Creating Inclusive Classrooms: A Cultural Norms Lesson Plan
As teachers, it is our responsibility to create an environment that not only accommodates but also recognizes and values the diverse cultures of our students. An inclusive classroom is one that fosters respect, equity, and understanding. Such an environment fosters real learning and social growth, preparing students for a world that celebrates diversity.
Here, we present a lesson plan that foregrounds cultural norms to create an inclusive classroom.
Start with Self Reflection
Before engaging with the lesson plan, it’s valuable to start with self-reflection. Understanding biases and prejudices that you may hold can help to prevent their influence on teaching. One good way of doing this is taking Implicit Association Tests (IATs), which helps identify hidden biases.
Once we are self-aware, it’s time to structure our lesson plan.
Step 1: Introduce the Concept of Culture
It’s essential to understand culture to appreciate and respect its norms. As a class, explore the meaning of culture, how it shaped, and how it evolves. Also, explore how culture reflects in our daily activities, such as communication styles and food choices.
Step 2: Identify Cultural Norms
Cultural norms are shared expectations and behavioral patterns that define appropriate interactions, values, and beliefs. The shared norms define and express cultural identities.
In diverse classrooms, identifying these norms can lead to mutual respect and greater understanding of diversity.
Step 3: Research and Share Cultural Norms
In groups or pairs, ask students to research and share the cultural norms of their families and communities. Each group should prepare a presentation highlighting their cultural norms.
After every presentation, ask students to ask respectful questions and share thoughts and opinions.
Step 4: Classroom-Wide Discussion
After each group presentation, engage in a classroom-wide discussion that thematically ties together similar elements in different cultural norms.
Useful discussion points include how different cultural norms compare and interact, identification of universal norms, and identifying how cultural norms reflect contexts that produce them.
Step 5: Create a Cultural Recipe Book
Finally, create a Cultural Recipe Book explicitly highlighting diverse food recipes. Each student should bring a traditional family recipe and submit it for creating a comprehensive recipe book. Each recipe should mention the cultural origin, the ingredients, and the cooking process.
The recipe book acts as a vehicle for students to learn about each other’s unique cultures and to appreciate and celebrate them.
Conclusion
Inclusive classrooms are a vital component of any learning environment. With cultural norms highlighting this concept, students learn to appreciate the unique diversity of their peers. Through this lesson plan, teachers can create an inclusive classroom that fosters respect, values equity, and creates a space for diversity. By incorporating diversity into the classroom, we are preparing students for the world they will be part of in the future.
