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This links to a series of games to use in the classroom to practice and model effective decision making.

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Games for Building Decision-Making Skills | Common Sense Education

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Give students the opportunity to make and learn from decisions both good and bad. Explore this Games for Building Decision-Making Skills Top Picks list of 16 tools curated by Common Sense Education editors to find relevant and engaging edtech solutions for your classroom.

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This link provides a number of ideas and resources for teaching communication and effective relationship skills--an important aspect of SEL.

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Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) enhances the ability to communicate and connect with a range of people in healthy ways. In this section of the SEL Toolkit, we link to strategies and resources that will help youth work professionals teach relationship skills.

Model and Promote Positive Communication Skills

Active Listening and Feedback

These handouts were designed to help youth work professionals model and explain positive communication skills.

Active Listening

Positive and Constructive Feedback

The U.S. Department of State "Diplomacy in Action" site includes a helpful page describing the positive use of "I" messages.

Web Page

Teaching Resources for Youth Educators - A Source Book

Created by Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development, this collection of teaching materials includes activities, games, exercises, handouts, and worksheets that deal with interpersonal communication skills, relationships, conflict resolution, and public speaking.

Manual

Communications Toolkit

Created by Michigan 4-H Youth Development, this toolkit provides activities to engage young people in creative expression and communication activities using different media.

Manual

Communication Skills

This Advocates for Youth lesson plan uses role plays to teach communication skills.

Lesson Plan

Youth Engaged in Leadership and Learning

This manual from the John W. Gardner Center includes many exercises aimed at building communication and social skills.

Manual

Teach Social Skills

101 Ways to Teach Children Social Skills

This free book by Lawrence E. Shapiro includes strategies for teaching social skills to children, particularly those with social problems.

Activities

Use Group Learning Strategies

Collaborative Learning

This handout includes collaborative learning activities and tips.

Activities and Tips

Jim Cain's Raccoon Circles

This collection of team-building activities is for both small and large groups. Many of the activities are intended to be done outdoors.

Activities

Group-Games.com

This is a database of free group games, icebreakers, and team-building activities.

Activities

Youth Adult Partnership Manual

This Innovation Center manual offers activities for youth and adults, both separately and jointly, in preparation for working together.

Manual

Teach Conflict Resolution Skills

Six Steps to Solving Problems

The Raising Children Network describes six steps for working with a young person in order to reach a solution together.

Web Page

Consensus - Action Planning

This handout describes an inclusive process for group planning.

Planning Process

Out on a Limb: A Guide to Getting Along

Developed by University of Illinois Extension, this interactive site teaches children conflict resolution skills. A teachers' guide is included.

Website

Research

Assessing Peer Conflict and Aggressive Behavior

This Child Trends brief discusses peer conflict and aggressive behaviors, ways to reduce these behaviors, and assessment.

Research Brief

What Works for Promoting and Enhancing Positive Social Skills

This Child Trends literature review of 38 programs identifies practices that work, or do not work, to promote positive social skills.

Research Brief

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Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) enhances the ability to communicate and connect with a range of people in healthy ways. In this section of the SEL Toolkit, we link to strategies and resources that will help youth work professionals teach relationship skills.

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This link provides more information about what social awareness is and how to encourage it in the classroom.

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I may earn a small commission if you buy something through a link on this site. It won't cost you anything and I only recommend products I trust. Please see the affiliate disclosure for more.

Social awareness gives you the ability to understand and respond to the needs of others. Improve your social skills and gain the respect of others as you apply the ideas on this page.

Understanding other people's feelings is central to emotional intelligence. Get it wrong and you'll be seen as uncaring and insensitive.

Getting it right is essential for success.

Social Awareness meets
Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence consists of four basic capabilities, or domains. These are:

This page focuses on social awareness - the ability to understand and respond to the needs of others. This is the third of the domains of emotional intelligence proposed by Daniel Goleman.

Use the links above to find out about the other domains or get an overview of emotional intelligence here.

Social Awareness

The waiter who suggests something better from the menu...

...the salesperson who goes the extra mile...

...the supportive team leader...

...and the executive that remembers your name -

...each of these have one thing in common...
They excel in social awareness.
According to Daniel Goleman the competencies associated with being socially aware are:

Empathy: understanding the other person's emotions, needs and concerns.

Organizational Awareness: the ability to understand the politics within an organization and how these affect the people working in them.

Service: the ability to understand and meet the needs of clients and customers.

Awareness of social situations means you carefully consider what people want, and plan to communicate with them in a way that is intended to meet that need.

Is this the same as manipulation? I'm not sure.

Great leaders and public speakers are skilled in this ability. It helps them build support.

I don't believe social awareness is intended to be quite as calculated as manipulation. At best being socially aware is a natural response to people, taking their situation and needs into account as much as possible.

Caring 2.0

Research reported in Scientific American suggests that our levels of empathy - the ability to understand the feelings of others - are lower today than 30 years ago.

An increase in social isolation is one theory used to explain this finding.

Digital communication, social networking, video conferencing and other forms of new media contribute to social isolation and are often blamed for the reduction in empathy.

After all, it's much easier to say negative things about others if you don't have to say it to their face. And if I don't feel like engaging in your problems, I can simply log off, or even 'unfriend' you. It's an easy option.

The trouble is that when there is no empathy, when we don't work to understand the needs of others, there is a significant loss of trust.

If I don't really know what you're thinking and feeling I trust you less, and isolate myself more. This can have major implications for business where trust is essential for successful leadership and partnerships.

Understanding = Trust

More importantly though, when you respond to the needs and feelings of other people, you gain their trust.

Others will be labelled uncaring and insensitive, but you are trusted when you're able to understand and respond to the needs and values of individuals, and the group.

This is true whether you're a salesperson dealing with the public, or a leader in an organization.

Empathy

Leaders in organizations have traditionally viewed empathy with suspicion, thinking that there is no place for soft emotional skills in the tough world of business.

My experience is that managers worry that employees will take advantage of them if they show any empathy.

But changing times and the need to consider the feelings of employees has led to social awareness becoming a critical skill for effective leaders.

This has even impacted the training given to doctors. Today doctors are trained to formulate a bio-psycho-social understanding of the problem rather than treating patients purely as a diagnosis.
A quick note...
Empathizing with someone - understanding their point of view - doesn't mean you have to agree with their point of view.

Empathy is really about acknowledging the emotions of others, being thoughtful and considerate of their feelings, and making decisions that take those feelings into consideration.

Too much empathy?

Your ability to connect with and understand others is an important skill. But it's important to control this so it doesn't become a burden on you.

Some of us find it really easy to empathize with others. And it is always appreciated.

But did you know that getting over-involved in the problems people share with us can lead to you feeling emotionally exhausted? While we're looking after the emotions of others we forget to look after our own emotional well-being.

That doesn't sound emotionally intelligent to me!

If this is you then it's in your best interest to learn transform your empathy into something more controllable.
This gentle audio hypnosis session will teach you how to do this and is an excellent start to looking after your emotional needs.
How to build social awareness

Improve your listening skills. Take a short course in effective communication skills.

Pay close attention to interactions with other people. Be aware of what they say, how they say it and what they do.

Use a gentle self hypnosis audio download to improve your ability to understand others.

Identify other people's emotional states. Listen carefully to what they're saying and notice how they respond to external events, such as someone greeting them or asking them to do something.

Think about your feelings. How does the other person's emotion make you feel?

Think before you answer and give clear answers.

Try This

Pay close attention to your interactions with other people. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Did I listen actively to the person who approached me? Was I too busy to listen?

2. Did I ask the other person questions about the content of what s/he was saying as well as his/her feelings and emotions about what they are saying?

3. Did I change my body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other elements in order to meet the needs of the other person?

Sensitivity and diversity

Being socially aware is important as it affects your response to people and situations.

The starting place for becoming socially aware is self awareness.

Self awareness is essential in order to understand the feelings and emotions of others while self management is necessary to ensure that your response is appropriate to the situation.

An empathic response requires awareness of diversity and a sensitivity to the needs and emotions of others.

Diversity encompasses acceptance and respect while recognising our individual differences and uniqueness.

Open communication plays an essential role in managing diversity and building an awareness of social situations.

Everything starts with an 'E'

I always enjoyed grafitti I saw years ago that said "Everything starts with an 'E'.

While it's true that the word ' everything' starts with an 'e' I've discovered that empathy always starts with 'u' - (you).

Mother Teresa (1910-1997) told us that empathy has to start with us.

She said ' Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person'. This advice comes from one of the best voices for social awareness that we can listen to.

Social awareness is a key element of your emotional intelligence. Don't complain about people who are not understanding of your needs. Focus rather on growing your emotional intelligence and practicing empathy, service and organizational awareness yourself.

Being socially aware is an essential building block for emotional intelligence.

Practicing attention to social situations is a habit that closely corresponds with Stephen Covey's Habit 5...
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood".

The more it's practiced the more likely it is to become a habit.

As we improve social awareness we also improve our experience of life, create opportunities for better work life balance, become aware of other peoples emotions, and improve our ability to respond to change.

Leave your thoughts below and keep in touch by visiting our Facebook Page and clicking 'Like' to join the community.

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Develop Social Awareness To Build Emotional Intelligence.

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I may earn a small commission if you buy something through a link on this site. It won't cost you anything and I only recommend products I trust. Please see the affiliate disclosure for more. Social awareness gives you the ability to understand and respond to the needs of others.

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This link provides both videos and downloadable resources for implementing self-management into the classroom.

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We believe that teachers need access to a range of practical strategies that are free and easy to use in the classroom.

Why Download the Free Self-Management Toolkit?

The self-management toolkit is a self-contained professional development session (a "PD-in-a-Box") built to ensure that teachers have a positive experience while learning more about self-management. We have developed and extensively tested the toolkit to ensure that it is as helpful as possible to educators, and we welcome your feedback about further refinements we can make.

The toolkit contains:

Facilitators guide with sample agendas

Slide presentation to guide you through the session

Animation showing the critical role self-management plays for children over the long term, that it can be taught, and the mindset needed to actually teach it

Video interviews with students who saw dramatic improvements after learning specific self-management strategies in school

Practical strategies and sample ways to use them that teachers can implement immediately

Suggested reflection activities and a practical planning exercise

Handout with all of the key session content plus extra implementation examples that teachers can take with them

The majority of these items are available in fully editable formats so you can adapt the session to fit your own needs.

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What is Self-Management? Self-management is a key enabler for all learning (for children and adults!) whether for academic subjects, other content areas, or skills like playing a musical instrument. Self-management allows students to follow through on plans to complete assignments, study for tests, and stay focused in class.

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This link provides resources for teaching growth mindset and helping students navigate their strengths and weaknesses.

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Learn how to talk to students about the brain, and download a growth mindset lesson plan.

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This link provides a number of activities and icebreakers that promote multicultural awareness.

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EdChange - Equity, Anti-bias, & Diversity Activities & Exercises

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Multicultural, Anti-bias, & Diversity Activities & Exercises

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This link is to an article that lists a number of books for every grade level that promote CRT.

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Classroom library books and other printed materials should represent the interests of the students and reflect the diversity of students within the classroom. However, until the recent past, it was not uncommon to find classrooms completely void of reading materials that either were written by African American, Latino, or Asian authors or which prominently featured the lively and rich histories of the diverse cultures represented in the school.

Many young students were never exposed to their own cultural heritage in the books available to them in the classroom. In addition, a culturally responsive classroom acknowledges and appreciates children's home cultures and attempts to build upon the uses of language and literacy with which children are already familiar. Familiar stories and predictable books may help children express their cultural uniqueness and share their personal stories (Neuman, 1994).

Helpful Resources/Links

The Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning. The Center makes available for purchase a number of different instructional resources for classrooms, such as: Classroom Library Bundles, Core Literature Sets (by grade level), and Culture Kits with lesson plans. www.culturallyresponsive.org/libraries.html

Teaching Tolerance. Founded in 1991 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance is dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation's children. www.tolerance.org

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC). A unique and vital gathering place for books, ideas, and expertise in the field of children's and young adult literature. The CCBC is a non-circulating examination, study, and research library for Wisconsin school and public librarians, teachers, early childhood care providers, university students, and others interested in children's and young adult literature. www.education.wisc.edu

International Literacy Association. The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. The site hosts Choices Booklists. Each year, thousands of children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the "Choices" booklists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help young readers find books they will enjoy.

Children's Book Council. The Children's Book Council is the national nonprofit trade association for children's trade book publishers. The Children's Book Council works annually on reading lists to help teachers, librarians, parents, and booksellers discover new, wonderful books for the children in their lives. www.cbcbooks.org

Book Lists

Since 1989, the Teachers' Choices project, hosted on the International Reading Association web-site, has developed an annual annotated reading list of new books that will encourage young people to read. The following is a partial book list of children's multicultural books from the Teachers' Choices.

Primary (Grades K-2; ages 5-8)

Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me. From Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me
Ann Grifalconi. Text copyright 2007 by Ann Grifalconi. Illustrations copyright 2007 by Jerry Pinkney. Reprinted by permission of Hyperion Books for Children. All rights reserved. Ann Grifalconi. Ill. Jerry Pinkney.

The Underground Railroad comes to life in this picture book through a grandfather's recounting of his lesson in friendship to his granddaughter. Based loosely on the life of Orleans Finger, a former slave, who lived by the words, "Ain't nobody a stranger to me," the text and illustrations combine to create a picture of past and present in a grandfather's life. CU: Beautifully illustrated. This is an excellent read-aloud to grades K and up, especially during grandparents or Black History celebrations. Hyperion. 32 pp. US$10.50.

D Is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet
Nancy I. Sanders. Ill. E.B. Lewis.

Iconic watercolor paintings that portray African American impressions are displayed in alphabetical order and enhanced with carefully crafted, emphatic poetry. This exquisitely complex picture book invites readers' understanding and appreciation on many levels of thinking. The parallel informational text provides important facts to support memory of important historic events in the African American, nation-building experience. CU: American history social studies units; poetry; art and music. Sleeping Bear. 36 pp. US$17.37.

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad
Ellen Levine. Illustrations by Kadir Nelson. Used by permission of Scholastic Press.

Stunning illustrations tell the historical account of Henry, a runaway slave who mailed himself 350 miles in a box to freedom from Richmond, VA, to Philadelphia, PA. Simple text delivers a heartbreaking and inspiring story of Henry Brown, a real-life hero who never knew his age or birthday, and his escape from slavery. CU: All grade levels will benefit from this introduction to the era leading up to the Civil War and the ingenious use of the famous Underground Railroad. Scholastic. 40 pp. US$12.81.

The Orange Shoes
Trinka Hakes Noble. Ill. Doris Ettlinger.

Delly, a young rural girl from a poor but loving family, discovers the true riches in life are found in family and making the best of difficult times. Her love of art and nature paired with her creative problem-solving skills make Delly an inspiring character who finds positive ways to fuel her spirit. The illustrations invite the reader into the story and enhance the storytelling. CU: This heartwarming story provides discussion opportunities related to poverty (what makes a person rich?), bullying, and self-reliance. Sleeping Bear. 38 pp. US$10.86.

Intermediate (Grades 3-5; Ages 8-11)

A Friendship for Today
Patricia C. McKissack. Used by permission of Scholastic Press. Patricia C. McKissack.

Rosemary is one of the first African Americans to enroll in an all-white school. Throughout the year she develops an uneasy friendship with her neighborhood nemesis, Grace "the tasteless" Hamilton, and with the help of supportive adults and a rescued, injured kitten, learns the value of tolerance and perseverance. This book is based on the author's own experience in 1954 Missouri. CU: This historical novel supports middle school Civil Rights movement and school integration curriculum and speaks to students in all schools where there is intolerance, whether for ethnic, economic, or social reasons. Scholastic. 240 pp. US$5.21.

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II
Lita Judge. Ill. by the author.

This story was inspired by the author's discovery of thousands of tracings of feet in her grandparents' attic. What began as her grandparents' effort to help one family grew into a grassroots relief campaign to provide shoes for children and adults in war-torn Europe following WWII. Emotion-filled watercolor illustrations are interspersed with photographs, tracings, and other artifacts that help tell the story. This is a poignant reminder that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference. CU: World War II; journals; diversity; and overcoming adversity. Hyperion. 40 pp. US$15.99.

A Song for Harlem: Scraps of Time, 1928
Patricia C. McKissack. Ill. Gordon C. James.

After being accepted into a summer writing program, Lilly Belle, a young girl from a small town in Tennessee, travels to Harlem to be instructed by the writer Zora Neale Hurston during the summer of 1928. Through the summer writing program she learns not only about writing, but also about friendships and her own character as well as the character of others. CU: This book could be used for teaching about the Harlem Renaissance and where ideas and voice come from when writing. Viking Juvenile. 112 pp. US$4.99.

Sweet Land of Liberty
Deborah Hopkinson. Ill. Leonard Jenkins.

As a child, Oscar Chapman watched his black friends suffer racial injustices. As an adult and assistant secretary of interior under President Franklin Roosevelt, Chapman again witnessed racial injustice. When African American opera singer Marian Anderson was denied the use of Constitution Hall, Chapman organized the 1939 Anderson concert given at the Lincoln Memorial for 75,000 people. CU: Mixed-media collages illustrate connections between past and present, childhood experiences and works for civil rights and community good. Author's notes provide more political history, making the book a great read-aloud for any grade level. Peachtree. 32 pp. US$16.95.

This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness
Joyce Sidman. Ill. Pamela Zagarenski.

An imaginary class of students writes poems apologizing to friends, family, and each other. Recipients of the poems respond with poems of forgiveness. The poems are written with deep emotion and feeling. Poems, like the one apologizing for euthanizing a pet dog, are very moving and will easily make connections with students. CU: This book can be used to teach poetry by connecting to the reader. Poetry can be intimidating, but this book shows how things from your everyday life can become a poem. Houghton Mifflin. 48 pp. US$6.97.

Advanced (Grades 6-8; Ages 11-14)

Celeste's Harlem Renaissance
Eleanora E. Tate. Used by permission of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Harlem, the Colored world capital of the early 1900s, was the only place Celeste (Cece) Lassiter Massey could go when her father was confined to a tuberculosis sanitarium near home in Raleigh, NC. Upon arrival in New York, she discovered that her Aunt Val was not famous, just an aspiring performer who did menial work to support a meager lifestyle. Cece's prospects were bleak until her talent as a violinist provided a way for her aunt to work in the chorus line of a show. CU: Harlem Renaissance; music; theater. US$7.99

Reaching for Sun
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. Copyright 2007 Bloomsbury Children's Books.

Josie, a seventh grader with cerebral palsy, struggles to find her place in the world. She lives with her mother and grandmother on a small portion of family farm not sold to developers. Josie's life becomes more interesting when Jordan, a science-minded geek, moves into the area. Their friendship carries Josie into summer when life takes more twists and turns. CU: Written in free-verse, reluctant readers will enjoy the quick read while more mature readers will appreciate the poetic structure and figurative language. Josie's strong voice provides insights into life for persons with disabilities. Bloomsbury USA Children's Books. 144 pp. US$11.99.

Sequoyah: Inventor of Written Cherokee
Roberta Basel

The life of Sequoyah is detailed in an easy-to-read-and-understand format. The reader learns how Sequoyah, a deeply committed Cherokee, developed the Cherokee written language. While describing his life, the reader is engaged by interesting facts and glimpses of life in the 1800s. CU: This book is formatted in a manner that will help students use it as a research tool. Included is an effective timeline using pictures and captions. The book could also be used with a lesson about source notes. Compass Point. 112 pp. US$6.49.

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood
Ibtisam Barakat

This first-person memoir of a young Palestinian girl's memory of the Six-Day War in Ramallah paints the perspective of war from a child's point of view. When the bombing ceases and the dust settles, the protagonist's mother advises her daughter to forget, but she wants to remember. The young refugee shares the joy of discovering literacy; her language and literacy empower her voice to share her story. CU: This autobiographical text provides a wonderful springboard for current events and point of view in literature. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 192 pp. US$5.64.

Young Adults (Grades 7-12)

The 2008 Young Adults' Choices list is the 22nd that U.S. teenagers (grades 7-12) have helped create. This project began in 1986, funded by a special grant given to the International Reading Association and supervised by the Association's Literature for Young Adults Committee.

Being Bindy
Alyssa Brugman

This funny, coming-of-age novel from Australia reassures young readers that even after the worst day of your life, things can get better. Teens will recognize many of Bindy's problems including losing a best friend, divorce, parental dating, and the idea of blended families. Bindy is left out and bullied, but she does have support from her father, her brother, and two new friends. There is humiliation and embarrassment here, but Bindy finds the strength to make tough decisions. Teens will like this story about being true to yourself. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. 208 pp. US$6.56.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
John Boyne

Readers will remember this story long after the book is finished. In the early 1940s in Nazi Germany, 9-year-old Bruno moves from Berlin to a place in Poland called "Out-With" after a visit from the "Fury." Bruno can see a high wire fence and hundreds of people wearing striped pajamas. Like most boys, Bruno is curious and more than anything he wants a friend. So does a boy in the striped pajamas. What happens next in this Holocaust tale is heart-stopping and unforgettable. Students will want to talk about this story. Mature readers. David Fickling. 224 pp. US$7.30.

Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888
Ernest L. Thayer and illustrated by Joe Morse. Reprinted by permission of Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto. Text copyright 2006 Ernest L. Thayer. Illustrations copyright 2006 Joe Morse.

Thayer's classic poem, "Casey at the Bat," is accompanied by striking oil and acrylic illustrations. Reinterpreted in an inner-city context, the text as illustrated by Morse imagines the events of the poem played out by and for a multicultural cast surrounded by the artistic graffiti and buildings of the city. This pairing results in a new reading of the poem, which will undoubtedly appeal to young and old alike. Kids Can. 48 pp. US$7.36.

Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything
E. Lockhart

Gretchen Yee is a talented artist who perceives herself as someone who doesn't quite fit in at the elite Manhattan High School for the Arts. She struggles to be normal around her ex-boyfriend and her current crush, all the while dealing with the news of her parents' divorce. Gretchen's off- hand comment about a desire to be a fly on the wall in the boy's locker room becomes a reality. Her fly's perspective provides her with a greater understanding of the male physique but more important gives her realistic insight into the lives and thoughts of boys. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. 192 pp. US$6.17.

Living with an alcoholic parent is especially tough on Samantha, who can't believe even her best friends will understand. With nowhere else to turn, Sam sends notes through a library book to a random girl who she hopes can advise her. When an older boy asks her to a party, Sam lies to her friends and sneaks out to meet him. Things only get worse as she deals with the consequences and discovers that her fellow note writer is not whom she thinks. Through confronting her parents and reconciling with her friends, Sam gains a deeper understanding of herself. Scholastic. 192 pp. US$12.74.

Mismatch
Lensey Namioka

Star-crossed lovers? This relevant story addresses issues of assimilation into American society, examining the cultural differences between Japanese and Chinese Americans. Sue, a viola player in the school orchestra, and Andy, a violinist, attempt a romantic relationship in spite of their parents' bigoted viewpoints. As the characters get to know each other, their mutual understanding blossoms, and they come to terms with their own cultural and personal identities. This is a must-read book for all diverse students who populate modern classrooms. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. 224 pp. US$9.87.

Returnable Girl
Pamela Lowell

This fictional account of a 13-year-old girl in foster care is a gripping story of a teenage girl longing to belong. Ronnie has been "returned" since she was abandoned by her mother at the age of 11. When she's finally found a home where she can settle in, her mother reappears. Written in Ronnie's voice in journal format, this book deals with many sensitive issues, such as sex, depression, and bullying, with which young readers will identify. It is a story of hope. Marshall Cavendish Children's Books. 229 pp. US$6.52.

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Culturally Responsive Books for Students

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Classroom library books and other printed materials should represent the interests of the students and reflect the diversity of students within the classroom. However, until the recent past, it was not uncommon to find classrooms completely void of reading materials that either were written by African American, Latino, or Asian...

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This link includes outlines for a few CRT lessons--particularly for reading and history.

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We found some examples of lessons created to bring culturally responsive teaching to life in the classroom. They can be adapted to address different cultures and different grades using the same basic framework. "Make it personal for your students," says Native American education specialist Denny Hurtado, and "work with your local communities so it's authentic."

African-American History Lesson

Have students share their personal histories. This fosters verbal and writing abilities, encourages chronological thinking, and teaches about the gathering of data to create a history. The histories also allow students and teachers a chance to explore one another's racial identities and personal experiences. Have students discuss the following: What compelling differences do you find in your history and those of others? Considering the challenges others face, how might you interact with them differently in the future?

Source: How to Teach Students Who Don't Look Like You: Culturally Relevant Teaching Strategies, Bonnie M. Davis, 2006. Corwin Press.

Native American Reading Lesson

In this lesson, students learn about the role that hunting and gathering play in Native American culture, as well as family roles and relationships, while developing reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. Bring in different types of berries for students to identify (and snack on once the lesson is complete!) Have them study a map of local flora and fauna. Suggested readings could include Robert McClosky's Blueberries for Sal, or Lindsay George's Around the Pond. Distribute a printed recipe for freezer jam and have them circle the nouns and verbs. Offer extra credit if students work with a family member at home to make the jam and share details about the experience with the class.

Source: Northwest Native American Reading Curriculum , Hurtado and Costantino, 2002.

Hispanic Literature Lesson

Jumping into Shakespeare is rarely considered an easy or welcome task for students. But putting it in the context of their own culture can make a difference. Using the themes of family and cultural tension in Romeo and Juliet, students will be able to compare and contrast their own family relationships with their classmates, read for specific information, draw conclusions, and develop a vocabulary relevant to the materials. After reading passages from the play, have students discuss and write answers for the following questions that follow the play's examination of family and culture clashes: Who is the head of my household? Why? Are all family members equally responsible for the protection of the family unit? Should final decisions always be made in the same manner? Are families closer to each other on happy occasions or in crisis? How does where a family lives affect them? As an extended lesson, have students compile questions to ask their parents and grandparents comparing family life during their childhood and today.

Source: Cheryl Merritt, 2005. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.

Asian-American Business and Marketing Lesson

Have students select a magazine and compare the number of ads featuring Asian-American models with the total number of ads, and describe the product and company that any Asian-American model is promoting. As a discussion or writing prompt, ask, Does the ad maintain or break common stereotypes about Asian Americans? Does it contain potentially derogatory images or language? If you could recreate the ad, how might you do so? The lesson helps students understand how advertising constructs or deconstructs stereotypes about Asian Americans, leads to discussion of students' culture, and promotes critical thinking and composition skills.

Source: Teaching About Asian Pacific Americans, Edith Wen-Chu and Glenn Omatsu, 2006. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Return to Resources

Return to It's There: Talk About It

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We found some examples of lessons created to bring culturally responsive teaching to life in the classroom. They can be adapted to address different cultures and different grades using the same basic framework. "Make it personal for your students," says Native American education specialist Denny Hurtado, and "work with your local communities so it's authentic."

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Provides a general overview of the goals and process of SEL.

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Provides a general overview for CRT and some tools for teaching diverse students.

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This collection holds materials from the Education Alliance at Brown University. The Education Alliance was a reform support organization committed to advancing equitable educational opportunities that prepare all student populations to succeed in the 21st century. From 1975-2021, the Alliance partnered with schools, districts and state departments of education to apply research findings in developing solutions to educational challenges. Its mission was to enhance learning for culturally and linguistically diverse students and focused on district and school improvement with special attention to underperformance and issues of equity and diversity. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26300/7eez-dz04

The Education Alliance archived website can be found here

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Brown Digital Repository | Collection | The Education ...

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This collection holds materials from the Education Alliance at Brown University. The Education Alliance was a reform support organization committed to advancing equitable educational opportunities that prepare all student populations to succeed in the 21st century. From 1975-2021, the Alliance partnered with schools, districts and state departments of education to apply research findings in developing solutions to educational challenges.