Commitment to Diversity

Today, the world is more interconnected than ever before allowing students of different
origins, languages, and ethnicities to come together into one place and share their culture and
experiences with each other. For students to succeed and thrive in the 21sts Century and beyond
we teachers and parents alike need to introduce more culture and language into the classroom
and our lives. Our communities grow larger and larger every day and by larger I mean the large
diversity of families that are moving in to our neighborhoods and we need to welcome these
different cultures into our lives with open arms. Life is not about learning to tolerate the LGBT
community or tolerating the rap music coming from the car beside you, its about learning to
accept that no two people are alike in mind, body, or soul and thats okay.
I would introduce different cultures into the classroom through direct instruction as in
lecturing from a Prezi presentation on the lifestyle customs of the Babwa tribe in the African
Congo, or I could take another approach through indirect instruction and introduce the Babwa
tribe to my students via Skype in the classroom and they can ask the tribe members themselves
questions on their customs and lifestyle habits living in an African rainforest. Placing students
feet into the shoes of another and letting them feel those burdens, battles, and even the happiness
that humans experience and struggle with every day in another perspective other than their own
allows them to feel a better appreciation for those around them and taking a step forward toward
human equality.
Below is a lesson that was created by three other classmates that was taught at Mary C.
Snow West Side Elementary for my EDU 319 class, to teach students about the Andes Manta
band from Ecuador who travel the world sharing their culture, music and traditions with students.
Along with the lesson we also taught about concert etiquette, with a Prezi, and modeled what
was expected of students when they are watching and listening to the Andes Manta concert.
The Great Migration was also another lesson that needed to be placed in my SCOPE.
While students were learning the basics of The Great Migration, I was preparing a more indepth
look at how The Great Migration changed the entire United States from the art work to their
poetry about their new life and new jobs in the urban city. I had students observe and analyze
paintings from Jacob Lawrence during his travels through The Great Migration. I had students

write down what they believed the picture represented and the feeling and emotion that is felt
when they are looking at the picture.
The Roaring 20s lesson plan is not considered diverse when it comes to race but back in
the 20s women were discriminated against as well as just being the inferior sex. In 1920 when
women were allowed to vote in elections, the ladies began a revolution and they began changing
everything about what it was to be a lady. Women began wearing their dresses a little shorter
and cutting their long Edwardian style hair off into a bob and began wearing make-up. It was a
complete revolution for women entering the stage with men. I included this lesson into the
diversity section because women still today are not paid equal and we are still discriminated
against. I had students observe and analyze propaganda pictures that depicted women for voting
and against voting and had students explain their reactions to the pictures. Many were horrible
depicting women as old hags, bitches (female dog), and becoming more masculine than men if
allowed to vote.