Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

Most of the strategies for culturally responsive teaching are aimed at the deepest level of culture. How does Hammond’s discussion of pedagogy illustrate this principle? What are some of the reasons that this might make culturally responsive teaching more effective than pedagogies that ask teachers to focus on the appreciation of cultural artifacts or explicit teaching about race and social justice?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt is well-suited to discussion, but if you choose to have students respond in writing, you might allow time for a follow-up discussion of the second question, as its many possible answers will make for a rich conversation. When you introduce the prompt to students, you might point out that the second question does not explicitly refer to Hammond’s book: This wording is meant to encourage students to generate ideas from their own experience and knowledge, although they certainly can include examples from Hammond’s work.

Differentiation Suggestion: Answering this prompt effectively requires students to closely review Hammond’s Chapter 2 explanation of the levels of culture and then to more loosely review the entire text as they consider how it emphasizes deep culture. Students who struggle with reading fluency or attention may benefit from conducting these reviews with a partner or small group.