Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 Diversity and Global Education in the Classroom Throughout CI 448

I have learned a great deal about things I wish to include in my teaching of Social Studies in the future. One of the most important things that I have determined I need to teach is multicultural education and diversity education. These thoughts have developed from course readings and discussions but also from my Inquiry 1 project where I discovered the students at White Heath Elementary School, my field placement, had very little understanding of diversity. This lack of diversity education greatly impacts their lives since we are now living in a global community. While the towns of Monticello and White Heath may not be very diverse these students still need to know about diversity since they will one day be working in a global environment. This focus on diversity has guided many of my Inquiries this semester and is something that I hope to continue to work with throughout my teaching career to ensure that all students are diverse. During my Inquiry 1 project Nikki and I came to realize that there is very little diversity in Monticello schools. This has some benefits for the students; however, we discovered that there are also many downfalls to students not experiencing diversity throughout their time in elementary school. One of these downfalls is the lack of understanding of a global community. We read many pieces in class that discussed creating a global community for students such as The Difference a Global Educator Can Make by Merry M. Merryfield. This article explained the many benefits of exposing children to a global education and the difference a global educator can make in the lives of their students. One of the things that I found most relevant to what I would like to do

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 with my teaching is to address stereotypes and exoticism. My students all had very exotic views of different cultures probably from the few sources they were receiving this information. Merryfield suggests that these stereotypes and views be confronted head on. This allows students to relate to cultures different than their own and stop these stereotypes in their community. Another subject that we discussed in class that led to my strong desire to teach diversity to all children is that there are always multiple perspectives to topics. Every person can have a different understanding of topics and these become even broader in a diverse area. My students seemed to have a very limited understanding of multiple perspectives because their families were similar. It is important to teach that just because someone believes something different or has a different opinion on a topic it does not mean they are wrong. I would like all of my students to know that they can learn from different perspectives and that they should seek them out in order to have a broader understanding of the world. I hope that through teaching diversity I will be able to foster a view of tolerance for all people. This includes people of different cultures, races, or lifestyles. This is important so that there is tolerance and social justice action within the world, which I believe is an important part of teaching. Another reading that I found influential in my desire and determination to teach diversity was Restructuring the Way Students Learn about the World: Global Education in American Schools by Merryfield. The article has a large amount of information on why it is necessary for students to learn about diversity in order to function in the global society. It also addresses the fact that the world will continue in this fashion as our

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 students grow into adults. Some of the reasons that are given in the article are relevant for all students. This includes the knowledge that our students will be the ones controlling our water, oil, and other resources someday and these are already global areas of concern. Some of the information that I found most helpful in justifying my decision to teach diversity come from the rebuttal to arguments against teaching in a global format. This was important to me because I know that many school districts will face criticism of their desire to teach diversity at first which Nikki and I discussed when completing our Inquiry 1 project. My goal to teach with a focus on diversity and global education will greatly help students to develop their position within the world when they become adults. I believe that teaching diversity and global education is a part of our goal as educators to prepare children for the world they will be living in. My unit plan focuses on making global education and diversity a relevant subject for young students. This is important because for many students global education and diversity are not things that they think they are faced with everyday. However, I believe that there are multiple ways that students can find global education and diversity in their own lives even if it is not as large as they believe it must be. This will be introduced by way of learning about diversity in the community in which students live as well as learning about diversity in a different country by way of a pen pal program that I will implement and utilize all year. I hope that my lessons will involve a better understanding of diversity and global issues beyond that of holidays and food as many diversity education programs seem to focus on. I hope to

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 expose children to a real knowledge of what it means to have diversity and function in a global community.

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 1. This will be the first lesson in the sequence. It will occur near the beginning of the year. Grade level: Third Grade Enduring Understanding: The world is comprised of many diverse people Essential Questions: Why is knowing about diversity important? Why is diversity something that we should value? Prerequisite Knowledge: Students need a basic understanding of what diversity is. Materials: A copy of If the World Were a Village by David J. Smith Description of lesson: This lesson will involve discussion of the book. We will begin with a KWL chart on what students know about the different people in the world. This book showcases the way that the world would look if it were comprised of 100 people. There is a section on many different diverse characteristics such as ethnicity, language, age, and economic status. I will then read the book. I will then ask questions to prompt students to understand that their world is a very diverse place to live in. We will talk about the benefits of living in a diverse world. We will then fill out the last section of our KWL chart as well as talk about things that we still want to know. CF-I and Theory 3 Assessment: There will be no formal assessment of this lesson since it is a beginning lesson. SIOP: Students may discuss in L1 or have the book in an alternate language if necessary. 2. This will be the second lesson in the sequence. It will begin in early September and continue throughout the rest of the school year. Grade level: Third Grade Enduring Understanding: There are many uses for communicating with the global community. Essential Questions: What can you learn from people around the world? Why is important that we communicate with people who

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 are different than us? Prerequisite Knowledge: Students will need to be able to compose letters/emails. Materials: If possible I would like to do this assignment on the computer using ePals which is an electronic pen pal system. I will use a computer lab for this process. If computers are not available I will use a traditional pen pal approach with handwritten letters. Description of lesson: This will be a full year lesson. At the beginning of the year students will be assigned a pen pal either through email or traditional mail that they will spend the year communicating with. Students will be given time at school to write their letters or emails. During the year we will discuss many aspects of diversity and global knowledge such as economics, beliefs, and traditions. Students will be required to use some of this information in their letters. Students will keep their correspondence to help teach the class about many different cultures. CF-I Assessment: Students will create a presentation about their correspondence. They will discuss many of the things they learned through questioning. They will also talk about what they learned regarding diversity and global communication. SIOP: I will find partners for ELL students who also speak the L1. This will allow them easier communication. 3. This will be the third lesson in the sequence. It will be taught around November. Grade level: Third Grade Enduring Understanding: Diversity is all around us. Essential Questions: How is our nation a diverse place? How are the people in our nation we know contributing to a global community? Prerequisite Knowledge: Students will need to know about the ways in which people can be diverse. They will also need to have an understanding of how people contribute to a global community through jobs etc.

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 Materials: Students will need resources to find information on the diversity of the nation such as books and the Internet. Students will also need old magazines and large paper in order to create their collage. Description of lesson: To begin this lesson we will review the ways in which we know that people can be diverse. We will then talk about some of the ways that people can contribute to the global community; economically, in social justice measures, through their jobs, and purchasing habits for some reasons. Students will then use the internet and books to help look up more information specific to the United States. They will then print out words or pictures to represent the diversity or contributions to the global community. They will also use old magazine pictures if they would like. Students will be required to write short paragraphs about 3-4 of their pictures and tell whey they placed them in their collage. CF-C Assessment: Students will be assessed on their rationale for including pictures in their collage. SIOP: Students can use pictures for this lesson which will help since language will not be necessary. 4. This will be the fourth lesson in the sequence. It will occur in January but will need to be a continuing lesson through a few weeks. Enduring Understanding: Diversity is present in our community and everyday life. Essential Questions: How are the people in our community diverse? How does our community contribute to the global community? Student Objectives: Students will understand the ways in which they encounter diversity in their daily lives as well as how they, and their community, can contribute to the global community. They will also understand the ways that they can contribute to the global community through social justice. CF-SJ Social Justice Principles: As a means of introducing social justice in this lesson I will invite a speaker from our community who does something to help others around the world. Could be a human rights activist etc. SJ #1 and SJ #6

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011

Content Standards: 18.B.2a Describe interactions of individuals, groups and institutions in situations drawn from the local community (e.g., local response to state and national reforms). Assessment: To assess this lesson students will create a report in a format of their choosing. They will have to report on what they learned about the diversity in the community as well as how the community contributes to the global society. They will also have to discuss ways in which they can contribute to the global community. I will also observe how students work and their informal understanding of the necessity of diversity and tolerance. There will be a peer evaluation as well. Assessment is varied because presentation methods can be varied based upon student ability and learning styles. Prerequisite Knowledge: Since this is the last lesson of our unit students will be expected to know the ways in which people interact into the global community. They will also know ways that make people diverse. Approximate Time: The teaching portion of this lesson will last 1 period. However there will be multiple periods for research and preparation of the presentation. This will last 2 weeks. Materials: Technology for presentations (computers) Information compiled about the community (done with teacher interviews presented to the class) Books or Internet usage for research Opening of Lesson (5-10 minutes): To begin the lesson I will talk about what we have learned in past lessons. I will ask if students think that we have any diversity or methods of contributing to the global community within our town or school. I will then ask what those ways are. I will explain that we will be working on a project that will let us learn more about the diversity and contributions of our own community. Procedure (2 weeks): I will pair students together to complete the lesson. I will assign students to work through either books or internet resources to discover ways that their community has

Christa Jennings CI 448 Inquiry 4 December 11, 2011 diversity or contributes to the global community. I will ask many questions at this point to help guide their research: 1. What type of things help to contribute to the global community? 2. How is diversity important in the world and our community? 3. How can we find ways to teach tolerance to people in our community? 4. Why is it important to contribute to the global community? 5. How can you work with people in our community for this goal? The students will then spend time working through their research. (CF-I)I will be available to help guide if necessary. I will assist research by interviewing members of our community that I know show differences and help to contribute to our society for their experiences. This will give the students more information. If possible these people will come in to speak about diversity and their contributions. To do this students will have to brainstorm questions and act with tolerance for these differences. (CF-I and CF-SJ) Students will then prepare their presentations for the class. Summary: During the summary we will have a panel discussion of their findings. They will present to the class and explain their thoughts on what they have found. The class will ask questions as well as help in peer evaluations. SIOP: Students who are ELLs can alter their presentation methods. They can also conduct research in their L1 and present in L1.