Students Learn About Culture and Diversity
This unit is literacy based, integrating culture and diversity. A center-based, hands-on approach is used to facilitate instruction and differentiation, while promoting tolerance, diversity, and acceptance. Children move from center to center in heterogonous groups. A class library is also available for self-selected reading of fiction and nonfiction texts that focus on diversity, culture, self-perspective, and awareness of similarities and differences.
Young learners are exposed to multiple delivery methods that reinforce movement, song, inquiry, exploration, and self-validation. The materials presented in this unit support gender, family structure, and cultural equality. The activities implemented throughout this unit encourage students to make connections, broadening their perspective of themselves, their families, and the people and world around them.
This unit integrates literacy, Indiana state standards, and an overarching respect for cultural differences, ethnic backgrounds, and family composure. This unit was constructed to increase student awareness, acceptance, and mindfulness of the world they inhabit.
The fictional texts being used for this unit were chosen based on cultural diversity geared toward students’ interests. The texts contain a wide array of gender, ethnicity, and cultural characteristics. Multiple genres are also represented in this unit. Nonfictional texts were selected for age appropriate explanations and understanding of how people thrive and how people are alike and different in all parts of the world. Poetry was also chosen to express emotion, individuality, and an ethnic appreciation of varied topics.
Students will participate in a whole class read aloud each day during this unit. Students will also have multiple, daily opportunities and access to self-selected fiction and nonfiction literature that enhances and/or reinforces all concepts presenting in this unit.
The classroom library focuses on each overall weekly concept. Teachers will encourage partner reading, picture walks, listening/speaking and communication skills.
Challenges or Obstacles:
- Time
- Materials
- Resources
Benefits and Successes:
- Students will learn the meaning of self appreciation and self value.
- Students will explore the concepts of self, perspective, uniqueness, and identity.
- Students will learn the definition of diversity and tolerance when comparing themselves to peers.
- An introduction of physical and emotional differences are presented through discussion, partner activities, literature, poems, and glyphs.
- Students will experience intergenerational activities and literature-based discussions.
- Students will learn that countries and cultures are diverse and affect morals, beliefs, appearance, and food.
- Students will create a timeline of themselves, a simple family tree, Grandparents will be included in discussion and lessons about present/past and how past generations influence and pass on traditions to younger/present generations.
- Games, cooking, artifacts, and literature will heighten students’ acceptance of countries/cultures around the world.
- Students will find and locate countries on a world map, chart endearments given by family members.
- Students will also integrate sign language and Spanish.
Submitted by: Renee Huffman and Amber Marcum, Burris Laboratory School