1.12 Overview Social Studies SOL

1.12 OVERVIEW

The student will recognize that communities in Virginia include people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Have students research their own family background and interview family members or friends.
Research and study the different cultures or country origins of students in your school or classroom and the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds found throughout Virginia.
Share the information learned about different cultures of Virginia with other classes or invite parents to share. Students may work in cooperative groups and create posters, dress up in clothing traditional to that culture, and share information.
Create a special holiday for Virginia to Celebrate Cultural Diversity. Discuss why this might be a good holiday. Have students design posters or create a special flag that will be displayed to honor this day.
Have a Cultural Diversity Celebration in the classroom. Invite parents or other members of the community to share their own cultural background, traditions, and customs.
Look up recipes from other ethnic cultures. Prepare these dishes in class or send recipes home with parent volunteers to prepare. Have an International Buffet day and sample different ethnic dishes.
Visit an ethnic restaurant in the community.
Create Venn Diagrams or other graphic representations of similarities and differences between families, groups, cultures, etc.
Review with the students that people celebrate American holidays and traditions in addition to their own cultural holidays and traditions.
Review with the students that people in our communities are united as Americans by common principles and traditions, such as celebrating Independence Day (Fourth of July) and pledging allegiance to the flag.

WEB SITES

http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/
This calendar lists holidays and celebrations by religion, ethic groups, and other categories.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/holidays.htm
Here are brief descriptions of a sample of holidays from around the world.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/newyork/laic/
The site uses New York City as an example of how cities and communities across America developed into unique centers of commerce, politics, architecture, culture, and ethnicity.

http://www.planning.org/kidsandcommunity/index.htm
A site designed by city planners, students can explore how communities are created and how/why changes occur.

LITERATURE LINKS

Diversity in ethnic origins, customs, and traditions

Waters, Jennifer.
All Kinds of People: What Makes Us Different. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2002.
This book explores the diversity among humankind, including differences in physical appearance, communication, mobility, and personality.