- This activity encourages students to learn about their heritage, raises awareness of the diversity existing in the classroom and provides an opportunity for students to gain a new appreciation for ethnic backgrounds. In addition, students increase their awareness of the need for communication competency and motivation to communicate with people with different languages and backgrounds.
| Instructor Prep. Time | Student In-Class Time | Student Out-of-Class Time |
| Less than 15 minutes | 5-15 minutes | 1-5 hours |
None
Step-by-Step Procedure:
- Instructor announces students need to bring three items to class, which represent who they are and where they came from (in terms of ancestry). The items should represent something from each part of their racial/ethnic background. Provide students with examples of items such as pictures, family crests, food, keepsakes, dishes, etc. Consider using three items as it is a good number to use for topical organization.
- On the assigned day, allow students a pre-determined amount of presentation time to explain the significance of the items brought.
- After students present their artifacts, the instructor engages in a classroom discussion clarifying and highlighting differences and similarities.
Suggestions for Use:
- This activity is a great ice breaker to use in a face-to-face class activity. Online, this assignment could be modified as an essay for describing the three items they consider to be part of their heritage. Additionally, the assignment can serve as a springboard for discussions about stereotypes and the falsities of stereotypes, inclusiveness/exclusivity, etc. throughout the semester.
- Center for Teaching and Learning (1998). Teaching for inclusion: Diversity in the college classroom. Chapel Hill: University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Christensen, L. (Winter 1997-98). Where I'm from: Inviting student lives into the classroom. Rethinking Schools: An Urban Educational Journal, 12:2, pp. 22-23.
- Duarte, E.M. & Smith, S. (2000). Foundational perspectives in multicultural education. New York: Longman.