Recognizing and Appreciating Diversity

In our Classroom and Around the World

Miss Jonsson’s 2^nd Grade Class

Subject:  Social Studies – Cultural Awareness

Concepts to teach:

·        Diversity is what makes our world, and specifically our classroom, interesting and special.

·        Diversity should be celebrated and respected.

General Goal(s): To help students to appreciate and respect differences among themselves and citizens of the world.

Objectives:

• Identify ways in which classmates are similar and different
• Define, and understand the value of, diversity
• Discuss the people/experiences that help to shape our personalities and interests
• Recognize that everyone has different family stories and share their own with class
• Identify different characteristics of other cultures around the world

·        Understand the importance of diversity by researching different cultures and present their findings to the class as a graded presentation

Required Materials:

5x5 white paper

Colored pencils

“Our Class Picture”(Tree outline)

Scotch Tape

PowerPoint presentation

Computer projector

David’s Drawings by Cathryn Falwell

7 Large sheets (3x5ft) of paper

Mobile computer lab

Matching Quiz Handouts

Rubrics for grading presentation

Family Heritage handout

Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):

Give students 3 pieces of 5x5” white paper.  Distribute color pencils and have students draw one thing/person that is very important to them on each piece of paper.  When students have finished, they will partner up and will share one another’s important things with the class.

Step-By-Step Procedures:

1.   Complete the anticipatory set and then read the story, “David’s Drawings” by Cathryn Falwell.  

2.   Lead discussion about why students in our class drew the items they did, as well as the children in the book. What about these things are symbolic of our individual personalities; have students bring up, one-by-one, one of their items to tape on “Our Class Drawing” of the tree.  Ask students if they can define diversity – if not, define it for them. Discuss that what makes us different from one another is what makes us special and one of a kind. Would every classroom in our school have the same drawings? What about all over our country or around the world?  Ask students about their home/family life and how that affects what they are interested in.  Discuss how everyone has different backgrounds and ancestors that came from all over the world.

3.      Show students a introductory PowerPoint presentation about 7 different countries around the world (Japan, Iceland, Greece, Egypt, Mexico, Russia, and Australia).  Divide them into 7 groups of 4 and assign them a country from the slideshow. 

4.      Allow students 45 minutes to use classroom mobile lab to research the country they selected within their group and then create a short (approximately 3-minute) presentation to the class by completing a “tree drawing” representing their country’s culture.  Give students a rubric for grading their presentation.

5.      After students present, students will complete a short matching/multiple choice quiz regarding the PowerPoint presentation and diversity.

Plan for Independent Practice:

Students will take home a family heritage handout to fill out with their family to understand their background and recognize diversity in their own home.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):

Ask students to a) tell the class, b) draw a picture or c) write a short paragraph describing what diversity means to them.  

Assessment based on Objectives:

Students will be assessed based on their participation in the group presentation, as well as, with a short quiz based on the PowerPoint.

Adaptations & Extensions:

Students with lower learning abilities will be given extra time on the quiz and allowed an adult to read the questions to them.  Students with higher learning abilities may work independently on a country not listed in the PowerPoint presentation if they choose to do so, and will be responsible for presenting information to the class.