EducationMulticultural Education

As the diversity of our society deepens As the diversity of our society deepens and our nation faces new challenges and and our nation faces new challenges and possibilities, the mastery of basic skills possibilities, the mastery of basic skills will be essential but not sufficient. will be essential but not sufficient.

Students must possess the Students must possess the knowledge, knowledge, attitudesattitudes, and , and abilitiesabilities needed to work needed to work with people from diverse groups in order with people from diverse groups in order to create to create civic, moralcivic, moral, and , and justjust communities that promote the common communities that promote the common good good (Banks, 1999).(Banks, 1999).

Multicultural Education: Multicultural Education: Supporting ELLs Supporting ELLs

Through:Through: Comprehensible inputComprehensible input Increased opportunities for verbal Increased opportunities for verbal

interaction in activitiesinteraction in activities Contextualized languageContextualized language Low anxiety activitiesLow anxiety activities Increased opportunities for student Increased opportunities for student

engagement and active participation engagement and active participation

(Cummins; Herrell & Jordon;and Krashen)(Cummins; Herrell & Jordon;and Krashen)

Two Specific StrategiesTwo Specific StrategiesUsed to Support ELLsUsed to Support ELLs

ImagingImaging A strategy whereby A strategy whereby

students create students create images in their images in their minds to support minds to support the under-standing the under-standing of concepts or to of concepts or to solve problems. solve problems.

(Chamot & O’Mally, (Chamot & O’Mally, 1994)1994)

Multimedia Multimedia PresentationsPresentations

Use of media adds Use of media adds context which context which result in result in comprehensible comprehensible input.input.

(Diaz-Rico & Weed, (Diaz-Rico & Weed, 1995)1995)

Sources for Powerful Sources for Powerful and Engaging and Engaging

(Multicultural) Lessons(Multicultural) Lessons

Music Music (text in the form of lyrics and song)(text in the form of lyrics and song) LiteratureLiterature (trade books, primary and (trade books, primary and

secondary source documents)secondary source documents) Media SourcesMedia Sources (television, magazines, (television, magazines,

newspapers, internet)newspapers, internet)

Music: The Doorway to Music: The Doorway to Emotional Memory Emotional Memory

Music elicits feelings and emotion. Music elicits feelings and emotion. Lyrics are the text of music. Students can Lyrics are the text of music. Students can

analyze, interpret and respond to such text.analyze, interpret and respond to such text. Students might have difficulty Students might have difficulty readingreading aboutabout

social and political issues, but they will social and political issues, but they will listen listen to to such issues discussed in popular music. such issues discussed in popular music.

Music engages the heart and mind.Music engages the heart and mind. Music can create a context for increased Music can create a context for increased

verbal communication and language verbal communication and language development.development.

A Multicultural Approach A Multicultural Approach is Compatible with a is Compatible with a

Standards-Based Standards-Based CurriculumCurriculum

See Elementary and Middle School See Elementary and Middle School Reading/Language Arts and Social Reading/Language Arts and Social Science TEKSScience TEKS

See Secondary Reading, Speech See Secondary Reading, Speech Communications and Social Science Communications and Social Science TEKSTEKS

Popular Music SamplesPopular Music Samples

Elementary and Middle SchoolElementary and Middle School ““Don’t Laugh at Me” Don’t Laugh at Me”

by Mark Wills by Mark Wills “ “ Who I Am”Who I Am”

by Jessica Andrewsby Jessica Andrews

Middle and Secondary SchoolMiddle and Secondary School ““Where is the Love” Where is the Love” by The Blackeyed Peasby The Blackeyed Peas

Literature ExamplesLiterature Examples Textbooks were never meant to be THE Textbooks were never meant to be THE

Curriculum! They are simply a resource for Curriculum! They are simply a resource for teachers. teachers.

Studies have found that textbooks often Studies have found that textbooks often present sterile, one-sided views and are filled present sterile, one-sided views and are filled with inaccurate information. with inaccurate information. (Loewen; Daniels & Zemelman, 2004)(Loewen; Daniels & Zemelman, 2004)

Trade books, primary source documents and Trade books, primary source documents and the internet can provide students with the internet can provide students with multiple perspectives and an opportunity to multiple perspectives and an opportunity to develop critical thinking and media literacy.develop critical thinking and media literacy.

Television ViewingTelevision Viewing Young people ages 6-18 spend more time in Young people ages 6-18 spend more time in

front of the television than in school or front of the television than in school or sleeping. On average, preschoolers in the sleeping. On average, preschoolers in the U.S. watch 27 hours of TV per week.U.S. watch 27 hours of TV per week.

It is estimated that before graduating from It is estimated that before graduating from elementary school, a child will witness elementary school, a child will witness 100,000 acts of simulated violence on TV.100,000 acts of simulated violence on TV.

Children’s programming perpetuates the Children’s programming perpetuates the gender and ethnic stereotypes prevalent in gender and ethnic stereotypes prevalent in American society.American society.

(APA, 1998; Centerwall, 2000; Cortes, 2001; MacBeth, (APA, 1998; Centerwall, 2000; Cortes, 2001; MacBeth, 1996)1996)

Television/Media cont.Television/Media cont.

What appears to be quite clear in the What appears to be quite clear in the research is that, for better or worse, the research is that, for better or worse, the media (television, in particular) contribute media (television, in particular) contribute powerfully to current multicultural beliefs, powerfully to current multicultural beliefs, attitudes, understandings and attitudes, understandings and misunderstandings.misunderstandings.

Television teaches children who is Television teaches children who is important and who is culturally elevated important and who is culturally elevated and valued. The messages are subtle and and valued. The messages are subtle and pervasively there in role-casting, voice-pervasively there in role-casting, voice-overs, and scripting. overs, and scripting.

(Cortes, 2001; MacBeth, 1996).(Cortes, 2001; MacBeth, 1996).

In Children’s In Children’s ProgrammingProgramming

Studies reveal a glaringly disproportionate Studies reveal a glaringly disproportionate number of “good guys” are White males; number of “good guys” are White males; “bad guys” are often portrayed as males of “bad guys” are often portrayed as males of color and/or people with accents (suggesting color and/or people with accents (suggesting ESL and/or foreigners).ESL and/or foreigners).

Male characters outnumber female Male characters outnumber female characters almost 4 to 1.characters almost 4 to 1.

Whereas males are portrayed as dominate, Whereas males are portrayed as dominate, powerful and aggressive, females either powerful and aggressive, females either have no role at all or are cast as “damsels in have no role at all or are cast as “damsels in distress” or sex objects.distress” or sex objects. (MacBeth, (MacBeth, 1996; Cortes, 2001)1996; Cortes, 2001)

What’s All the FussWhat’s All the FussAbout Television?About Television?

Stereotypic, snapshot depictions Stereotypic, snapshot depictions present young people with a social present young people with a social reality.reality.

The cumulative effect, in combination The cumulative effect, in combination with their real life experiences (or lack with their real life experiences (or lack thereof), influences children’s thereof), influences children’s developing beliefs about themselves developing beliefs about themselves and diverse others and diverse others (MacBeth, 1996; (MacBeth, 1996; Quintana, 1999).Quintana, 1999).

Beliefs are powerful, mediating Beliefs are powerful, mediating knowledge and actions knowledge and actions (Bandura, 1977).(Bandura, 1977).

Hate Crimes on the RiseHate Crimes on the Rise

“ “Most hate crimes are carried out by Most hate crimes are carried out by otherwise law-abiding young people otherwise law-abiding young people who see little wrong with their actions. who see little wrong with their actions. Alcohol and drugs sometimes help fuel Alcohol and drugs sometimes help fuel these crimes, these crimes, but the main determinant but the main determinant appears to be personal prejudiceappears to be personal prejudice, a , a situation that colors people’s judgment, situation that colors people’s judgment, blinding the aggressor to the blinding the aggressor to the immorality of what they are doing.” immorality of what they are doing.” (APA, (APA, 1998 Report)1998 Report)

Developing Media Developing Media LiteracyLiteracy

We must take seriously our call to teach We must take seriously our call to teach media literacy skills, thereby empowering media literacy skills, thereby empowering young people to sort through the content young people to sort through the content of a variety of media sources and ask:of a variety of media sources and ask: Who is telling the story?Who is telling the story? Is it authentic? How do I know?Is it authentic? How do I know? How does this perspective fit with my own How does this perspective fit with my own

lived experiences?lived experiences? Who gains from my believing this information?Who gains from my believing this information? What perspective or information am I not What perspective or information am I not

hearing or seeing?hearing or seeing?

What Can We Do?What Can We Do?

It does us little good to recognize It does us little good to recognize the mass media’s multicultural the mass media’s multicultural teaching power, particularly the teaching power, particularly the media treatment of different social media treatment of different social and cultural groups, if we, as and cultural groups, if we, as teachers do not also draw upon that teachers do not also draw upon that recognition to inform and transform recognition to inform and transform our teaching practices. our teaching practices. (Cortes, 2001)(Cortes, 2001)

Media Education: Media Education: Media LiteracyMedia Literacy

““In the engagement of content, media In the engagement of content, media education fosters the observation of education fosters the observation of details and their sequence and the details and their sequence and the relationships in a purposeful manner to relationships in a purposeful manner to arrive at an understanding of the arrive at an understanding of the ideological structures, themes, values, ideological structures, themes, values, claims, and evidence, and their claims, and evidence, and their warrants, as well as narrative elements warrants, as well as narrative elements such as motivations, plot lines, such as motivations, plot lines, characters, and characterizations.characters, and characterizations.

Media Media Education/Literacy cont.Education/Literacy cont.

Media education provides for a Media education provides for a reflective evaluation ofreflective evaluation of Fact and opinionFact and opinion Logical and affective appealsLogical and affective appeals Imaginative and creative exposition andImaginative and creative exposition and Imaging.”Imaging.” (Anderson & Ploghoft, 1993)(Anderson & Ploghoft, 1993)

Examples of Using the Examples of Using the Media to Teach About Media to Teach About

Social and Political Social and Political Issues.Issues.

More IdeasMore Ideas

Familiarize yourself with your students’ Familiarize yourself with your students’ TV viewing habits and favorite music TV viewing habits and favorite music groups.groups.

Use segments of TV programming and Use segments of TV programming and other media reports to discuss the other media reports to discuss the characterization and/or depiction of characterization and/or depiction of minorities and women in these minorities and women in these programs.programs.

Use TV clips to dialogue about social Use TV clips to dialogue about social issues, the motives and/or intentions of issues, the motives and/or intentions of characters.characters.

More IdeasMore Ideas Select age-appropriate historical and current Select age-appropriate historical and current

events to help children develop the skills events to help children develop the skills needed to deal effectively with the complexity needed to deal effectively with the complexity of “good” and “evil.”of “good” and “evil.”

Teach about persuasion so the young become Teach about persuasion so the young become more critical consumers of advertisements. more critical consumers of advertisements.

Point out differences between fantasy and Point out differences between fantasy and reality, especially with the young.reality, especially with the young.

Compare and contrast the values reflected in Compare and contrast the values reflected in the media with those we may hold as a family the media with those we may hold as a family or as individuals.or as individuals.

Questions and AnswersQuestions and Answers