Diversity Word Basket

1. One definition of "weave" is "to unite in a coherent whole." Ask students to talk about how blending diverse ideas, perspectives, and cultures can create a rich and fuller society. Then have them look up various cultural traditions and observations. Ask them to note words or phrases about the tradition on slips of paper. For example they might write "Kente patterns on clothing celebrate African heritage" or "Eat noodles during Asian New Year for a long life."
2. Have students create a woven basket out of Model Magic. Ask them to form a coil pot by forming three balls and then rolling them out into long strands. Then have students braid them together, attach them at the ends to form a basket, and place that piece on a flat circular piece of Model Magic. They can create a lid using the same braiding technique on smaller strands.
3. When the baskets are dry they can put their diversity notes inside. Have students take turns randomly drawing a piece of paper from a classmate's basket, then have the student who wrote the note talk more about the culture/tradition on the paper.

SS: Culture: Through experience, observation, and reflection identify elements of culture as well as similarities and differences among cultural groups across time and place.

SEL: Social Awareness: Empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts.

Basket weaving is one of the widest-spread crafts in the history of human civilization. Have students investigate its history, which most likely began thousands of years ago in the Mesopotamian region of the Fertile Crescent.

The United States used to be called a "melting pot" but now it is referred to as a "salad bowl." Ask students to discuss how these two terms differ and what the salad bowl metaphor represents.