Chapter 2

There is no doubt in my mind that children should be introduced to other cultures at an early age the question is not when but how? I personally belive that literature is a powerful tool that can be used to inform and create tolerance for all the cultures of the world. In our society we devote one month of the year to other cultures whether it be black history or hispanic heritage month. The fact of the matter is one month a year does not scratch the surface of the culture and how it shapes and influences those peoples lives, in order to creat tolerance and love for other cultures we must immerse the classroom with books, pictures, music, and first hand experience from our peers and their cultures. I love the emphasis the chpater puts on the culture of school which is completely different in the U.S. than in other parts of the world, for example german students participate in trade schools, the most popular being in the automtive industry. BMW allows students to train and take classes in business and math and learn how to use their school skills and apply them to the company and it's product. In our school system we use letter grades and awards to determine achievement, but those would mean nothing in countries where the purpose of school is to get a job to help provide food and shelter for your struggling family. The chapter reminded me of a survey I saw on t.v. where German and Middle Eastern students were asked who the president of the united states was and they correctly answered. On the other hand U.S. students couldn't name the president of any of the opposite countries, if we continue to shelter our students from exposure to other cultures we will keep fueling this ignorant cycle. Teachers must set aside instructional time for social studies, but teach nothing about people and their cultures, instead they read the same old children's history stories and the children miss out on learning about other people's culture and what makes each of us unique and important. I also felt that learning about our own culture that we have at home is important so that students understand that everyone has a different home life, maybe they live with both parents, or only mom or grandma. Teachers should also be aware of this home culture to better connect and reach their students.