Journal Article

Fewer Dead White Guys: Creating a Multicultural AP English Curriculum

Cooper, Becky, Schultz, Kelly, Janecke, Nan

2022

Overview

Choosing Materials for this Course When undertaking the review of the previous curriculum, staff polled former students regarding their AP experience, reviewed articles and blogs that discussed diversity in reading content, observed how other local groups and libraries made their reading selections, and explored local foundations and organizations that promote opportunities for social justice engagement for young people. What would help them engage in the process of determining how they contribute toward building community? Because the AP exams reflect the \"Canon,\" which is slowly evolving, certain traditional authors and texts, such as More's Utopia, would be kept in the curriculum to keep students competitive. Attending workshops or doing individual research on diversity, inclusion, and representation in the classroom; shadowing experienced teachers; and participating in classes and workshops that enable instructors to explore how to teach more inclusive texts and work through their own implicit bias may help with these issues. Instructors need to beware of dividing their classroom. Because we appear to have such a widely polarized and increasingly hostile political climate, making time to create a safe space to discuss the work, including the fact that some students will experience discomfort, is key.

• Publisher: National Association for Gifted Children
• Subject: Academically Gifted / Adolescents / Curricula / Educational Facilities Improvement / Educational Quality / English Curriculum / Gifted / High School Students / Learner Engagement / Racial Differences / Reading / Student Participation / Students / Teaching Methods / Thinking Skills / Writing Ability / Young Adults