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:
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. Dont worry if
its 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.
Hastings & Estabrook Elementary Schools,
Lexington, Massachusetts
Supported by the Lexington Education Foundation