This eighteen week literature course is built around short stories and novels whose theme ideas mirror "every" child's culture (as determined by the group's ethnic backgrounds.) It is designed as a classroom reading program for independent readers who have been identified for New Haven's TAG Program. Designed as a child- centered approach to learning about self and others, it is most easily adaptable to any grade level and reading ability.
The intended class is an ethnically diverse group of eight to ten year old students who come together from various elementary schools across the city. They meet one day per week, for four hours, in one of three designated TAG Resource Rooms. This unit will be incorporated as a part of their larger core study unit of Mythology and implemented by two teachers. The challenge is to structure the time and activities to fit students' individual skill abilities and address the cultural needs of each represented group, while at the same time allow for personal growth.
The unit is divided into three segments. Each segment is a lesson with background information for teaching and/or learning about differences among cultures. Each lesson features a plan for one skill activity in either reading ( analyzing literary elements and social issues of the stories) discussion (synthesizing information about cultural myth and fact) or personal writing (evaluating multi-ethnic perspectives) to be used with all of the readings. Each can be used independently as a cursory thematic focus or skill practice study. All hinge largely upon effective presentation of the theme ideas set forth in the Introduction to the Study.
Segment 1 "Understanding Cultural Differences" introduces the unit, offers background information for identifying factors that influence culture, briefly summarizes the unit's core and sample story, Hello, My Name is Scrambled Eggs and suggests guide questions for analyzing it and future independent reading selections.
This humorous, short novel features an American and a Vietnamese family and serves as the teacher-led portion of the study. It is the only story that requires cooperative reading and whole class participation for completing the related activities. It is also the story from which comparisons and contrasts are drawn when investigating the cultural practices and beliefs of other ethnic groups.
Following completion of this part of the study unit, except where noted, students are encouraged to continue independently through much of the remaining assignments.
Segment 2 "Cultural Exchanges" gives brief facts about cultural backgrounds of Vietnamese and American cultures, along with a discussion guide for Open Forum sessions. Students will use these facts in combination with information found in their readings, for whole group discussions and individual writing assignments.
@Text:Because students are reading different stories, at individual paces, different ability levels and learning interests and also from different cultural vantages, the teacher schedules and leads three or four "Open Forum" discussions about culture for the whole group. It is crucial that equal weight is given to each person's point of view during the discussions.
Segment 3 "Celebrating America" offers ideas for individual writing assignments as a way of assessing the results of student learning, peer teaching and exposing individual thoughts and perceptions about cultures, to a wider audience.
