Unit Guide

Make the World Safe for Diversity (John F Kennedy)

Julie V. McCann

In this two-to-three week unit, elementary students will learn about widely held beliefs about gender and equity in our culture. They will learn the value of diversity within society and how we all benefit from our differences. They will discover the causes of discrimination and the costs that inequity imposes. Students will explore their own beliefs and investigate how those biases were formed. Following Common Core standards, the children will be able to read and answer questions, produce projects, and engage in collaborative discussions and work groups. The students will participate in classroom activities, read picture books and view different forms of media to help build their knowledge about these topics. The purpose of the unit is to enable the students to see that they can make a difference and change the future by challenging traditional ideas and stereotypes. At the conclusion of the unit, students will work in groups or individually to create a culminating project. These original products will be displayed for the school or celebrated at an Acceptance Night to be held in the spring.