Whether designing a unit on diversity or minilessons built into daily routine, there is a vast list of literature with focus on diversity. Reading picture books with themes on diversity and having class discussions fit into smaller units of time. Designing units around chapter books with a desired theme is also an option.
Depending on the teacher's location and classroom needs, the selection of books will change. Many websites offer lists of books based on disabilities, health, culture and family dynamics. Teachers can obtain books through their local library or through interlibrary loan.
Role play is another activity that provides students the opportunity to experience diversity, from disabilities to language barriers. Teachers write note cards focused on specific topics. Students draw a card from the pile. For the day, students abide by the differences on their card. If a child is an English Language Learner, he is not to speak to his peers, and all given schoolwork is in another language or gibberish. Peers pretend they don't understand when the child speaks. At the end of the day, the teacher allows students to share their experience -- whether confusion, anger or understanding. If a child becomes upset during role play, the teacher may elect to shorten the child's experience and provide time for class discussion.
There are many videos, presentations and virtual field trips available online. Virtual field trips also allow students to experience other cultures without leaving the classroom. Once viewed, these videos and presentations allow for class discussion of topics.
Students create computer presentations or short video clips examining diversity within their classroom and the world around them. Students learn about the topics while developing their own knowledge to share with their peers in a multimedia presentation.
Scholastic offers both virtual field trips of Ellis Island with stories of immigrants and also presentations on cultures through its website.
Students are assigned topics based on issues with diversity. Students research their topics independently or in small groups. Students receive a list of guidelines to research, including complications of disabilities or point of view based on culture or family dynamics. Students are encouraged to examine all angles of the topic, including interviewing members of the community. Finally, students present the information, explaining their developed understanding. The teacher ensures that presenting students have time for questions and answers from their peers.
If pupils are in elementary grades, consider inviting individuals from various cultures in your community to prepare presentations to share with your class. Older students may examine presentations provided by others online, such as those created by media specialist Sally Horowitz on the Woodford County Public Schools website.