Anne M. (Mickey) Kavanagh
Goal
To recognize and appreciate the diversity of ethnic backgrounds among the students in the class.
Materials needed
Large sheet of newsprint or oaktag and many colored markers. Draw a five-rowed rainbow with black marker across the entire sheet of paper.
Procedure
Introduce the activity by explaining that we are all different and, for that reason, we as a group are uniquely interesting. We are going to begin to find out about our differences by filling in the rainbow.
Use a different colored marker for each different answer as you write in the responses of the students in the class. It is good to follow the two question rule, eliciting details from students whenever possible so that as the class hears the variety of descriptions they begin to see a picture of their differences and similarities.
First row
:
Race and/or ethnic group(s) making up the families of the students. Include in-laws, step-parents, etc. and go back a few generations. Aim for including all students and for finding differences.
Second row
:
Languages spoken by all members of their families, living or dead.
Third row
:
Relationship to them of all the people living in their house, including aunts, uncles, family friends, grandparents, parent’s girl or boyfriend. You can include summer families if they are different.
Fourth row
:
Celebrations and rituals shared by family members, e.g., birthdays, name days, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Three Kings’ Day.
Fifth row
:
Foods (perhaps one’s favorites) or ones that we’ve eaten or heard about that come from these various cultural, ethnic heritages.
Debrief
the activity by asking students for their reactions to the process or to the finished rainbow. Use questions like the following:
How did you feel while we were doing the activity?
Did you find much that was similar or different from your own responses? How does that feel?
Were you surprised by how much (or how little) variety there is among us? What had you expected?
Why did we do this activity before starting a unit on human sexuality?
Use this last question as a lead-in to your closing comments. One of the ways in which we are all very different is in how we have been brought up to think about sex and learning about sex. Our next activity is going to be filling out a questionnaire about our family traditions in this (sometimes) sensitive area. The homework assignment for today is to fill out the questionnaire, talking with your family members about each of the questions so you will have the most complete information about your family’s traditions. Use this assignment to begin a conversation with them. There will be additional homework assignments throughout the unit on human sexuality.