Teaching the Topic of Cultural Awareness

Lesson Plan 1 Grade: 2 Topic: Language Arts/ Social Studies Materials Students: One piece of 6 x 6” construction paper per student (pick from two colors) Crayons for each student Construction paper (scraps) Glue Teacher: “The Patchwork Quilt” by Valerie Flournoy Art example in paper square Tape Yarn Hole punch

Procedures:.Have the students interview a family member (mom/dad, grandma/grandpa) and see where their families originated from (what country?)..Discussion: Talk about families and where many families’ originated. Discuss how families may be alike and different. Show on a map where the students’ families originated..Introduce story, The Patchwork Quilt. Find out what the children know about quilts; share knowledge and experience about quilts and quilt making..Read the story allowing the children to make inferences at different points in the story..Review the story together; discuss the meaning of the quilt and why Tanya started to help in making the quilt. Ask why the quilt was so important to Grandma and later on to the rest of the family. Ask what her mother learned as the story progressed, etc. Tell special things about your family (1minute or so with a classmate and then each partner tells his/her partner’s special thought to the class in large group)..ACTIVITY: Explain to the children that they are each going to make a "quilt square" of his/ her own families’ ancestry. They will also write a sentence or phrase at the bottom of their pictures that tells something special about their family..Show models of different ways they can use the art materials to make their pictures. Then have small groups go to pick up the materials they would like to use..After completing each square, connect these squares by taping all of the sides together..Display these squares and have each child share about his/her picture. Observe the likenesses and diversity of families (i.e. size, gender, cultural or ethnic background; etc). Discuss how the uniqueness of each family is special and important..Display quilt in the class or school hallway.

Adaptation: Assist the children as needed in sharing, listening, and in creating the family picture. If necessary, ask the parents of the child with special needs to provide family information for the family picture (i.e. # of boys and girls, favorite family hobbies or activities, etc). Encourage everyone to participate during the sharing time, but allow the students to “pass” if they don’t wish to share. Provide extra help and support to students who are English-language learners and for those with any special learning needs. I think that I will use the story/text retelling to help the ELL learners that I have in my classroom. I would pair up the ELL learner with a native English speaker and have them use the book and go over the main points of the story. This will enable the ELL student to get one on one help and be able to go through the book at his or her own pace. Assessment: Review the students’ quilt patches they created. Listen as the students explain their quilt patches and why they drew their pictures and make sure that they have the understanding that families are different and each individual in a family is different. Observe the students and see how they respond to their peers’ comments.

Lesson Plan 2 Grades: 4-5 Topic: Social Studies Materials: Journals Interview sheet Pencils Informational sheets on different cultures and regions inside and outside the U.S. Paper/Poster Board Computer with internet access Concept Vocabulary: Cultures Ethnicity Customs Traditions Stereotypes

Procedures: Following a class discussion on cultural diversity and awareness and some of the many different cultures that exist within the United States and other countries, the class will be organized into 4 groups with 4-6 students in each that will include a combination of ethnic backgrounds, genders, academic, and learning abilities. Each group will have at least one student that is learning challenged/disabled. Students should be aware that they will be with the same group until the end of the lesson which could be at least 3-4 days. Each student will be presented with an interview questionnaire to help guide the interview. Each group will discuss family traditions relating to holidays, religious customs, foods, household chores, and other interesting facts. Within their assigned groups, students will interview each other, compare information, and create a poster/brochure of their findings.

Accommodations/Adaptations: To ensure that all students are able to effectively participate in the lesson, reasonable accommodations can be made for those who may need additional assistance whether they are physically or academically challenged. Those with a mild learning disability such as autism and speech impairment will be allowed to use a special word prediction software program and an AAC device to aid in speech communication. Those who are hearing impaired will be equipped with an assistive listening device to enhance their hearing and visually impaired students will be using the descriptive video services (DVS). Any student academically challenged can be allowed additional time to complete the assignment and be assigned a peer teacher to work with them.

Books to integrate into Cultural Awareness Lessons: Summaries taken from The Color of Us, By: Karen Katz A positive and affirming look at skin color, from an artist’s perspective. Seven-year-old Lena is going to paint a picture of herself. She wants to use brown paint for her skin. But when she and her mother take a walk through the neighborhood, Lena learns that brown comes in many different shades. Through the eyes of a little girl who begins to see her familiar world in a new way, th is book celebrates the differences and similarities that connect all people.

We’re Different, We’re the Same Illustrated in full color. The colorful characters from Sesame Street teach young children about racial harmony. Muppets, monsters, and humans compare noses, hair, and skin and realize how different we all are. But as they look further, they also discover how much we are alike.

Whoever You Are, By: Mem Fox “Little one, / whoever you are, / wherever you are, / there are little ones / just like you / all over the world.” So begins the Australian author Mem Fox’s joyful picture book Whoever You Are, a celebration of the world’s diverse cultures, both our similarities and differences. Leslie Straub’s innovative, colorful, folk art–style oil paintings of children from all corners of the globe are bordered with photographs of hand-carved, bejeweled frames—and they all reflect Fox’s message that no matter where we come from, within our hearts “Joys are the same, / and love is the same. / Pain is the same, / and blood is the same.” A gem!

All Families Are Special, By: Norma Simon When Mrs. Mack says she will soon be a grandmother, her students realize that teachers have families just like they do! Suddenly everyone in the class wants to share information about his or her own unique family.