Website Archive - December, 2007
Spotlight on Spotlight on Cultural Awareness
Children
Here are some websites with online activities for children to enjoy that promote cultural awareness.
Nick Jr.com
Check out Diego’s Safari Rescue on Nick Jr.com and and help rescue the birds, baboons and other animals.
Play with Dora the Explorer in her house, La Casa De Dora and play musical instruments, bingo, adventure dress-up, cook, or plant a garden.
Dora the Explorer also has a World Adventure looking for lost friendship bracelets in Tanzania, Russia, China and France.
PBS Kids
From PBS Kids, help Global Grover Groove by choosing clothing from Russia, Mongolia, Trinidad, or China and then selecting the various culutral dance steps. Watch Grover groove!
Sesame Street
Super Groover from Sesame Street needs some assistance in finding the missing items in The Nick of Rhyme.
Parents
Here are some activities and ideas to encourage children’s awareness, understanding and respect for others and their culture.
DLTK’S Growing Together
DLTK’S Growing Together has a Countries and Cultures Activities section with many crafts and ideas for particular countries or cultures/religions. There are lots of activities for an "around the world" and multicultural theme. Some of the sections are specific for a national holiday of that country (such as the Fourth of July for the USA), but many include crafts you can use when learning about that country or culture.
Madison Public Library
The Madison Public Library in Madison, WI, has an age-specific list of multicultural books for preschoolers, 5-7 year olds, 7-9 year olds and 9-12 year olds.
NYU Child Study Center
The staff from the NYU Child Study Center prepared an article Preparing Children for a Multicultural World that offers tips for parents for talking to children about different cultures and how to react when they hear insensitive remarks being made about groups of people.
Teachers
There are so many websites offering resources on cultural awareness, and we’ve highlighted just a few. So check them out!
Action Alliance for Children
The article Preparing Children for a Multicultural World by Melia Franklin originally appeared in the September-October 1999 Children's Advocate magazine, published by Action Alliance for Children. Although the article is several years old, it contains eight steps/strategies by leaders in the diversity field to incorporate the values of respect and the appreciation of differences into early care and education.
BNET Research Center
BNET Research Center has a great article by Jane D. Saul and Betsy Saul on Multicultural Activities throughout the Year. It discusses how early childhood educators and caregivers can provide opportunities for young children to have meaningful multicultural experiences as a natural part of their everyday activities. There are suggestions for setting up learning centers so that children can engage in playful interactions with a variety of diverse materials on an ongoing basis.
Child Care Lounge
Child Care Lounge has A Multicultural Anti-Bias Approach in the Preschool Classroom section that lists a yearly calendar of holidays from different countries and cultures and also multicultural and anti-bias curriculum resources for early childhood educators and programs.
Children’s Folk Games
Children’s Folks Games is the result of an international networking project, I*EARN International Project. There are folk games, rhymes, customs, and tongue twisters from many countries. Note: Some of the games are in the native language of the country.
Everything Preschool
Everything Preschool has a Preschool Multicultural page with songs, multicultural-related art and projects, games, science activities, list of multicultural books and snack ideas.
Gayle’s Preschool Rainbow
Gayle’s Preschool Rainbow has lots of Preschool Multicultural Activities and lesson plans to explore different cultures, customs and traditions.
First-School
First-School Preschool Activities and Crafts has a MulticulturalTheme section. Choose a country and find activities, crafts, printable activities, and resources related to that country. The activities and plans include easy instructions and a list of needed materials.
Hummingbird Educational Resources
Hummingbird Educational Resources is a resource site for early childhood -kindergarten educators. Check the Lotsa Lesson Plans for Holidays Around the World and ideas for German Holidays and Traditions, Celebration of Lights Around the World, Diwali – Festival of Lights, and Lucia Day, a Swedish Celebration.
Kinder Arts
Kinder Arts has a Multicultural Arts and Crafts section with many ideas and activities. Just scroll down and choose crafts from around the world, Africa, Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, or North America.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
NAEYC’s position statement Responding to Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Recommendations for Effective Early Childhood Education discusses the need for “educational practices to focus on educating children toward the “school culture” while preserving and respecting the diversity of the home language and culture that each child brings to the early learning setting. Early childhood professionals and families must work together to achieve high quality care and education for all children.”
National Network for Child Care
The National Network for Child Care has an article Celebrate Diversity by Marilyn Lopes from the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension. It discusses how diversity should be celebrated every day in many different ways instead of scattered activities throughout the year.
PBS Kids
Arthur’s World Neighborhood on the PBS Kids website has activities, resources and tips to explain and explore cultural diversity to children within their community and around the world. The curriculum is intended for 2nd and 3rd graders but can be adapted for younger children.
[Posted on December 6, 2007]
