GLOBAL LEARNING Cross-Cultural Awareness Caroline Power

Impact on Students  It is important for students to be exposed to a variety of cultures. Cross Cultural Awareness allows them to understand the people around them.  Cross Cultural Awareness can have a significant impact on students when they begin to understand that they are part of a culture that might be different than others  It provides students a way to realize their backgrounds, beliefs, family traditions, emotional feelings and values

Impact on Students  Cross Cultural Awareness also has an impact on students when they begin to understand another culture’s…  Communication  Feelings/Emotions  Beliefs  Values  Perceptions

Impacts on Students  Cultural Awareness may be difficult for some students to grasp because culture is something that is done on an unconscious level  Experiences, values and cultural backgrounds have led students to see and do things in a certain way

Impact on Students  Cross Cultural Awareness will teach students…  People are not all the same  Similarities and differences in cultures are equally important  There are multiple ways to reach the same goal within different cultures  Cultural Awareness leads to global awareness

Challenges in the Classroom  Starts with students and teachers needing to interact with others from a different culture than their own. Problem?  Unwilling to understand a difference  Hateful/bullying to other cultures  Stubborn in their own beliefs  Stereotyping

Challenges with Teaching Cross-Cultural Awareness  Are the student accepting of learning about others?  How are you presenting the material?  Why is it relevant or important to the students?

Ideas to Face the Challenge  Make it relevant: have the students teach about their own culture and bring things that are meaningful  Have a celebration day: Instead of one holiday, let every student choose a holiday to bring to the party  Show students real world reasons why they need to know about other cultures and be accepting: have a guest speaker, bring in parents with real world experience

As the teacher…  Show you care about all the cultures  Share your own culture  Bring in a friend that is different than you  Lead by example

Integrating Cross-Cultural Awareness  Cultural awareness is something that teachers can add into curriculum or lessons quite easily  It is most beneficial if the teacher of the second language is a native of the land of which language is being taught and therefore can directly relate to the culture  Different cultures seem to interest students and having guest speakers come in or even students that can give hands on experience of the culture is a great way to incorporate and teach using real-life examples

Lesson Plan 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.

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!

References  wareness.htm wareness.htm  /cultural-awareness.pdf /cultural-awareness.pdf