Diversity and Technology Amy Hoffman Gretchen Wells

Table of Contents Title page Derman-Sparks slides Diversity themes Web sites

Diversity and Technology Grade level: 1st grade Unit/lesson: Diversity and technology Author: Amy Hoffman and Gretchen Wells

Derman-Sparks Page 11 The classroom environment should be anti- biased. The classroom needs to be rich in possibilities for exploring gender, race/ethnicity, and different-abledness.

The Visual Aesthetic Environment There should be: Images such as photos and posters that portray the children, families, and staff. If your classroom is homogeneous there should be images of the major ethnic and racial groups in your community.

The Visual and Aesthetic Environment There should be images that reflect peoples current daily lives. There should be a numerical balance among different groups including women and men. Images of elderly people and differently abled people from various backgrounds.

Visual and Aesthetic Environment There should be images of the diversity of family styles. Images of important individuals from past and present. There should be artwork displayed that reflects a culture of families in the community.

Derman-Sparks Pages 12 and 13 Toys and materials should represent the backgrounds of families and major groups in the community and the nation.

Toys and Materials Children’s books need to reflect diversity of gender roles, present accurate images, show people from all groups, depict a variety of children, family lifestyles, and languages. Dramatic play should encourage exploration, in diversity and cultural diversity. The environment should provide opportunities for children to see and hear various languages.

Toys and Materials Music should reflect the the various cultural styles of the children, teachers, and other groups. Some art materials that should be included are multicolored crayons, multicolored paints, mirrors, and multicultural artwork. Manipulatives and dolls should depict diversity in race, ethnicity, and gender.

Age Activities Take the children to a nursing home Pair the children up with an elderly person and have them share letters back and forth. Pair the 1st graders up with 6th graders and do paired reading. Do a presentation on the time period that the children were born in. Have the children draw a picture of what they think they will look like in twenty years.

Age Web Sites kidsbooks.htmlhttp:// kidsbooks.html

Disabilities Activities Have the children do wheel chair races. Have the children play a game of wheelchair basketball. Visit a rehabilitation center. Have the children be led blindfolded to experience blindness. Teach the children sign language.

Disabilities Web Sites g./ g./ ure.htmlhttp:// ure.html

Gender Activities Set up the play center with toys that free children from rigid gender roles. Read books to the children that contradict gender stereotypes. Have the children find and cut out magazine pictures of boys and girls that show diversity of looks, dress, activities, and emotions. Have the children participate in the creation of a display of photos and pictures of men and women doing the same tasks. Have the children pretend to be of the opposite sex. Then discuss how they pretended.

Gender Web Sites lhttp:// l hildgen.shtmlhttp:// hildgen.shtml s.L.A.htmlhttp:// s.L.A.html

Language Activities Have the children count to 10 in Spanish. Have the children learn five of their vocabulary words in another language. Have the children do an activity where they have to use non-verbal communication. Have the children learn a song in another language. Have the children create a passport to teach the English language.

Language Web Sites

Race/Ethnicity Activities Sample different foods from various ethnicities. Have the children do a report on someone from a different race or ethnicity. Have the children make a collage of pictures of people from different races and ethnicities. Make a book that has all of the specific characteristics of the children and teachers in the class. Make a graph of differences of eye color, hair color, and skin color.

Race/Ethnicity Web Sites bin/info.htmlhttp://www2.wcoil.com/~ellerbee/cgi- bin/info.html children.htmlhttp:// children.html