Multicultural Initiatives: Self-Image, Costume, and Family Tapistry Activities

What's this blog about?

I teach several courses under the broad topic of "Multicultural Education," prioritizing social justice issues of access, power/privilege, & narrowing the academic achievement gap. I am a person of color and I almost always have a white co-teacher. We include topics, such as: racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, ethnocentrism, deculturalization, transforming curriculum, etc. This is a place where I post information that we teach; lesson plans for activities; and resources we use and/or which are shared with me by my adult students.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Self-Image, Costume, and Family Tapistry Activities

Beauty is Skin Deep: http://www.tolerance.org/activity/beauty-skin-deep Students reflect on the ways in which they have experienced or participated in bias based on physical size and appearance, and the ways in which expectations about body image and appearance in our society affect us. They learn about media literacy and examine media images for "attractiveness messages" that consciously and unconsciously impact our attitudes and behavior toward others. Students conclude the lesson by exploring ways to get beyond appearance as a dominant force in their social lives.

Costumes: http://www.tolerance.org/search/apachesolr_search/Racial%20representation%20on%20TV

Understanding Prejudice Through Self-Portraits: http://www.tolerance.org/search/apachesolr_search/Understanding%20Prejudice%20through%20paper%20plates%20portrait

Memories: http://www.tolerance.org/activity/memories-can-have-are To begin the lesson, I ask the students what a memory is. We start a Can-Have-Are chart for memories. For example, memories can make you happy, have a special feeling and are different for everyone. After a short discussion, I present each item from my bag and tell about the memory it holds for me. I then introduce the book and read it aloud.

Family Tapestries: http://www.tolerance.org/activity/family-tapestry The overall goal of these lessons is to help students recognize and accept differences among each other and within the larger community and how their own unique family contributes to a richer society. As they begin to understand themselves more thoroughly, learning opportunities likely will open up to explore their own biases and prejudices. The series consists of the following four lessons.

The overall goal of these lessons is to help students recognize and accept differences among each other and within the larger community and how their own unique family contributes to a richer society. As they begin to understand themselves more thoroughly, learning opportunities likely will open up to explore their own biases and prejudices. The series consists of the following four lessons.