Unit planning to provide diverse perspectives through literature

Incorporating diverse literature in classrooms is an avenue for providing students with “window and mirrors” (Bishop, 1990) where they can either see a reflection of themselves in the characters or get a glimpse of the experiences of others. When teachers plan activities around literature with diverse characters, they can provide authentic opportunities for students to gain meaning about the world we live in. Below is an explanation of how two pre-service teachers and a university professor worked together to plan units around diverse young adult literature.