Our Differences Can Change the World

Melodie D. Miller

The objective of this unit is to teach the first grade ELA standards while having meaningful dialogue surrounding the topic of multiculturalism and respect for differences among people. During this 8-day unit, students will gain exposure to culturally rich and inclusive mentor texts that may yield conversation around the topic of fair/equal treatment depending on culture and/or race and representation of different cultures through stories about those character’s lives. The unit will begin with a discussion around the differences between two people and how those differences play a major role in why these two people are friends. This conversation and activity will allow students to begin thinking about the people they are closest to whether it is their friends or family members and how they are different from those people. Once they have considered those differences, they will be asked to think about how those differences are beneficial to their relationship with that person. Though these classroom activities do not lend themselves to an immediate focus on race and cultural diversity, the main goal of this unit with the primary grades is to introduce different types of characters, what their lives look like, and exposure/representation of these daily lives in order to provide all students with a look into a life that may be similar or different from their own.