Jason+Bushong

The Unit Area of Focus The area of focus for this unit will be embracing cultural diversity. This unit is designed for a junior level English class and will last about five weeks. The class length is 50 minutes and meets every day. Our school is large, over 1500, and very diverse. In our changing country and societies it becomes more and more important every year to learn how to get along with people of numerous backgrounds. Not only is this important for peace and tranquility but embracing diversity can bring together many talents and resources from other cultures. What better way to start understanding and embracing cultural diversity than with our youth? These are the future leaders of our country and if we want to change anything in our society it must begin with them. media type="youtube" key="t-qnuqCZ7hg" height="334" width="401"
 * __Embracing Cultural Diversity__**

The unit will help students discover what exactly cultural diversity is and they will explore how it relates to them personally. We will be examining many situations where diversity is celebrated and also where it seems to be discouraged. One focus will be on racism, but it will also be a focus for the students to search for and discuss ways that cultural diversity is put down more subtly. Along the way students will also explore many factors that play roles in embracing or discouraging cultural diversity with most of the emphasis being put on multi-media. Finally, the students will be taking action and finding ways to use writing as a way to take a role in embracing diversity in our community.



** Reading **

Our main text for the unit will be //Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned// by Walter Mosley. This is a national bestseller fiction story that deals with many powerful issues. The students will be keeping Reading Journals while they read through the book. This will allow them to express their feelings and opinions on the book, its characters, the plot and any similarities to their life or situations they can relate to. There are two other writing activities with this book that will be described below.

We will also be reading select poems from Mark Turcotte’s, //Exploding Chippewas//. These poems give a gripping look into one culture that should not be overlooked in the discussion; Native Americans. Below is a description of a writing option assignment for this book.



** Writing Activities **

A: Students will read through this article, [|Cultural Diversity Article] ,and respond with their true feelings. As they read I will have them jot down everything that comes to mind. Finally, when done they will write their true feelings on what they read. How they choose to respond in writing is up to them.

B: “I Am Poem” to get them to realize even in our classroom we are all different, and this is not a bad thing. I will instruct them that the only rule is that each line should begin with the words "I am..." I will leave it open to their interpretation as much as possible, but suggest that they can, if they wish, include statements about where they're from regionally, ethnically, religiously, and so on; memories from different points in their lives; interests and hobbies; mottos or quotes; favorite phrases; family traditions and customs; and whatever else defines who they are.They will be sharing their poems. I will do mine and share it to help them feel comfortable sharing theirs.

C: Students examine stereotypes in media about cultures and their diversity.

We can look for good celebration, or negative portrayals. The main focus will be on television shows (like Family Guy, South Park, Cops, Fresh Prince of Bel-air, Jersey Shore, Dora the Explorer, Switched at Birth and many others ) Often in some areas this is all people see of other cultures. What do we think of this? Is this ok? What can we do? media type="youtube" key="59buT6ZgumM" height="349" width="425"media type="youtube" key="MYXJlfcfFKU" height="349" width="425" Students write the television companies to see what their response is on how this effects different cultures. Also will write our opinions and views, and potential consequences to newspapers, magazines…trying to get the word out on how our young people of different cultures feel about the media. (maybe make a YouTube, tweet or other forms of self expression)

D: We will be selecting some poems from Mark Turcotte’s //Exploding Chippewas//. The students will pick one poem that they feel they can relate to. They will write a story that shows their relation to the poem, and why it speaks to them. Or the students may create their own poem matching the style of Mark Turcotte, but using their own words and experiences. [|Mark Turcotte Poems]

Writing Activities for //Always Outnumbered, Always// Outgunned:

E: After reading through page 78 I want the students to write a narrative of their thoughts of Socrates. What would they think of him if they were a person living in his neighborhood?

F: How could Socrates Fortlow’s life be different, or what events might have changed if the people around him, in his society, embraced cultural diversity? What can we do as individuals or as a society to embrace multiculturalism to help avoid similar situations in our community that come up in //Always Outnumbered; Always Outgunned?//

G: Create a diversity magazine, to show great things from many different cultures, and accomplishments together, and highlight diversity in the community. This magazine/newspaper will be a multi genre project. This is something that can continue throughout the school year and be carried on by the next junior class. Students will share and express what they have learned through personal poems, essays, research, journals, personal or fictional stories, persuasive/argumentative essays and more. This magazine/newspaper will be made available in the school and community.



**__ Unit Outline __**

__Day 1(Monday)__


 * Introduction to the Unit and discussion on what cultural diversity means to them
 * Discuss the Cultural Diversity current events the students will do every Tuesday and Thursday. We will decide what order the students will be going in.
 * Begin writing activity (A). We will read the article about cultural diversity first together, and then the students will read them alone beginning the assignment as described above.
 * With time left the floor will be open for the students to discuss their work.

__Day 2(Tuesday)__


 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Heading down to Computer Lab
 * Search through different websites on cultural diversity topics [[file:Cultural Diversity Websites.docx]], choose one of them and make a brief report of what you found there. Tell how the theme of the site relates to cultural diversity, multiculturalism or tolerance. Why you would recommend this site to other students?

__Day 3(Wednesday)__


 * Computer Lab to finish the reports on their chosen cultural diversity websites.
 * Reports due tomorrow, if not finished in lab must do for homework or make time in seminar.

__Day 4(Thursday)__
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Begin Writing Activity (B), “I Am Poems” as described above.
 * I will write a version of my own “I Am Poem” at the same time they are working. [[file:I Am Poem Sample.docx]]
 * We will come together towards the end of class to share our poems, starting with the teacher.

__Day 5 (Friday)__ + a time she or he experienced prejudice or discrimination;+ a time she or he discriminated against somebody else;+a time she or he witnessed discrimination and did nothing about it;+a time she or he witnessed discrimination and did something about it. Each group will then share their experiences with the larger group. Many experiences will be shared but we will focus further discussions on the last two prompts. What is it that leads us to act or choose not to act?
 * Sharing Stories of prejudice and discrimination. Divide the class into small groups of no larger than 4 members. Each student will get a chance to share a story about:
 * Begin reading //Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned// by Walter Mosley. Remind students of their reading journals (described towards the top). Read to page 63, first four chapters, by Monday.

__Day 6 (Monday)__
 * Collect reading journals from the Walter Mosley reading (first four chapters).
 * Lets appreciate some famous immigrants from different cultures with the “Interview Famous Immigrants”.
 * We will go to the schools Media Center to work on this two day project.



__Day 7 (Tuesday) __
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Continue working on the Immigrant Interview project in the Media Center

__Day 8 (Wednesday)__
 * Present Immigrant Interview projects
 * Silent reading through page 78 in //Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned//.
 * Begin writing assignment (E).

__Day 9 (Thursday)__
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Finish writing assignment (E)
 * Students will compare and contrast their views on the books main character with a classmate
 * Discuss with the larger group

__Day 10 (Friday)__
 * Begin thinking of embracing cultural diversity by looking at our own cultural diversities.
 * Take a look at our own cultural diversity. How did we get here? The students will have a week prior to the unit to collect as much family history as they can about their families as far back as possible. They will story board this, and then create a story of their journey of diversity.
 * With the information they have previously gathered the students will spend this day putting together a story board.

__Day 11 (Monday)__
 * Students will share their story boards with other students in groups. They will ask each other questions and say what they liked or didn't like. This will help each student revise their story before putting it into writing.
 * The students will then write their story about their own diversity journey. Final copies due in class tomorrow.

__Day 12 (Tuesday)__
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Introduce writing assingment (C).
 * The students will have until next Monday to collect their information.
 * With the time left we will brainstorm some ideas together.

__ Day 13(Wednesday) __
 * We will spend a couple of minutes discussing any examples of cultural diversity in the media the students have found so far.
 * Read the next four chapters, to page 140, in //Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned.//
 * Remind students of their reading journals.

__ Day 14(Thursday) __
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Spend a few minutes discussing any examples of cultural diversity in the media the students have found.
 * Assign the rest of //Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned//. The students will have the rest of class to read, whatever they do not get to will be homework.

__Day 15 (Friday)__
 * Now that the students have finished //Always Outnumbered, Always// Outgunned by Walter Mosley we will begin writing assignment (F).
 * We will first get into small groups to discuss some of the questions posed in writing assignment (F). Students will share their thoughts and opinions with each other,this will help them reinforce their thoughts before tackling the writing.
 * After discussion the students will complete the writing assingment.

__Day 16(Monday)__
 * First half of class will be time for the students to share the information they gathered for writing assignment (C).
 * We will have a mini-lesson on writing professional letters to prepare the students for writing the various companies.
 * The rest of the class period will be spent in the Media Center. The students will look up the information they need to contact and write to their various companies.

__Day 17(Tuesday)__
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * The rest of this class period will be devoted to finishing writing assignment (C)

__Day 18(Wednesday)__
 * Begin looking at Mark Turcotte's collection of poems in his book //Exploding Chippewas//. We will read seven of the poems that I have selected out loud in class together to start with.
 * We will then begin working on writing assignment (D). Students may use one of the seven chosen poems, or one they explore on their own.

__Day 19(Thursday)__
 * Student Cultural Diversity Current Event Presentation
 * Journal about the current event topic and circle share
 * Finish writing assignment (D)
 * Before class ends I will introduce the students to their next assignment:
 * Find a song that addresses cultural diversity/multicultural issues. We will listen to each students song, that student will describe why they chose the song and what their interpretations of the song are. We will then write a story based off of the song chosen.media type="youtube" key="0_1IMZmJe-U" height="281" width="275"media type="youtube" key="cv9iKYwp7ps" height="284" width="297"

[|More Ideas for songs]

__Day 20(Friday)__
 * Listen to the students selected songs
 * The rest of the class will be devoted to completing their fictional short stories that are based off of their chosen songs

__Day 21-25(Monday)__
 * This final week of the unit will be devoted to writing assingment (G). This is the capstone to the unit. This week will turn our classroom into a workshop. The students may work on projects alone, or with partners. Whatever writing genre they choose to express themselves in is also up to them. The end result will be a multi-genre collection of student writing that will show what they have learned about cultural diversity and help their audience learn the importance of embracing cultural diversity. Each student will be responsible for providing at least two pieces of writing for our magazine/newspaper. By Friday we will have the collection put together, the students will decide how they want the collection put together and add supplemental effects before we send it off to be printed.

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Contact Information: jbushong001@defiance.edu