Mission Statement
The Toolkit that I have created is made as a resource for designing a critical multicultural curriculum for elementary art students ages five to eleven. Through this toolkit, I hope to create curriculum that allows students to understand their own realities in a historical and cultural context. Students should be able to address how and why things are the way they are in society. They should then take these discoveries and make connections to their own personal experiences and positionality. Through this critical multicultural toolkit, students will not only able to name injustices in society, but use art as a means to combat these injustices.
In hopes of achieving these goals, I have organized my toolkit into five overarching themes: race, gender, community, family, and globalism. I have picked these five themes because they are culturally relevant to my students and can be divided into smaller units of exploration. In addition, there is intersectionality among all of themes so students can also make connections by identifying and placing power and systems of oppression in each thematic unit. I begin each theme with a list of essential questions. These questions are not meant to be answered, but explored through the process of making, talking about and looking at art.
Within each of these themes are several contemporary artists, quotes, videos and museum exhibitions that may contribute to the process of creating or executing lessons around that theme. Contemporary artists play a large part in deconstructing stereotypes and unveiling hidden histories around particular groups. Through looking at contemporary artists, students understand the complex realities of individuals and their unique sets of experiences. Students can also learn the different techniques and methods that contemporary artists use to make meaning in their piece, such as the material choices they make, the symbols they use, or colors they choose. So that I may also better understand my own cultural lense and positionality, I include videos and quotes so that the students may hear from the artist themselves.
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Secondly, I include several children’s books in each of my the five themes. For younger students to begin to understand complex issues, I find that is it best to read them stories related to the theme. Children's books describe the concepts of these themes in digestible ways so that students may begin to question their gender, race, and identity. The books that I have selected acknowledge differences among others and demonstrates respect to individuals different from themselves. These children’s books also allows students from marginalized groups to see themselves in the curriculum and begin to foster self-love.
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In addition, my Toolkit has a separate section for practical “Teaching strategies” and quotes to remember when implementing these resources in a classroom. It is important to understand the reality of teaching students and the many struggles that arise when executing a lesson. The “Teaching Strategies” component provides tips for classroom, techniques for feedback and critique, and different methods for introducing a lesson.
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Lastly, I include a teaching portfolio. This is where I will continue to post projects and lessons that I have implemented in the classroom. Like all of the sections of my toolkit, this sections will continue to grow throughout my teacher practice.