Teachers can help students appreciate diversity by offering them opportunities to share personal information about their ancestries and learn about the cultures of their peers. Invite each student to pack a shoe box of items that represent his culture. Items might include small flags, money from a particular country, photos, post cards, or even fabric swatches from ethnic clothing. Allow each student to share the contents of his box with the class on a given day.
Students can make flags that represent a country of their personal heritage. Flags can be made out of paper and markers or paint. On the back, students could write some facts about the country. Flags can also be created with fabric. The teacher could sew all the flags together into a class quilt that could be hung in the room.
Assign a country research project that offers students a chance to learn detailed information about a country of choice. After completing the report, they could make travel brochures for the countries, including information such as famous tourist sites, traditional foods, native animals and plants, maps, and languages spoken. Invite students to share their reports and set up their brochures around the room. The class could also put together an around-the-world Power Point presentation with each student creating one slide.
Host a multicultural feast and invite students and their families to bring in a dish that reflects their culture. Some examples might include souvlaki, burritos, curry chicken, plantains, lo mein, and falafel. You can play a variety of music from different nations and people could even dress in traditional garb. Ask about any allergies and get permission slips if necessary.