Perspectives for a Diverse America is a literacy-based, anti-bias, social justice curriculum that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts and Literacy—and to the Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework. Use these on-demand webinars and other related resources (blogs, magazine features, and professional development resources) to learn more about incorporating this FREE web-based curriculum into your instruction.
Professional Development Webinars
Perspectives for a Diverse America offers countless opportunities to differentiate your instruction via individualized learning plans. In this webinar, Teaching Tolerance staff demonstrates how to choose from over 100 instructional strategies and student assessments and 300 rigorous relevant texts. You’ll also learn how to engage students in authentic literacy experiences and meet the demands of the Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy. Plan one lesson or integrate it throughout your scope and sequence.
The transcription of this webinar can be found here.
You will need to register to access the on-demand webinar.
Complex and Diverse Texts for the Common Core and More
In this webinar, Teaching Tolerance partnered with the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) to discuss the relevant and rigorous readings found in Perspectives for a Diverse America. (There are hundreds to choose from!) See how the texts in Perspectives meet the demands of Common Core text complexity and offer diverse voices that educators can leverage to reach every student.
The Anti-Bias Framework in Perspectives
Curious about the Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework (ABF)? The ABF features 20 anchor standards across four domains: identity, diversity, justice and action. Join us as we outline the grade-level outcomes and demonstrate how to use the anti-bias standards alongside your grade-level and content standards. Learn how to make rigor relevant for your students in this on-demand webinar.
You will need to register to access the on-demand webinar.
For even more Teaching Tolerance webinars about Perspectives for a Diverse America, check out our full list of on-demand events!
Publications
Perspectives follows a "backwards design" approach that begins with the anti-bias anchor standards and grade-level outcomes from the Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework. These modules explain the Framework in depth.
You can replicate the process we used to level the texts in Perspectives with our tool Reading Diversity (formely titled Appendix D). Reading Diversity offers two editable PDFs—a one-page edition and an extended edition—that walks you through not only quantitative and qualitative leveling considerations of the Common Core but also diversity and representation, as well as reader and task.
Blogs
How Does the Anti-bias Framework Fit into Perspectives?
Teaching Tolerance’s Anti-bias Framework is a groundbreaking set of anchor standards and grade-level outcomes divided into four domains: Identity, Diversity, Justice and Action. The framework is a crucial cornerstone of Perspectives—and educators can draw from it as they develop essential questions.
How Do Central Texts Fit into Perspectives?
There are hundreds of multi-genre, multi-media short texts available in Perspectives. Learn more about how they provide “windows” and “mirrors”— to quote pioneering anti-bias educator Emily Style—for students.
How Do Integrated Learning Plans Fit into Perspectives?
Find out how you can build and use a comprehensive, customizable, multi-day plan for instruction and assessment. It allows teachers to engage tasks and strategies that build critical literacy—and meet the requirements of the Common Core.
We carefully selected each and every text in Perspectives for a Diverse America. Here’s how.
What’s Your Favorite Perspectives Reading?
Check out some our staff’s favorite texts in the curriculum—and let us know which one is your favorite.
Perspectives: We Did Our Homework!
Educators frequently ask us if Perspectives has been evaluated. The answer is yes! Find out what we learned during our pilot study.
You can use the resources in Perspectives a la carte or build an full learning plan. In contrast to a lesson plan, this learning plan is a comprehensive, customizable, multi-day plan for instruction and assessment.
Teach the News With Perspectives
Perspectives brings rigor and relevance to U.S. classrooms. And similar to your classroom, it’s dynamic. For example, just days after President Obama delivered a widely acclaimed speech in Selma, Alabama, on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we added the transcript to the anthology.
Celebrate LGBT Pride Month With Perspectives
LGBT-inclusive curricula can make schools safer, more welcoming places to learn. Here are a few of our favorite LGBT-themed Perspectives texts.
Perspectives on Women’s Equality Day
Teaching Tolerance staff highlight the importance of texts in Perspectives that address women’s suffrage, activism and gender equality.
Five Things to Know About Perspectives
An external evaluator of Perspectives shares five key findings from her two reports about the curriculum and how teachers are using it.
Magazine Features
Perspectives for a Diverse America
You might be curious to know more about how Perspectives seamlessly marries multicultural content with the rigor of the Common Core State Standards. Then you’re at the right place; read on.
Teaching Tolerance launched Perspectives in the fall of 2014. It was an exciting time; one teacher told us, “Perspectives will be an invaluable resource for teachers committed to keeping equity and social justice at the forefront of the curriculum.”
Identity. Diversity. Justice. Action.
Before there was Perspectives, there was the Anti-bias Framework. Learn how this set of standards provides the foundation for the curriculum.
Perspectives turned one year old on September 9, 2015. Learn how the curriculum has grown and why it’s become a go-to resource for many educators.