Suggested Teaching Strategies

Note: It may be necessary for the teacher to have the students participate in setting some strict rules, (e.g. no judgmental statements) before participating in this unit.

In small groups, students will study a country in the Atlantic region by focusing on its language, national symbols, etc .

The students may organize and share their information in various ways.

• Use webbing or concept mapping techniques to link information to the country's history, social environment, and geographic location. (Model the activity with the class using a selected country as an example.)
• Organize, create a display for an international bazaar
• Have the students teach games, dance, language, etc. from country studied.
• Make a picture essay.
• Design travel brochures.
• Study stories of families from different countries. Create a family from another country studied.
• The teacher can refer to the visual art curriculum for activities which develop an understanding of cultural symbols.
• Examine a country's arts to see how they are a reflection of a nation's identity, history and environment.

Journal writing might include expressing feelings regarding the identities of people from the country studied. (What is unique about their identity? What can we learn from them?)

C.E.L.s: PSVS, CCT, C

Identity of Minority Groups Content/Concepts Teaching Strategies Knowledge Skills/Abilities Values Grade Six Unit Three Table of Contents

Suggested Teaching Strategies

• identity
• "minority" status
• historic context
• needs/wants, and changes that are/should be occurring
• effects of changes
• similarities with other groups

• Role-play different points of view.
• Drama in context (See drama curriculum for planning process. )
• Simulation activities

• Analysing and discussing case studies, news stories, statistics, biased and non-biased material
• Webbing, concept mapping, charting, to show relationships between minority groups and history, natural geography, social influences, values, etc.
• Creating collages featuring minority groups.

• Interviewing real/hypothetical people.
• Discussions, journal writing re: expressing feelings, attitudes

• Independent or small group study

Note: This section may provide suitable material to focus especially on stereotyping. With the teacher's guidance, students may analyze their own attitudes and those expressed in the community or the media.

C.E.L.s: PSVS, CCT, C

Minority Groups and Social Organizations Content/Concepts Teaching Strategies Knowledge Skills/Abilities Values Grade Six Unit Three Table of Contents

Suggested Teaching Strategies

C.E.L.s: C, CCT

Study various organizations that address issues related to minority groups. The purpose of the activity is for the students to:

• Increase their knowledge about the organization by finding out about its purpose(s), membership and how it works.
• Explore concepts of fairness and equality in framework which recognizes special needs.
• Choose an organization to work with or form their own social action group.
• Become actively involved to either reinforce what is working well or to improve the situation.

An attempt should be made to provide an international focus for at least part of this section. This could be done by choosing an international organization to study and work with, or by applying the students' learnings to a global situation.

Students' own involvement may be to:

• Organize a fund raising.
• Provide a service (e.g. for senior citizens).
• Organize a display or short performance or make a video to raise awareness in the school (e.g. UNICEF puppet show).
• Propose a plan (e.g. to adopt and support a child - Foster Parents Plan).

Discuss the effect of the project. How did it affect the students? people within the minority group? the organization itself? Have students write about their thoughts and feelings.

C.E.L.s: PSVS, C.

Identity of an Organization Content/Concepts Teaching Strategies Knowledge Skills/Abilities Values Grade Six Unit Three Table of Contents

Suggested Teaching Strategies

C.E.L.s: C

Differentiate between needs and wants.

Using a chart, identify needs and match with the purpose(s) and work of the organization.

C.E.L.s: CCT, C

Using webbing, identify and analyze commonality of membership.

Discuss the rights and responsibilities of the members, especially as they relate to the minority group.

C.E.L.s: C, PSVS, CCT

Differentiate between rules and laws.

List rules and match with purpose of the rules.

C.E.L.s: C, PSVS, CCT

Study how the organization has changed over time, or how it is different in various locations. e.g. - past vs present

• Sask. vs ?

List all the ways various members participate.

Decide on a project, plan it, and carry it out.

C.E.L.s: PSVS, IL, CCT

Optional: A Personal Identity Content/Concepts Teaching Strategies Knowledge Skills/Abilities Values Grade Six Unit Three Table of Contents

Suggested Teaching Strategies

(Note: Teacher and students should be aware that information regarding a personal identity may be sensitive and personal. As such, privacy should be respected. A personal identity could be explored in non-sensitive and general areas.)

Students will study their own personal identities as well as those of others.

In small groups or individually they will do webbing or concept mapping activities involving questions such as:

• "What is my national identity?"
• "What are my minority/majority groups?"
• "What social organizations am I a partof?
• "What rights/responsibilities do I have in the organizations?"
• "What is my identity?"

Information and ideas generated by the students may be organized using one of the following:

• personal mobile
• concept map
• profile using visuals and phrases
• personal coat of arms
• personal dance composition
• other format (student choice)

C.E.L.s: CCT, C

Other activities might include:

• Develop interview questions and tape interviews with other students, teachers or people in the community in order to profile the identities of others.
• Write journal entries in response to specific guidelines.

Table of Contents: Grade Six Unit Three