Read or tell the African folk tale, "Why Frogs and Snakes Never Play Together." Discuss how the characters in the story feel. Have students express how they would feel if their parents would not let them play with their best friends. Divide the class into two groups. One group will be frogs, and one will be snakes. Assign two students from each group to play the animal parents. Have students act out the story. Students should spend a few minutes just pretending to be their assigned animals. Have your class present the play to another class or to parents for open house.
Obtain several different varieties of apples: Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, Macintosh and other varieties. You will need at least one apple per student. Place the apples on a table. Each student should choose an apple for the activity. As a class, discuss all the similarities and differences related to the apples. Have each student create a story about his apple and share it with the class. When the students have shared their stories, have them return their apples to the table. Rearrange the apples and see if students can find their original apple. Discuss how the diversity of apples relates to the diversity of people.
Begin by discussing American culture with the class. Explain that our culture has many subcultures due to immigration from various countries of the world. Have students choose a partner for the activity. Each group will cut pictures from newspapers or magazines that represent American culture. The students will fashion these pictures into a collage on a piece of card stock. On the reverse, students will glue pictures representing the various ethnic, religious or racial groups in America. Cultural representations could include pictures representing music, art, clothing and government, for example. When the collages are complete, attach a string or piece of fishing line and suspend the collage from the ceiling. This allows students to view both sides of the artwork.
Have students interview their families to discover their countries of origin. Each student will create a story about the origins of her family. Adopted children or foster children may focus on their adoptive or foster families. Students must share their stories in a 5- to 10-minute class presentation. Encourage students to bring props to add interest to their speeches: coins, clothing, books, photo albums, for example. Display a large world map on a bulletin board in the classroom. As each student shares her family's tale, have her position a pushpin in her family's countries of origin.