Week 1
Learning Outcomes: what you should be able to know or do because of this class.
1. Understand the depth of the influence of culture on us and how it is constructed and
maintained;
2. Understand culture’s influence on us in terms of how it shapes our identity;
3. Develop a beginning awareness of cultural differences and how important storytelling,
relationship building, and cultivating practices of listening and respect are to crossing the
cultural divides;
4. Understand seminar as a dialogic skill for sharing meaning and creating new knowledge and the
basic skills and roles of seminaring; and
5. Understand that this class is created and maintained by all of us; we are part of a community of
learners that will be successful because we all are committed to every members’ success and
well-being.
Learning Activities
Culture and Cultural Identity
1. Introduction of Self
2. Table Activity: What is Culture? How would you define it? How do you think it’s created? How
would you define it to someone else – come up with one definition and put it on the board.
3. How does culture affect our identity?
4. Learning Exercise: Each of us belongs to a number of cultural groups. These groups affect our
ethnicity, occupational cultures, and social groups that shape or reflect our values. On your
paper, depict the cultural groups with which you identify. If you can, show the relative
importance and influence of each group by the size and placement of icons on your paper. You
may depict your cultural memberships in any way you want. Share and explain.
Small Group Questions: how did it feel to try to draw a diagram of your culture? How well do
you think you represented yourself? What did you learn about your colleagues? How can you
apply this knowledge?
5. Introduce members of your table to the class.
6. Large Class Assessment: what did we learn from this activity?
BREAK
Creating a Learning Community that is enriched by our diversity
1. Take a sheet a paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, write elements about a
class I liked; on the other side, write elements about a class I didn’t like. Share these two lists
with your table colleagues and create one list that are the important norms and values of an
effective class. Put your list up on the board.
2. As a whole class, let’s see what we created. What are your instructor’s responsibilities; what
you are your’s? What are we committing to? Do we all agree to commit to these values and
norms?
BREAK
What’s Expected In this Class?
Read Syllabus Out Loud – Any Questions
Go over website and Google group
Break: -= Listening to stories – what’s important to me; where I was raised; how my early childhood
experiences have shaped me; where am I going?
Communication Skills
The Cornerstone Listening Skills: American’s Don’t Listen; they reload (Isaacs)
“So Do You Mean?”
Class Debrief
Building on Listening Skills
Beginning Seminar Skills: Read Barna’s piece; mark up passages; prioritize; pick one; cite and read;
what does it mean? Why is it important? How does it relate to me?
Vocabulary: culture, cultural identity, ethnicity,
Homework – next week
Google group posting
Rubric
Multicultural Assessment
Week 2:
Stereotypes
Film: Skin Deep
Adiche – Dangers of a Single Story
Verbal and Non-Verbal
Taxonomies