Our country is a diverse place. It is like a soup made up of different ingredients. What do you think means?

Diversity means … Everyone is unique. Everyone is special. Everyone is different. It means many differences among people.

Our country is made up of people who come from different backgrounds. Even though we celebrate the same holidays we don’t do the same things. Even though we live in the same neighborhood we don’t do everything exactly alike.

Did you know that America is referred to as a “ melting pot? ” Why do you think people call America a melting pot?

Our country’s old motto was.. “ E Pluribus Unum ” It means “out of many, one” Why was this our motto? What does it mean to our country? Just as the U.S. has thirteen original colonies, E Pluribus Unum has thirteen letters in it. E Pluribus Unum still appears on U.S. coins even though it is no longer the official national motto! That honor was given to In God We Trust in 1956 by an Act of Congress (36 U.S.C. § 302.)

If you look closely at our seal

Look at this nickel.

Look at this quarter.

Out of many, one Our country is made up of many people from different countries. People with different backgrounds make up one country, our country.

By discovering how people immigrated to the United States, you can see how America is a country that has always embraced people from many different cultures.

Looking Forward… When you study the people who came to America, you will learn how newcomers adapted to the diversity of the physical environment too. As communities began to develop, people played a big part in shaping the landscape of the U.S.

Turn to your elbow partner and explain… What is diversity? What does E Pluribus Unum mean? How does that describe our country?