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D iversity Discussion Starters
A Collection
of Ice Breakers
Designed
to Start
Conversation
about
Diversity
College of Agricultural SciencesAgricultural Research and Cooperative Extension
3 Introduction5 LifeSkills
8 DiscussionStarter1 “Diversity”
9 DiscussionStarter2 “TheManandtheEagle”
10 DiscussionStarter3 “ColorBlind”
11 DiscussionStarter4 “Crayons”
12 DiscussionStarter5 “TheCrayonBoxThatTalked”
14 DiscussionStarter6 “IfAlltheTreesWereOaks”
15 DiscussionStarter7 “TheBlackBalloon”
16 DiscussionStarter8 “TheColdWithin”
17 DiscussionStarter9 “ACat&AMouse”
19 DiscussionStarter10 “WelcometoHolland”
21 DiscussionStarter11 “WhereMonstersCanGrow”
22 AdditionalResources/References
23 LifeSkillsChart
Contents
2
Diversitymeansdifferencesandincludesallofusinourrichandinfinitevariety.Currently,technologicaladvancesaremakingcommunica-tionaroundtheworldeasierandfaster.TheU.S.populationisundergoingdemographicchanges.Asaresultofthesechanges,diversityismoreprevalentinschoolsandintheworkplace.Thesedemographicchangesalsocreatetheneedtoim-plementmulticulturaleducationalexperiencesinbothformalandnonformaleducationalsettings.Asyouthdevelopmentleadersprovidequal-ityeducationalexperiencesforyouth,utilizingcurriculathatareinclusiveofdiversityeducationtrainingisimportant.Weneedtoprepareyouth(andpeopleofallages)tofunctionandsucceedinadiversesocietyandworld.
Overview
Thispublicationisdesignedtohelpfacilitatediscussionaboutdiversityamongyouthandadults.Diversityisdiscussedinabroadsenseinthispublicationthroughavarietyofstoriesandpoems.Eachstoryandpoemissetupasanactiv-itythatincludesabriefdiscussionandseveralthought-provokingquestions.Theseactivitiescauseyouthandadultstothinkcriticallyaboutthemeaningofdiversity.Thisguideisalsode-signedtohelpyouthandadultsvaluetheirownculturesaswellasotherpeople’sculturesandtoreflectonthelivesandperspectivesofpeoplewhoaredifferentfromthemselves.
Goals of this Guide
Thisactivityguidewillhelpfacilitatediscussionaboutdiversity.Thegoalsofthisguideare:n Toprovidematerialsthatwillfurtherprompt
discussionaboutdiversityandrelatedissues.n Toofferthought-provokingquestionsregard-
ingdiversityforusewithvariousaudiences.
Introduction
3
How Can These Activities Boost an Understanding of Diversity?
Learningaboutdiversitycanbefun.However,beginningtodiscussthetopicofdiversitycanbedifficult.Therefore,thispublicationwillprovideactivitiesthatcanhelpparticipants:n Defineandthinkabouthowtheyinterpretthe
term“diversity.”n Interpretthestories’andpoems’meaningfor
themselves.n Sharetheirfeelingsregardingthestoriesand
poems.n Acceptandrespectdifferencesandsimilarities
betweenthemselvesandothers.
When and Where Should These Activities Be Used?
Thematerialsandactivitiesinthispublica-tionareappropriateforusebyteachers,youthdevelopmentleaders,diversityeducators,child-careprofessionals,andeducationprofession-alsinothersettings.Althoughthematerialsinthispublicationareappropriateforelementaryschool–ageyouth,manyofthediscussionstartersareadaptableforusewithpeopleofavarietyofages.Infact,adultswillbenefitfromengaginginthought-provokingdiscussionsandquestionsfoundinthisdiscussionguide.Selecttheques-tionsthataremostappropriateforthegroup.Adaptingthematerialsforvariousaudienceswillbeleftuptothefacilitator’sdiscretion.
Thisguidecanbeusedavarietyofways.Thefacilitatorsmayselecttheapproachthatbestsuitstheirgroups’needs.Facilitatorsshouldknowthattheactivitiesinthisguideshouldbeusedasdiscussionstartersoricebreakers.However,manyactivitiesmayserveasthebasisforanentireles-son.Inbothcases,thefacilitatorsshouldallowampletimefordiscussionattheendoftheactiv-ity.Thiswilldependonthesizeofthegroup,thesetting,andtheamountoftimeavailable.Thefacilitatorsmustselecttheactivitiesthatfittheirgroupsandtheirsituations.
Note to Facilitators
Discussionofunresolvedfeelingsisimportantforclarificationanddissolvinganymisunder-standings.Sincediscussingthetopicofdiversityoftenleadstorevealingpersonalinformation,participantsneedtofeelcomfortablewhentakingpartintheseactivities.Theseactivitiesshouldbeconductedinanenvironmentthatallowspartici-pantstofeelcomfortablewithsharing.
4
Learningandfacilitatingdiscussionaboutdiver-sityisn’tallthatwillresultfromusingthisguide.Thisguidealsoallowsparticipantstheopportu-nitytopracticeskillsthattheywillbeabletouseinreallife.
Thissectionwillexplainthemanyskillspartici-pantswillgainbyworkingthroughtheactivitiesinthisguide.ThedefinitionofeachlifeskillhasbeenadaptedfromTargeting Life Skills, byPa-triciaA.Hendricks,formerIowaStateextensionyouthdevelopmentspecialist.Lifeskillsfoundinthisguideinclude:n ValuingDiversityn ThinkingCriticallyn LearningtoLearnn ProblemSolvingn Cooperationn CaringforOthersn WorkinginaTeamn DecisionMakingn Communication
Definition of Life Skills
Valuing Diversity—recognizingandwelcomingfactorsthatseparateordistinguishonepersonfromanother.Italsomeansbeingawareofthemanysimilaritiesanddifferencesamongpeopleandtheircultures.Invaluingdiversity,onemustbewillingtoacceptthatdifferencesareokayandlearntovalueone’sownuniquenessand“special-ness.”
Thinking Critically—canbethoughtofastalkingthingsoverwithyourselfinyourmind,decidingwhattothinkordo,andimprovingthequalityofdecisionmaking.Thecritical-thinkingprocesscanbestatedasasetofquestionsyouaskandansweryourself.n Observingthesituationcarefully:DoIagree
withwhatisbeingsaidordone?
n Examiningyourreaction:HowdoIreallyfeelaboutwhatisbeingsaidordone?
n Consideringalternativeresponsesandoppos-ingviewpoints:BasedonwhatIknow,isthestatementtrue?
n Decidingamongthealternatives:Whatim-plicationdoesthisdecisionhaveonmyfutureandme?AmIwillingtousethisinformationinmakingdecisions?
Learning to Learn—acquiring,evaluating,andusinginformation;understandingthemethodsandskillsforlearning.n Observingorusingthesensestogainnewin-
formationorfindingnewwaystouseinforma-tion.
n Understandingthemeaningoftheinforma-tion.
n Questioningtogainmoreinformation.n Usingthelearnedinformationinnewsitu-
ations,tosolveproblems,ortochangeyourbehavior.
n Beingabletobreakdowninformationintoparts.
n Integratingpartsofinformationtoformawhole.
n Judgingthevalueofinformationforagivenpurpose.
n Beingabletocommunicateinformationtosomeoneelse.
n Supportingtheeffortsofotherstolearn.
Problem Solving—clearlyidentifyingaproblemandaplanofactionforresolutionoftheprob-lem.Theproblem-solvingprocessinvolvesthefollwing:1. Identifying/clearlydefiningtheproblemsitua-
tion.2. Gatheringinformation;consideringpriorities,
resources,needs,andinterests.3. Thinkingofalternativesolutions.4. Comparingandselectingthebestalternatives.
Life Skills
5
5. Planningastrategy—settingagoalanddeter-miningwaystoreachthatgoal.
6. Carryingouttheplan—applyingthesolutiontotheproblem.
Cooperation—workingoractingtogetherforacommonpurposeormutualbenefit.Thisin-cludesthefollowingskills:n Communicatingeffectivelyn Settinggroupgoalsn Usingsocialskillsn Interactingeffectivelywithothersn Buildingandmaintainingtrustn Providingleadershipn Engagingindiscussionandcontroversythat
producesresultsn Managingconflictn Acceptingresponsibility
Caring for Others—showingunderstanding,kindness,andconcerntowardothers;givingat-tentiontothewell-beingofothers.n Showingsensitivitytoother’ssituationsand
theirwell-being.n Beingsympathetic;capacityforsharingorun-
derstandingthefeelingsofanother;compas-sion.
n Involvingoneselfinhelpingothers;demon-stratingconcern.
n Beingabletoacceptexpressionsofconcernfromothers.
Working in a Team—workdonebytwoormorepeople,eachdoingpartsofthewholetask.Teamworkinvolves:n Communicatingeffectively.n Identifyingacommontask.n Dividingataskbyidentifyingcontributions
byeachperson(roles).n Acceptingresponsibilityforyourpartofthe
task.n Coordinatingtheinteraction(workingto-
gether)tocompletethetask.n Sharingaccomplishment.
Decision Making—choosingamongseveralal-ternatives.Thedecision-makingprocessincludes:1. Specifyinggoalsandconstraints(limits).2. Generatingalternatives.3. Consideringrisksandappraisingalternatives.4. Choosinganalternativetoimplement.
Communication—exchangingthoughts,infor-mation,ormessagesbetweenindividuals;sendingandreceivinginformationusingspeechwritingandgestures.Messagesmustbesentandreceivedforcommunicationtohavetakenplace.Someexamplesare:n Reading:consideringideas,thoughts,infor-
mation,ormessagesthathavebeenwritten.n Speaking:talkingorverbalcommunication;
conversation;planning,organizing,andpre-sentingaspeech.
n Listening:hearingandinterpretingverbal(spoken)communications.
n Givingfeedback:respondingtocommunica-tion.
n Observing:beingattentivetoandinterpret-ingnonverbalcommunication,suchasbodylanguageandgestures.
6
Inanefforttoprovidequalitypoemsandstories,wediligentlysoughtinformationoneachoftheworks.We,thecreatorsofthisactivityguide,exhaustedeverypossibleavenuetofindauthorinformationandtogainpermissionforincludingeachwork.Wewanttoensureourworkreflectsthehighestlevelofintegrityandprofessionalism.Allitemsarebelievedtobeinthepublicdomainunlessotherwisenoted.Ifyouknowthatanitemdisplayedisnotinthepublicdomain,pleasenotifyuswiththepublishinginformation.Uponverification,theitemwillberemovedfromthepublicationunlesspermissiontouseithasbeengrantedbytheauthor.
Copyright Information and Disclaimer
7
Diversity
Author unknown
Thesecond-gradeschoolteacherposedasimpleenoughproblemtotheclass.“Therearefourblackbirdssittinginatree.Youtakeaslingshotandshootoneofthem.Howmanyareleft?”
“Three,”answeredthefirst7-year-oldboywithcertainty.“Onesubtractedfromfourleavesthree.”
“Zero,”answeredthesecond7-year-oldboywithequalcertainty.“Ifyoushootonebird,theotherswillflyaway.”
Discussion
Theproblem,asitturnsout,wasnotsosimpleafterall.Insomewaysitgetstotheveryheartofwhatthefussisallaboutregardingculturaldiver-sityandtheneedtorecognize,understand,value,and,finally,manageit.
Questions
n Pretendyouwereintheclassinthestory.Howwouldyouhaveansweredtheteacher’squestion?
n Whydoyouthinkthetwo7-year-oldstudentsansweredthequestionthewaytheydid?
n Takeamomenttothinkaboutwhatdiversitymeanstoyou.Doyouthinkitmeansthesamethingtootherpeople?
n What’sthecorrectanswer?Isthereonlyonewaytoanswerthequestion?
n Howdopeople’sperspectivesplayaroleinhowtheymayanswertheteacher’squestion?
n Whydoyousupposethefirstchildanswered,“Three,”whilethesecondchildanswered,“Zero”?
n Theauthorofthisvignetteillustratestheview-pointsofchildrenwhogrewupindifferentenvironments.Whatisthelessontheauthoristryingtopresent?
n Reflectonthestory.Doyouthinkbirdscanbecomparedtohumansituations?Whyorwhynot?
Discussion Starter 1
8
The Man and the Eagle
Author unknown
Therewasonceamanwhohadneverseenaneagle.Onedayamagnificenteaglelandedonhiswindowsill,andwhenhesawit,heexclaimed,“Whatanuglycreature!”Themangrabbedtheeagleandpulleditintohishouse.“First,I’mgoingtofixthatcurvedbeakofyours.”Heusedafiletoremovethehookintheeagle’sbeak.“Thoseclawsareviciouslooking,”themansaidasheclippedtheeagle’sclawsuntiltherewaslit-tleleft.Whenhefinished,themansaid,“There,nowyoulookbetter.”Andheputthebirdbackonhisopenwindowsillandshooeditaway.Youcanimaginehowlongthenewlytrimmedeaglelastedinthewild.
Discussion
Themanchangedthebirddrasticallyinthisstory.Withoutvaluingthebird’sspecialquali-ties,themanalteredthebirdtowhathethoughtwouldbebetter.Thisstorycanbeusedtodiscussdiscriminationandtheeffectithasonthosewhoarediscriminatedagainst.
Questions
n Thinkabouttheeagleforamoment.Howimportantdoyouthinkitisfortheeagletohaveitsclawsandsharpbeak?
n Whyaretheeagle’sbeakandclawsimportanttoitssurvival?
n Afterreadingthisstory,whydoyouthinkthemanchangedthebird?
n Didthemanknowtheimportanceoftheeagle’sclawsandbeak?Ifheknewmoreabouteagles,doyouthinkhewouldhaveappreci-atedtheeagleinsteadofchangingit?
n Haveyouevertriedtochangeapersonwhoisdifferentfromyou?
n Aresomepeoplecruelinthismannertopeoplewithwhomtheyarenotfamiliar?
n Doyouthinkit’sethicaltochangepeoplebecauseyouthinktheircharacteristicsaredif-ferentorsomehowlesssuperiortoyours?Ifso,inwhatsituationdoyoufeelthisisjustified?
n Whathappenswhenpeopleplacetheirbeliefsonothers?
n Canallpeoplebejudgedbythesamestandardofbeauty?Whyorwhynot?
n Inyouropinion,whatmakesapersonbeauti-ful/attractive?
n Whatroledoesaperson’spreferenceplayindecidingwhatisbeautifulorattractive?
n Howdowetreatpeoplewhodon’tlooklikeus—havedifferentskincolors;aretaller,thin-ner,orheavier;havebracesorglasses;useacanetowalk;havewrinkles;areolder,young-er,deaf,orblind?
n HowdoesthisstoryparallelthehistoryofAmerica?
Discussion Starter 2
9
Color Blind
Clever Black
IfallofuswerecolorblindIknowit’sthenwewouldfindThatoftheproblemsfacingnationsThere’dnotbeoneonracerelations.
Thecolorofafellow’sskinIsjustontop,andverythinHe’sreallyjustthesamedownunder,Buthowwetreathimmakesmewonder.
Iaskedapreacher—anicefellowIfsoulswereblackorwhiteoryellow;HesaidhethoughtthesoulofamanWasneitherwhite,norblack,nortan.
Hesaidhethoughtthatitwastrue,FromlisteningtoaGodheknewThatwewouldsomeday,somewherefindThatevenChristwascolorblind.
Discussion
Judgingothersbythecoloroftheirskinisaformofstereotyping.Lookupthiswordinadiction-aryanddiscussanystereotypesyouhaveaswellasonesothershavemadeaboutyou.Thinkabouttheeffectithadonyouandonothers.
Questions
n Whatdoyouthinkitmeanstobecolorblind?n Doyoubelieveitispossibletobecolorblind
intoday’ssociety?n Whatdothecolorsofpeople’sskinssayabout
them?Doesitaccuratelydescribetheirperson-ality,intelligence,orability?
n Whydopeoplehavedifferentskincolors?n Canyounameagroupofpeoplewhowere
persecutedsimplybecauseofthecoloroftheirskin?
n Haveyouevermadejudgmentsaboutpeoplebecauseofthecoloroftheirskin?Ifso,whatdidyouthink?Didyourealizeyouweremak-ingassumptionsatthetime?Howdidyoufeelaftermakingthatassumption?Pleaseshareyourexperience(s).
n Howdopeople’supbringingsaffecttheiracceptanceofpeoplewhoaredifferentfromthemselves?
n Hasanyoneevermadeanassumptionaboutyoubasedonyourrace(physicalattributes)?
n Whatdopeople’sskincolorsmeantoyou?n Whatdoesracialprofilingmean?n Whateffectsdoyouthinkracialprofilingwill
haveonthosewhoaretargeted?Whataboutthosewhodotheprofiling—aretheywrong?
n Isracismtheonlyreasonnationsfight?Ifnot,whatotherreasonsexist?
Discussion Starter 3
10
Crayons
Author unknown
Wecouldlearnalotfromcrayons:Somearesharp,Somearepretty,Somearedull,Somehaveweirdnames,andarealldifferentcolors,Buttheyallhavetoliveinthesamebox.
Discussion
Appreciatingdiversityisvaluingwhatmakesussimilaraswellasdifferent.Thispoemtalksaboutlearningtolivetogetherandappreciatingtheuniquequalitiesofothers.Encourageparticipantstolookaroundthemselvesandtakenoteofallthethingsthatmakethemwhotheyare.Thispoemisspecialbecauseitcanbeadaptedtodis-cussallareassuchasgender,age,physicalabili-ties,intelligencelevels,racial/ethnicbackgrounds,economicstatus,beliefs,familystructures,placesofresidence,andsoforth.
Questions
Howarepeoplesimilartoaboxofcrayons?n Haveyoumetpeoplewhohavedistinctnames
ortalkdifferentlythanyoudo?Howdidyoureactwhenyoufirstmetthem?Howdidtheyreacttoyou?
n Do the ways people look indicate their level of intelligence?
n How can people with varying traditions, be-liefs, and values learn to live together in the same community? What would you expect to be the positive and negative about that type of situation?
n Whatifeveryoneintheworldwasexactlythesame?Iftheyalllookedthesame,talkedthesame,sharedthesameviews,practices,andtraditions,whatkindofworldwoulditbe?Doyouthinkthiswouldbeaplaceyou’dwanttolive?Whyorwhynot?Explain.
Discussion Starter 4
11
The Crayon Box That Talked
Shane DeRolf, reprinted with permission from Random House, Inc.
Whilewalkinginatoystore,thedaybeforetoday,Ioverheardacrayonboxwithmanythingstosay.
“Idon’tlikeRed,”saidYellow.AndGreensaid,“NordoI.”AndnooneherelikesOrange,butnooneknowsjustwhy.
“Weareaboxofcrayonsthatdoesn’tgetalong,”saidBluetoalltheothers,“Somethinghereiswrong!”
Well,Iboughtthatboxofcrayons,andtookithomewithme,Andlaidoutallthecrayonssothecrayonscouldallsee....
TheywatchedmeasIcoloredwithRedandBlueandGreen,andBlackandWhiteandOrange,andeverycolorinbetween.
TheywatchedasGreenbecamethegrassandBluebecamethesky.TheYellowsunwasshinningbrightonWhitecloudsdriftingby.
Colorschangingastheytouched,becomingsomethingnew.TheywatchedmeasIcolored.TheywatchedmetillIwasthrough.
AndwhenI’dfinallyfinished,Ibegantowalkaway.AndasIdidthecrayonboxhadsomethingmoretosay....
“IdolikeRed!”saidYellowAndGreensaid,“SodoI!And,Blue,youwereterrific,Sohighupinthesky!”
Weareaboxofcrayons,EachoneofusisuniqueButwhenwegettogether...Thepictureiscomplete.
Discussion Starter 5
12
Discussion
Thisisavividstoryaboutaboxofcrayonsthatdidnotgetalong.Atfirsttheydislikedeachother,butafterlearningtovalueeachother’suniquequalities,thecrayonsintheboxbegantoappreciateeachotherastheyworkedtogethertocreateabeautifulpicture.Youngchildrenwillrelatetothesecolorfulcharacters.Usethiscare-fullycreatedstorytopromoteopen-mindednessandcooperationandtodispelstereotypesaboutdifferentgroupsofpeople.
Questions
n Whydidn’tthecrayonsinthisboxgetalong?n Whydidthelittlegirltaketheboxofcrayons
home?n Whatdidittakeforthecrayonstobeginto
appreciateeachother?n Whatwerethebenefitsoftheboxofcrayons
workingtogether?n Arepeoplesometimeslikethisboxofcrayons?
Inwhatwaysdoyouthinktheyaresimilartotheboxofcrayons?
n Istheboxofcrayonssimilartoyourclass-room,club,orgroup?Howisitsimilar?Howdoesitdiffer?Explain.
n Doyouthinkthisboxofcrayonsbecamemoreopen-mindedtowardeachother?Werenewfriendshipsformed?
n Eachcrayonhadauniquequalitythatcon-tributedtothepicture.Thinkoftwouniquequalitiesyouhaveasanindividual.Sharethemwithapartnerorthegroup.Listenasyourpartnersharestheirqualities.Takenoteofanysimilarand/ordifferentqualitiesthatyouandyourpartnerhave.
n Pretendyouandyourfriendswerelikethisboxofcrayons.Whatwouldthepicturethatyoucolorlooklike?
13
If All the Trees Were Oaks
Author unknown
WhatifallthetreeswereoaksHowplaintheworldwouldseem;Nomaplesyrup,bananasplits,Andhowwouldorangejuicebe?
Wouldn’titbeaboringplace,Ifallthepeoplewerethesame;Justonecolor,justonelanguage,Justonefamilyname!
~But~
Iftheforestweretheworld,Andallthepeoplewerethetrees;Palmandpine,bambooandwillow,Liveandgrowinharmony.
Aren’tyouglad,mygoodfriend,Differentthoughwebe;Weareheretohelpeachother,Ilearnfromyou,andyou,fromme.
Discussion
Thispoempaintsapictureofhowtheworldwouldbewithoutdiversity.Usethispoemtodiscusstheimportanceofvaluingdifferencesinpeople.Remember,thefocusshouldbebroadinscope—donotlimitdiscussiontoraceissues.Expanddialoguetoincludephysicaldisabilities;learningstyles;placesofresidence:urban,rural,andsuburban;rich,poor;age;gender;religion;morals,values,traditions,andmore.
Questions
n Howistheforestliketheworld?n Thepoemlistsfourdifferenttypesoftree—
palm,pine,bamboo,andwillow.Whataresomeofthedifferencesfoundinpeople?Makealist,thenshareitwithothersinthegroup.
n Whatwoulditbelikeifallyourfriendswereexactlythesame?Iftheylikedthesamethings,talkedthesame,andactedthesame,wouldyouhaveasmuchfunwiththem?
n Whatwouldhappenifallthepeopleintheworldwerethesame?Whatkindsoftradi-tionswouldexist?Whatholidayswouldwecelebrate?Whichholidayswouldnolongerbecelebrated?Howdifficultwoulditbetodecideonthoseimportantthings?Whatwouldwegainandwhatwouldwelose?
n Doyouthinkitispositiveornegativethateveryoneintheworldisdifferent?Explain.
n Howimportantisittolearnfrompeoplewhoaredifferentfromyou?
n WhatkindsofthingscanyoulearnfromapersonwhocomesfromanotherpartofthecountryoracountryoutsidetheUnitedStates?
n Howdoourdifferenceshelpeachotherandallowustolearnfromeachother?
n Whatarethebenefitsofdiversity?
Discussion Starter 6
The Black Balloon
Author unknown
Thelittleblackboywatchedaman,BlowupballoonsonedayWheneachballoonwasfilled,themanLeteachonefloataway.
Thelittleboywatchedpatiently,Andwavedeachonegood-byeAsalltheprettybrightballoonsWentdriftingtowardthesky.
HeaskedthemanifblackballoonsWouldgoupliketherest.Themansaid,“Son,I’llblowoneup,Andputittothetest.’”
Andwhentheblackballoonwasfilled,Theywatcheditriseandglide.“It’snotthecolor,son,”hesaid,“Butwhatyou’vegotinside.”
Discussion
Youngpeopleoftenlooktotrustedadultstoprovidethemguidanceandclarityinlife.Thispoemdepictsasituationinwhichayoungboywonderedifthecoloroftheballoonaffecteditsabilitytofloataway.Thiscanbeusedtodiscusshowphysicalcharacteristicsmayormaynotaf-fectaperson’spotentialinlife.Asyoufacilitatediscussionbesuretotalkaboutstereotypingandhowittoomayaffectaperson.
Questions
n Howdifferentweretheballoonsinthestory?Whatdidtheyallhaveincommon?
n Whydoyouthinkthismanwasfillingbal-loonsandthenlettingthemfloathighintothesky?
n Whatdoyouthinkmadetheboyaskabouttheblackballoon?
n Dothecolorsofpeople’sskinsdeterminewhotheyareinside?Whatdothecolorsofpeople’sskinssayaboutthem?
n Doesthecolorofyourskinoradisabilitydictateyourpotentialinlife?Willithelporhinderyourfromaccomplishingyourdreamsandgoals?
n Whydopeoplemakepredeterminedjudg-mentsaboutothers?Whatshouldyoudowhenpeoplearoundyoumakejudgmentsaboutanotherperson?Howcanyouhandlethesituation?
n Doyoubelievethatourworldjudgespeoplebytheiroutsidedifferencesorthebeautywithin?
n Whatlessonsdidtheboylearnfromthisencounter?
n Whatquestionsmighttheboyhavefollowingthisencounter?
Discussion Starter 7
15
The Cold Within
James Patrick Kinney
SixhumanstrappedbyhappenstanceinbleakandbittercoldEachpossessedastickofwood,Orsothestory’stold.
Theirdyingfireinneedoflogs,thefirstwomanheldhersbackForonthefacesaroundthefireShenoticedonewasblack.
Thenextmanlooking’crossthewaySawonenotofhischurchAndcouldn’tbringhimselftogiveThefirehisstickofbirch.
ThethirdonesatintatteredclothesHegavehiscoatahitch,WhyshouldhislogbeputtouseTowarmtheidlerich?
TherichmanjustsatbackandthoughtOfthewealthhehadinstore,AndhowtokeepwhathehadearnedFromthelazy,shiftlesspoor.
Theblackman’sfacebespokerevengeAsthefirepassedfromhissight,ForallhesawinhisstickofwoodWasachancetospitethewhite.
AndthelastmanofthisforlorngroupDidnaughtexceptforgain,GivingonlytothosewhogaveWashowheplayedthegame.
Thelogsheldtightindeath’sstilledhandsWasproofofhumansin.Theydidn’tdiefromthecoldwithout,Theydiedfromthecoldwithin.
Discussion
Thisstorydepictssixhumansbroughttogetherbyacommonhappenstance.Eachindividualinthegroupsatsilently,harboringprejudicesagainsttheothersinthegroup.Intheend,thegroupperishedbecauseoftheirinabilitytogetpasttheirnegativeviewsofothers.Thisisapowerfulstorythatcanbeusedtoshowwhatcanhappenwhenpeopleholdprejudicedviews.
Questions
n Howdoyouthinkthesixpeopleinthispoemdied?Why?
n Describehowthisstorymadeyoufeel.n Whatisthefireametaphorforinthisstory?n Pickonecharacterfromthisstory.Describe
thecharacter.n Whatsurprisedyouaboutthecharactersin
thisstory?n Whatassumptiondideachofthecharacters
makeabouttheothersaroundthefire?n Whatmajoreffectdidthecharacters’opinions
haveontheirlives?n Whatdoyoufeelcontributedtoeachperson’s
decisionnottosharehisorherlogofwood?n Doyouthinkitisokayforpeopletoactthis
way?Whyorwhynot?n Haveyoueversharedanyofthethoughtsor
beliefsofthesixcharacters?n Howdoyouthinkthisstoryshouldhave
ended?Ifyoucouldrewritetheendingofthisstory,wouldyou?Whatwouldyouchangeandwhy?
n Thispoempresentsthestoryoffivemenandonewoman,eachwiththeirownprejudicethatinhibitsrationalthought.Whatwouldyouhavedoneifyouweretrappedinthebleakandbittercoldwithadyingfireandyouhadastick?Wouldyouhavehesitatedtoshareyourstickofwood?
n Explainthelastverse.Whatimpactdoesthisversehaveonthewayyouviewothers?
Discussion Starter 8
16
A Cat & A Mouse
Dr. J. Norris & Dr. C. Whetten Texas A&M UniversityReprinted with permission ©1999
Thesettingisatypicaldocksidesceneinaforeignportsomewhereintheworld.Thecat,ratherthanbeingatypical,scrawny,underfedspecimen,iswellfedandpowerful.Themouseisthetypical,small,meek,desperatecreaturewewouldexpect.Thecatischasingthemouse.Themouseisjustaboutfinishedwhenhespiesaholeinthewall.Inalast,desperateattempthesprintsanddivesintotheholejustaheadofthecat.Withpoundingheartandheavinglungs,hecannotbelievethatheissafe.Ashebeginstore-gainhiscomposure,hebeginstoworryabouthisimmediatefuture.Hequicklyseesthattheholedoesnothaveanotherexitandhewillhavetogobackoutoftheentrance.Butheknowsthatthecatwillbewaitingforhim.Suddenly,hehearsadogbarkingjustoutsidethehole...“Ruff!!Ruff!!Ruff!!”Now,themousebeginstoreasonthatdogshatecats,andthatcatsarefrightenedofdogs,andifthereisadog,thenthecatmustbegone.Feelingextremeelationathisgoodfortune,themousesauntersforthoutoftheholeonlytobegrabbedupbythecat.Asthecatdanglesthebeatenmousebyhistailinpreparationforatastymorsel,themouseinaplaintive,dejectedvoicesays,“ButIdon’tunderstand.IknowIheardadogbarking.”Andthecat,withaslygrinspread-ingacrosshisface,replies,“Tobesuccessfulintoday’sworld,onemustbebilingual.”
Discussion
Thisstoryprovidesavividpicturethatwillallowparticipantstoimaginehowthemousefeelsbe-foreheisswallowedupbythecat.AsbusinessesintheU.S.becomemoregloballyfocused,theneedtoprepareyouthtobecompetitiveinthemarketplaceisevenmoreprevalentalongwiththeneedtoteachsensitivity.Usethisstorytodis-cusstheimportanceofgainingmarketableskillssuchaslearninganotherlanguage,otherthananativetongue.
Discussion Starter 9
17
Questions
n Didtheendingofthestorysurpriseyou?Whyorwhynot?
n Describethecat’sspecialskill.Howdidsheuseit?
n Whatdoesitmeantobebilingual?n Whatanalogydoesthe“bilingualcat”applyto
therealworldtoday?n Whatarethebenefitsofbeingbilingual?n Howimportantisopen-mindednesstoexperi-
encingotherculturesandlanguages?n Doyouthinkstudentsshouldberequiredto
learnanotherlanguageinschool?Whyorwhynot?
n Whatotherskillsareusefultohavewheninteractingwithpeoplewhospeakanotherlanguage?
n Dopeople’sabilitiestospeakmultiplelan-guagesincreasetheirmarketabilityintheworkplace?
n Explainwhyyouagreeordisagreethatyouhavetobebilingualtosucceedintoday’sworld.
n Haveyoueverbeenfacedwithanunusualproblemorsituationthatrequiredyoutouseaspecificskill?Whatwasthesituationandwhatskill(s)didyouuse?
n Writeaboutatimewhenyou’vebeeninasituationsimilartooneofthecharacters.Howdidyougetthroughit?Whatdidyoulearnasaresult?
n Howimportantisittolearnotherlanguages?Doesitincreaseyourchancesofcommunicat-ingwithothers?Explain.Doyoufindittobeausefulcommunicationtoolorskill?
n Ifyoucouldrewritetheendingofthisstory,howwouldyouchangeit?
n Whodoyouthinkthecatandthemouserepresentinoursociety?
n Ifthemouseinthestorywasdeaf,howwouldthisstorydiffer?Whatchallengeswouldthemouseface?
18
Welcome to Holland
Emily Perl Kingsley ©1987 by Emily Perl KingsleyAll rights reserved
Iamoftenaskedtodescribetheexperienceofraisingachildwithadisability—totrytohelppeoplewhohavenotsharedthatuniqueexperi-encetounderstandit,toimaginehowitwouldfeel.It’slikethis....
Whenyou’regoingtohaveababy,it’slikeplanningafabulousvacationtrip—toItaly.Youbuyabunchofguidebooksandmakeyourwonderfulplans.TheColiseum.Michelangelo’sDavid.ThegondolasinVenice.YoumaylearnsomehandyphrasesinItalian.It’sallveryexciting.
Aftermonthsofeageranticipation,thedayfinallyarrives.Youpackyourbagsandoffyougo.Severalhourslater,theplanelands.Thestewardesscomesinandsays,“Wel-cometoHolland.”
“Holland?!?”yousay,“WhatdoyoumeanHolland??IsignedupforItaly!I’msupposedtobeinItaly.AllmylifeI’vedreamedofgoingtoItaly.”
Butthere’sbeenachangeintheflightplan.They’velandedinHollandandthereyoumuststay.
Theimportantthingisthattheyhaven’ttakenyoutoahorrible,disgusting,filthyplace,fullofpestilence,famine,anddisease.It’sjustadifferentplace.
Soyoumustgooutandbuynewguidebooks.Andyoumustlearnawholenewlanguage.Andyouwillmeetawholenewgroupofpeopleyouwouldneverhavemet.
It’sjustadifferentplace.It’sslowerpacedthanItaly,lessflashythanItaly.Butafteryou’vebeenthereforawhileandyoucatchyourbreath,youlookaround...andyoubegintonoticethatHollandhaswindmills...andHollandhastulips.HollandevenhasRembrandts.
ButeveryoneyouknowisbusycomingandgoingfromItaly...andthey’reallbrag-gingaboutwhatawonderfultimetheyhadthere.Andfortherestofyourlife,youwillsay,“Yes,that’swhereIwassupposedtogo.That’swhatIhadplanned.”
Andthepainofthatwillnever,ever,ever,evergoaway...becausethelossofthatdreamisavery,verysignificantloss.
But...ifyouspendyourlifemourningthefactthatyoudidn’tgettoItaly,youmayneverbefreetoenjoytheveryspecial,theverylovelythings...aboutHolland.
Discussion Starter 10
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Discussion
Raisingachildthathasadisabilityisanexperi-enceEmilyPerlKingsleyreferredtoassimilartoplanningatriptoItalybutbeingtakentoHol-landinstead.Therearedifferencesinthewaypar-entsfeelregardingthissubject.Eachindividual’sexperienceisuniquedependingonthesituationandseverityofthechild’sdisability.Thisstoryisawonderfulwaytogeneratedialoguewithadultsregardingthetopicofphysicalandmentaldis-abilities.
Questions
n Whataresomeofthestereotypesthatyouhaveheardaboutpeoplewithdisabilities?Thesestereotypesdon’tnecessarilyhavetobesomethingyoubelieve,justsomethingyoumayhaveheardatsomepointintime.Writedownasmanyasyoucan.Beopenandhonest;remembertoincludemental,physi-cal,emotional,anddevelopmentaldisabilitiesalongwithanyothers.
n Howcanaparentpreparetoraiseachildwithadisability(e.g.,hearingimpairment,Down’ssyndrome,autism)?Doesthepreparationchangewiththetypeofdisability?
n Inthisstory,“WelcometoHolland,”Kingsleywrote,“...thepainofthatwillnever,ever,ever,evergoaway....”Whatwasshereferringtohere?
n Inyouropinion,shouldchildrenwithlearn-ingdisabilitiesbemainstreamedintoregulareducationclasses?
n Imagineyoulostyourabilitytowalk,see,orhear.Howwouldyoureact?Wouldyouwanttoremainindependent?Doyouthinkyou’denlistthehelpofothers?Howwouldyouwantpeopletoreacttoyou?Howdoyouthinkyouwouldreacttoothers?
n Childrenwithdisabilitiesmustovercomemanychallengesinlife.Asparentsofable-bodiedchildren,howcanyouencouragethemtohavepositiveinteractionswithchildrenwhohavedisabilities?
20
Where Monsters Can Grow
©1998 RHLReprinted with permission from RHL School
BewareofthemonstersWhodwellinthemind,WhogrowintheshelterOfshadowstheyfind.
BewareofthedemonsWhohidefromthelights,WhoonlysurviveWhenourspiritslosesight.
ThosecreaturescanthriveWhereourknowledgeislow;TheyfillinthespacesOfwhatwedon’tknow.
BewareofthemonstersThatcauseustohate,TostrikeoutinangerWhenwecan’trelate.
ForignorancedarkensThemindandtheheart,AndhelpsallourmonstersTotearusapart.
ButlearningandthinkingWillstrengthenussoWewon’tbetheplacesWheremonsterscangrow.
Discussion
Thispoemremindsusthatthelackofknowledgecanleadtounwarrantedfears,anger,andevenhate.Ifwedonotmaketheefforttolearnaboutthethingswedonotknoworunderstand,wecreatebeliefsinourmindsthatdonotexistatall.Thispoemcanbeusedtodiscusshoweasyitcanbetomakeassumptionsintheabsenceofknowledge.
Questions
n Whoorwhatarethemonsters?n Whathelpsthesemonstersgrow?n Whatcanpreventthemonstersfromgrowing?n Inthispoem,whatdoesdarknessrepresent?
Whatdoeslightrepresent?n Whatisthemainideaofthispoem?
Discussion Starter 11
21
Flores,V.,andDonato,R.(1990).Multicultural Teacher Education: Research in the 1990’s.CollegeStation,Tex.:TexasA&MUniversityPrintingCenter.
Hanson,M.J.,Lynch,E.W.(1998).“Ethnic,Cultural,andLanguageDiversityinInterventionSettings.”InDeveloping Cross-Cultural Compe-tence: A Guide for Working with Children and Their Families.Baltimore,Md.:PaulH.BrooksPublishingCompany.
Hendricks,P.A.(1996).Targeting Life Skills.Ames,Iowa:IowaStateUniversityCooperativeExtension.
Additional Resources/References
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PreparedbyPatreeseD.Ingram,associateprofes-sorofagriculturalandextensioneducation,andMarneyH.Dorsey,master’sofsciencedegreecandidateinagriculturalandextensioneduca-tion.ReviewedbyCindyArblaster,4-H/youthdevelopmenteducatorinWestmorelandCounty,andWandaBraymer,4-H/youthdevelopmenteducatorinCrawfordCounty.
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