Beautiful Differences (Aparicio, Y., Barreto, N., Pérez, C. y Ferreira, V.)

Activity 1 

Beautiful Differences 

Think your students are too young to discuss differing abilities? Think again. 

Alex Fidler, age eight, remembers a lot of things about Joel Blecha’s first-grade
class at Chicago’s Francis W. Parker School—but mostly she remembers
becoming friends with a man with dwarfism. 

Her year in Blecha’s class included rides on mass transit, field trips to the
zoo and a visit to a job site where Mr. Blecha got squirted by water from a
broken pipe. But Alex most vividly recalls a visit to the nonprofit Access
Living, where she met some friendly people who happened to have disabilities. 

“One of them had dwarfism. One of them needed to have, like, bigger font
so they could see better. One of them had cerebral palsy,” says Alex, now in
second grade. “But they weren’t different. They just needed some things so
they could get around better.” 

This kind of statement makes Blecha happy. An enthusiastic and self-described
“outside-the-walls” teacher, Blecha has built a social studies curriculum for
first-graders that centers on accessibility for people with disabilities—what
Blecha calls “beautiful differences.” 

It’s a good fit at Parker School, an independent pre-K to 12 private school
serving Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The school represents core
values of community and diversity; its ethos opens with the sentence, “We
are deliberately composed of a diverse group of people so that we can learn how
to honor the dignity and experience of every human being.” 

But when the topics of diversity and civil rights come up, many people first think
about race, gender or sexual orientation; people with disabilities can be overlooked. 

“One of the unexpected joys of this accessibility curriculum is the number of
parents saying, ‘I never knew this stuff!’” Blecha says. “‘I’m learning this stuff right
along with my kid.’” 

By: Joe Hansen; Summer 2014 

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/summer-2014/beautiful-differences 

Activity 2 

Identifying the text: complete the information 

A- Title: 

B- 1: The text above is: 

a. Informative. 

b. Narrative. 

c. Fictional. 

2: Characteristics identified: 

3: Source: 

C - 1: Which school does Alex Fidler attend? 

2: What is the teacher's name? 

D - True or False. Justify the false answers: 

a) Joel Blecha is known for being a discouraged teacher.

b) Alex Fidler remembers becoming friends with a man with dwarfism. 

c) Parker is a public school. 

d) The school represents core values of community and diversity. 

E- Perform the following crossword puzzle:

F- Make a brief summary in Spanish on the subject of the text. 

Teaching Kids Tolerance & Diversity (Berrutti - Cuestas - Espino - Fernández)

Teaching Kids Tolerance & Diversity 

We live in a time in which the world is becoming increasingly more diverse. However, even though the world is more diverse, racism and intolerance still exists. Here are eight ways you can teach children about tolerance and diversity.

1- Practice what you preach.

Children will often practice what they see and hear as opposed to what they are taught. This is why children are more inclined to treat others with respect when they see you practicing tolerance and accepting others for who they are.

2- Discuss tolerance & diversity honestly.

Many adults tell children things like “we don't see color” and we are all the same on the inside”. The truth is, people do come in different colors. It is more important that children learn to accept other for who they are instead of pretending that differences don't exist.

3- Expose Kids to diversity.

Have your child participate in activities or play dates with children from diverse backgrounds when possible. This will help them understand that although people are different.They can still work and have fun together.

4- Correct racial & cultural insensitivity

Sometimes children will repeat things they hear not knowing that what they are saying is offensive. It's important to correct them and explain why it is unacceptable to speak negatively about people because they are different.

5- Help kids embrace their own culture.

This is helpful because when a child accepts who they are and have positive self- esteem, they are less likely to see people who are different as threats. They will be more likely to respect others because they appreciate and respect themselves.

6- Read diversity & tolerance themed books.

There are many great, kid friendly books that teach children about diversity and accepting other for who they are. Visit kiddiematters.com for a list of books.

7- Watch diversity & tolerance movies.

Popular films such as Mulan, Brave, Frozen, wreck it Ralph, Monster´s inc., and Shrek are just a few movies you can choose from. Make sure that you discuss any elements of diversity and tolerance that come up while watching these films.

8- Complete diversity & tolerance activities.

Play dress up and provide children with clothing from different cultures. For example yarmulkes, kimono, sari, etc. Discuss with children what culture each piece of clothing is from and why it is worn.

www.kiddiematters.com

Activity 2: Read and select what type of text is:

1. Informative ………………
2. Instructive ………………..
3. Article ……………………

Where was it extracted from?

1. A web page  ………………            
2. A book ……………….
3. A magazine  ………………

Activity 3: Tick the right answer.

1. How many ways of teaching tolerance are suggested in this text?

• There is 7 ways.
• There is 9 ways.
• There is 8 ways.

2. Children often perform

• What they see and hear
• The dangerous and forbidden
• What they like 
• What an adult is doing at that time

3. Why is it important to keep children informed about diversity?

• Because children repeat things without knowing that they can offend others.
• Because children are usually uninformed and offend with their comments.
• Because sometimes children will repeat things they hear not knowing that what they are saying is offensive.

Activity 4: Indicate which paragraph number corresponds.

1. ……..When asked by children, we must be honest.
2. ……There is a great variety of movies for children that serve as a resource to discuss the topic.
3. …….Working with children from different backgrounds will be very positive to ensure that differences are assumed as a natural part of living together.
4. …….Children often imitate adult attitudes. For this reason you should practice what you preach.

Activity 5: True or false

1. Kids are more inclined to treat others with respect if they see and hear opposed to what they are taught.
2. Its important to teach children that skin colors don't exist.
3. Keep your children exposed to diversity to get used to it.
4. Let your children repeat things that they hear, whether it is correct or not, they will correct it by themselves.
5. keeping your children exposed to their own culture will make them think with a less open mind.
6. reading books about tolerance and diversity  will teach your children about acceptance.
7. Discussing the topics related to diversity in some popular films for children is a good way of teaching tolerance.

Activity 6: Complete the crossword.

Across 3. It is part of our tradition. 4. Appears when we try to help someone. 6. Identifies us according to our color.

Down 1. Variety. 2. We use it to interact with different people. 5. Ability to tolerate the opinions of other people.

 Activity 7: Make a brief reflection on the work done in the classroom on this subject.

Guiding questions

• In your practice, you have done activities with this theme?
• Have you seen other teachers address the issue?

………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………...………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………

Activity 8

Look at the images and indicate to which paragraph you think they

correspond.Justify your choice.

………..

    ……..

  …… …..

Video de youtube

https://youtu.be/1pQSdQtu rKQ

4to año B. - Sofía Espino - Flabia Cuestas - Vanessa Berrutti - Anabel Fernández

Boredom Isn’t a Bad Things for Kids

Boredom gets a bad rap. Kids whine about it, grown-ups dread it, entire industries aim to eliminate it. It might come as a surprise, then, to hear that being bored sometimes is good for kids. Before you sign your child up for a class or hand over your game-loaded cell phone, consider the benefits of boredom.

Being present. 

Even though they don’t realize it, kids need us to make the space for them to be drawn in by the world around them. If we never let them get bored, they never discover how interesting the world really is. Because their attention, self-control and other executive functioning skills are not fully developed, it’s even harder for kids to resist distractions and new things than it is for adults (and let’s face it, it’s not easy for us). If they are constantly occupied by screens, activities or new toys, they don’t get the opportunity to discover.

Taking brain breaks. 

We are all so busy trying to do everything at once that it’s no surprise stress and anxiety are on the rise, and not just among grown-ups. Kids’ brains need stimulation, but they need downtime, too. Fortunately, many schools and families are involving kids in mindfulness activities, which can help children and adults quiet their minds and feel calm. But there’s also something to be said for good, old-fashioned staring off into space. There is some evidence that daydreaming is associated with better cognitive skills and the ability “to think beyond our immediate surroundings.”

It can be hard to leave space for downtime, so some families find it helpful to schedule it (as funny as that sounds). You can make sure that your kids have a couple afternoons or evenings per week when they don’t have an organized activity. In our family, we also find it helpful to establish screen-free zones. When we’re in the car and on public transportation, we don’t allow media except for music and podcasts. Do our kids complain about being bored? Sometimes, yes. But they also knew from a young age how to get around their city and appreciate all the interesting people, cultures and surroundings it offers.

Being creative.

 We often think that “creative” means artsy, but really it’s about coming up with new ideas and solving problems in innovative ways. To develop their creativity muscles, kids need time to think and the motivation to come up with something new. Playing pretend can help children develop social skills and self-control. Thinking outside the box can help them solve the problems that seem small to us, but are huge to them. Our children will need these problem-solving skills now and as they grow up in a rapidly changing world.

But research suggests they might not be getting the chance to develop those habits. A long-term study finds that creativity has been steadily declining among children of all ages over the past 30 years. The researchers think it has to do with the way we’re raising our kids, both at home and in school. If we’re constantly filling their schedules and their brains, they’ll have no need to imagine a story, wonder how things work, or construct a fort with pillows and blankets.

A parent recently asked me if she should have a craft or activity set up for her preschooler when she gets home from school. I was touched by her dedication and struck by her good fortune at having the time and resources to do that. But setting up an activity every day is not only unnecessary, but a disservice to children. If you want to lead a project with your child sometimes, that’s wonderful! Do it all the time, though, and your child won’t develop the habit of creating her own ideas and projects.

Fostering independence.

 

Some experts worry that stuffing our children’s schedules full of activities or leaving them to their (electronic) devices is spurring a crisis of dependence, a trend of young people not being able to manage their time or take responsibility for themselves. Some structure is good for children, and activities are great for them to learn new skills and make new friends. But unstructured play helps them develop a different set of important skills and relationships. Creating unstructured time means introducing the possibility of boredom, but also the chance to work through it.

Of course, being bored all the time isn’t healthy. What parent hasn’t dreaded the last hours of a long school break, when days of unstructured time lead to sibling squabbles and meltdowns? Where’s the line between too much boredom and not enough? It’s different for every kid and every family, and it may take some time to figure out where your line is. It can be hard to let your kids be bored. Just like you have to live through your children’s tantrums so they learn to cope with frustration, you have to live through their boredom so they learn to be self-sufficient, engaged and aware of the world around them.

Letting your kids be bored will accomplish something else important: developing them into interesting, funny, thoughtful people who can have dinner time conversations and cope with long car rides. That’s good for them and for all of us.

Suzanne Bouffard is a writer and development psychologist.

SOURCE: https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/boredom-isnt-a-bad-thing-for-kids.

Camila Jordán y Natalia Caetano

‘Listen and help us’: Kids worldwide are on strike for the climate

In over 200 nations, children are calling for adults to take action and stop ruining the planet’s future.

NEW YORK CITY- Listen up, grown-ups around the world: You’ve failed us.

That is the message millions of young people from Sydney to Warsaw to London and beyond carried to the streets on Friday, as they skipped school to stage strikes demanding urgent action on climate change.

The global strike is the third this year and involved more than 3,000 protests, according to Fridays for Future, the group that organized them. The strike in New York, where 1.1 million students were excused from school, comes ahead of a pair of climate meetings at the United Nations–the first-ever Youth Summit on Saturday and a one-day Climate Action Summit of the General Assembly on Monday.

Striking for change

The New York protest was led by Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish high school student who has become the face of the fast-growing youth movement that has taken hold in more than 200 nations. Her message to world leaders is blunt and to the point: Listen to the science.

"We are united behind the science and will stop at nothing to keep this crisis from getting worse," Thunberg said from the stage in Battery Park at the south end of Manhattan as the crowd chanted, "Greta, Greta, Greta."

She not only condemned political leaders for their "empty promises, lies and inaction," she chastised supportive adults for taking selfies with her and her fellow activists and telling them "how much they admire what we do."

That is not why the crowds turned out in the streets, she added. "We are doing this to wake up the leaders," she said. "We deserve a safe future. Is that too much to ask?"

Thunberg delivered a similar message to the U.S. Congress when she testified earlier this week. Instead of prepared remarks, she submitted last October’s report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that warned the rise of global temperatures was hastening to an alarming degree. To prevent 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit of warming—which would result in catastrophic food shortages, coral reef die-offs, worsening flooding, wildfires and extreme weather—the scientists advised that global greenhouse gases must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050.

Aside from her appearance before Congress, Thunberg met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama, and appeared at a protest in front of the Supreme Court with 21 youth plaintiffs suing the government to force court-ordered action on climate change. She also joined a strike outside the gates of the White House, which included a silent 11-minute “lie-down” in recognition that there just 11 years remaining before that first 2030 deadline.

Thunberg arrived in New York late last month after a two-week trip across the Atlantic by yacht. She refuses to fly because of airplanes’ carbon footprint.

The tiny but fearless teenager seems the least likely leader of a global movement. When she staged her first Friday school strike outside the Swedish Parliament in August last year, she sat alone. A handful of other students joined her, then more. She spoke to the UN meeting in Poland–traveling by train–last December, and by spring, a global movement had been launched.

“The weight of the climate crisis has been put on our shoulders by the inaction of our leaders,” says Alexandria Villasenor, who is 14 and the founder of Earth Uprising, one of the numerous activist groups that has been organized.

Villasenor lives an hour’s drive from Paradise, California, which burned to the ground last fall in one of the worst wildfires in the worst fire season ever recorded in California’s history. In recalling the fire and the toxic smoke that spread to her hometown, Villasenor said her greatest fear is that by the time she turns 18 and is eligible to vote, “it will be too late to solve the climate crisis.”

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/kids-march-climate-action/
Texto elegido para la entrega del parcial por Tamara Fourcade, Federico Reyes, y Tatiana Mussini.
Elegimos este texto porque nos resulta interesante la enseñanza sobre la prevención de la contaminación en la escuela, mostrar cuáles son los daños ocasionados debido al consumismo. Mostrar que niños pueden generar un cambio a escala mundial puede llegar a ser motivador para nuestros alumnos, para que se animen a realizar un cambio mínimo, que entre todos se vuelva grande.