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This article examines how teachers can develop a sense of social activism in students through critical multiculturalism. Drawing upon data from a nine-month participant observation study of a first-grade public charter school classroom in central California, this article highlights how teachers can integrate critical multiculturalism within an elementary classroom by connecting artists' lives to social issues to raise awareness of social injustices, promote critical reflection and consciousness, and develop a sense of social activism. Particular attention is paid to how teachers can incorporate this curriculum into their own classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This ethnographic study examines how one first grade teacher uses an alternative, artist-focused curriculum to develop a critical consciousness in her students to work toward social change. A framework incorporating critical multicultural education and Lewin's theory of small groups is applied to assess how the use of a multicultural curriculum facilitates critical consciousness where students develop a sense of community, agency, and commitment to social action. Student interviews and an interview with the classroom teacher also illustrate how this teacher integrates a critical perspective into her classroom, resulting in discussions of power, privilege, and students becoming agents of social change within their community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]