Community/ Multicultural Resources: Robert G. Cole Jr./Sr. High School

Group Members:

Yvonne Avila
Angelica Perez
Donna Tucker
Chen-Hui Wang

Community Resources

Parent Resources

1.Community Morale & Welfare

Army Community Service Center located in 2010 Stanley Road, Building 2797, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234 provides integrated access to all sorts of information to meet the needs of a military person as well as his/her family. It includes MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation), which offers programs and activities. It is inclusive of army community service, child & youth services, special events, and community recreation designed to be of beneficial value today's military. Also available are Military OneSource with both a website and a free toll number whose professionals can immediately answer any problem from minor to severe. It also has translation services in more than 150 languages, and the multicultural staff is available to satisfy the needs of military personnel of color. Also available is the Fort Sam Houston News Leader, a newspaper, which is regularly issued by FSH. It provides information concerning military life. Military Sealife Command is available and supplies job opportunities and training for military. Finally, Army Emergency Relief is available, which is a private non-profit organization with a mission to provide emergency financial assistance to soldiers. The soldiers will be either on continuous active duty or retired from active duty for a long period of time, or for physical disabilities. It also includes their dependents.

2.Family Building Resources

Army Community Service and Army Family Team Building are organizations which supply programs and classes to educate and train all of American's Army in a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and behaviors. It is designed to prepare Army families to adjust themselves to their constantly changing lives, owing to deployment. It helps families with activities such as analyzing the pros and cons between buying or renting a house for military families. In addition, there are many useful parents' handbooks for resolving family conflicts, how to strengthen long distance relationships between children and military parents staying far away. These pamphlets suggest 250 activities and advertise the regularly held classes which help military families learn about the impact of the mission on family life. There are also pamphlets on army community resources, benefits, entitlements and compensation, the army language and so on. If a soldier still has any issue needing resolution, community forms provided by Fort Sam Houston Army Family Action Plan can be utilized to submit the issue he or she is concerned with.

3.Financial Resources

These resources deal specifically with the income of military families. They offer financial benefits for childcare. They also offer financial classes which deal with issues such as personal financial management, identity theft, and checkbook maintenance. There is also a magazine entitled Military Money, which informs the readers about financial and life tips. There are articles that deal with buying new cars, buying a new home, and even "half-price living."

4.Military Directory

This resource is a DVD-ROM that provides a telephone directory and yellow pages for San Antonio area military. This disc includes Brooke Army Medical Center, Brooks City Base, Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, Camp Stanley, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Wilford Hall Medical Center, and Laughlin Air Force Base.

5.Commissary/Pxtra Resources

These resources include a guide to the benefit for Military Single Service Members. It provides an internet link to the commissary at www.commissaries.com. In addition, there is a link to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service at wvvw.aafes.com.

6.Educational Resources

Also available through the community center are many educational pamphlets. These resources include a flyer for English as a Second Language, facts about technical and career education, P ALSI Advocacy (parent Alliance for Learning & Support; specifically helps parents and teachers of children with disabilities), and a question and answer document for Least Restrictive Environment, which pertains to children with disabilities as well. There is also a pamphlet for Army Childcare and Texas Financial Aid via Texas Grant.

7.Pet/Veterinary Resources

This resource is Fort Sam Houston's veterinary service for the animals of military personnel. There is a veterinary clinic available on base. This pamphlet resources soldiers off post to spay their pets at the Gladys Harborth Animal Resource Center.

8.WIC

This resource folder includes information about WIC in two pamphlets. One is available in English and the other in Spanish. There is also information about breast-feeding in Spanish, as well as information about interpretation services available for WIC beneficiaries. Languages spoken by WIC include Arabic, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Korean, and others.

9.Family Advocacy Resources

This is a folder especially full of resources for the military family or family individual. There are brochures on family violence, domestic abuse, and rape in marriage. It also provides brochures for advice and services for victims of violence and also, for the spouse of a rape victim. There is a flyer with numbers that a person can call to report Domestic abuse. Included is a flyer specifically for newly assigned commanders and NCO's to receive training in family advocacy issues.

10.Historical Resources

For the newly arrived military family, Fort Sam Houston offers opportunities for the family to learn about their new home. There are brochures for the Fort Sam Houston Museum. As well, there are pamphlets with Fort Sam Houston historical facts and pictures, a self-guided tour brochure of the base, and a tour visiting the historic sites on post.

11. San Antonio Parents

The community center at Fort Sam offers the magazine Our Kids, which is directed especially for parents in the San Antonio area. This magazine provides activities and ideas for children. This magazine would help parents find resources that may not be available on base.

12.Combat-Related Resources

There are multiple resources for this specific topic. Inside the folder are brochures for the support of the families of our fallen heroes and information on the challenges of deployment and reunion. There are flyers advertising classes for those returning from an over-seas assignment, and reunion and reintegration briefings. There are also handbooks for Combat-Related Stress Reactions (has information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and reconnecting with others), Reintegration (a guide for service members and their families), and Mission Readiness (information on how to prepare your family and yourself for deployment).

13.Healthcare Resources

There are many healthcare resources available to the military family. This includes brochures for Home Healthcare, a Disability Resource Library, Anger Management classes, and information on immunizations. There is also a newsletter called "Wellness in Action," and a newspaper available entitled the Medical Patriot. Both contain information in medical and healthcare issues. Also available are pamphlets for breastfeeding problems, prevention of the whooping cough, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Smallpox vaccinations and advice for family members of those with Smallpox, treatment of Anthrax, and even information on how to talk to your child about smoking (even if you do).

14.Hotel Resources

This folder contains a list of hotels that military personnel can find on post. It includes the Guest House and Transient Lodging Facilities. It also lists links that you can click on to take you to local hotels or to military lodging all around the world. (See also List of Off-Post Community Resources)

15Church (Religious) Resources

This resource contains a list of religious services for military personnel. The 5 chapels on base offer Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim (and more) services. (See also List of Off-Post Community Resources to find more churches in the surrounding area)

16.List of Off-Post Community Resources

This is a list of all resources and locations found in a ten mile radius of Fort Sam Houston. The areas surveyed include the following streets: Rittaman, Wurzbach away from 4-10, Wurzbach toward 4-10, Eisenhauer, and Austin Highway. All the resources on this list are on these roads.



Student Resources

1.School Resources

Information in this folder comes directly from the school itself. There are music brochures, information about drugs and drug abuse and health brochures. There is also a sheet with school policies and another sheet with the year schedule. There are also copies of "Paw Prints," the school newsletter.

2.Youth Services

This specific resource services the youth on base. Included is runaway information in a pamphlet, a Fort Sam Houston Brochure, and also information on learning needs. There is also a request for care record.


Multicultural Resources:

Books

1.Neito, S. (2004). Affirming Diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. New York: Peearson Education.

The book written by Sonia Nieto is a great book for people in the field of education. The reason is that it has captured the essence of multicultural education because she focuses on real students in real classrooms. She also enhances educators’ understanding of different cultural groups by presenting case studies in the book with the share of ethnic minorities’ struggle, pain, and frustration in dominated culture. In addition, she helps educators or future educators realize that their goals are the education of all the children in their classrooms. This book is beneficial to any teacher who works with children whose native language is not English.

2.Howard, G. (2006). We Can’t Teach What We Don’t Know: White Teachers, Multiracial Schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

This book written by Gary R. Howard is perfect for white educators, the teachers who intend to work in the field of education, the beginners who are exploring the issue of racism, and people who are confused and distressed about racism owing to past experiences. The book begins with a personal narrative, which explains how the author went from ignorance of racism to being an activist for anti-racism. It continues with a history of how Europeans and their descendants gained their dominant position; an exploration of how this history has enormous influences on white people and people of color today; suggestions for white awareness and action; and a final call to share in vision and action.

3.Rattigan, J. K. (1993) Dumpling soup. Illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Jama Kim Rattigan wrote the book, which is suitable for children in elementary schools. Her vivid, colorful picture book brings us to the Hawaiian Islands. Women in a Korean family gather together and celebrate New Year. As part of a family tradition, the cheerful clan makes dumplings for the feast. Seven-year-old Marisa is old enough to help out with the wrappings. Little Marisa, however, worries about the shape of her dumplings and feels insecure about how her concoction might not measure up with other dumplings. Marisa's Granny decides to cheer up and encourage her little princess. Granny features Marisa's dumplings as starters at the dinner table on New Year's Day. Dumpling Soup is more than a picture book-it is a celebration of cultures that have rooted in the Hawaiian Islands: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Hawaiians.

4.Yip, M. (2004) Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories. Illustrated by Minggmei Yip. North American: Tuttle Publishing.

Mingmei Yip is an excellent writer--very engaging. She wrote the book for children who speak Chinese to have a better understanding of their own culture. Her illustrations are very colorful and eye-catching as well. The writer is an excellent selection of stories that are a good way to bridge the culture for children in this country. For example, the monkey story is worth reading because it is an important character in Chinese culture.

5.Kindersley, B. (1997) Children Just Like Me: Celebrations. New York: DK Punlishing.

It is a book great for ESL classroom and is also a good one for young and old. It also serves as a useful resource to teach children how people in different countries celebrate various holidays and festivals, carnivals and feast days. It has great photos, interesting texts, and endearing children as guides to introduce their own cultures, and each holiday is categorized in the order of four seasons.

6.Kates, B. J. (1992) We’re different, We’re the same. Illustrated by Joe Mathieu. New York: Random Hous.

The author uses a lot of the Sesame Street characters so that the children are immediately attracted to the book. Therefore, it is easy for teachers to guide their children of guessing each character by their distinguishing feature. The book is perfect for bridging the understanding multiculturalism for all ages. The book conveys the concept that “We're different, we're the same and we're All Wonderful show; despite all of our vast difference, we are so alike!” We all have beating hearts; have hopes and dreams for our future. We all laugh and smile the same even though we may speak different languages. Teachers can utilize the book to teacher our children that even though we look different, we are all very much the same. No one is superior to another only because of different races he or she belongs to.

7.Hopkinson, D. (1993) Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt. Pantings by James Ransome. New York: Scholastic Inc.

This is a great book written by Deborah Hopkinson to share with young students as an introduction to the history of the Underground Railroad and a delightful story to add to any classroom discussion on the topic of freedom and slaves. The author and illustrator accurately portray specific cultures and customs of the ethnic situation. The story tells of a twelve-year-old girl named Clara made a quilt, which was used to assist herself and her sweetheart, Jack, to reunite with her mother and slaves to freedom.

8.Marshall, D. (1996) Guide to Kenya. Columbus, Ohio: Highlights for Children, Inc.

The book, which is suitable for young children, introduces one of Africa’s most fascinating countries, Kenya. The contents include Kenya’s geography, history, language, wildlife, and surprising facts, which can bridge children’s understanding about the culture and custom of the people living in Kenya.

9.Lipsyte, R. (1967) The Contender. New York: Scholastic Inc.

The book written by Robert Lipsyte is suitable for all ages, especially good for 7-10 grade ages.
The Contender is about a boy named Alfred, living in Harlem in the 1960's. He fell into the stereotype for a kid from Harlem. He is a high school dropout and his best friend, James, is a drug addict. Trying to get away from the bad influences of his friends, he trained to be a contender in a boxing club in Harlem. Even though he had to overcome many hardships in the process, he never gave up. Although the book shows the serious side of the life, it inspires young children to make every effort to be the best they can be before it is too late.

10.Wilson, A. (1990) The Piano Lesson. New York: the Penguin Group.

August Wilson who depicts a play of African-American family copes with its past. The central character of the play--the piano--is a pictorial history of the family, carved by a woodcarving ancestor from the families’ slavery days. The confrontation between Berniece, who cherishes the piano, and Boy Willie, who wishes to sell the piano in order to use the profit to buy the land their family tilled as slaves, leads readers to the dilemma- Should one cling to the past or use it to make one's future? The author succeeds in creating characters with virtues, flaws and noble goals which readers can relate with.

11.Dixon, J. (1992). Land of Hope. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books.

This small novel by Joan Lowery Dixon is a tale of immigration in the early twentieth century. The story tells of three girls from Russia, Sweden, and Ireland as they make the journey to New York. Upon arrival, they discover that America is not all that it seems. The heroine of the story, Rebekah, is a girl full of hope and dreams, determined to get an education and go to Columbia University.

12.Hughes, V. (2002). Aziz the Storyteller. New York: Crocodile Books.

This children’s hardcover book deals with storytelling and the importance of storytelling. The protagonist is a young Arabic boy named Aziz. The boy loves to listen and tell stories instead of doing work to provide for his family. Aziz must overcome the disagreement of his father and accept his storytelling as a means of supporting himself and his family. The magic of storytelling and its worldwide importance is impressed upon the reader.

13.Howard, E. F. (1995). Papa tells China a Story. New York: Simon & Schuster Books.

This is a children’s hardcover book about the Spanish-American war. The story tells of a little girl listening to her father tell the story of a mission that he embarked on when he was a soldier. The father exaggerates some of the tale and adds whimsical and adventurous elements to the story for her amusement. This story contains Spanish words and ideas—good for Latino students.

14.Miller, W. (2000). Tituba. San Diego: Gulliver Books Harcourt Inc.

The tale of Tituba is of the African slave who was accused of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials. This story goes over the history of the witch hunt and the life that Tituba had before the trials. It is also a story about hope and perseverance in a time of great distress. This book would be good supplemental reading for a history class, or for any young readers interested in historical stories.

15.Bulosan, C. (1943, 1973). America is in the Heart

This book by is a good resource for researching the history of Asians coming to America in search of the "American dream." It is the autobiography of Filipino poet Carlos Bulosan on his childhood in the Philippines and his voyage to America. It is a book recommended for a classroom library of young adults in grades 9th to 12th.

16.Davis, J. A. (1991). African American History for Young Readers

This book can be used as a supplement to classroom textbooks that do not cover African American History successfully. There are critical thinking discussion questions and activities at the end of each chapter. This book would be an excellent resource for cultural or ethnic research for young students in various Social Studies classes.

17.Gates, H. L. & West, C. (2000). The African-American Century; How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country

This book covers the beginning of the 20th century to the end of it in 1999. It starts with W.E.B. Du Bois and ends with Tiger Woods. The focus is on Black Americans who impacted the USA from musicians like Scott Joplin the "king of Ragtime" to revolutionaries like Black Panther Angela Davis. Best usage would be as a supplement to research on an individual in this book or as part of a classroom library.

18.McKissack, F. a. (1996). Rebels Against Slavery; American Slave Revolts

This is an excellent supplement for classroom textbooks that do not cover the slaves' discourse on their struggle against slavery in the Americas. The McKissacks have written a book that grade school and high school students can learn from. This book also covers the day to day resistance to being slaves. This is also an excellent resource for a classroom library.

19.Myers, W. D. (1999). At Her Majesty's Request; An African Princess in Victorian England

This book covers the true story of an African Princess named Sarah Forbes Bonetta who was brought to England by a British naval officer and while there she became the protegee of Queen Victoria of England. It is a series of letters concerning Sarah that were written by several people including some written by Sarah and Queen Victoria. This book would be a good book for a classroom library.

20.Ostergren, R. C. & Rice, J. G. (2004). The Europeans; A Geography of People, Culture, and Environment

This book would be a good resource or supplement for a classroom textbook that doesn't completely address the culture of the European people. Part II of this book covers the culture and identity of the European people. Besides being a good book to have in a classroom library, those students who have ancestors that are traced back to Europe would appreciate and learn from this historical book.

21.Shirley, D. (1994). Alex Haley; Author

This book covers the life of Alex Haley on a small scale. It was written as a book for young and mature students and maybe some adults. Mostly the book is about his strides in producing Roots and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Good book for a classroom library and helpful in a book report a student may have to do on Alex Haley .

22.... y no se 10 trago la tierra; ... And the Earth Did Not Devour Him

This book is on the life and times of a fictional boy who recalls the difficulty in the Mexican-American migrant workers life of the 40s and 50s in America. The book is rooted in reality because of the research of the author, Tomas Rivera. This book carries both the Spanish and English translations which make it a perfect book for a BBL or ESL classroom library.

Magazines

1.American Educator, “Get Real: Here's the Boost that Poor Children, Their Teachers, and Their Schools Really Need”

Antonia Cortese discusses some strategies to use to help children who are academically behind excel to the same achievement levels as their peers. She says educators need to focus on teaching quality. Educators also need to support a culture of respectful student behavior. Antonia believes that early diagnosis and immediate intervention of reading problems will help children achieve higher academic levels. She supports a knowledge-rich core curriculum as an essential part of academic achievement. Additional supports of staff, time, and resources benefit the “neediest” of students.


2.American Teacher, “Improving education means working outside the schools, too”

Edward McElroy compares student success in schools to the branches of a tree-all the branches need tending. He says we need to build strong coalitions of organizations to support the public education system. Educators also need to examine out of school factors that contribute to the educational issues of a school. McElroy believes changing schools and universities is the start to changing the society. He also says that better professional development and compensation are essential to effective teaching. We need to support good public policies inside and outside the school.

3.National Geographic: Magazine. Special issue: Africa; Whatever You Thought, Think Again

For the month of September 2005, the National Geographic Magazine issued this special issue on Africa. It is a sweeping report on Africa's cultural, economic and health issues. This magazine is a great resource for classrooms already, but this special issue on Africa would be an excellent supplement to World History classroom texts that briefly mention Africa. It would also be a good addition to classroom libraries.



Videos

1.A&E, “The Biography Project for Schools Project Overview”

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) helps teachers and students explore the lives of extraordinary Americans. The biographies of these people, who have made a difference in America, are portrayed in a way that helps teachers link them to different subject areas of art, science, math, history, language arts, and media literacy. The NBPTS demonstrates for teachers how to incorporate the biographies into their lesson plans. It’s easy to use, informative, and entertaining for the whole class. Teachers can adapt the format given in the video to fit their unique teaching style.

2.Johnson Institute, “Growing Up Black and Proud: The Role of Racial Identity in Drug Abuse Prevention”

The Johnson Institute describes why racial identity is important among African-American teenagers. Peter Bell is the speaker in the video. He conducts training workshops on developing skills for multicultural competence. He presents cultural concepts of effective drug prevention efforts that target Black teenagers. He examines concepts of color consciousness, Black authenticity, cultural ignorance, and racism. This video is recommended for educators and professionals that implement drug abuse prevention programs targeting African-American teenagers.



Lesson Plans

1. English as a Second Language: Lesson plans and Teaching ideas
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/esl.html
-It includes Activities for ESL Students
The Adult Literacy Resource Institute Web Site
American Accent Training
Auto-English
Better English: English Exercises
Boggle’s World ESL
Breaking News English
The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
Center for Adult English Language Acquisition
Color Coded Parts of Speech
Easy English On Line
EFL Reading
English, Baby!
English Daily
English Exercises Online
English Firsthand Café
English Language Listening Lab Online
English Maze
English Online
English Teaching Program
English-Zone
EnglishPage.com

2. Women in Science
http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/99-1/lesson0011.shtml
Subject: Science, History of Science
Grade: 9-12
Description: This lesson features a study of various women (past and present) and the ways in which these women have overcome the obstacles presented to them because of their sex or ethnicity.

3. Let’s Get Along
http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/07-1/lesson014.shtml
Subject: Art and Humanities, Social Studies
Grade: 3-5/6-8
Description: A book by Eve Bunting teaches valuable lessons about getting along with people we don’t know.

4. Yours and My Trail of Tears
http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/06-1/lesson024.shtml
The trail of Tears
http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html
The Neverending Trail
http://ngeorigia.com/poetry/theneverendingtrial.html

The Indian Removal Act of 1830
http://www.civics-online/library/formatted/texts/indian_act.html
Subject: History
Grade: 6-8/9-12
Description: This lesson brings to life the story of the Trail of Tears and the Cherokee Nation in the 1830s.

5. Edutainment-“How to teach English with fun and games”
http://www.eslgames.com/edutainment/
It includes 18 proven English teaching games and successful techniques and cariations for ALL levels, plus much more! (best for students 12-112 years)

6. ESL Lesson Plans and Resources
http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/eslplans.html


Multicultural Websites

1. Center for Multilingual Multicultural Research
http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~cmmr/BEResources.html
It includes rich bilingual/ESL/ Multicultural Education Resources.

2. Especially Espanol
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/espanol/
It includes a variety of good Spanish language resources.

3. Bilingual Family Web Page
http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/biling-fam.html
It includes Definition
Myths about Bilingualism
Politics of Bilingualism
Practical Help
Special Problems of Bilingual Families
Resources
Our Story: The Haug/Kandolf Family
Future Plans For This Web Page
Member’s Pages
Frequently Used Terms

References

Bulosan, C. (1943, 1973). America is in The Heart. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Cortese, A (2007, Spring). Get Real: Here's the Boost that Poor Children, Their Teachers, and Their Schools Really Need. American Educator, Spring 2007, 4-9.

Davis, J. A. (1991). African American History for Young Readers; A Chronological Account.
Yellow Springs: Epps-Alford .
Dixon, J. (1992). Land of Hope. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books.
Gates, H. L., & West, C. (2000). The African-American Century; How Black Americans Have
Shaped Our Country. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hopkinson, D. (1993) Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt. Pantings by James Ransome. New
York: Scholastic Inc.

Howard, E. F. (1995). Papa tells Chita a Story. New York: Simon & Schuster Books.
Hughes, V. (2002). Aziz the Storyteller. New York: Crocodile Books.
Kates, B. J. (1992) We’re different, We’re the same. Illustrated by Joe Mathieu. New York:
Random House.

Kindersley, B. (1997) Children Just Like Me: Celebrations. New York: DK Publishing.

Lipsyte, R. (1967) The Contender. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Marshall, D. (1996) Guide to Kenya. Columbus, Ohio: Highlights for Children, Inc.

McElroy, E.J. (2007, March/April). Improving education means working outside the schools,
too. American Teacher, [91(6)], 2.

McKissack, F. a. (1996). Rebels Against Slavery; American Slave Revolts. New York: Scholastic
Press.

Miller, W. (2000). Tituba. San Diego: Gulliver Books Harcourt Inc.

Myers, W. D. (1999). At Her Majesty's Request; An Anfrican Princess in Victorian England.
New York: Scholastic Inc.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (1999). The Biography Project for Schools Project Overview [VHS]. (Available from A&E Television Networks).


Neito, S. (2004). Affirming Diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education.
New York: Peearson Education.

Ostergren, R. C., & Rice, J. G. (2004). The Europeans; A Geography of People, Culture, and
Environment. New York: The Guilford Press.

QVS, Inc.. (1993). Growing Up Black and Proud: The Role of Racial Identity in Drug Abuse
Prevention [VHS]. (Available from Johnson Institute, 7205 Ohms Lane, Minneapolis,
MN 55439-2159).

Rattigan, J. K. (1993) Dumpling soup. Illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders. Boston: Little, Brown
and Company.

Shirley, D. (1994). Alex Haley, Author. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.

The National Geopgraphic Society. (2005, September). Africa; Whatever You Thought, Think
Again. National Geographic Magazine . Washington, D.C., United States of America/North America: National Geopgraphic Society.

Wilson, A. (1990) The Piano Lesson. New York: the Penguin Group.

Yip, M. (2004) Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories. Illustrated by Minggmei Yip. North
American: Tuttle Publishing.