Creating Text Sets to Support Culturally Relevant Instruction

Text sets are intentionally grouped collections of texts and media resources focused on a specific topic, and are a research-based way to grow vocabulary and knowledge for all students. This collection of text sets intentionally elevates culturally relevant content and pedagogy. You might use a culturally relevant text set to fill a gap in relevance, perspectives or representation in your instructional materials, center student interests, or enhance an existing unit. 

Each culturally relevant text set: 

• Centers on a single topic (e.g., women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott; the sun, moon, and stars) 
• Is designed to elevate connections to counternarratives, current events, student identities/languages, multiple perspectives and/or social justice 
• Contain a variety of open source resources (i.e., articles, videos, websites, art, music) at a variety of complexity levels 
• Purposely orders resources to support students in building vocabulary and knowledge through a volume of reading

In this resource, we wanted to amplify ways to focus on building knowledge and vocabulary through text sets that center culturally relevant pedagogy and students, particularly students who are often marginalized by schools. We focused on the question: How might we design text sets that elevate connections to counternarratives, current events, student identities/languages, multiple perspectives and/or social justice?

 Our deepest appreciation to our educator co-designers for their collaboration, guidance, and brilliance: Ifetayo Abdus-Salam,  Crystal Graham, Tanya Hill, Tawana Jordan, Tempest NeuCollins and Islah Tauheed. 

We hope to expand on this set of prototypes and  welcome your feedback on any of these resources by using the “Send Feedback” button at the bottom left hand side of the page.

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