Kindergarten - Multicultural Resource Center

MN HUM.ORG

Kindergarten Digital Suitcase: Diverse Families

Created and “packed” by Robin King and Diane Tran

This is one of eight Digital Suitcases developed by educators during the summer of 2013 through a partnership with

Saint Paul Public Schools’ Multicultural Resource Center and the Minnesota Humanities Center. Each Digital Suitcase includes:

 T hree lessons aligned with Minnesota social studies standards, benchmarks, and grade levels

 A multiple perspectives/absent narratives focus (see below), strengthened by including input from community members throughout the process

 A list of supplemental resources, both digital and print, many of which will be available at the Saint Paul Public

Schools’ Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) ( www.mrc.spps.org

)

Funding for this project was generously provided by The Saint Paul Foundation, the F.R. Bigelow Foundation, The

Travelers Foundation, the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About Absent Narratives

The Absent Narratives approach is about restoring relationships: to ourselves, to each other, to our communities, and to the places we live and work. This approach asks people to speak only for themselves and not represent an entire community. Therefore, differing opinions, ideas, and thoughts show up as uniquely as the individuals who bring them.

By embracing and including these untold experiences that make up each of us and our communities, we can close the relationship gap of human understanding and empathy between us.

Absent Narratives is a relationship-based approach to creating equity within systems and communities. This approach helps people understand that all actions, decisions, and beliefs exist in relationship to others and impact how we work with and influence our peers and students. Absent Narratives help improve practices through the application of four related themes:

Build and strengthen the student-teacher and school-community relationships.

Recognize the danger of a single story and the accumulation of absence.

Learn from the multiplicity of voices in the community.

Discover solutions within the community.

For more information about Absent Narratives and professional development opportunities, visit www.mnhum.org

. To access Absent Narratives resources that you can use in your classroom, visit www.mnhum.org/resources . To access the MRC website, visit www.mrc.spps.org

.

Kindergarten Digital Suitcase: Diverse Families, created by Robin King and Diane Tran

1

2013 Digital Suitcase Project:

Diverse Families—Kindergarten

Introduction

Title of Suitcase: Diverse Families

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Overview: Because young children form ideas about themselves and other people early in life, it is important to begin teaching anti-bias lessons early and to help children recognize and accept differences and see similarities beyond the surface. If we reinforce these lessons, children will learn to appreciate, rather than fear, differences and to recognize bias and stereotypes when they see them. As young children begin to compare their family situation with others, they may start expressing their concerns about being different. We know that children need to be reassured that differences are fine. The exposure to families that may not be like their own, in particular, encourages tolerance and acceptance because they see that, even within their own classroom, everyone’s family is unique!

Standard : 0.4.2.4.1 Social Studies: Compare and contrast traditions in a family with those of other families, including those from diverse backgrounds.

Benchmark : 0.4.1.1.1 Use a variety of words to reference time in the past, present and future; identifying the beginning, middle and end of historical stories.

Focus of Lesson 1 : This lesson begins the discussion of family. It is a time to introduce students to family origins, cultures, and structures outside of those represented by the inclass student population. This lesson gives students the opportunity to share what they know about families as an idea and about their own family through interactive read aloud; sharing in a KWL / Y-Chart format to be used as a working document through each of the lessons; “graphing” and data analysis through a physical activity; and manipulative, reading, writing and drawing centers to explore and express many representations of family. The lesson concludes with a take-home activity to build relationships, family engagement, and background knowledge for the next lesson.

Focus of Lesson 2 : This lesson provides exploration, instruction, and family engagement to help students gain a greater understanding of themselves and their families. Students will spend time thinking and talking about their own personal attributes and those of various family members as they explore the family that each of them comes from. They will look at who and how many members are in their family, what foods they eat, music their family enjoys, and what traditions or celebrations they have. These are just a few selected attributes that make families special and that will lead to a further discussion of comparison within the class and globally in the next lesson.

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Focus of Lesson 3 : Each of our families is unique and has different experiences and stories to tell. We can share these with each other and retell them so that each of us can hear our family story through another’s voice. Students will share the work they have done through the two exploration lessons with a partner (using their Family Scrapbooks as a guide) and each partner will then reflect the story back (using the Family Scrapbooks as a guide) as though they are doing a read aloud of the partner’s story. These are progressively shared with another pair, the whole group, and then at a culminating celebration to which families are invited. The diversity of families within the classroom

(the stories of whom they now know) becomes visual, real, and concrete as the families fill the space for the celebration.

Background Knowledge for Teachers: This suitcase contains three lessons; a toe-dip in a pool of exploration. Designed with a busy teacher in mind, it includes detailed instructions and specific materials for ease of planning. However, it is most important that these lessons be customized to your teaching style, available resources, and student learning styles. There are suggested texts in the lessons but we encourage you to substitute or use other resources available to you that address the same levels of diversity.

These lessons are written in a one-day format but could be taught over a several-day period or several-week period where one lesson could be introduced each week. Again, these are suggested guidelines for lessons which address standards and provide an interesting, growing experience for your classroom, but you know your students and what works best for them!

We have included alternate and extension activities as well as a variety of resources and suggestions to take this as far as you want (or dare) focusing on standards for Social

Studies and Literacy. Think about using the book lists to expand the diversity of your read aloud selections, your self-selected classroom library, and the material you access for flex lessons. Consider developing your oral language lessons and current centers with some of the visual and manipulative materials. Most importantly, use these lessons to address the narratives of the students in your classroom and to introduce them to the absent narratives as well.

0.4.2.4.1

Social

Studies

Compare and contrast traditions in a family with those of other families, including those from diverse



Families, traditions, diverse background backgrounds.



Compare (similar) Contrast

(different)

0.4.1.1.1

Use a variety of words to reference time in the past, present and future; identifying the beginning, middle and end of historical stories

0.1.9.9

ELA

Reading

0.8.4.4

With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.



I can tell how the adventures and experiences of story characters are the same and different, with help

Describe familiar people, places, things,



I can describe people, places,

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ELA

Writing and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail. things, and events I know about



I can add more detail to my descriptions of people, places and things



I can tell my family stories using time

In a classroom that demographically represents many levels of a diverse community, the class itself can provide a certain level of prior knowledge and material. However, some absent narratives may still need to be represented. In a homogeneous setting, it will be important to provide many examples of absent narratives, and to do so in a local, rather than exclusively global, context. ( See pages 36-37 of this curriculum for further background knowledge)

Following is a list of essential inclusion elements ( BOLD) to be addressed in each lesson and to be used as a “tool” to examine literature integral to the diversity discussion.

Note: The categories listed are representative but not exhaustive

1.

Ethnic/Racial/ Cultural Diversity



African American



Asian: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, Lao,

Thai, Karen, Pacific Island



Caucasian: Common European Cultures in MN



Indigenous / Native



Chicano/Latino



Somali



African Regions/ Countries



Near-Eastern



Mid-Eastern



Religion

2.

Immigration



Immigrant/ Refugee/ USA born



Language

3.

Family Structure



LGBTIQ



Parents and Children Who Look Different From Each Other



Adoption



Blended/ Step



Grandparents



Bi-racial Multi-racial



Ability



Military



Incarceration

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Lesson 1: What is a Family?

(Suggested take-home letter introducing the unit to families included on Page 18)



Lesson 1: What is a Family? (Global Exploration)

Mini-lesson: 10 minutes

*Key idea: What is a family?

Exploring similarities and

Today we are going to begin to explore “What is a family?” Each of us belongs to a family and I think that we will discover that there are things about each differences within the classroom and the global community

* Teacher resources:



Pictures of families



Books about families- the lesson includes suggestions but you may have others in your own or school library which you may prefer (check the critical inclusion elements list in the introduction to ensure content)



Sticky Notes



Chart Paper

Connection

Teach: 20 minutes

Direct Instruction of our families that are the same and things that are different. We are going to begin by talking about our own families and also spend time looking at and talking about families who may live in very different places or in very different ways.

Let’s take a moment and make a chart that we can look back at as we are learning- I’m going to ask each of you to share things about your families and we are going to draw/write them down. While we do this let’s also think about what we want to know more about as we begin our journey!

Let’s label (Words and Drawings) our chart A

Family is… and our columns; K- What I already

KNOW, W- What I WANT to know, L- What I

LEARNED (we will fill in this column after we have finished our journey). Let’s get started! One thing about my family is…

*(or a Y-Chart- What does a family

Look/Sound/Feel Like)

*If using several books, plan to use the same or similar questions as you read. Sharing from the read aloud can also be recorded on a chart to be used for comparison to the “home” family chart and also to make connections and comparisons between the various texts.

As I have been getting to know each of you this year and you have been getting to know each other, sharing with each other (like in Morning Meeting), and learning to talk with each other about all kinds of things like books, and math and what we like and don’t like…I have noticed that each one of us is special and unique! I’m thinking inside my head that each of our families is too.

Let’s read this book together; I am going to stop every so often so that we can think together and talk

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

We may read more than one book as we explore the world of families



Compare/Contrast Classroom

Families KWL to families in the text



When I read about something new I’m thinking “Hmmm, how is this like my family and me and how is this different?”

Active Involvement



Think-Pair-Share

Link: 5+ minutes



Activity: A Warm Wind

Blows o Play several rounds so that students are able to see many variations of similarities and differences

Work Time and

Conferring: 20 minutes together about what we have read about families.

Preview book and post ?’s on sticky notes (2-4) to guide the discussion. Consider the following elements: What elements of diversity are illustrated, how are cultural elements illustrated, what can be compared/contrasted/connected to the sharing that the students did during the mini-lesson?

Let’s look for a minute at the chart we made and remind ourselves of what we know and what we want to know. Let’s see if we can add to our chart, answer some of the want to know things we listed and just find out how our families are the same and different from each other’s and from those in the book.

Turn now to your partner so that you know just whom you will be sharing with when we stop.

The Great Big Book of Families, Mary Hoffman,

Dial, 2011 (Pre-K – 2).

Features all kinds of families and their lives together. Each spread showcases one aspect of home life - from houses and holidays, to schools and pets, to feelings and family trees. Lots of detail for discussions.

I’m going to set the timer. Your job is to decide on one thing you would like to add to our chart about families. Think for a moment to yourself, turn and talk to your partner, and then be ready to share with all of us when the timer finishes.

Today we are going to use our work time to play an activity that is sometimes used in Morning Meeting

“A Warm Wind Blows.” We will stay in our circle to play the activity. I am going to use our KWL (and/or

Y) chart about families to choose the categories.

I am going to say “A warm wind blows for …

(example: friends who have 5 people in their family, have two moms, or who have a grandma living with them…) When I say something that describes you and your family, stand up in your place in the circle with your hands in the air (model).

If you are standing, look around the circle and see who else in the classroom has something about their family that is the same as you.

We have a couple of work centers today just about families. Today you will have time in (#) of the

6




Independent/Small group



Conferring

*We strongly suggest asking your building to purchase the

Lakeshore Learning Family

“Center” supplies (See Resource

List)

-Note: There is a set available for check out through the MRC

Share: 5 min



Link to focus



Reinforce teaching point



Demonstrate new learning





Popcorn share

Celebrate learning

Assessment

Home Link

(Send home prior to Lesson 2)



Note to families about the materials and expected return date



Family Tradition

Interview

 “About __________”

Attribute Survey – One for each family member in the household

(Follow-up on phone or with interpreters as needed to encourage family participation- this is a great time to make a positive home contact!) centers. I will set the timer and when it finishes, we will move to the next center.



Family Puzzles



Family Book Club



Family Figures



Drawing/ Writing about my Family

Once we go to our work centers I will be walking around and listening and checking in with you while you work together exploring more about families

Let’s come back to the circle! Let’s take a few minutes to check in with each other and see what great things we have learned about families today.

I’m going to pick just a few people to share out today. Who has something to add to our chart after our learning time today?

If you learned something new about families today…Put your hand on top of your head.

If you still have some questions about families…Pull your ear.

If you found out that you and your friends have things that are similar and different about your families…Raise both hands high in the air!

Today I am sending home some things for you to work on with your family. This is a way for you to record what your family members look like and also some of the special food, music, traditions, and activities that make your family special. Please bring these back as soon as possible so we can begin the next part of our learning about families.


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Family Tradition Interview

1. My name is: _____________________________________________________.

2. My family speaks these language(s) in our home:

Hello Hola Nyob zoo اب حرم cha o

3 . There are _____________ people in my family.

ם ול ש

____________

2 3

4. One of our favorite family meals is:

4

________________________

5 6

____________

?

5. Some of our favorite family music is:

__________________________________________


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About

______________________________________________________________

Skin

Hair Curly Wavy Straight

Black Brown Gray

Red/ Auburn Strawberry Blonde Dark Blonde Blonde

Eyes

Boy

Small

Girl

Large

Short

Old

Tall

Young

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[Insert Date]

Dear Families,

Please take time with your student to fill out one “About ______” page for each family member who lives with you and one copy of the “Family Tradition Interview.” These will be used to help your student make a scrapbook about their family to share with their classroom friends.

Please send the completed sheets back to class with your student by [insert date] . Feel free contact me if you have questions.

Thank you so much!

[Name and Contact Information]

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Lesson 2: My Family is Great! (Personal Exploration)


* Key idea: My family is great!

Students gain a greater understanding of themselves and their families.

* Teacher resources:

 “Who’s in a Family” by

Robert Skutch



Sample Family Crest (This is one way to collect the pictures of what a family might consider special.

Other families may have a story cloth, a flag, shield, collage, or some other object that shows the unique attributes of a family.)

* What students bring to the lesson



Compiled into a

“scrapbook” or in a

“working” folder: o Family Interview: an opportunity for families to share their family origin, meals, music and traditions/ celebrations. o “About ______”

Family Member

Attribute Surveys

Connection

Last time we met, we asked, “What is a family?” We know that each of us belongs to a family and there are things about each of our families that are the same and things that are different. Today, we’re going to spend time thinking and talking about the family that each of you comes from. We’ll look at who is in your family, what foods you eat, music you and your family enjoys, and what traditions/celebrations you have. These are just a few of the things that make you and your family special.

You and your families have worked very hard to share with us all kinds of information about your families. Let’s learn about all the great ways that your families are different and unique. We will go around the circle and share some of the things our family helped us with and make a new chart to keep track of some of the new information. I’m wondering…Do you think that our new chart will have new and different information or… will we find that our families have shared some of the same things that we already thought of?

I have gotten to know you all through our time together in class and I’ve learned that each of you is a special person with different ideas, talents, and interests. Your family has helped you to grow into this unique person and you are also a big part of what makes your family who they are! I’m excited as we each take a closer look at our families and learn about how they have helped make each of us such great people.

Let’s look back at the charts we made in our last

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

(Preview book and include sticky notes for questions and group discussion throughout the book :



What is this family doing? Is this something that your family does, too?



What is this family eating? Have you eaten that before?



How many people are in this family? How many people are in your family?)



When I read about different families, I think to myself,

“Hmmm, does this remind me of my family or is it different?” or even “Oh! Oh!

We do that at my house, too!”

Active Involvement

* Turn and Talk

Link: 5 minutes

*Explain Family Crest activity and walk through sample family crest. Model the thinking process as well as the “research” process of paging through their scrapbooks and the classroom charts for ideas.

Remember to use lots of pictures to demonstrate/ model the Crest!! lesson from our sharing and the books that we read so we have our ideas about our families from last time fresh in our minds as we connect to our learning today.

All families are different and all families are special.

We have noticed this as each of us has shared about our families, and the way we have compared and contrasted our families on our charts.

I’m going to read aloud this story, Who’s in a

Family? by Robert Skutch,

I will pause from time to time to ask you about what these families are like and how they might be like or different from your own family.

Let’s take a quick minute to think about your Family

Interview Scrapbooks so you are ready when you see/hear anything in the book that is a connection for you.

After we finish reading, you will turn and talk with your partner; turn quickly now to see just whom you’ll be talking to as we read the story.

Turn to your partner now and talk about connections that you made in the story; things that remind you of your Family Interview, things that are different than what you know about your family, things that you connect to our charts.

Today we’re going to use our activity time to create family crests using the information from our Family

Interviews. A crest can represent your family through symbols, pictures, and words. This is just one way to collect the pictures of what a family might consider special. Other families may have a story cloth, a flag, shield, collage, or some other object that shows the unique and special attributes of a family.

Here’s an example that I made of my own family crest (explain components and significance).

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Work Time and

Conferring: 20 minutes

* Independent/Small group

* Conferring

Hand out family crest template and clearly explain the following instructions (On large chart paper- with visual example of crest with easy to read information and pictures) :

1. Students should carefully cut out the family crest along the thick black line.

2. Students will write their “family name” or last name in the center circle.

3. In the section labeled “Family Members,” students will draw or color the faces of their family members.

4. In the section labeled “Family Foods,” students will draw or color their family’s favorite foods. This can include foods they eat for holiday celebrations, food from their cultural heritage, or meals their family eats regularly.

5. In the section labeled “Family Tradition,” students will draw or color a picture of a tradition in their family. This could be a particular holiday or cultural celebration, a vacation they often take, or even a weekly tradition (i.e. family dinner)

6. In the section labeled “Family Symbol,” students will draw or color a symbol that represents their family. This could be a picture of something the family likes to do together, a place they often go, music they like, or a favorite game to play.

Encourage them to be creative!

Walk around, check in with students about their purpose and progress on their crest.

(As students finish their crests, post them on walls around the room or as a tabletop gallery.)

Now that we have finished our work, let’s celebrate!

I invite you to walk around the room and take a look at the family crests our classmates have created.

I’m going to give each of you two sticky notes. If you see a classmate’s crest that you connect to, leave your sticky note on the edge of the paper like this

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Share: 5 minutes

Sharing what happened…

* Link to focus

* Reinforce teaching point

* Demonstrate new learning

* Popcorn share

* Celebrate learning

(model).

After you take a walk around, come back to your place in the circle so that we can share.

Let’s share something that we are proud of from our crests and one connection we made to a crest made by our classmates (one that you put a sticky note on).

Remember, each of our families is unique, just like our family crests, and each of you contributes to the larger and beautiful landscape of what families look like!


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Family Members

Family Tradition

Family Name

Family Foods

Family Symbol


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Lesson 3: Something For You-Something For Me- (Comparative Analysis)




Our families are each special and have unique stories and experiences to describe them.

We can share these with each other and retell them so that each of us can hear our family’s story through another voice.



Teacher resources: o Norah Dooley Books

(read in the days prior to the lesson) o Putamayo Kids Music

(playing during work time) o Music selections sent by families (playing during work time or selected during sharing of stories)



What students bring to the lesson: o Family Scrapbooks

Connection


Direct Instruction



Tell students what we want them to focus on/learn/know

 Something we’d like them to try

So far we have looked at ourselves as individuals, talked about our families and how we fit into them, and looked at other families in the community and the world. Now we are going to take a look at our families side-by-side and compare and contrast our families, our traditions (our food, our music, our celebrations), and the things that make each of our families special.

We each have our scrapbooks, our family crests (as scrapbook covers or posted as a gallery), and we have listened to and talked about many stories about families like ours and different from ours.

Let’s look at all of our charts and see if we have learned some of the What I want to learn questions.

Can we add to the What I Learned Columns? Let’s see…

Select a few questions that you can readily see have been answered and ask for sharing to fill in some of the L columns.

We will come back to our charts again after this lesson and see how much more we can add to our wonderful collection of learning about families.

We have all been sharing the special attributes of our families in bits and pieces, listening to each other, comparing and contrasting our families and families all around the world.

Now we are going to take extra special care listening to each other so that we can tell someone else’s story so that it sounds like some of the stories we heard in the books.

So let me show you what I mean. I asked Ms/Mr Soand-So to make a “My Family” book just like we did in class. S/he and I sat down and s/he told me many things about his/her family while we sat sideby-side and looked at her book together. Now, I am going to tell the story of her family in the best way that I can.

I won’t forget to tell:

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Active Involvement: 5 minutes



Turn and Talk

Link/Off you go

Literacy Work Time and

Conferring: 20 minutes



Independent/Small group



Conferring

Share: 5 minutes

This will take longer than one

“block”- suggested to use

“Publishing Party” model and consider inviting parents for final sharing

* Celebrate learning: ”Publishing

Party”

 My partner’s name



How many people are in their family



Languages spoken



A favorite food for their family



Favorite kind of music or song for their family



One special celebration/tradition that has been passed down and why it is special to my partner



One thing about our families that is the same



One thing about our families that is different

Listen carefully to see if I remember everything and watch how I use her book to help me.

OK, turn and talk to your partner and decide how you will use your work time to learn and practice each other’s stories. Think about who will go first, will you show your book and point out the things that are most important to you, and what will it look like when you are listening to each other.

Now, it is time to share your books with your partner and work to tell each other’s family stories.

What will it look like, sound like, and feel like during your work time?

Create (or refer to previous) visual rubric of worktime expectations.

Pairs are side-by-side sharing their books orally and

“coaching” each other in the telling of their family stories.

Check in with each pair to ensure equitable sharing and clarity of purpose, help telling/retelling as needed, and encouraging their practice.

When you hear your experience told by someone else…it becomes a story!



Each pair shares, “reading” their partners’ books with the whole group



Or each pair shares with another pair

We are going to have an opportunity to share these again with our whole group and I was thinking we should invite some special guests, our families, to come as well! I have planned our celebration for

(DATE) and tomorrow we will begin work on our invitations. You will have more “practice” time this week during some of our choice time to work with your partner to be ready!

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Assessment

So…

Let me see a Thumbs Up, Thumbs to the Side,

Thumbs Down to show how you feel about the work you have done.

Let me see a Thumbs Up, Thumbs to the Side,

Thumbs Down to show how you feel about sharing your work at a celebration!


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[Insert Date]

Dear Families,

In the upcoming [days, weeks] we will be talking about all kinds of families. As we look around our classroom and talk to each other we can see that the way families look, who the members of their family are (including non-conventional/non-nuclear models as found in the classroom and in the community), their traditions and culture, their journeys and stories are both similar to and different from our own. We will explore our own families and families from around our community and the world.

During these lessons we hope that you will help your student to share about your family. Some of the discussions will be about favorite or traditional foods, music, celebrations, and the stories of how our family came to be.

We would love to have you send pictures, special objects, music (on CD or USB) or to take time to visit.

We may be calling or checking in with you as you stop in the classroom to make sure that your student has just what they need to share the stories of your family in the best possible way.

At the end of our learning [date/time, if known] we will be having a celebration of family, to include an opportunity to share our learning, our stories, and the stories of our friends to see just how special, how similar, and how different the families in our classroom are.

If you have any questions about our upcoming unit or have ideas to share please feel free to contact me at [insert contact information] . Thank you for your help!

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Resource List

1. Digital Resources

 http://www.amazeworks.org

AMAZE | A non-profit organization that works to create safe and respectful communities for all children.

 http://archive.adl.org/waff/guide.pdf

Anti-Defamation League | This

DVD and teaching guide introduce these values to children through a unique mix of motivational music and educational tools. Through the voices of over 100 beloved television characters, children will learn about different families and explore the importance of cultural diversity.

 http://www.l3.ulg.ac.be/adichie/ Nigerian Author, Chimanda Ngozi

Adichie | Excellent speech about the “Danger of a Single Story” http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_sing le_story.html

.

 http://www.facinghistory.org/ Facing History and Ourselves | For more than 30 years, Facing History has believed that education is the key to combating bigotry and nurturing democracy.

 http://familydiv.org/exhibits/in-our-family/ Family Diversity Projects |

“In Our Family: Portraits of All Kinds of Families” is a museumquality traveling photo-text exhibit about twenty families representing a breadth of diversity and family configurations including: adoptive and foster families; divorced and stepfamilies; single parent households; multiracial families; families facing chronic illness and death; families living with mental and physical disabilities; lesbian and gay-parented families; interfaith families; multigenerational households; and immigrant families.

 http://globallives.org/resources/educators/ The Global Lives Project |

Develops enriching content and lesson plans to teachers addressing themes of globalization and cross-cultural awareness through the lens of new media.

 http://www.leeandlow.com/ Lee and Low Books | An independent children’s book publisher focusing on diversity. It is the company’s mission to meet the need for stories that all children can identify with and enjoy.

 http://mnhum.org/ Minnesota Humanities Center | The Minnesota

Humanities Center brings the unique resources of the humanities to the challenges and opportunities of our times. Through dialogue, education, and partnerships across the state we are building a thoughtful, literate, and engaged society.

 http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/ Peace Corps Worldwise Schools |

Classroom resources based on Peace Corps Volunteer experiences.

 http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/publications/bbyl/ Building Bridges for Young Learners | This 5-lesson guide incorporates e-books on cultural concepts of interest to students in the early grades. Self,

Family, School, Community, Culture.

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 http://www.putumayo.com/kids/home Putumayo | Putumayo Kids collection is a unique educational resource that provides upbeat and culturally authentic multicultural music enhanced by interesting, educational, multilingual, child-friendly liner notes free downloadable teaching guides and song lyrics.



Putumayo Kids Catalog: http://www.putumayo.com/sites/default/files/ed_catalog_flipbo ok/ed_catalog.html

 http://www.rainbowrumpus.org/ Rainbow Rumpus | The world‘s only online literary magazine for children and youth with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) parents. We provide a safe, fun, and empowering place for young people to create and enjoy art, break through isolation, build community, and take action to make the world a better place. Online and printable inclusive books for all ages.

 http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml

Rethinking Schools | A non-profit publisher of educational material.

 http://www.nationalseedproject.org

The National SEED Project on

Inclusive Curriculum engages teachers from all subjects, grades, and types of schools to create gender fair, multi-culturally equitable, and globally informed education.

 http://www.teachingtolerance.org

Teaching Tolerance | A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools.

 http://welcomingschools.org

Welcoming Schools | Uses an LGBTinclusive approach to addressing family diversity, gender stereotyping and bullying and name-calling in K-5 learning environments.

2. Non-Digital Resources

A variety of books highlighting all kinds of families:



ALL KINDS OF FAMILIES



All Families Are Special , Norma Simon. (2 –3). Goes beyond other books in portraying different kinds of families and shows both what can be hard in a family, as well as what is good.

Includes two-mom, blended, and international families.



Families , Susan Kuklin. (4 –5). Combining interviews and engaging color photos, this shows the diversity of families in

America. Includes mixed-race, immigrant, two-dad, two-mom and single parent families and families for whom religion is a focal point. ISBN-13: 9780786808229



The Family Book, Todd Parr. (Pre-K – K). All kinds of families are celebrated in a funny, silly, and reassuring way. Includes adoptive families, stepfamilies, single-parent families, twomom and two-dad families, and families with a mom and a dad. Quirky humor and bright, childlike illustrations. ISBN-13:

9780316070409

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 Who’s in a Family?

Robert Skutch. (Pre-K –1). A picture book showing multicultural contemporary family units, including those with single parents, two moms or two dads, mixed-race couples, grandparents and divorced parents. ISBN-13:

9781883672669



Material World: A Global Family Portrait , Peter Menzel. (4 and up). Visual portrait of life in 30 nations. Photographs of families from around the world, outside of their homes with all of their belongings. ISBN-13: 9780871564306



We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past , Jacqueline Woodson. (K –

2). Join Teeka’s sprawling, urban African- American family for their annual picnic in the park and experience an extended family gathering that brims with love and acceptance. ISBN-

13: 9781423106814



When Lightning Comes in a Jar, Patricia Polacco. (K-2) Soon all the relatives will arrive, dozens of aunts and uncles and cousins. And the fun will begin! Every year, the family rituals are the same. But this year, Gramma has promised something new. ISBN-13: 9780142403501



DVD:

That’s a Family!,

Debra Chasnoff & Helen Cohen.

Exclusively the words of children speaking about their diverse range of families — multi-racial families, adoptive families, divorced parents, families with two moms or two dads, grandparent headed, and single-parent families.



ADOPTION



Jin Woo , Eve Bunting. (K – 3). David likes his family the way it is. He never wanted to be a big brother. And he certainly didn’t want Jin Woo, who is now getting all the attention. A surprising letter helps him to understand that being a brother can mean being surrounded with more love than ever.



Star of the Week: A Story of Love, Adoption, and Brownies with Sprinkles. Darlene Friedman. (K– 3). Cassidy—Li is making brownies and collecting photos for a school poster. She has pictures of all the important people in her life — except her birthparents. But with help she comes up with a solution.



We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families ,

Todd Parr. (Pre-K – 1). Explores the ways that people can choose to come together to make a family. It's about sharing your home and sharing your heart to make a family that belongs together.



DIVORCE



Boundless Grace , Mary Hoffman. (Pre-K – 2). Grace goes to

Africa to visit her father and his new family, but she feels a little strange. Nana says families are what you make them.

Grace is going to make the most of hers! ISBN-13:

9780140556674

22




Pricilla Twice , Judith Caseley. (K – 4). Looks at a family break-up through a child eyes. When her parents separate,

Pricilla spends her days between two homes, feeling split apart yet needed more than ever before. ISBN-13: 9780688133054



FOSTER CARE



Our Gracie Aunt , Jacqueline Woodson. (K – 4). Johnson and his sister, Beebee, have to take care of themselves after their mother leaves. Then they’re moved to the Aunt Gracie’s house and things start getting better. ISBN-13: 978-0786806201

 Zachary’s New Home: A Story for Foster and Adopted

Children , Geraldine Molettiere Blomquist. (K – 2). Zachary, the kitten, is taken from his mother’s house when his mother is unable to take care of him. He is fostered and then adopted by a family of geese. He experiences the true-to-life feelings of adoption. ISBN-13: 9780945354277



FAMILIES WITH LGBT FAMILY MEMBERS



The Different Dragon , Jennifer Bryan. (K – 1). Shows how the wonderful curiosity and care of a little boy, with some help from his two moms, can lead to magical places with a dragon who is tired of being tough.

 In Our Mothers’ House,

Patricia Polacco. (3 – 5). Marmee,

Meema, and their kids cook, laugh, and dance together in their home. But some families don’t accept them, saying they are different. Yet Marmee and Meema’s house is full of love. And they teach their children that different doesn’t mean wrong.

 Uncle Bobby’s Wedding , Sarah S. Brannen. (K – 3). Looks at the fears that a young girl has of losing her favorite uncle when he plans to get married. Everyone in the family is happy, but her. Finally, she sees that she is not losing an uncle but gaining another uncle.



All Families Are Special , Norma Simon, Albert Whitman &

Co., 2003 (1 – 3).

Highlights examples of different kinds of families, including two-mom, blended, adoptive and international families. It goes beyond other books in portraying different kinds of families and shows what can be hard in a family, as well as what is good and special.



And Tango Makes Three , Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell,

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2005 (Pre-K – 1).

Tells the story of two famous dads — penguins Roy and Silo from New York’s Central Park Zoo. After the penguins put a rock in their nest and try to hatch it, the zookeeper gives them a real egg that needs care. The two take turns sitting on it until it hatches, and Tango is born.

 Antonio’s Card / La Tarjeta de Antonio

, Rigoberto Gonzales &

Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez (Illustrator), Children’s Book

23


Press, 2005 (Bilingual) (2 – 3).

As Mother’s Day approaches, Antonio must choose whether — or how — to express his connection and love for his mother and her partner, Leslie. But he’s not sure what to do when his classmates make fun of Leslie, an artist, who towers over everyone and wears paint-splattered overalls.



Best, Best Colors / Los Mejores Colores , Eric Hoffman,

Redleaf Press, 1999 (Pre-K – 2).

Nate loves all of the colors he sees in his everyday life. When his Mamma Jean and Mamma Laura ask him his favorite color, he wonders, “How can I choose just one?” Later, Nate learns he likes all the colors best when they’re together and that he can have more than one favorite color and more than one best friend.

 Buster’s Sugartime , Marc Brown, Little, Brown & Co., 2006

(Pre-K – 2).

An easy-reader companion book to the PBS Postcards From

Buster episode that takes Buster to visit a family headed by two moms in Vermont where, he learns how maple sugar is made.



Confessions of a Former Bully, Trudy Ludwig, Tricycle Press,

2010. (2 – 5).

Told from the unusual point of view of someone who bullied rather than the target. Highlights bullying with words. Provides kids with real life tools they can use to identify and stop relational aggression. Mentions taunting for being perceived as gay.



Dear Child, John Farrell, Boyds Mills Press, 2008 (Pre-K – K).

Rhythmical words and playful paintings show grown-ups wonder-filled affection – affection that will continue as a child starts school. Highlights 3 families, including a two-mom family and multiracial families.



The Different Dragon , Jennifer Bryan, Two Lives Publishing,

2006 (Pre-K – 2).

This bedtime story about bedtime stories shows how the wonderful curiosity and care of a little boy, with some help from his willing moms, can lead to magical and unexpected places.



Donovan's Big Day,

Lesléa Newman, Tricycle Press, 2011

(Pre-K – 2).

Captures the excitement of a young boy as he and his extended family prepare for the boy’s two moms’ wedding. A picture book about love, family, and marriage.



The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans and Other Stories ,

Johnny Valentine, Alyson Books, 2004 (K – 3). A Duke proclaimed: “I had exactly one mother and one father, and I turned out so well, I think all children should have exactly one

24


mother and one father. Any that don’t ... why, we’ll throw ’em in the dungeon.” But the kids found a way to stop him. A collection of five fairy tales.



Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two-Mom Story, Kaitlyn Taylor

Considine, Twomombooks.com, 2005 (Pre-K – K). A story of little girl with two moms learning how to be nice to her cat.

Follow along as Emma gets in trouble trying to play with

Meesha Kitty and cheer as she learns to treat him with care.



Everywhere Babies , Susan Meyers & Marla Frazee

(Illustrator), Harcourt, 2001 (Pre-K).

Every day, everywhere, babies are born. They’re kissed and dressed and rocked and fed — and completely adored by all of the kinds of families who love them.



Families , Susan Kuklin, Hyperion, 2006 (4 – 5).

Combining interviews and engaging color photos, this book shows the diversity of families in America. Includes mixedrace, immigrant, two-dad, two-mom and single parent families and families for whom religion is a focal point. The interviews focus on the children’s feelings about being part of their family.



Families , Ann Morris, HarperCollins, 2000 (Pre-K – 1).

Some children live with their mothers and fathers. Others have stepparents or live with just one parent. Still others live with grandparents or foster parents who chose them specially. But all children around the world are part of families – caring for one another.



The Family Book , Todd Parr, Little, Brown Young Readers,

2004 (Pre-K – K).

All kinds of families are celebrated in a funny, silly and reassuring way. Includes adoptive families, stepfamilies, single-parent families, two-mom and two-dad families, and families with a mom and a dad.



Flying Free , Jennifer C. Gregg & Janna Richards (Illustrator),

BookSurge LCC, 2005 (Pre-K – 1). Violet captures a firefly and plans to use it as a nightlight. Her mommies go along with the idea, but the firefly refuses to live in a glass jar. After several attempts, the firefly devises the ultimate escape plan.



The Great Big Book of Families, Mary Hoffman, Dial, 2011

(Pre-K – 2).

Features all kinds of families and their lives together. Each spread showcases one aspect of home life - from houses and holidays, to schools and pets, to feelings and family trees. Lots of detail for discussions.



Hello, Sailor , Ingrid Godon & Andre Sollie, MacMillan

Children’s Books, 2004 (Pre-K – 1).Matt lives in a lighthouse watching the sea every day for ships and for his friend, Sailor.

25


Rose says Sailor is never coming back, but Matt won’t give up hope. Surely Sailor will come back for Matt’s birthday?



Hoops with Swoopes: Picture Book , Susan Kuklin, Sheryl

Swoopes, Jump at the Sun, 2001 (Pre-K – K). The 2000

WNBA champion and MVP takes center court in this simple, vigorous introduction to basketball with soaring photographs of

Swoopes and bright, bold typography.



Keesha & Her Two Moms Go Swimming , Monica Bey-Clarke,

Cheril Clarke, Dodi Press, 2011 (Pre-K – K). Follows Keesha and her two moms for a day of swimming at the pool where she meets up with her best friend, Trevor and his two dads.



Mom & Mum Are Getting Married , Ken Setterington & Alice

Priestly, Second Story Press, 2004(Pre-K – 2).

Rosie comes home from school one day to find out that her moms are getting married. Rosie has so many questions. Will she get to be a flower girl or carry the rings? Will there be food and a fabulous wedding cake? At a small, simple ceremony, family, friends, and fun come together for a celebration of love in a changing world.



Monday is One Day, Arthur Levine, Scholastic Press, 2011

(Pre-K – K).

A love note from a working parent to a child, counting the days of the week -- each one a special opportunity to spend time together. “The hardest part of going to work is being apart from you....” Each day of the week features a different family including a two-dad family.



A Tale of Two Daddies, Vanita Oelschlager, VanitaBooks,

2010 (Pre-K – 1).

A young girl answers a friend's questions about what it is like to have two fathers. The boy asks straightforward questions:

“Which dad would build your home in a tree? And which dad helps when you skin your knee?” The story ends simply, “Who is your dad when you're sad and need some love?” Both, of course.



A Tale of Two Mommies , Vanita Oelschlager, VanitaBooks,

2011 (Pre-K – 1).

A beach conversation among three children. One boy asks another boy about having two mommies. A young girl listening in asks some questions too. It’s clear this boy lives in a nurturing environment where the biggest issues are the everyday challenges of growing up.

 Uncle Bobby’s Wedding

, Sarah S. Brannen, Putnam Juvenile,

2008 (K – 2).

Looks at the fears that a young girl has of losing her favorite uncle when he plans to get married. Everyone in the family is


26

happy, but her. She finally sees that she is not losing an uncle but gaining another uncle.



We All Sing with the Same Voice , J. Phillip Miller, Sheppard

M. Greene & Paul Meisel (Illustrator), HarperTrophy, 2005

(Pre-K – 1).

In a classic Sesame Street song children differentiated by race, nationality, gender or geography join hands and sing: “We all sing with the same voice...” The lyrics and illustrations can open up discussion of families (e.g. “I’ve got one daddy/I’ve got two”).



The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption , Jean Davies

Okimoto, Clarion Books, 2002 (1 – 3). Across North America people in four different homes prepare for a special trip to

China, while four baby girls in China await their new adoptive parents. Shows the adoption process step by step and the anxiety, suspense and delight of becoming a family. Includes a single-mom family and a two-mom family.

 Who’s in a Family?

Robert Skutch, Tricycle Press, 1997 (Pre-

K – K).

A picture book showing multicultural, contemporary families, including those with single parents, two moms or two dads, mixed-race couples, grandparents, and divorced parents. Shows the families doing every day activities.



GRANDPARENTS

 Halmoni’s Day

, Edna Coe Bercaw. (K – 2). Jennifer is worried about her Korean grandmother’s visit to school because

Halmoni does not speak English and wears traditional Korean dress. The visit goes perfectly, and Jennifer learns more about her grandmother’s life story as well.



Muskrat Will be Swimming , Cheryl Savageau. (K – 5). A heartwarming tale of the lesson a girl learns from a Seneca creation story her grandfather tells her — a lesson of knowing who you are and staying strong in the face of hurtful criticism.



The Patchwork Quilt, Valerie Flournoy (K – 2).Tanya loves listening to her grandmother talk about the quilt she is making from fabric from the family clothes. When Grandma becomes ill, Tanya decides to finish the quilt with the help of her family.



INCARCERATED PARENTS



Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart , Vera B. Williams. (1 – 4).

A series of poems tells how two sisters help each other deal with life while their mother is working and their father is in jail. Friendships and support shine through the difficulties.



Mama Loves Me from Away , Pat Brisson. (1 – 3). Shows the loving bond between Sugar and her single-parent mom through memories. But now Sugar now lives with Grammy, and they travel every Sunday on three long bus rides to visit Mama.

27




MULTIRACIAL FAMILIES



I Love Saturdays y Domingos , Alma Flor Ada. (K – 2). An affectionate and revealing portrait of a bilingual girl’s weekend visits to her two sets of grandparents. She does different things in each place, goes on different outings, and hears different stories reflecting her grandparents’ heritages.



The Two Mrs. Gibsons , Toyomi Igus. (Pre-K – 2). A young girl tells of her very different but loving relationships with her

Japanese-American mother and her African-American grandmother.

 SPECIAL NEEDS



My Brother Charlie. Holly Robinson Peete. (K – 2). Callie is very proud of her brother Charlie. He’s good at so many things.

But sometimes Charlie gets very quiet and his words get locked inside him. A sister’s story of living with a brother who has autism.



Dad and Me in the Morning , Patricia Lakin. (K – 2) A young boy sneaks in to wake his dad and they head out together, to watch the sun come up over the lake by their home. The illustrations in this book present ASL beautifully, as a deaf son and his father communicate their strong bond with each other.



CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND IMMIGRATION: PICTURE BOOKS



All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel, Dan Yaccarino, Knopf Books for Young

Readers, 2011 (K – 2). The story of four generations of an

Italian American family. It begins with an immigrant who came through Ellis Island with big dreams, a small shovel, and his parents' advice: "Work hard, but remember to enjoy life, and never forget your family."

 Antonio’s Card / La Tarjeta de Antonio,

Rigoberto Gonzales,

Children’s Book Press, 2005 (Bilingual) (1 – 4). As Mother’s

Day approaches, Antonio must choose whether — or how — to express his connection and love for his mother and her partner,

Leslie.



The Arrival, Shaun Tan, Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007 (4 and up). An imaginative graphic novel that captures the sense of adventure, wonder, and confusion that surrounds a new arrival on the shores of a shining new city. Wordless, but gives you a feel for the strangeness, newness, and finally settling in.



The Belly Button of the Moon and Other Summer Poems / Del

Ombligo de la Luna y Otros Poemas de Verano, Francisco

Alarcon. Children's Book Press, 1998 (Bilingual) (K – 2).

Filled with poems and bright, bold illustrations. Brings alive the author’s childhood visits to Mexico.

 Benjamin and the Word / Benjamín y La Palabra, Daniel

Olivas, Piñata Books, 2011 (Bilingual) (K – 2). Benjamin beat

28


his friend James while playing handball, and James retaliated by calling Benjamin "the word." A compelling look at namecalling and intolerance. Because “the word” is not stated, this book could be used to discuss many hurtful words. Topics of immigration and race are raised in the book.



Brothers, Chris Soentpiet, Philomel, 2006 (1 – 3). Ming arrives in San Francisco in the mid-19th century to help brothers run their small store in Chinatown. Ming's desire for friendship pulls him across the boundary of his neighborhood where he befriends an Irish immigrant, Patrick, whose family came to

America to escape starvation



Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty, Linda Glaser

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010 (1 – 4). In 1883,

Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from

Eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that was to give voice to the

Statue of Liberty.



Candy Shop, Jan Wahl, Charlesbridge Publishing, 2005 (K –

3). Daniel, an African-American boy dressed as a cowboy and his aunt go to his favorite place, the Candy Shop. When they get there, they find a crowd gathered and the Taiwanese owner,

Miz Chu, in tears. Someone has written hateful words on the sidewalk in front of her shop. Daniel thinks a cowboy would help, so he takes a bucket and brush and scrubs away those

"dumb words."



The Color of Home, Mary Hoffman, Dial, 2002 (K – 2).

Hassan, a recent immigrant from Somalia, is homesick on his first day of school in America. Though the teacher is nice and the children are friendly, adjusting to a new culture, especially a different language, is a struggle until Hassan discovers a way to communicate.



Grandfather Counts, Andrea Cheng, Lee & Low Books, 2003

(Pre-K – 2). When Helen’s Chinese grandfather comes to live with her family in the United States, the language barrier seems insurmountable until they each find pleasure in introducing the other to words in his or her native tongue. A moving intergenerational story.



Going Home, Eve Bunting, HarperCollins, 1996 (1 – 5). In a family that has moved to California from Mexico to work, the parents may call one place home, the children, another. When

Carlos and family go to his parents' village for Christmas,

Carlos realizes the sacrifices his parents have made in leaving.



Good-Bye 382 Shin Dang Dong, Frances Park, National

Geographic Children's Books, 2002 (K – 2). The story begins with Jangmi's last day at home in Korea and her first day in her new country. It contrasts the landscapes and customs of the two cultures and shows the common anxieties of a child moving to

29


a new place, from worries about making friends to the strangeness of new surroundings.

 Jalapeño Bagels,

Natasha Wing, Atheneum, 1996 (Pre-K – 2).

While trying to decide what to take for his school‘s

International Day, Pablo helps his Mexican mother and Jewish father at their bakery and discovers a food that represents both his parents’ backgrounds.

 Halmoni’s Day,

Edna Coe Bercaw, Dial Books for Young

Readers, 2000 (Pre-K – 2).

Jennifer is worried about her Korean grandmother’s visit to school because Halmoni does not speak English and wears traditional Korean dress. The visit goes perfectly, and Jennifer learns more about her grandmother’s life story as well.



Hannah Is My Name: A Young Immigrant's Story, Candlewick,

2007 (K – ). It’s a long way from Taiwan to San Francisco, but

Hannah’s family has made the journey because they want to make America their home. As Hannah takes a new name, starts a new school, learns a new language, and adjusts to a new way of life, they all wait — and hope — for the arrival of the green cards that will assure they are finally home to stay.



Home at Last, Susan Middleton Elya, Lee & Low, 2002 (1 –

3). The family has recently arrived in the U.S. from Mexico.

Ana adjusts quickly, but Mama has a harder time.



How My Family Lives in America, Susan Kuklin (K – 3). A glimpse at how three families impart a sense of ethnic identity to their children. Sanu (mother born in Baltimore, father born in Senegal), Eric (mother born in New York City, father born in Puerto Rico), and April (both parents born in Taiwan) live in

New York City. Full-color photos.



How My Parents Learned to Eat, Ina R. Friedman and Allen

Say, Sandpiper, 1987 (K – 2). Narrated by a young girl, who describes how her father, an American sailor courts a young

Japanese woman, her mother, and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating.



I Hate English, Ellen Levine, Scholastic Paperbacks, 1989 (K –

2). Mei Mei, a bright and articulate immigrant from Hong

Kong, is having difficulty adjusting to the new language and culture at school in New York City. A sensitive teacher takes

Mei Mei under her wing and succeeds in breaking through her fear of losing her identity.



I Love Saturdays y Domingos, Alma Flor Ada, Atheneum,

2002 (K – 2). An affectionate portrait of a bilingual girl’s weekend visits to her two sets of grandparents. She does different things in each place, goes on different outings and hears different stories reflecting her grandparents’ heritages.


30



In the Small, Small Night, Jane Kurtz, Greenwillow Books,

2005 (K – 2). Kofi can't sleep in his new home in the United

States, so his older sister Abena soothes his fears about life in a different country by telling him two folktales from their native

Ghana about the nature of wisdom and perseverance.



In English, Of Course, Josephine Nobisso, Gingerbread House,

2003 (K – 3). Fictional story from her own experiences as a child of Italian immigrants in the Bronx. A tale of adventures and multicultural miscommunications.



The Keeping Quilt, Patricia Polacco, Aladdin Paperbacks, 2001

(K – 3). Traces the history of a quilt made from bits of

Polacco’s ancestors’ clothing. Over the course of a century, the coverlet serves as a Sabbath tablecloth, a wedding canopy and a blanket for newborn babies, connecting generations from one to the next.



Landed , Milly Lee, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR) 2006 (3 –

5). Based on a true story from the author's father-in-law. Tells the story of 12-year-old Lee Sun Chor and his emigration from

China to America around 1882. It also tells the true story of the

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act that detained new immigrants at

Angel Island.



The Lotus Seed, Sherry Garland, Sandpiper, 1997 (2 – 5). Set against a backdrop of historical events, tells a story of a grandmother who leaves war-torn Vietnam for the United

States and passes along a symbol of her past to her grandchildren.

 Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers, Pat Mora & Paula S.

Barragán (Illustrator), Lee & Low Books, 2001 (1 – 5).

Thirteen poets write with joy, humor and love about the powerful bond between mothers, grandmothers, and children.

The writers include men and women who represent a wide spectrum of Latino/a voices.



La Mariposa, Francisco Jimenez Sandpiper, 2000 (1 – 3).

Francisco, the son of migrant workers, has difficulty adjusting to a new school because he doesn't speak or understand English and, to make matters worse, the class bully seems to have it in for him.



The Memory Coat, Elvira Woodruff, Scholastic Press, 1999 (K

– 2). Follows the story of a young Russian Jewish boy who immigrates to the United States through Ellis Island during the late 19th or early 20th century.



Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel , Leslie Connor, Houghton Mifflin

Books for Children, 2004 (1 – 3). The journey begins for a young immigrant named Miss Bridie. It is a journey of hope and uncertainty, a journey that will take her to a new land, a new home, and—if she has chosen wisely—a good life.

31




My Abuelita, Tony Johnston, Harcourt Children's Books, 2009

(K – 2). Abuelita's hair is the color of salt. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. Sprinkled with Spanish and infused with love. A celebration of family, imagination, and the power of story.



My Name Is Bilal , Asma Mobin-Uddin & Barbara Kiwak,

Boyds Mills Press, 2005 (2 – 5). A brother and sister are the only Muslim students at their new school. When the sister is teased for wearing a head scarf, Bilal finds the courage to stand up to the bullies.



My Name Is Sangoel, Karen Lynn Williams Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2009 (1 – 3). Sangoel, a refugee, leaves behind his homeland of Sudan, where his father died in the war. He has little to call his own other than his name that no one can pronounce. He finally comes up with an ingenious solution.



My Name Is Yoon , Helen Recorvits, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

(BYR) 2003 (K – 2). Disliking her name as written in English,

Korean-born Yoon, or "shining wisdom," refers to herself as

"cat," "bird," and "cupcake," as a way to feel more comfortable in her new school and new country. In the end, she comes to accept both her English name and her new American self, recognizing that however it is written, she is still Yoon.

 Nadia’s Hands,

Karen English, Boyds Mills Press, 1999 (K –

2). When Nadia is chosen to be a flower girl in a wedding, her hands are decorated with beautiful designs made with mehndi.

When Nadia's hands are done, she worries what her classmates will say. Will they understand that the decoration on her hands is part of her Pakistani heritage?



The Name Jar, Yangsook Choi, Dragonfly Books, 2003 (K –

2). The new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she?

Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that

American kids will like her.



One Green Apple, Eve Bunting, Clarion Books, 2006 (K – 3).

Follows a newly immigrated young Arab girl on a field trip with her classmates on the second day of school. When she puts a green apple into the cider press instead of a ripe red her classmates protest. But then they see the cider from all their apples mixed together is delicious.



The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh, Janet Nolan Albert Whitman

& Company, 2002 (K – 2). Follows the story of an immigrant

Irish family, who passes their story down to the next generation, along with a shillelagh (walking stick) made from a tree in Ireland.



The Two Mrs. Gibsons,

Toyomi Igus, Children’s Book Press,

1996 (Pre-K – 2). A young girl tells of her very different but

32


loving relationships with her Japanese-American mother and her African-American grandmother.



When Jessie Came Across the Sea , Amy Hest, Candlewick,

2003 (1 – 3). A thirteen-year-old Jewish orphan reluctantly leaves her grandmother and immigrates to New York City at the turn of the century, where she works for three years sewing lace and earning money to bring Grandmother to the United

States.



Who Belongs Here?: An American Story, Margy Burns Knight,

Tilbury House Publishers, 2003 (1 – 3). The story of Nary, a young boy fleeing war-torn Cambodia for the safety of the

United States. To some of his new classmates he should go back where he belongs. But what if everyone whose family came from another place was forced to return to his or her homeland? Who would be left?



FOOD TRADITIONS



Everybody Cooks Rice, Norah Dooley - Folksy pictures in strong, primary colors give readers a peek into the fascinating households of this multicultural neighborhood, while descriptions of the meals on each table will leave readers with their mouths watering. For good measure, recipes are given at the end of the book for each of the dishes mentioned in the story. ISBN-13: 9780876145913



Everybody Bakes Bread - Norah Dooley - Folksy pictures in strong, primary colors give readers a peek into the fascinating households of this multicultural neighborhood, while descriptions of the meals on each table will leave readers with their mouths watering. For good measure, recipes are given at the end of the book for each of the dishes mentioned in the story. ISBN-13: 9781575057910



Everybody Brings Noodles - Norah Dooley - Folksy pictures in strong, primary colors give readers a peek into the fascinating households of this multicultural neighborhood, while descriptions of the meals on each table will leave readers with their mouths watering. For good measure, recipes are given at the end of the book for each of the dishes mentioned in the story. ISBN-13: 9781575059167



Everybody Serves Soup - Norah Dooley - Folksy pictures in strong, primary colors give readers a peek into the fascinating households of this multicultural neighborhood, while descriptions of the meals on each table will leave readers with their mouths watering. For good measure, recipes are given at the end of the book for each of the dishes mentioned in the story. ISBN-13: 9781575057910

3. Resources available at the MRC

33


Sorted by Title / Author



301.42 SIM Simon, Norma. All kinds of families. Chicago: A.

Whitman, c1976. Explores in words and pictures what a family is and how families vary in makeup and lifestyles.



811.54 A239 Adoff, Arnold. All the colors of the race : poems.

1st Beech Tree ed. New York, N.Y. : Beech Tree Books, 1982, c1982. A collection of poems written from the point of view of a child with a black mother and a white father.



E HOF Hoffman, Mary. The color of home. New York :

Phyllis Fogelman, 2002. Hassan, newly arrived in the United

States and feeling homesick, paints a picture at school that shows his old home in Somalia as well as the reason his family had to leave.



306.8 AMA Families all matter book project : curriculum guide : stories to challenge bias and create belonging. Minneapolis, Minn.

: AMaze, c2002.



305.868 LOM Garza, Carmen Lomas. Family Pictures. San

Francisco, CA : Children's Book, 1990. The author describes, in bilingual and illustrations, her experiences growing up in a

Hispanic community in Texas.



FIC NAM Namioka, Lensey. Half and half. New York :

Random House Children's Books, c2003. At Seattle's annual Folk

Fest, twelve year old Fiona and her older brother are torn between trying to please their Chinese grandmother and making their

Scottish grandparents happy.



FIC ADA I love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada ; illustrated by Elivia Savadier



FIC COW CowenFletcher, Jane. It Takes A Village. New York

: Scholastic, 1993.

On market day in a small village in Benin, Yemi tries to watch her little brother Kokou and finds that the entire village is watching out

 for him too.

FIC FIS Fisher, Iris L. Katie-Bo: an adoption story. New

York: Adama Books, c1987. Relates the adoption of a Korean baby girl into an American family as seen through the eyes of her brother-to-be.



LS 370.117 WYL Martha's Unusual Party, by Richard E.

Wylie; Bettie R. Helser; Nancy Schoyer (Series: NOW Reading

Series)



KIT 306.85 Menzel, Peter, 1948. Material world : a global family portrait. San Francisco : Sierra Club Books, 1994.

Includes book, curriculum guide, CDrom, 12 posters. Twelve posters show families—in front of their homes, with all of their belongings—in Bhutan, Cuba, Iceland, Japan, Kuwait, Mali,

Mexico, Mongolia, Samoa, South Africa, Thailand, and the United

States. The curriculum guide includes a PowerPoint® presentation

34


(with 4–6 slides corresponding to each poster) that helps students

"read" each detailed photograph, draw inferences, compare and contrast, and make generalizations about our "material world." The guide also supplies critical thinking questions and reading strategies. The related paperback provides more details about the social and economic conditions of each family, as well as lessons on world cultures, geography, and economics.



811.54 GRI Grimes, Nikki. Meet Danitra Brown. New York :

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, c1994. Poems by the African American writer about the friendship of two spirited girls.



FIC YBA Hairs=Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros ; illustrated by

Terry Ybáñez



371.19 MAR (Mis)Understanding families : learning from real families in our schools. New York: Teachers College Press, 2010.



FIC PER Perez, Amada Irma. My diary from here to there.

San Francisco: Children's Book Press :, c2002.

A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.



FIC XIO Xiong, Bao. My family is special to me: Kuv tsev neeg zoo tshwj xeeb rau kuv. Wausau, WI: Sun Press Inc, 2006.

Story is in English and Hmong.



FIC FLO The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy ; pictures by Jerry Pinkney.



FIC CAM

Shin Chi’s Canoe Nicola I. Campbell ; pictures by

Kim LaFave



VHS 306.85 T3679 That's a family! San Francisco, Calif :

Women's Educational Media, c2000. Designed for children in elementary school, this film shows the many different shapes that families take today. Children describe their own families and explain concepts like "birth mom," "mixed race,” "gay and lesbian," and "stepdad."



362.7340973 S677 Sobol, Harriet Langsam. We don't look like our Mom and Dad. New York: Coward McCann, c1984.

A photo essay on the life of the Levin family, an American couple and their two Korean born adopted sons, ten-year old Eric and eleven year old Joshua.



301.4 GAS Gaskins, Pearl Fuyo. What are you?: voices of mixed race young people. New York: Henry Holt, 1999.

Many young people of racially mixed backgrounds discuss their feelings about family relationships, prejudice, dating, personal identity, and other issues.


35

*** These items are strongly recommended for purchase for building libraries as they have far-reaching possibilities in supporting early primary lessons in multiple subjects. There is a set available through MRC as well.

Lakeshore Learning: Families Poster Pack item# PP456- $29.99

Lakeshore Learning: Soft & Poseable Families - Complete Set item# DD315X-$115

Lakeshore Learning: Families Book Set item# FB459-$49.50

Lakeshore Learning: All Kinds of Families Puzzle Set item# HH519-$79.99

36


Additional Background Information for Teachers

We live in an increasingly diverse world, and that diversity is reflected in the faces of families and in family structures. The “nuclear” family is not as prevalent in our society as it once was. Many children are being raised by single parents, by same-sex parents, by grandparents, in blended families, and in families with mixed race, religion, and ethnicity. Even though this diversity is more common, children may not always be comfortable with their own family structure or with differences in their peers’ families.

Experiencing and addressing variety helps them to understand that a family may not be simply a mom, dad, and children, but that a family is a group of people who love each other and work together to take care of each other. As they encounter other family structures, it is important to help children recognize and accept differences. If we reinforce these lessons, children can learn to appreciate, rather than fear, differences and to begin to recognize bias and stereotypes when they see them.

Each of us has unique characteristics that make us not only look different from one another, but also act differently. These characteristics include our likes and dislikes, as well as our talents and abilities. These characteristics can help children understand that we each have worth and are a vital part of our world. Opportunities to compare and contrast their own families with those of their peers and with those in the larger global community help students to see that although we are different, there are many things that make us similar.

The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2042, the U.S. majority population will become a minority, as non-Hispanic whites will make up just under half of the U.S. population. As the United States has become more culturally and ethnically diverse, with growing percentages of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and other minority groups, schools reflect that diversity. In fact, schools are actually more diverse than the nation as a whole.

Students undoubtedly need to learn how to interact in a diverse environment for success while they are in school and after they leave. One way to help students learn about, experience, and appreciate different cultures and their contributions to society is through a study of family cultural journeys. Simply, everyone has a family and everyone’s family has a story to tell. Our cultural histories can help teach us who we are and connect us to a heritage and identity handed down throughout generations. Learning about their family cultural journey and story also helps to teach students about the unique contributions that every culture brings to a classroom, school community, and the community at large.

For elementary-aged children, talking about families is an important part of making sense of the world and their relationship to it. Many students in primary grades are realizing for the first time that their family might look different from someone else’s. These lessons can provide a framework that will help your students to talk about their own and others’ families in safe and caring ways as well as construct and learn language for asking about other families and talking about their own.

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Family stories, in particular, can be a relevant resource for historical research that provides a uniquely personal insight into our own past. As students trace their family’s journey, they can see where they came from, learn how traditions affect their lives, and consider which elements of that cultural history they would like to pass on. It’s important to note that each family’s retention of ethnic traditions may be as unique as their country of origin. Some families may continue to follow their ethnic traditions while others may not. And some students, including adopted or foster children, may not be comfortable sharing their personal history, may not have access to their birth family’s history, or may feel they must “choose” between their birth and adoptive families in deciding whose stories to tell. The lessons give all students the choice of sharing the journey of anyone who cares about them. With a definition of family acknowledging that everyone in a community helps to shape our identity, these lessons may provide an equally interesting opportunity to share a story nobody knows!

When you hear your experience told by someone else…it becomes a story!

These lessons are designed to help students recognize and accept differences among each other and within the larger community, see that where they come from is valued and respected, recognize that diverse families are a big part of what helps enrich our world, and to understand how their own unique family contributes to a richer society. As students explore the definition of family, learn about different kinds of family structures, and explore what makes their own family unique they are able to begin to understand themselves more thoroughly. These learning opportunities provide a window through which to explore their own understanding and help to stem and/or address biases and prejudices.


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Kindergarten - Multicultural Resource Center

Kindergarten Digital Suitcase: Diverse Families

2013 Digital Suitcase Project:

Diverse Families—Kindergarten

Lesson 1: What is a Family?

Family Tradition Interview

1. My name is: _____________________________________________________.

2. My family speaks these language(s) in our home:

Hello Hola Nyob zoo اب حرم cha o

3 . There are _____________ people in my family.

ם ול ש

4. One of our favorite family meals is:

5. Some of our favorite family music is:

About

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Kindergarten - Multicultural Resource Center

Kindergarten Digital Suitcase: Diverse Families

2013 Digital Suitcase Project:

Diverse Families—Kindergarten

Lesson 1: What is a Family?

Family Tradition Interview

1. My name is: _____________________________________________________.

2. My family speaks these language(s) in our home:

Hello Hola Nyob zoo اب حرم cha o

3 . There are _____________ people in my family.

ם ול ש

4. One of our favorite family meals is:

5. Some of our favorite family music is:

About

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