Melissa Washington

1. Melissa Washington Learning Culture Sensitivity

2. Learning Culture Sensitivity • We live in a country that is made up of many cultures. We rely on stereotypes to teacher us about other cultures.

3. Learning Culture Sensitivity • Can you identify the cultures of anyone in the photo below?

4. Learning Culture Sensitivity • We look at a person and assume their culture or ethnicity. This is wrong. We can not tell by physical features what culture or ethnicity that a person belongs to.

5. Learning Culture Sensitivity Activities • Let’s play “What my name means?” This is a great opportunity for those that have names that have meanings attached. All students can participate in the activity. Melissa means honey bee in some African languages. As a homework assignment have the students research their name on the internet. This is a great website. http://www.meaning-of-names.com/http://www.behindthename.com/

6. Learning Culture Sensitivity Activities • Next activity is “Have you ever?” This is an activity that can be played as a class. Line students up on a wall. Have a person state something that they have done. Example, Have you ever lived in outside of the States? If a person has then that step forward. The first person to reach the wall wins.

7. Learning Culture Sensitivity Activities • Last activity is to have student’s cook a world meal. In almost every culture two foods are present. Beans and rice are commonly used. Have each student present a dish that is made in their culture using beans and rice. This is a great way of having students explore each others culture by using common ingredients.

8. Learning Culture Sensitivity Activities • Last activity is to write a poem about your culture. Next place all poems in a bin and mix them up. Give each student a poem. Let the students read the poem aloud and see if they can guess who’s poem they have.

9. Learning Culture Sensitivity ActivitiesTeacher’s example • I was here first! I am a hunter gather. Brought here by whips and chains. I have learned to simulate into societies norms by forgetting my past and focusing on my future. I bring drum beats and the sounds of horns where ever I go. Even within my culture there are different aspect of me. I am music, dance, and art in the making. I can read and write where my great grandparents were not allowed to. Diversity is me! I am the face of the new generation. The future lives in me.