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Integrating multicultural and gifted education: a curricular framework
Theory Into Practice, Spring, 2005 by Donna Y. Ford, James L. Moore, III, Deborah A. Harmon
Tags: curriculum, education, Ford Motor Co., teacher
Table 1
Bloom's Taxonomy: Description and Possible Products
Description Sample of Possible
Products
Evaluation Students critique, judge, Survey, study,
research topics, issues, report, give
events, etc. opinion with
support
Synthesis Students combine ideas, Poem, song, cartoon,
events, etc., to make book, simulation
something new or unique,
to make a new whole.
Analysis Students examine, analyze, Venn diagram,
compare and contrast, literature review,
predict, consider opinion
pros and cons.
Application Students use the information Draw, timeline,
learned, students apply chart, graph
learning.
Comprehension Students demonstrate their Define, recall,
understanding of what has retell, paraphrase
been taught; they explain;
retell in their own words.
Knowledge Students learn facts and basic List, restate, repeat
information; rote learning
Table 2
Four Approaches to Integrating Multicultural
Content Into the Curriculum
Approach Description Examples
Contributions Heroes, cultural Artifacts from diverse
components, holidays, groups and individuals
and other discrete are studied without
elements related to attention of their
diverse groups are meaning and significance
added to the curriculum (e.g., totem poles).
on special days,
occasions, and
celebrations.
Additive Content, concepts, themes, Adding nonthreatening
and perspectives are books, people, and
added to the curriculum materials to the lesson.
without changing its Not giving the students
structure. the background knowledge
to understand the books
or materials.
Adding a unit on a diverse
group without focusing
on the group in other
units.
Leaving the core
curriculum intact,
but adding an ethnic
studies course as an
elective.
Transformation The basic goals, Units describe the meaning
structure, and nature of events, issues, etc.,
of the curriculum are to all groups involved.
changed to enable All voices and
students to view perspectives are heard.
concepts, events, Alternative explanations
issues, problems, are explored,
and themes from the particularly that
perspectives of diverse of minority groups.
groups. Teachers target student
Students become more understanding, respect,
empathetic by viewing and empathy.
events from multiple Students explore values
perspectives. (theirs and others) and
the impact of values on
the decisions people
make.
Social Action Students identify Students study prejudice
important social and discrimination in
problems and issues, their school and take
gather pertinent data, action to improve race
clarify their values relations.
on the issues, make Students study the
decisions, and take treatment of diverse
reflective actions groups and take action
to help resolve the to redress inequities.
issues or problem.
Approach Strengths Weaknesses
Contributions Provides a quick and Little attention is
easy way to put devoted to the cultures
ethnic content into in which the artifacts
the curriculum. are embedded.
Gives ethnic heroes Results in a superficial
visibility in the understanding of ethnic
curriculum, alongside cultures.
mainstream heroes. Focuses on the lifestyles
Most frequently adopted and artifacts of ethnic
in schools. groups; reinforces
stereotypes and
misperceptions.
Mainstream criteria used
to select heroes and
cultural elements for
inclusion in the
curriculum.
Additive Makes it possible to add Reinforces the idea that
ethnic content into the ethnic history and
curriculum without culture are not integral
changing its structure. parts of the U.S.
Can be implemented within mainstream culture.
the existing curriculum. Students view ethnic
groups from a
Eurocentric perspective;
fails to help students
understand how the
dominant culture and
ethnic cultures are
interconnected and
interrelated.
Requires little
commitment and
professional
development.
Transformation Enables students to Requires substantial
understand the complex curriculum revision,
ways in which diverse in-service training,
groups participated in and the identification
the formation of the and development of
U.S. society and materials written from
culture. the perspectives of
Helps reduce racial and diverse groups.
ethnic encapsulation. Staff development for the
Enables diverse groups institutionalization of
to see their cultures, this approach must be
ethos, and perspectives ongoing and substantive.
in the school
curriculum.
Gives students a balanced
view of the nature and
development of U.S.
culture and society.
Helps to empower minority
groups.
Social Action Enables students to Requires a considerable
improve their thinking, amount of curriculum
value analysis, planning and materials.
decision-making skills, Longer in duration than
and social-action more traditional
skills. teaching units.
Enables students to May focus on problems and
improve their data- issues considered
gathering, social- controversial.
actions, and problem- Students may be unable to
solving skills. take meaningful actions
Helps students to develop that contribute to the
a sense of political resolution of some
efficacy. social issues and
Helps students to improve problems.
their skills in working
with diverse groups.
Source: Banks (1993, 1997)
Table 3
Ford-Harris Matrix of Multicultural Gifted Education:
Definition of Categories
Knowledge Comprehension
Contributions Students are taught Students show an
and know facts understanding of
about cultural information about
artifacts, events, cultural
groups, and other artifacts,
cultural elements. groups, etc.
Additive Students are taught Students are taught
and know and can
concepts and understand
themes about cultural concepts
cultural groups. and themes.
Transformation Students are given Students are taught
information on to understand and
important cultural can demonstrate
elements, groups, an understanding
etc., and can of important
understand this cultural concepts
information from and themes from
different different
perspectives. perspectives.
Social Action Based on Based on their
information on understanding of
cultural artifacts, important
etc., students concepts and
make themes, students
recommendations make
for social action. recommendations
for social
action.
Application Analysis
Contributions Students are asked Students are taught
to and can apply to and can
information analyze (e.g.,
learned on compare and
Cultural artifacts, contrast)
events, etc. information about
cultural
artifacts,
groups, etc.
Additive Students are Students are taught
required to and to and can
can apply analyze important
information cultural concepts
learned about and themes.
cultural concepts
and themes.
Transformation Students are asked Students are taught
to and can apply to and can
their examine
understanding of important
important cultural concepts
concepts and and themes from
themes from more than one
different perspective.
perspectives.
Social Action Students are asked Students are
to and can apply required to and
their can analyze
understanding of social and
important social cultural issues
and cultural from different
issues; they make perspectives;
recommendations they take action
for and take on these issues.
action on these
issue.
Synthesis Evaluation
Contributions Students are Students are taught
required to and to and can
can create a new evaluate facts
product from the and information
information on based on cultural
cultural artifacts, artifacts,
groups, etc. groups, etc.
Additive Students are asked Students are taught
to and can to and can
synthesize critique cultural
important concepts and
information on themes.
cultural concepts
and themes.
Transformation Students are Students are taught
required to and to and can
can create a evaluate or judge
product based on important
their new cultural concepts
perspective or the and themes from
perspective of different
another group. viewpoints (e.g.,
minority group).
Social Action Students create a Students critique
plan of action to important social
address a social and cultural
and cultural issues, and seek
issue(s); they seek to make national
important social and/or
change. international
change.
Source: Ford and Harris (1999).
Table 4
Applying the Bloom-Banks Matrix to Multicultural Music
Knowledge Comprehension
Contributions Students name five Students retell the
songs that were significant events
popular among that occurred in a
slaves. (1) multicultural
song.
Additive Students look up the Students explain the
definitions of key main idea or
words in a message of a
multicultural multicultural song
song. they have heard. (1)
Transformation Students sing a song Students share at
that Harriet least one reason
Tubman or different groups
another slave felt the need to
might have sung have their own
after escaping to national anthem.
freedom. (1)
Social Action Students sing a Students read a
multicultural song biography of a
to younger famous diverse
students. (1) musician to
another class and
explain the
significant
accomplishments
of the musician.
Application Analysis
Contributions Students find Students compare
musical the rhythm
instruments that (melody, scores,
are unique to a instruments, etc.)
diverse cultural of national
group; or find anthems from two
multicultural different groups.
versions of
instruments used
in the United
States
Additive Students categorize Students identify
spirituals as work, and compare
celebration/ themes found
ceremonial, or play among two or
songs. (1) more slave
spirituals. (1)
Transformation Students draw a Students imagine
picture to being enslaved
illustrate the and write a song
primary message about this feeling.
of a multicultural
song.
Social Action Students contact Students write an
local radio editorial
stations and explaining how
request them to slave songs are
play a particular similar to
multicultural contemporary
song. gospel songs. (1)
Synthesis Evaluation
Contributions Students translate a Students research
song from one the origin and
language to history of a
another language. multicultural
song, including its
author.
Additive Students create a Students survey
poem based on a classmates about
multicultural song their favorite song
or diverse from a diverse
musician individual or
group, and tally
the results by type
of music.
Transformation Students brainstorm Students share their
reasons that songs opinion on the
are important to need for diverse
people. groups to have
their own national
anthem. They
seek support for
their position.
Social Action Students create a Students convert a
song to honor a multicultural song
diverse hero and into a play and
share it with perform it for the
classmates. school (1)
(1) Two excellent books (accompanied by a CD of slave songs
and spirituals) are Slaves No More and No Man Can Hinder Me.
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