Digital Collections

Students use books, the Internet, magazines, tourism guides, local culture centers etc. to research their own cultural heritage. See the assignment sheet below. Set the due date.

Closing: Read "Stereotyping" by Kai James (in Talking About Difference)

It is important to discuss this topic when dealing with this unit. Include such questions as "how does stereotyping happen?" and "how can stereotyping be stopped?" Assign students to write a poem or a song about a time when they were judged on the basis of something physical such as race or age. Again, the Web site "How to be Different" would be a good resource here.

Homework: Work on assignment

Your Family History: Presentation Assignment

Due:

This assignment will allow you to learn more about your cultural heritage and to share in the culture of others. For your project you will be expected to write about your cultural heritage. You should name the culture of your ancestry for at least one side of your family, some of its traditions, some interesting things about the way people of that culture live.

Your assignment also includes researching why your ancestors came to Canada. If possible, interview your ancestors who came to Canada. Research about the immigration of people who came to Canada from the country of your cultural heritage. Was there a specific event that caused many people to come here at one time? Where did they settle? Did they face any hardships as immigrants in Canada? How have they kept their heritage? Some good places to find information are in books, on the Internet and from cultural centers in your city. If you come from a family with First Nations heritage, write about the traditions of your nation and the story of how your family came to live where they do today.

On _________our class will be celebrating with a multicultural fair. The class will prepare the fair together but you are responsible for a display that shares your culture with the class. You should include the information you discovered in your research along with some stories, poetry, music, costumes or anything else that is part of your culture. Permission to work in groups of similar cultural backgrounds may be given but you must ask your teacher first.