Gene V. Gandelman
Lesson Eight: The Neighborhood Is A Mosaic of Cultures Races and Religion
Objective To teach student about the many different kinds of people who make up our neighborhoods and contribute to their vitality.
Discuss the different ethnic groups who live in New Haven. Talk about the periods in history when they came to the City in large numbers. Include the mention of churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship. Trace any flow or migration from one neighborhood to another of the ethnic groups you are discussing.
Discuss the various ethnic festivals, parades and celebrations which take place in the City. Have students list them on the board and relate individual experiences of attendance or participation.
How do the specific ethnic festivals differ from the multi-cultural ones like the Molson Street Festival? i.e. the people it attracts, the number and variety of foods, entertainment, exhibits, etc.
Activities
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1. Describe the ethnic, racial and religious make-up of your neighbors in an essay. Include the different places of origin i.e. Puerto Rico, Jamaica.
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2. Write a detailed report about your experience at a festival.
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3. Discuss the contributions made by each ethnic group in New Haven. What do they contribute to the entire community? How are their prominent citizens? Where can we sample their cuisines around the City?
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4. Choose one ethnic group from the discussion in Activity #3 (not your own) and write an essay about that ethnic, racial or religious group. Describe as many details as you can about their information and insight into their way of life for your essay. Students should read their report to the entire class.
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5. Discuss Brotherhood/Sisterhood. What is it? Why is it important, especially in a country like ours that we learn to understand, tolerate and accept all people of any race, creed or color? Why do we need Brotherhood/Sisterhood today more than ever?
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6. Write an essay on Brotherhood and Sisterhood and why its understanding and practice is vital to out survival as an America people.
Choose of the following topics to write about:
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1. How the Police could help the community more
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2. Why we should learn all about our City
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3. Ways in which people can learn to respect other’s culture
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4. How to make living in the City for enjoyable
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5. How more urban recreation programs would help the city dwellers
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6. Why drugs can kill a City and how we can rid them from our streets
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7. We should help the homeless in our community
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8. Good affordable housing is needed today more than ever
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9. Our Government should do more to help the cities
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10. What the city of the future will be like is something isn’t done
Have each student read his essay to the entire class.
Discuss the following urban issues of today:
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1. How did the 1992 riots in Los Angeles hurt the community?
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2. Why did they happen? Did they have to occur?
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3. What happened in our state and in our City at the time?
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4. Should New Haven build a new downtown mall?
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5. Should Yale University do more for New Haven?
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6. What the Quinipiac Bridge enlargement would mean for the City.
