Unity in Diversity by Di Jonna Mullen

Use Diverse Literature

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:15:41 UTC

Include books with characters from various backgrounds (e.g., Last Stop on Market Street, Hair Love, Islandborn). Let students see themselves in the stories.

Teach Hidden Histories

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:18:32 UTC

Go beyond the textbook to include contributions of lesser-known figures from different cultures (e.g., Katherine Johnson, Dolores Huerta). This teaches respect for all backgrounds.

Cross Cultural Case Studies

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:20:15 UTC

Use real-life examples from other cultures in subjects like science and social studies. For example, students can explore how different communities use plants in medication or how some communities use plants as medicine.

Celebrate Global Holidays in Lessons

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:21:02 UTC

Add cultural events to your lesson plans—like Lunar New Year or Diwali—to bring global awareness into math, reading, or art activities.

Learn Your Students Backgrounds

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:23:18 UTC

Create a “getting to know you” project for students to complete with their families to learn each child’s cultural background. Use what you learn to connect lessons to their lives.

Offer Choices in Assignments

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:26:32 UTC

Have students pick how they'd like to show how they're learning the lesson. Students' options would be drawing, writing, or speaking to cater to different learning styles.

Connect Learning to Culture

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:29:30 UTC

Connect lessons to students' real-life experiences. Using their family's holiday traditions to explain fractions in math.

Example: If Sam's family cooks waffles every Christmas morning. We can show fractions with the waffles or we can count how many people eat 2 waffles.

Speak Their Language (Literally and Emotionally)

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:31:14 UTC

Learn simple greetings or phrases in students’ home languages. It builds trust and helps children feel seen.

Display Culture Rich Decor

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:39:09 UTC

Hang flags, student art, or quotes from diverse leaders. Let the classroom reflect the world.

Create Inclusive Norms Together

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:41:02 UTC

Involve students when creating classroom rules that respect all voices. During circle time, use that as a time to check in and listen to students weekly.

Use Inclusive Language

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:44:47 UTC

Be mindful of your word choice. For example, try using words like "Winter Break" instead of "Christmas Break" to respect the students who don't celebrate the Christmas Holiday.

Celebrate "Who We Are" Projects

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:47:42 UTC

Allow the students to share their About Me projects that have facts about their Traditions, family favorites, name, favorite color, etc.

Invite Guest Speakers

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:50:50 UTC

Ask family members or community leaders to speak about their cultures. This will help students understand learning beyond the classroom.

Host Multicultural Family Nights

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:52:34 UTC

Create events where families can bring food, music, or stories from their cultures. This will help build a strong school community and long-term relationships.

Send Home Inclusive Newsletters

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:55:01 UTC

Share class news in simple language, with an alternate side that has translation for multilingual families. Include upcoming events and student work, along with classroom themes related to diversity.

Plan Service Projects in the Community

dmullenstudent — 2025-08-04 21:57:19 UTC

Students can take part in community events like food drives, community clean up and preparing care packages for local families. This builds empathy and connection.