With partners:
Interpersonal Development, Civics and Citizenship, English and Humanities Resources
There are several federal and state government sites designed to promote cultural inclusion and harmony. These revolve around the annual Cultural Diversity Week, 17-23 March, 2006 and Harmony Day 21 March, 2006, and include suitable school and classroom activities, and information about grants and competitions.The Federal Government website is:
http://www.harmony.gov.au/schools/index.htm
The Victorian Government website is:
http://www.culturaldiversity.vic.gov.au/
The Victorian Education Department also has useful information:
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lem/multi/mcdw05.htm
Communication, Interpersonal Development and English Resources
Through debates students learn to work in teams and understand that there are a multiplicity of viewpoints surrounding each topic. To challenge their own viewpoints, students could argue positions that they may not personally endorse, for example, Muslim girls arguing that the hijab should be banned in schools.
Confront the language of racism. Use the online slang edition of the Macquarie Dictionary http://www.macquariedictionary.com.au to look at the etymology of racist labels before engaging students in anti-racist activities from websites such as Racism No Way http://www.racismnoway.com.au/classroom/ and Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Face the Facts teaching resources:
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/info%5Ffor%5Fteachers/face_facts/index.html
Save the Children, UK has a range of teaching activities designed to help students from a diverse range of backgrounds work well together. The activities have been created by the Interfaith Education Group which includes Jewish, Christian and Muslim organisations: search http://www.savethechildren.org.uk
The American site Teachers First.com has many links to multicultural resources and teaching strategies designed to create harmony, tolerance and greater understanding of diversity. These are across key learning areas. For instance there is a link to Multicultural Math Games which has a collection of games from around the globe for those in grades 8-12: http://www.teachersfirst.com/multicult.htm
The Association for Living Values Education International, a non-profit association of educators, supported by UNESCO and other organisations have created Living Values: An Educational Program which includes activities and methodologies for teachers, students and parents centred around 12 key values: Cooperation, Freedom, Happiness, Honesty, Humility, Love, Peace, Respect, Responsibility, Simplicity, Tolerance, and Unity. See http://www.livingvalues.net/index.html or the Australian site http://www.livingvalues.net/australia/index.html