Session 2

Session 2: Respecting Cultural Diversity

 

Learning Activity 1: Shifting Location—Moving Your Understandings

 

Focus

 

Have you ever heard the expression, “You have to walk a mile in another person’s shoes to understand them”? While it is not possible to live another person’s life for a day, exploring what you would feel and experience in different situations allows you to consider what others might feel and experience in the same situations.

 

This is a two-part learning activity. In Part 1, you will either draw on your memories of moving or imagine what it would be like to leave your home or community. In Part 2, you will consider the needs of a family immigrating to Canada and to your community.

 

Directions

 

In this learning activity, you will see the words dialect and immigrate.

 

Step 1: Complete Part 1 of Learning Activity 1: Shifting Location—Moving Your Understandings.

 

Step 2: Choose one of the following videos and imagine that the family in the story you chose moves into the house next to yours.

• The Chinese Violin by Madeleine Thien
  
• Lights for Gita by Rachna Gilmore
  
• “Iranian Family Becomes Canadian for Freedom!” (To find this story, search the Internet using “Tehran to St. John’s + CIC.”)
  
• “Closing the Circle” (To find this story, search the Internet using “Closing the Circle + CIC.”)
  
• “Building a New Life, One Cup at a Time” (To find this story, search the Internet using the title of the article + “CIC.”)

You may also choose to complete Part 2 by reading any of the following books:

• The Colour of Home, by Mary Hoffman
• My Name is Yoon, by Helen Recorvits
• The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi
• Nadia’s Hands, by Karen English
• Allison, by Allan Say
• Dia’s Story Cloth, by Dia Cha
• Grandpa, Is Everything Black Bad?, By Sandy Lynne Holman
• Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman and Diana Souza
• Home to Medicine Mountain, by Chiori Santiago
• Josepha—A Prairie Boy’s Story, by Jim McGugan
• The Lotus Seed, by Sherry Garland
• Marianthe’s Story, by Aliki
• The Memory Coat, by Elvira Woodruff
• Mr. Lincoln’s Way, by Patricia Polacco
• The Streets are Free, by Kurusa
• Way Home, by Libby Hathorn

Step 3: Complete Part 2 of Learning Activity 1: Shifting Location—Moving Your Understandings.

 

Step 4: Review the Student Rubric for Learning Activity 1: Shifting Location—Moving Your Understandings. Assess the quality of your work and make any necessary adjustments.

 

Checking In

 

Save your completed learning activity and your self-assessment in your course folder.

 

CCS3140 Learn EveryWare © 2011 Alberta Education