Culturally responsive schools exhibit the following traits:
• The curriculum content is inclusive, meaning it reflects the cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity of society and the world.
• Instructional and assessment practices build on the students' prior knowledge, culture, and language.
• Classroom practices stimulate students to construct knowledge, make meaning, and examine cultural biases and assumptions.
• Schoolwide beliefs and practices foster understanding and respect for cultural diversity, and celebrate the contributions of diverse groups.
• School programs and instructional practices draw from and integrate community and family language and culture, and help families and communities to support the students' academic success.
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1cre.htm
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Since I have been observing in a WV History class, I thought it would be appropriate to find a culturally inclusive WV History lesson that could be included into the curriculum. I found a unit that focuses on how minorities have shaped the culture and politics of West Virginia. The lesson gives students information on one of the first civil-rights victories prior to 1900. This lesson will open students up to understanding more about equality and civil-rights. I think that the lesson would be best taught during Black History Month (February). This will help students to understand that the civil rights movement had roots in WV as well as other places in the United States. Not only does the lesson cover civil rights, but it also teaches about the court system and how citizens can participate in their government. Overall, I think that this lesson is a very good example of a culturally inclusive unit that teaches students about diversity and culture.
ReplyDeleteStandards Addressed:
S.S.0.8.1.1 Discuss how citizens can participate in government.
S.S.0.8.2.5 Analyze the functions and jurisdictions of the federal, state, local and special courts (e.g., United States Supreme Court, State Supreme Court, circuit courts, magistrate courts, family courts) and explain why a selected case would be heard in a designated court.
S.S.0.8.5.11 Research and critique the role of ethnic and racial minorities, men, women, and children in West Virginia who have made serious contributions to our history in the public and/or private sectors. Choose the person you believe made the most significant contribution and explain your choice (e.g. Statehood, abolition, education, industry, literature, and government).
SS.O.8.5.14 Point out and locate places of historical importance in West Virginia that can be visited by tourists.
Link to Lesson Plan
http://www.jrclifford.org/JR%20Clifford%20Grade%208%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf
Question: How could you incorporate this lesson into other content areas? (Math, Science, English, Art, etc...)
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ReplyDeleteI had been in a physical education class, so I'd find a way to incorporate fitness into the diverse lesson I'd teach. I was thinking about having students study different types of dancing. (Ballet, native american or african dances, jazz, salsa and south american types.) I think this would help to make all the kids feel their culture is important. After learning them and the background behind the movements and culture. Students in groups will put together their own mix dance routine to put on for the class. Afterward, each student will have a reflection paper to turn in about what they thought about the different cultures dance styles. Standards this would meet:
ReplyDeleteStandard 1: Movement Forms (PE.S.1)
The intent of this standard is development of the movement/physical skills needed to enjoy participation in physical activities.
Standard 2: Development of Motor Skills (PE.S.2)
The intent of this standard is for students to establish patterns of regular participation in meaningful physical activity. This standard connects what
is done in the physical education class with the lives of students outside of the classroom.
Standard 3: Physical Activity (PE.S.3)
The intent of this standard is to develop an awareness of the intrinsic values and benefits of participation in physical activity that provides personal
meaning. Physical activity provides opportunities for selfexpression
and social interaction and can be enjoyable, challenging, and fun.
What else could you do to incorperate culture diversity in a physical education setting?
Devon, I think you could incorporate this lesson in art by going over some of the main points of the civil rights movements but touching on the artists of the era. Telling about how it affected their art and the pieces they put out at the time. You could go over any artists in WV area that were involved inthe movement and what they did to help.
ReplyDeleteDevon
ReplyDeleteThis lesson could go really well in a journalism class, or a journalism unit in English or even Creative Writing. The students would be able to research, do interviews with historians, and find old photographs to then bring back to life. They could write articles based on the facts retrieved and make up layouts incorporating the photos. Going a step further, they could submit their findings to state periodicals in order to relate the topic outside of school as well. Working together in cooperative learning groups will also develop responsibility and improve communication skills, and allow for “cross-cultural, cross-ability, and cross-gender social interaction” (Sheets, 2005, p. 156).
There is such a wide range of topics that can be presented in an Art class, but I feel working on a mural is a great way for students to appreciate their heritage and celebrate their similarities. It would take support from the administration in order to complete the final mural on a school wall, but murals can always be painted and displayed on other surfaces, such as fabric or wood, if a school wall is not possible. It could be a collaborative effort between the students, and incorporate symbols that represent the different ethnicities and cultures that are present in the class. For instance, if Classroom Ecology was to paint a class mural, we might want to feature a golf club for Rusty, gym equipment for John, dirt bikes for Jason, and a Shepherd University logo to represent us all. By allowing the students to communicate their hobbies and backgrounds it will give them a chance to voice what makes them special. Sheets points out that working in groups helps to improve the “academic achievement of students who have experienced a communal or collective value orientation”, such as our Latino, Black, and Asian students who have generally been socialized into collective cultural contexts (2005, p.154-156). Also, by allowing students to make decisions and complete the work they will feel more connected to those around them and learn social and communication skills. Finally, asking the students to write an artist’s statement about the work will help to evaluate the ideas, understand the process, and analyze the outcome.
ReplyDeleteState Standards addressed:
VA.O.VAI.3.1
research how past and current cultures have used content and symbolism to express ideas in artwork.
VA.O.VAI.3.3
apply problem-solving skills in the creative process selecting subjects, symbols, and ideas for use in their own artwork.
VA.O.VAI.5.1
investigate reasons for creating and the function of a variety of types of artworks.
VA.O.VAI.5.2
analyze and discuss how and why specific works were created.
John,
ReplyDeleteI think that the task of incorporating culture could be a little more difficult in a phys ed class than in other content areas. One way in which I thought this could be addressed was to include games from different cultures into the lesson. Cultural games from around the world not only teach them a new game, but also about a different culture. I found a website that includes games from around the world that would help to formulate a lesson for phys ed class.
Here is the link
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110166/
I’ve been observing sixth grade social studies, so I concentrated on curriculum for that grade level. Being inspired by the video we watched last week about Asian Americans, I thought I could incorporate some of that culturally-inclusive content in the unit on the Industrial Revolution. Generally, the Industrial Revolution is talked about in terms of technology, economics, and commerce (transcontinental railroad, agricultural innovation, economic growth, emphasis on production, etc.), but the human element is often missing. Textbooks talk “big picture politics” and leave out the peoples’ point of view. I would talk about the Industrial Revolution in terms of how these changes affected the people of America, and would attempt to cover many groups including the large number of Chinese immigrants whose labor fueled westward expansion.
ReplyDeleteAs an activity, I’d show pictures of Chinese immigrant laborers to students in small groups. Pictures would rotate so everyone could see each image. I would also pass around posters and anti-Chinese propaganda published at the time and use questions to prompt historical inquiry among the group. Afterward, we’d have whole group discussion of the historical context in which this took place. Individually, students would be given a fictitious name, geographic location, and job title and would assume the identity of a Chinese immigrant. The assignment would be for the student to write a letter to their family in China and describe what life is like in America. Guidelines would be given for aspects of lifestyle that I’d like for them to include in their letter.
West Virginia CSOs addressed:
Grade 6 Social Studies
Standard SS.S.06.05
Students will examine, analyze and synthesize historical knowledge of major events, individuals, cultures and the humanities in West Virginia, the United States, and the world (Culture and Humanities).
Objective SS.O.06.05.10
Students will compare and contrast the worth of the individual in different societies over time and assume the role of one of these individuals.
Photographs are powerful primary sources of information that can be used to connect children to a concept and, in this case, to help them develop empathy toward the experiences of other groups. What other primary sources could be used to make curriculum more culturally-inclusive?
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ReplyDeleteDevon, in a math class I would have the students research the population of WV in prior to the 1900's by reviewing census records. We could then graph various data from the census to analyze the impact that the civil-rights movement would have on our area. It would be a great opportunity for cross-curriculum teaching, and we could even coordinate a field trip to local landmarks important to the civil-rights movement (i.e. the John Brown Museum in Harpers Ferry).
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What are some specific ways you can cooperate and coordinate with other teachers to use cross-curriculum teaching while providing a culturally responsive education?
ReplyDeleteIn my exploration for culturally inclusive content I came across a series of 15 lesson mathematics units that spans across five different cultures. They not only relate to mathematics and the different cultures, but they are relevant to today’s students! They were developed by Ron Eglash, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His designs are accessible and can be used free of charge. The following is the link that describes Eglash’s project http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/rpi-mlg062306.php
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that was of interest to me was the unit on Transformational Geometry. It is a geometry standard M.O.G.3.19: create and apply concepts using transformational geometry and laws of symmetry. Its focus is centered around transformational geometry and iteration in cornrow hairstyles. The lesson provides a history of the culture along with a tutorial of the project that uses online software. This lesson can be seen at http://csdt.rpi.edu/african/CORNROW_CURVES/
Question:
I think promoting cultural awareness is a very important part of our jobs as teachers. It can also at times be a little difficult. How do we incorporate these lessons into our curriculum without making some students feel uncomfortable?
The classes that I have been observing over the past few semesters were all sixth and seventh grade math classes. I believe it is easy to incorporate culturally diverse content into the curriculum. Some of the standards for sixth grade math are as follows:
ReplyDeleteStandard 1 Number and Operations
M.S.6.1
• demonstrate understanding of numbers, ways of representing numbers, and relationships among numbers and number systems
Standard 2 Algebra
M.S.6.2
• demonstrate understanding of patterns, relations and functions
• represent and analyze mathematical situations and structures using algebraic symbols
• use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships
• analyze change in various contexts.
Standard 5 Data Analysis and Probability
M.S.6.5
• formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them
• select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data
• develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on models
In math class you can have the students collect data, and use that data for your lessons. For instance you could have the students collect data on the average income in different geographical regions, then graph that data, and finally analyze the graphs to find trends and make predictions. Everything we do in math involves numbers, and instead of just randomly making up data, you can use data collected as you study different culturally diverse topics. You can also include mathematical contributions from individuals within the cultures of your students. This would make use of student’s prior knowledge, and help build community in your classroom by validating the different cultures that are representative of your students. The internet has made information easily accessible, so it really should not be that difficult to implement. I have found a website on multicultural mathematics that provides several good ideas for incorporating these ideas into the curriculum. http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-1/more.htm
WV content standards and objectives obtained from: http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/p2520.2.pdf on 16 June 2010
In response to John about additional activities in P.E.:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Devon, I saw several websites devoted to providing different activities from other cultures. Also, some of the games we are accustomed to are played differently throughout the world. If we look at the different ways of playing some of the games we often consider “our own,” then maybe it will help students open their eyes to the other differences that the different cultures have as well.
Sheets says that some ways to create a culturally inclusive classroom would be to label posters and pictures in many different languages, and display many decorations representing a wide variety of cultures (2005, p104). I think these are great ideas and definately some that I will try to include.
ReplyDeleteWhile searching for an example of culturally inclusive content, I found this great lesson. It is called "Making Cents of Privilege"
Here is the link in case anyone else is interested in it: http://www.tolerance.org/activity/making-cents-privilege
What I love about this lesson is that it is geared toward 3-5 graders and while teaching them about math, they get to grasp themselves about others not so fortunate. Now this lesson is taught to priamily middle-class students, which I have seen a lot of in my observing. In this lesson, students are given a select amount of money and then send off to purchase things set up in the classroom. The teacher sets up a restaurant menu and students must figure out how they are to afford food and pay their pills. The teacher guides them along with questions such as "How many hours must a person making $5.15 per hour work to afford their meal?"
What a great lesson, teaching so much about math skills and incorporating privilege as well.
When reading about this lesson, do you think that it would work for all students no matter what socio-economic status?
Standards addressed:
M.S.3.5
Data Analysis and Probability Through communication, representation, reasoning and proof, problem solving, and making connections within and beyond the field of mathematics, students will
•formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them,
•select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data,
•develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on models, and
•apply and demonstrate an understanding of basic concepts of probability.
M.S.3.1
Number and Operations Through communication, representation, reasoning and proof, problem solving, and making connections within and beyond the field of mathematics, students will
•demonstrate understanding of numbers, ways of representing numbers, and relationships among numbers and number systems,
•demonstrate meanings of operations and how they relate to one another, and
•compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.
In response to Ben's question: What are some specific ways you can cooperate and coordinate with other teachers to use cross-curriculum teaching while providing a culturally responsive education?
ReplyDeleteI think that using what each other has to offer is a great start for this. In the school I have been observing, I witnessed a teacher, who also teaches dance, teaching about three classes ways to warm up and cool down so you don't hurt yourself. During this exercise she was also sharing some salsa, her speciality. The kids had so much fun and were able to learn a lot about being healthy too. This works well for elementary students as they are usually in the same class all day. I think that middle and high school teachers may be willing to offer what they know during a planning once in a while.
The WV CSOs for 8th grade Language Arts (my goal area to teach) is actually littered with standards that require teachers to be more culturally responsive in their teaching. I personally love American folk stories and folk stories/myths from other cultures and would love to be able to show students how some of those same cultural folk story elements fit into the stories placed in front of them every day. In doing this, I would find examples of stories from various diverse American groups, but also diverse international groups, to get students to compare and contrast the elements in the story, figuring out which elements are the same and which story elements reflect specific things of value among that culture. Some of the standards that tie into this are:
ReplyDeleteRLA.O.8.1.04 Analyze the defining characteristics, build background knowledge and apply reading skills to understand a variety of literary passages and genres by West Virginia, national and international authors:
• fiction • nonfiction • myths • fantasies • biographies • autobiographies • science fiction • tall tales • supernatural tales
RLA.O.8.1.07: Analyze and draw parallels between common themes across a variety of literature and information text (e.g., friendship, honesty, loyalty, survival).
RLA.O.8.1.08: Recognize connections among ideas in literary and informational text (e.g. text to self, text-to-text, text to world connection) and recognize that global awareness promotes understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of ethnic, cultural, religious and personal differences.
In response to Rusty,
ReplyDeleteI think promoting cultural awareness is a very important part of our jobs as teachers. It can also at times be a little difficult. How do we incorporate these lessons into our curriculum without making some students feel uncomfortable?
One of the things I have noticed about myself in this class alone while we have been devoting so much time to the discussion of race and inclusion is that I'm more uncomfortable discussing diversity just as a standalone subject. I've always loved the idea, however, of incorporating diversity into a curriculum (I'm just not a huge fan of the dead white guys I'm forced to read in all of my literature classes). I think the key to incorporating diversity without making our students comfortable is starting out from day one with diverse elements in the classroom and not to make a spectacle out of it. While it seems silly, I feel like the readings in Sheets and others we have read have sort of screamed, "Ok, kids, it's time to be diverse." Why not just have those diverse elements in place using diverse classroom imagery, mini-lessons about other cultures, and just creating a positive environment and have that just be the norm? Maybe that's the easy way out of an answer, but I just don't feel like diversity needs to be brought in with a marching band...just brought in as a classroom staple like everything else you teach in those first weeks of school.
Nurturing multicultural awareness is a central theme at the preschool I observed. Children are delicately taught about our common humanity and about attributes that make us special and wonderful – phenotype, languages spoken, religions practiced, traditional attire worn as well as music, foods and national heritage. As part of the children’s social and emotional framework, I would like to recommend an age appropriate exploration of People and Culture. Instruction would do more than merely highlight a geography or history lesson but make the child a part of a cultural exchange (through instruction) complete with passport (made by the children themselves) and classroom visits around the world via Skype or a comparable internet application. I think bringing diversity to life for children who seem to relish it already would help to delay any prejudicial thinking that may be the result of a lack of exposure to other cultures. Even if the effort doesn’t result in inclusive friendships, I think Sheets’ concept of peer acceptance, the degree to which members of a group like a child and want to spend to spend time with him or her” (p.69) is a worthy goal in and of itself. The beauty of this concept is that it can easily be threaded throughout the entire early learning framework as detailed by the West Virginia Department of Education and fully integrated across the school’s curriculum. Specific content integration areas include art (dramatic play, music, visual art), history (people, culture, geography), math (counting, quantifying and patterns), and language (foreign language study). For more information, visit http://preschoolrainbow.org/.
ReplyDeleteWV State Learning Objectives
Social and Emotional Development
Standard 3: Knowledge of community
Each child will progress in understanding their role and identity in the family and community
Performance indicators: understands and describes the interactive roles and relationships of family members and community members.
Understands similarities and respects differences among people, such as genders, race, special needs, cultures, language, and family structure
Standard 2: Social Relationships
Each child will progress in developing and demonstrating pro-social behaviors
Expresses empathy and caring for others
Demonstrates respect for others and their property
The Arts
Standard 2: Visual Art – Each child will explore and become increasingly proficient in using a variety of media and materials to create artwork and express ideas
Standard 3: Dramatic Play – Each child will progress in using imagination and creativity to assume different roles in dramatic play.
Language and Literacy
Standard 1: Listening and Speaking
Standard 2: Reading – Each child will progress in understanding and using conventions of reading
Standard 3; Writing – Each child will progress in using conventions of writing
West Virginia Early Learning Standards Framework
http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/csos.html
Question:
My goal here is to create an interactive version of a pen pal. Does anyone have anyone have any tips on how to get this out the starting blocks? How can we use this format to strengthen “other awareness” along with listening and speaking skills?
Brett-
ReplyDeleteWhat other primary sources could be used to make curriculum more culturally-inclusive?
In a preschool setting, primary sources are essential to instruction. Our students love guest speakers, audio clips, music, foods, traditional attire, indigenous toys (dolls and games), periodicals for children from abroad and theatrical performances, especially those that include puppets and dance. Field trips that link content and create an immersion learning experience are also received well by our pint-sized scholars.
In response to Dawn's question:
ReplyDeleteThere are many world wide Pen pal websites that allow you to make friends with people all over the world. http://www.penpalworld.com/ is one that I found. It may be difficult to track all the students online interactions with the pen pals. I believe that you could have a group discussion once a week in which the children could talk about thier pen pal and what the have learned about them and the culture they live in. And they could compare their own cultures to those of the pen pals.
In response to John's question:
I think Dawn's idea about a pen pall could be used to incorperate culture diversity in a physical education setting. Each child could find a pen pal from another country and sports are an easy topic to start converstion with a complete stranger. The students could learn about new sports or how the same sports are played slightly differnt. We could then incoporate a new sport or variation of a sport in to a class. Or even differnt dances into an activity.
I have observed in the physical education class. I think the best way for the curriculum to reflect cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity of society and the world would be to have a olympic unit and or a world cup soccer unit. Those two events bring the world together through sprot and no other subject has that power. There are so many differnt cultures that are so differnt in many ways but when it comes to an olmpic event or soccer game they are brought togehter and are the same for that moment. and the world cup is the biggest sporting event in the world bringing together 204 teams just in the quarter finals. The students could pick a country to research and learn about its culture and its history of soccer. There are many track and field activitys that are already done. The students could research about countries and thier cultures and turn in reseach papers.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Physical Education, I think of Health class as well (probably because all of our gym teachers taught Health). But, either way, they are intricately related. So here’s an idea if you were in a classroom instead of a gymnasium –
Regional factors have a huge impact on health. For a specific example, think about how the lack of fresh water in India is the direct and primary cause of most of the region’s health problems. You could use websites like the CIA’s World Fact Book, the United Nation’s Development division, and UNESCO to discuss demographic and health information for groups around the world. At the same time, you could also talk about regional diets and encourage students to taste foods from around the world that are healthful and nutritious.
I think a culturally-inclusive lesson like this will promote a healthy lifestyle, foster diversity awareness, and help students develop empathy toward regions that are not as rich in resources as we are – specifically food, water, and medicine.
Brett,
ReplyDeleteI love the idea about tying in food to the lesson. I know that you cannot always have exotic foods readily available, and some school districts won't allow you to bring homemade food in for the students to eat. One solution that came to mind was using video clips from popular television shows that highlight exotic foods. The first one that came to mind was "Bizarre Foods" on the travel channel. Another show on the Food Network about exotic foods is "Ham on the Street". You can easily find clips on the internet that you could show the students and have discussions about.