Teacher Talk

Curriculm Matrix:
STRENGTH THROUGH DIVERSITY

This matrix, provided by Robert R. Dunwell, retired head of the Washburn University Education Department, is a tested adaptation of Hilda Taba, a curriculum development specialist.

Primary Concepts To Be Developed

Much of the strength of the American way of life has come from many different sources which have been assimilated into our culture. These include cultures which were native to the United States.
Diversity, in its many different forms, serves to strengthen rather than weaken our country.
Diversity, in its many different forms, helps each of us develop a broader understanding of who we are, how we came to be who we are, and the potential we have to become something more.

Underlying Principles Supporting Concepts

Many different ethnic groups come to America to enjoy the freedoms it provided.
Different ethnic groups bring a wide range of cultural beliefs and practices, different languages, and different races.
Freedom of religion assures many different groups have the right to practice their specific religion and their particular beliefs openly.
Freedom of association allows groups to collaborate at the same time they work to preserve their cultural identity.

Activities to Develop Primary Concepts

Awareness & Observation. What diversity have we observed? What other diversity exists?
Knowledge & Understanding. What were the sources of this diversity? What do they represent?
Contribution and Utility. How has this diversity been useful to us in the development of our nation and our own belief systems?
Appreciating and Valuing. How does this diversity contribute to the beauty and wealth of our nation?
Acceptance and Respect. Although we do not agree with everything others believe or do, is it desirable to allow them to do it?

Student and Teacher Resources

Class surveys, school surveys, community surveys and studies.
Interviews with individuals of different cultures, especially immigrants and older people.
Identification of different languages and specific terms we have adopted in our daily language.
Research on immigration trends, attempts to control immigration and treatment of immigrants.
Analysis of contributions to our country from different cultures.
Consideration of what our culture would be without these contributions.

The film, The Road to Brown, tells the story of the brilliant legal assault on racial segregation that launched the Civil Rights Movement. It is also a long overdue tribute to Charles Hamilton Houston, a visionary recognized as "the man who killed Jim Crow." A celebration of the road we have traveled, the film challenges viewers to think creatively and strategically about where we need to go next.

Photograph: Mother and daughter at U.S. Supreme Court holding 'High Court Bans Segregation' newspaper. The Road to Brown Web page offers a more thorough description and reviews at: http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0076. California Newsreel, now in its 35th year, is the country's oldest non-profit documentary production and distribution center. It is a leading resource center for the study of race and diversity, African American life and history, and African feature films and documentaries.

Teachers may also be interested in the film series from California Newsreel, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, at: http://www.newsreel.org. This series is a chronicle of race relations leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. It has a complementary PBS companion Web site at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/.