Subject: Diversity in a Community
1. Topic-
Understanding community diversity through cooperation and collaboration.
 
2. Content-
Create a fictional state describing the people residing in the state's society and their basic ideals and practices associated with the society.
Key terms: State motto, state flag, ethnicity, source of capital, immigration policy, gay marriage.
 
3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
1. Create a fictional state and society.
2. Create a physical flag symbolizing the state's society.
3. Complete the State Creation Questionnaire (Appendix A).
4. Discuss and collaborate on common elements of the created states.
5. Complete the Single Country Questionnaire (Appendix B).
 
4. Objectives-
1. Groups will discuss and collaborate on creating a fictional state society. Each group member will participate and accomplish his/her individual responsibility.
2. Groups will share, discuss, and collaborate with other groups and as a class.
3. Students will learn, understand, and comprehend how diversity plays and important role in all societies as well as in the classroom. They will also learn and understand the value of cooperation, collaboration and the essence of community.
4. Students will be evaluated on knowledge by completing the Community Questionnaire (Appendix C).
 
5. Materials and Aids-
1. Computer, smart board, or projector
2. Copies of State Creation Questionnaire for each group.
3. Copies of Single Country Questionnaire for each group.
4. Copies of Community Questionnaire for each student.
5. Pre-cut rectangular pieces of canvas for each group.
6. A set of varied colored markers for each group.
 
6. Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

1. Instruct the class on the meaning of community has a society and in the classroom
2. Instruct the class on how important cooperation, collaboration and teamwork makes a successful community.
3. Instruct the class that they will be working in groups of 4 or 5 and will individual and group responsibilities to accomplish.
4. Display the State Creation Questionnaire on with smart board or projector. Read through each question instructing them on what each group will be tasked to accomplish.
5. Instruct the class on the importance of working as team to ensure that tasks are completed and that the lesson will be successful.
 

Practice-

1. Divide the class into groups of 4 or 5 and assign a work area for each group.
2. Pass and ensure each group receives a copy of the State Creation Questionnaire.
3. Assign a leader, scribe, artist and ambassador for each group.
4. Instruct the leader in each group they will be in charge of group but every member needed for their input. The leader will be responsible for making sure each member is heard and the order ensues.
5. The scribe will be the one filling out the Questionnaires for the group.
6. The artist will be responsible to actually creating the state flag taking directions and ideas from each group member.
7. The ambassador will be responsible for relaying communications from the group to the other groups.
8. Each group will follow the format of the State Creation Questionnaire answering and completing each question and task.

Once each group has completed the questions and tasks on the State Creation Questionnaire. The ambassador of each group will make copies of their groups State Creation Questionnaire (enough copies for each of the other groups). The ambassador will give a copy to each of the other groups. Each group will then discuss, collaborate and complete the Single Country Questionnaire, which will acquired and distributed by each groups ambassador.
 

Checking for understanding-

Once each group has discussed and completed the Single Country Questionnaire the ambassador of each group will collect them and then turn them into the teacher. The groups will be instructed to assemble back as a class but staying as a group. The teacher will then begin to discuss and read through each group's Single Country Questionnaire. Each group will discuss and give reasoning on why they answered the Single Country Questionnaire. The teacher will guide a discussion to see if a common single country can be agreed upon by the entire class. The teacher should allow the students freedom to discuss and interject giving only minimal input. However the teacher should instruct students that absolute common ground of what a state should incorporate may not be reach but is ok.
 
7. Evaluation-
1. The teacher needs to have constant observation of groups as the complete each portion of the assignment. The teacher needs to observe that each student is participating and accomplishing their responsibilities.
2. After tasks and discussions are completed each students will be required to complete the Community Questionnaire. The questionnaire will be turn in for evaluation by the teacher.
 
8. Teacher Reflection-
At the end of the lesson discuss with the class the concepts of cooperation, collaboration, community, and diversity. Emphasize and stress the importance of having communities that are diverse in ethnicity and ideals. Make sure to also impress upon the students the a school and classrooms are diverse communities that need to be nurtured by cooperation and collaboration.
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)