Introduction As the number of culturally diverse students served in classrooms across the United States increases, there is a need for multicultural social studies education. This article will define and explain the meaning and purpose of multicultural social studies education. This article will also analyze the implications of the multicultural perspective for social studies teaching in relation to the following issues: (a) Inclusivity of perspectives in the content; (b) Educational materials; (c) Activities; (d) teachers' beliefs and actions; and (e) The role of students. Additionally, this article will describe what teaching multicultural social studies should look like in the classroom and the advantages and disadvantages of teaching multicultural social studies. Finally, this article will offer suggestions on how educators can adapt their teaching strategies to make lessons more culturally relevant. Meaning and Purpose of Multicultural Social Studies Education Multicultural education as defined by Banks and Banks, 1995 as a field of study and an emerging discipline whose primary purpose is to create equal educational opportunities for students from different ethnic groups , racial, cultural and social class. The goal of multicultural education, explained by Banks, is to provide an education for freedom in order to help all students acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to function effectively in a pluralistic and free society and so that students learn to cooperate and collaborate. , participation and communicating with people from different groups in order to create a civic and moral community that works for the common good (Central-North Regional Educational Laboratory...... half of the document ......ents multicultural education in the classroom teacher can not only reduce prejudice, but can also empower their students. Finally we can see that by applying the strategies and activities in this document teachers will be able to meet the needs of ALL students in a classroom. social studies. Works Cited Hanley, Mary S., (1999). The Scope of Multicultural Education, retrieved August 7, 2011, from http://education.jhu.edu/newhorizons/strategies/topics/multicultural-education/the-scope. -of-multicultural-. education/index.htmlNorth Central Regional Education Laboratory.(nd). Multicultural Education. /pe3lk1.htmSunal, C.S., & Haas, Mary E., (2011), Social Studies for the Elementary and Middle Grades: A Constructivist Approach (4th ed) Boston, MA: Pearson Education INC