Diversity Bookbags: Fourth Grade

Materials List and Family Activities

Books:

• The Christmas Menorahs by Janice Cohn
• Come Home With Me A Multicultural Treasure Hunt by Aylette Jenness
• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
• Think About Having a Learning Disability by Margaret Flynn

Audio: Tape & Book-- Brown Honey and Broomwheat Tea by Joyce Carol Thomas

Materials: Venn Diagram & Marker; Gameboard; 22 game pieces

Recipes: (Families may add a recipe to the ring.)

• Tostones (fried plantains, Puerto Rico) in Come Home With Me, pg. 14-16
• Chicken and Potatoes (Sudan)

Game:

• Bagh-Bandhi (India)

Suggested Activities for families:

Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea

• These poems are about connections between people and nature, and between family members. Write a poem that describes your connection to nature or to your family.
• Memorize your favorite poem in the book and recite it to the class. Be ready to tell the class why you like the poem and what it means to you.
• Create an illustration in a similar style to the illustrations in the book. Make sure that your illustration is realistic (not cartoon-like) and use colors that are soft and natural, like the colors in the book. Your picture could show just you, or you and your family in your home or in a special place outdoors.

The Christmas Menorahs

• Write a letter to Isaac telling him how you felt while listening to this story.
• Create an Anti-Hate poster.

Come Home With Me

• Make a Venn Diagram comparing yourself to one of the children in the book, or comparing two of the children in the book with each other. Include at least five similarities and five differences on your diagram.
• Ask your parents to take you to explore one of the neighborhoods featured in the book or another neighborhood that is new to you. Take photographs or write down some interesting observations you made about the neighborhood. Use the information on pages 44 and 45 to help you prepare for your exploration.
• Ask your parents to take you to one of the stores featured in the book, or to a different store with items from another country. Buy an (inexpensive) item that interests you and bring it in to share with the class.
• Create a video of a neighborhood that is familiar or unfamiliar to you. Follow the guidelines on pages 46 and 47. Make your video no more than ten minutes long. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Learn and have fun!

The Name Jar

• Prepare a skit about someone being teased for being “different.” Show how the main character felt when he/she was teased, and finish your skit with other characters taking action to make the main character feel more welcomed and accepted. You can get friends involved in your skit, and videotape it if you want!
• Think of three or four ways a community (such as a class) can help someone who is new to this country feel welcomed and respected. Make a poster (you can do it on the computer) of your suggestions.
• Interview someone who came to this country as a young person and find out about their experience of being an immigrant. Think of five or six interview questions before hand and write them down. Take notes during the interview or tape record the interview.

Having a Learning Disability

• Make a poster with important information about one learning disability. Include pictures and text in your poster and be ready to share it with the class.
• Interview someone (a teenager or adult) with a learning disability. Find out what type of disability he/she has and how it has made school or work very challenging. Who or what has helped that person? Take notes or tape record the interview.