Diverse Resources

Diverse Resources

“But my class isn’t diverse”  “I am not comfortable teaching about subjects I don’t know enough about” “the kids in my class can’t relate to that”  “I don’t know where to start!”

Whether you have heard these statements or have thought them, you are in the right place.  Even if you can’t ‘see’ the diversity in your class, it’s there, it’s all around you.  As a teacher, you have a responsibility not only to teach your students how to do things but also to teach them about the world around them.   Teaching them to embrace what the world has to offer, learning from other cultures and helping them to find commonalities between themselves and everything surrounding them; Teaching them compassion, empathy and understanding. 

Books are an amazing way to do this.  They can open the eyes of students to a world they never knew existed and bring them right into the story.  Books can spark rich discussions and elicit a passion for students.  Students should be taught not to see only the differences, but more importantly, all that they have in common with those in their class and others around the world.  

Using diverse resources is a great way to integrate your reading program with other subjects, for example social studies, and the arts.  Also, reluctant readers can become quite captivated with the topic and story of the book and find themselves engaged in a way they never did before.   With resources like the internet at their fingertips, the world is becoming a much smaller place and giving my students not only academic skills, but also life skills and is a wonderful part of your job as a teacher.   

Here are a few of my favourite stories to teach students about diversity:

I Lost My Tooth in Africa

By Penda Diakite, (Scholastic Press, 2006)

 

This book tells the story of a little girl named Amina who wants to lose her tooth while visiting her family in Mali, Africa.  If she loses her tooth in Africa, the African tooth fairy will give her chickens.  Students relate very well to this story, discussing their own traditions relating to losing their teeth.  Rich images and text showcase life in Africa and differences in housing and family structures.   Students are particularly impressed when they find out it is a true story!

My Princess Boy - A Mom’s Story About a Young Boy Who Loves to Dress Up

By Cheryl Kilodavis, (Alladin, 2010)

My Princess Boy is a story written from a mothers’ point of view about her four year old son who loves express himself by dressing up and enjoying things that are traditionally seen as girly things. She talks about good and bad experiences and how hurtful some comments can be.  The message is one that young children can relate to; accepting others for who they are, letting people be they are and embracing what makes us all unique.

Duck for Turkey Day

By Jacqueline Jules, (Albert Whitman, 2009)

 

Tuyet is a Vietnamese girl who is learning all about Thanksgiving and the traditions and foods surrounding it at school.  As the weekend arrives, she is wished a “Happy Turkey Day” by her teacher, but once she arrives at home, she finds out that they will not be having turkey, but instead, Tuyet’s family will be having duck at their family dinner.  Tuyet is so upset and wonders how she will ever be able to tell her classmates she ate duck instead of turkey.  Arriving at school, she finds that many of the students in her class did not have turkey either but had many traditional dishes from their own cultures. This book is great to help children understand that there are many different cultures with their own traditions and that people celebrate the holidays in many different ways. 

Love is a Family

By Roma Downey (HarperCollins Canada, 2001)

This book addresses some of the issues and insecurities kids can have about their families and being different from their peers.  When her school has family fun night, Lily, who lives with her single mother, wishes that she could have a “real” family.  What she learns is that every family is different and what makes a family is love.   With beautiful images, children can easily relate to Lily and her feeling of being “different” and how to find commonality in diversity.