A Plan for Bringing Down the Walls that Separate People
Published on Mar 11, 2017
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
The Plan
- Autobiographical Poster Assignment
- Share and Display
- Class Discussion
- Potluck
Photo by reallyboring
Autobiographical Poster
- The posters should be made within the first week of class
- Each poster should contain the student's name, pictures, facts about them, and/or quotes
The posters are assigned, in order to showcase each student as an individual, focusing on the characteristics that are personal to them. This will help their classmates see them as individuals, too, instead of focusing on the fact that they have histories that clash. Using actual photographs will produce an accurate portrayal of the student and their family. This portrayal may be a view that other classmates (especially if they are from clashing backgrounds) have never seen before, much like Jobrani (2012) doing a comedy tour and laughing, which broke the typical Middle Eastern stereotype depicted in American media.
Photo by Joaquín Trujillo
Autobiographical Poster Continued
- Fun facts include: favorite color, favorite food, likes/dislikes, sports teams, nicknames, unique traits, etc.
- The teacher should create their own autobiographical poster, too
Photo by Joaquín Trujillo
sample poster
Share and Display
- Posters should be presented in class and then displayed
- Posters should be displayed, so they can be used as conversation peices, as well as being a reminder of each student's of the unique qualities
Finding that you have things in common can create friendships out of unlikely individuals, just like Sarah (2015) befriending people in his Hebrew class over a mutual love for country music. Putting the posters on display will give students the opportunity to learn more about each other and hopefully foster new friendships through the discovery of similarities.
Photo by Innovation_School
Class Discussion
- After everyone gets to know each other through the autobiographical poster assignment, hold a class discussion addressing the current issues, whether they are racial or religiously motivated
- The discussion should be student-led; the teacher must make sure to keep their opinions and beliefs, including unconscious bias at bay
It is better to acknowledge the antagonistic history of class members and discuss it, just like some of the parents did with their children iin "A Look at Race Through a Child's Eyes" (CNN, 2012), remembering that talking about it, isn't what creates a problem.
Photo by mariskar
Potluck Celebration
- The teacher (or school) can hold a potluck, in order to showcase and celebrate each student's ethnicity
- Potlucks can be held at the beginning of the year, or as often as the teacher and students would like
Food always brings people together, regardless of the setting. The students will be excited to share a piece of their culture at the potluck, and will hopefully share the same enthusiasm that Sarah (2015) had, when he was talking about the Palestinian food, maqluba.
Photo by lars hammar
Potluck Celebration Continued
- If there becomes tension or animosity in class, potlucks will be more frequent; they will give the students a chance to relax and celebrate their ethnicity, while sharing it (in the form of a food) with their peers
Photo by lars hammar
Potluck Celebration
Overall
- This plan breaks down the walls between people by highlighting their individual qualities and celebrating them
- The plan costs nothing to implement (except for poster supplies and food cost if the teacher makes a dish)
The poster and potluck allow the students to show off their own unique qualities and personality traits; other students will look at them for who they are (and the specific qualities they have), not what nationality they are.
Overall Continued
- The plan can be executed in a single classroom or school-wide
- The teacher can execute the plan on his/her own, but in order for the potluck to be successful, the students must bring in their own dishes which may require help from their parents
Success
- The plan can be executed in a single classroom or school-wide
- It will be apparent the plan is successful, when new connections and friendships are formed after the autobiographical poster assignment and when the entire class is mingling and enjoying themselves at the potluck, regardless of their conflicting ethnic history.
"When students are exposed to many different images and ideals, they are able to select their own beliefs more carefully" (Ellis, n.d., para. 3). The posters and potluck will give the students plenty of images and experiences that they can use to create their own beliefs, instead of falling back on historical beliefs.
References
- CNN. (2012, April 2). A look at race relations through a child's eyes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPVNJgfDwpw
Photo by Sergiu Bacioiu
References Continued
- Ellis, E.B. (n.d.). Cultural literacy through media: Breaking down stereotypes by building up knowledge. Retrieved from http://teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/viewer/initiative_06.01.01_u
Photo by Sergiu Bacioiu
References Continued
- Jobrani, M. (2012, December). Maz Jobrani: A Saudi, an Indian, and an Iranian walk into a Qatari bar...[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/maz_jobrani_a_saudi_an_indian_and_an_iranian_walk...
Photo by Sergiu Bacioiu
References Continued
- Sarah, A. A. (2014, March). Aziz Abu Sarah: For more tolerance, we need more ... tourism? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/aziz_abu_sarah_for_more_tolerance_we_need_more_to...
- [Untitled online image]. Retrieved from http://www.cfsnc.or/page.cfm?p=1360
Photo by Sergiu Bacioiu
References Continued
- [Untitled online image]. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=about+me+poster&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&v...:
Photo by Sergiu Bacioiu
