One of the keys to unlocking cultural competence is reading diverse books with characters and locations that represent a variety of cultures. In this activity, young people define and discuss the value of representation. They do an audit of a book collection to identify representation and gaps. As a goal, they seek to fill gaps in representation by adding books to the collection.
Draw a circle around yourself and consider the love you have inside. Then consider what happens when we share that love with the world. “The Circles All Around Us” challenges the reader to open themselves up to others and in doing so, make the world a better place.
Literature...
In “Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre`," Anika Aldamuy Denise tells the true story of the famed Latinx author and librarian Pura Belpre’. When Belpre` left Puerto Rico for New York in 1921, she brought her family stories with her, but she didn't find stories...
Looking around the room, we may see many skin colors and tones. These differences occur all over the world. In this lesson we use the terminology of race and ethnicity and look at data to identify the makeup of our community or state. Young people may take action to promote representation of the groups that are under-represented in the community.
The key to cultural competence is learning about cultures around the world. The book Children Like Me sparks curiosity about different cultures. Youth make a simple keychain to represent the different cultures they can learn about with the key that helps them open doors.
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Inspired by the real-life stories of author Bao Phi and illustrator Thi Bui, this beautifully crafted picture book tells the story of a simple event in the life of an immigrant family. Phi’s poetic tale invites the reader to join the boy and his father on a fishing trip. This semi-...
We define culture and explore the cultural traits of individuals and the group collectively.
This picture book combines English and Spanish for a lyrical celebration of a summer holiday. We spend a few delightful moments immersed in the details of any outdoor community celebration. The familiar elements of music, parade, costumes, food, and togetherness bring meaning to the Spanish...
The guide below provides activities and discussion questions to explore how we like to be seen and how we show respect for and believe in others. This is a story about protecting and cherishing the uniqueness of each child. It is also the story of a child who was thought to be a girl at birth and was really a boy. His family is loving and supportive of the journey in a way that shows us all how to love and cherish each other's journeys, especially the potentially unfamiliar journey of child who is transgender.
