Diversity Tiles

1. Students get to know each other and learn about their classmates’ heritages. Students invite family members to share experiences and talents and discuss traditions that they enjoy with their families (flying kites, cooking, decorating for holidays). These Diversity Tiles are a great way for everyone to play a role in designing a classroom quilt!
2. Make a tile. On a clean, dry surface, students roll a ball of Crayola Model Magic® and Press it flat with their fingers. Measure a 4-inch (10 cm) square (or any size that everyone uses). Cut out the square with a craft stick to make the base for the tile.
3. Students decorate the tile with reminders of their favorite family traditions. Roll and shape each tiny piece. Press the symbols on the tile. (Model Magic fresh from the pack sticks to itself!) Air-dry the tiles for 24 hours.
4. Create a quilt. Arrange the students' tiles in a pleasing quilt design that honors diversity. For a permanent display, attach them to a large base of Model Magic or heavy cardboard with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glue before standing upright.

LA: Effectively engage in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

SS: Describe the unique features of one's nuclear and extended families.

SS: Analyze a particular event to identify reasons individuals might respond to it in different ways.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

VA: Select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

As a class, students compose a set of interview questions for family members regarding family traditions. Students interview family members about traditions practiced. Students organize responses to questions into a summary paragraph. The information collected for these summaries will assist students with determining the symbols of family traditions to be used for the personal diversity tile.

Students take digital photographs of their diversity tiles. Upload these digital photos to a classroom computer. Students audiotape their family tradition summaries and attach the audio file to a selected digital photograph. These files are saved on the classroom computer for future viewing by classmates.

In small groups, students investigate traditions practiced in countries they are studying in social studies. Students create diversity tiles to represent traditions from these countries.