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# 

Job Corps Cultural

Competency Curriculum:

Student Lessons

June 2006

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Berkeley Policy Associates

# 440 Grand Ave, Suite 500

# Oakland, California 94610

510-465-7884

510-465-7885 Fax

510-465-4493 TTY

[berkeleypolicyassociates.com](http://www.berkeleypolicyassociates.com/)

**Table of Contents**

Page

Lesson 1: Key Concepts in Cultural Diversity 1-1

Lesson 2: Increasing Multicultural Awareness 2-1

Lesson 3: Slanted Words 9-1

Lesson 4: Understanding Different Communication Styles 10-1

Lesson 5: Being Away from Home: Adjusting to Residential Life 4-1

Lesson 6: Being Away from Home: Strategies for Residential Life 6-1

Lesson 7: On the Job in the Multicultural Workplace 7-1

Lesson 8: Getting Involved in Increasing Cultural Awareness on Center
8-1

**HOW TO USE THIS CURRICULUM**

This curriculum is divided into 8 lessons that last approximately 40-45
minutes, although, depending on the topic of discussion and the time
available to the instructor, some may continue for a longer length of
time. These lessons:

-   Build a foundation of key concepts for Job Corps students.

-   Present diversity issues particular to Job Corps as a residential
    vocational training program.

-   Cover issues that students will face when working with others in a
    work environment.

######### Lessons

######## Lessons are laid out with the following key components to provide instructors with guidance on the topic being discussed:

-   Purpose

-   Objectives for this lesson

-   Student Competencies (where applicable)

-   Exercises -- includes the time allocated for each activity and the
    instructions specifically for the students.

-   Instructor Guidance -- after each exercise, possible discussion
    questions/issues that may arise during the lesson are listed, along
    with possible responses that the instructor can use to guide the
    discussion

-   Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor -- lists items
    which may need to be obtained prior to the lesson or pages that
    should be printed out from on-line resources/ websites as a
    reference tool for the instructor

######### Instructions

Lessons are presented in a user-friendly format for the instructor.
Instructions presented in this curriculum are for the instructor unless
otherwise noted. Instructions specifically to be read to the students
will be presented in italics. Exercises are presented in blue boxes to
make them easy to find. Lesson handouts can be found at the end of the
lesson, at the very end, just past the last exercise. The handouts are
set up in a ready to photocopy format. Additional information in the
form of Instructor Materials may also be found as needed for exercises
found in the lesson.

######### Definitions of Highlighted Terms

We have highlighted in blue the words and terms that may be unfamiliar
to Job Corps students. Definitions of the highlighted terms are
presented here.

## A

Affiliation: A person, organization, or establishment associated with
another as a subordinate, subsidiary, or member.

Alienation: The act of alienating or the condition of being isolated;
estrangement.

Assertiveness: Aggressive self-assurance; given to making bold
assertions.

## B

Bias: A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits
impartial judgment.

## C

Caregiver: An individual, such as a parent, foster parent, or head of a
household, who attends to the needs of a child or dependent adult.

Class: A social rank whose members share certain economic, social, or
cultural characteristics.

Compliment: An expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation.

Concepts: A general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or
occurrences.

Concessions: Something, such as a point previously claimed in argument
that is later conceded.

Concrete: Relating to an actual, specific thing or instance.

Constructive: Serving to improve or advance; helpful: *constructive
criticism.*

Cultural Sensitivity: to be open to different cultural groups.

Culture: shared learned beliefs, traditions, principles, and guides for
behavior.

## D

Defensive: Intended to withstand or deter aggression or attack:
*defensive behavior.*

Derogatory: Representing or speaking of as contemptibly small or
unimportant.

Discrimination: To treat differently.

Disrespected: To show a lack of respect for.

## E

English Language Learner (ELL): Students who are learning English or are
not yet fully fluent in English and may still face language-related
communication challenges.

Ethnic: Of or relating to a sizable group of people sharing a common and
distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural
heritage.

Ethnicity: sharing religion, a racial group, or national group --
everyone has an ethnicity, not only minority groups.

Extended family: A family group of parents, children, and other close
relatives.

## G

Gender: The condition of being female or male; sex.

Generalizations: A principle, statement, or idea having general
application.

Genocide: The systematic and planned extermination of an entire
national, racial, political, or ethnic group.

## H

Holocaust: Great destruction resulting in the extensive loss of life.

Hostile: Feeling or showing enmity or ill will.

## I

Identity: The distinct personality of an individual regarded as a
persisting entity; individuality.

Immigrant: A person who leaves one country to settle permanently in
another.

Immodest: Not properly restrained in expression or self-assertion.

Immune: Not subject to an obligation imposed on others; unresponsive.

Impression: An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of
experience; a vague notion or belief.

Independence: Freedom from control or influence of another or others.

Interpret: To offer an explanation.

Intolerance: The quality or condition of being lacking tolerance.

Issue: A point or matter of discussion, debate, or dispute.

## L

Limited English Proficient (LEP): This is an out-of-date term that was
used to refer to individuals with a primary language other than English
who demonstrate a level of proficiency considered to be less than
fluent.

Loyalty: Feelings of allegiance.

## M

Miscommunication: An unclear or inadequate communication.

Multicultural Youth: Young people from culturally and linguistically
diverse backgrounds.

Multiculturalism: Many cultures exist; ethnicity, sexual orientation,
geography.

## N

Name-calling: Verbal abuse; insulting language.

Native Speakers: Speakers of a particular language who have spoken that
language since earliest childhood.

Newcomer: One who has only recently arrived.

Non-verbal: Not involving words.

Novelty: Something new and unusual; an innovation.

## O

Obligation: The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie.

## P

Patriarchal: Ruled by a man or men.

Pejorative: Disparaging; belittling; to speak to in a disrespectful way.

Perceptions: Insight, intuition, or knowledge gained through any of the
senses.

Persecution: Punishment or harassment usually of a severe nature on the
basis of race, religion, or political opinion in one\'s country of
origin.

Perspective: A mental view or outlook.

Plight: A situation, especially a bad or unfortunate one.

Political correctness: Avoidance of expressions or actions that can be
perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult people who are socially
disadvantaged or discriminated against.

Preconceptions: An opinion or conception formed in advance of adequate
knowledge or experience, especially a prejudice or bias.

Prejudice: Feelings, opinions; no reason or knowledge for them.

## R

Race: A group of people based on genetic characteristics.

Racism: Thinking one race is better than another.

Racist: Discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion.

Refugee: One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war,
political oppression, or religious persecution.

Regulation: A principle, rule, or law designed to control or govern
conduct.

Religion: A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings
of a spiritual leader.

Reputation: A specific characteristic or trait ascribed to a person or
thing.

Respectful: Full of or exhibiting respect.

## S

Scapegoat: One that is made to bear the blame of others.

Settlers: One who settles in a new region.

Sexism: Thinking one sex /gender is better than another.

Sexist: Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination
against women.

Slanted: To present so as to conform to a particular bias or appeal to a
certain audience.

Socioeconomic: Of or involving both social and economic factors.

Solidarity: A union of interests or purposes or sympathies among members
of a group.

Stereotype: Thinking some characteristics can describe all people of a
group.

Stereotyping: To characterize by a stereotype.

## T

Tangible: Possible to be treated as fact; real or concrete.

## U

Urban: Characteristic of the city or city life.

## V

Versus: As the alternative to or in contrast with.

**Key Concepts in**

######## **Multicultural Diversity**

**Purpose**: To introduce cultural diversity concepts, provide a common
vocabulary of relevant terms and build a foundation for the rest of the
curriculum.

**Objectives for this lesson**:

1.  Establish ground rules for the group to ensure respectful dialogue
    and maximum participation.

2.  Introduce key concepts and terms related to cultural diversity and
    multicultural awareness.

3.  Begin building a community of awareness and respect.

Share with students these thoughts on "multicultural diversity." You can
choose to read this directly to the class or present these ideas in your
own words:

*Diversity means different things to different people and we value ALL
people here at Job Corps. There are things about us that make us as
alike as they may make us different.*

When we say diversity we mean diversity in race, [ethnicity]{.mark},
national origin, gender, sexual orientation, [socioeconomic]{.mark}
class, marital status, religious or non-religious background, and mental
and physical ability, to name a few examples. A diverse center means a
diverse classroom and different [perspectives]{.mark} and ways of being.
Diverse perspectives increase the exchange of ideas. We value diversity
because we value learning. A diverse workplace takes advantage of
different perspectives, too.

*This class is part of a series of classes designed to give you an
introduction to the [concepts]{.mark} of multicultural diversity. This
information is important to success in the workplace and also will help
all of us create a positive multicultural diversity environment
on-center.*

**Exercise 1.1: Establish ground rules**  5-10 minutes

#### Exercise 1.1: Establishing Ground Rules

> **Purpose:** To establish ground rules among students, rules that help
> create a safe environment to discuss difficult and controversial
> issues.
>
> **Activity:** You will find it helpful to review ahead of time, [A
> Guide to Setting Ground Rules]{.underline} (McGraw Hill, used with
> permission), and may find it helpful to have a printed out copy
> available during the session.
>
> Explain and give examples of ground rules and then ask the class for
> ground rules. Write them on the blackboard or on large Post-It sheets
> that adhere to walls.
>
> The list should remain visible to all students throughout the lesson.
> You or students should feel free to refer back to the ground rules if
> anyone feels someone is not respecting the rules decided by everyone.
>
> **Instructions to students (read directly to students):** *We will now
> spend the next 10 minutes creating our class list of ground rules.
> Ground rules are rules that the class decides to use in discussion so
> that everyone feels that this is a safe place to talk and discuss
> difficult [issues]{.mark}. Ground rules apply to everyone and are used
> so that everyone has an opportunity to share his or her own views.*

**Instructor Guidance**: Students may not like the idea of having rules
for a discussion. Reassure them that the group is developing the rules
together, rather than you imposing them as the instructor, and that the
purpose of the rules is to create an environment where everyone can
participate.

If there is a lull where students seem run out of ideas, here are some
examples of widely used ground rules:

-   Listen actively \-- respect others when they are talking.

-   Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing (\"I\"
    instead of \"they,\" \"we,\" and \"you\").

-   Do not be afraid to respectfully challenge one another by asking
    questions, but refrain from personal attacks \-- focus on ideas.

-   Participate to the fullest of your ability \-- community growth
    depends on the inclusion of every individual voice.

-   Instead of invalidating somebody else\'s story with your own spin on
    their experience, share your own story and experience.

-   The goal is not to agree \-- it is about hearing and exploring
    divergent perspectives.

-   Be conscious of body language and nonverbal responses \-- they can
    be as disrespectful as words.

**Exercise 1.2: Family Background Introductions**  15 minutes
(depending on size of class)

Now we have our ground rules for discussion, let's take a few minutes to
introduce ourselves to each other. Instead of just going around the room
and giving our names, we're going to do it in a different way. America
is a melting pot of lots of different cultures, so let's find out about
the different cultures you all come from.

## Exercise 1.2: Family Background Introductions

> **Purpose**: This activity is a way of introducing the students in the
> class to each other. People work in pairs and then introduce to the
> group the person they talked to. This technique develops understanding
> between students by encouraging good listening. and puts students in
> the position of treating the partner they are introducing with
> respect. The group is more likely to listen to the introductions
> attentively when students introduce each other. This activity also
> introduces the concept of cultural diversity in a very concrete way.
> Even in classes of what appear to be fairly homogeneous students, they
> will discover there is significant diversity.
>
> **Activity**: Pair off students. (One way to pair people is to count
> off every two people sitting next to each other. It is OK if they
> already know their partner.) Give the pairs 3-5 minutes to find out
> about where each partner, his/her parents and his/her or grandparents
> were born and grew up. If someone came from outside the US, then ask
> when the family moved to the US. Also have them tell each other one
> thing they liked about that place and why.
>
> Then have students introduce each other to the rest of the class. Ask
> each student to say: *I would like to introduce....* As introductions
> are being made, write down the places mentioned. Then have the whole
> group look at the list on the board. Count the number of countries and
> states represented.
>
> **Instructions to students:** *Pick the person closest to you to pair
> up with. You have 5 minutes to learn about your partner. Ask where he
> or she came from, where the parents or grandparents were born and grew
> up. If someone came from outside the US, then ask when the family
> moved to the US. Also ask your partner to tell you one thing they
> liked about that place and why.*

**Instructor Guidance:** In those classes where most people have lived
in the same town all of their lives, their parents or grand parents may
have lived somewhere else. The students can be encouraged to think of
the history of their family. If several generations have lived in the
same town, they can talk about the area of town they're from, as a way
to demonstrate their diversity in the group. In addition, when
introductions are made, the aspect that each student likes about the
city/town can show different perspectives for what would seem the same
thing. Some make like rural setting with lots of wilderness. Others may
like the urban setting with all the curbs, great for skateboarding.

**Exercise 1.3**: **Respect**  20-30 minutes

*Now that we have [established]{.mark} our ground rules, introduced
ourselves, and begun to learn a little about what a diverse group we
are, we are going to move into an exercise that addresses an important
idea to have in a positive multicultural environment*. *This next
activity is about "respect"* *and how we often have different views on
how people can show respect.*

#### Exercise 1.3: Respect

> **Purpose**: This activity starts the crucial path toward building a
> community of respect. This is the first step in maintaining a
> constructive exchange regarding multicultural issues. At the most
> basic level, students meet someone they did not know, and exchange
> ideas with that person. Second, the community is built through an
> understanding of how the group perceives respect, and how they
> negotiate its meaning. Third, the similarities and differences in
> students\' ideas about respect begin to show the first signs of
> similarities and differences within the group on a larger level.
>
> **Activity**: Ask everyone to find someone in the room who they do not
> know. Instruct them to introduce themselves to that person, and spend
> five to ten minutes talking about respect. What does it mean for you
> to show respect, and what does it mean for you to be shown respect?
> After the allotted time, ask the students to return to their seats,
> and open the discussion.
>
> What ideas did people come up with? Common responses might include
> looking somebody in the eyes, being honest, and appreciating
> somebody\'s ideas even when you do not agree with them.
>
> This type of community building\--and the safety which people feel
> with it\--can make or break an attempt to facilitate discussions on
> multicultural issues.
>
> **Instructions to students:** *Find someone in the room you do not
> know. Introduce yourselves to each other and spend 5 minutes talking
> about respect. How can you tell when someone respects you? How do you
> feel when someone shows you respect? How do you feel when you think
> someone doesn't respect you?*
>
> *Afterwards we will be discussing what you thought about this.*
>
> \[Optional outside-of-class activity: Find out what "respect" means to
> Job Corps students and staff by interviewing a variety of people from
> different backgrounds and experiences, asking the above questions.\]

**Instructor Guidance**: If students have a hard time coming up with a
definition of respect, remind them that it means different things to
each of us. The point is to learn from our differences\--to understand
each other\'s understanding. The point is NOT to agree. Mention that
respect is a crucial ingredient in any discussion, but especially in a
discussion of controversial issues regarding multicultural diversity. An
example of having/showing respect can be in knowing each other\'s names,
and how to pronounce them. Also, respect includes keeping the
conversation open to everyone in the group.

Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor:

-   [A Guide to Setting Ground Rules]{.underline}

**Lesson 1**

**Key Concepts in Multicultural Diversity**

**Instructor Materials**

**[Lesson 1: Key Concepts in Multicultural Diversity]{.underline}**

**Exercise 1.1 Establishing Ground Rules**

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height="0.6354166666666666in"}

**A Guide for Setting Ground Rules**

Whenever you hope to facilitate conversations on multicultural issues,
whether preparing for a one-hour workshop or weaving such discussions
into a yearlong class, a vital first step is the development of
guidelines for participation. These guidelines, often referred to as
\"ground rules,\" should provide the community within a workshop or
class a frame to ensure open, respectful dialogue, and maximum
participation.

**Generating a List of Ground Rules**

There are several effective ways to create ground rules. If time is an
issue, as it tends to be in short workshops of one to two hours, it may
be necessary for you to simply list the ground rules for the group. Be
sure to inquire whether the ground rules are agreeable, and mention that
if you had more time together, you would have preferred the group to
generate the list.

A second way to create ground rules is to list those rules you commonly
use, then ask for additional ground rules from the participants. When
somebody proposes a ground rule, ask the other participants if they
agree to it. If most do, add it to the list.

The best way to create ground rules, if you have the time, is to allow
the participants to generate the entire list. Ask them to think about
what they, as individuals, need to ensure a safe environment to discuss
difficult and controversial issues. If the participants are having
difficulty coming up with ground rules, or if they do not come up with a
particular ground rule you feel is important to the success of your
facilitation, try to prompt them toward it. If they still do not mention
it, you can add it to the list.

**Examples of Widely Used Ground Rules**

Ground rules should be developed and adapted for every unique context.
Appropriate ground rules may depend partially on age, region, social
class, and other contextual factors. The following list of common ground
rules from multicultural education classes and workshops should serve
only as a starting point for your process of creating a similar list
suitable to your own situation:

1.  Listen actively \-- respect others when they are talking.

2.  Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing (\"I\"
    instead of \"they,\" \"we,\" and \"you\").

3.  Practice timely attendance.

4.  Do not be afraid to respectfully challenge one another by asking
    questions, but refrain from personal attacks \-- focus on ideas.

5.  Participate to the fullest of your ability \-- community growth
    depends on the inclusion of every individual voice.

6.  Instead of invalidating somebody else\'s story with your own spin on
    their experience, share your own story and experience.

7.  The goal is not to agree \-- it is about hearing and exploring
    divergent perspectives.

8.  Be conscious of body language and nonverbal responses \-- they can
    be as disrespectful as words.

**[Lesson 1: Key Concepts in Multicultural Diversity]{.underline}**

**Exercise 1.1 Establishing Ground Rules (continued)**

It is also important to set a ground rule for how participation will be
managed. Do you prefer for participants to raise their hands and be
called on, or for people to speak freely? Remember that some people \--
especially those who tend to be introverted \-- need more time to
process thoughts and speak; so the latter option may exclude them from
the discussion. Still, the formal process of raising hands to be
recognized may detract from the collective atmosphere needed to discuss
multicultural issues.

**Strategies and Notes**

1.  It is very helpful to post the ground rules somewhere visible during
    the entire course of a class or workshop. Some instructors and
    facilitators who are with a certain group over an extended period of
    time will bring the list of ground rules (on news print or some
    other transportable medium) back to the group for every session or
    class period. They can then refer back to the list when they sense
    that participants are failing to sufficiently follow one or more of
    the items.

2.  Challenge the participants on the ground rules early and often. If
    you do not set a tone of strict adherence to the items early in the
    process, it may become impossible to enforce them later.

3.  If you are using more than two or three ground rules, try focusing
    on particular items during appropriate activities or discussions.
    For example, if you are facilitating a discussion in a large group,
    state before the discussion starts that you would like to focus on
    active listening. Challenge participants to refrain from any side
    discussions. The same can be done if you are facilitating an
    experiential activity, by introducing it as a \"silent\" activity.

4.  You must MODEL these ground rules in your own participation. This is
    especially true for an item such as #2 (speak from your own
    experience). Be sure that your own language reflects ownership and
    responsibility by using as many \"I\" and \"me\" statements as
    possible.

5.  If a particular ground rule is routinely broken, bounce it back to
    the participants. A fruitful discussion can often arise from a close
    examination of why the participants are not adhering to particular
    items.

6.  Revisit the ground rules occasionally, and if time allows, ask
    whether the participants would like to add any new items.

**Rethinking Ground Rules**

If a goal of multicultural education is to challenge current structures
and assumptions about educational engagement, we must look closely at
all guidelines we use in our classes and workshops, asking ourselves who
they support and who, if anybody, they privilege. As such, many
multicultural educators and facilitators have begun to rethink the idea
of ground rules and ways they are currently implemented.

Recent critical analysis of common ground rules has resulted in a
collective reconsideration of their role. This is because too often,
ground rules that are put in place, whether by an educator/facilitator
or by participants, privilege the already-privileged groups in a given
dialogue. For example, in a dialogue about race, white participants will
often support ground rules meant to keep anger out of the
discussion\--ground rules focused on a Eurocentric idea of respect. When
we consider who is protected by ground rules like \"attack the idea, not
the person,\" it becomes apparent that, intentionally or not, they
protect the participants representing privileged groups.

While I do not advocate dropping ground rules altogether, I do support
the idea of seriously studying these issues and the possible
ramifications of ground rules that might ultimately support the status
quo by providing safety and comfort for those who, for the sake of their
own learning, most desperately need to be made to feel uncomfortable.
Consider opening this conversation within your class or workshop or
among colleagues, and challenge yourself to make sure that the
discussions and dialogues you are setting up do not further oppress
historically oppressed people.

Reprinted by permission from McGraw-Hill

**Increasing Multicultural**

######## **Awareness**

**Purpose**: To advance students\' understanding of cultural diversity
and improve their multicultural awareness.

**Objectives for this lesson**:

1.  Increase students\' knowledge and understanding of key concepts and
    terms related to cultural diversity and multicultural awareness.

2.  Increase students\' multicultural awareness.

**Student Competencies:**

1.  Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of key cultural diversity
    concepts and terms.

2.  Demonstrates multicultural awareness \-- is aware that cultural
    differences exist and may affect how different people think and
    behave on center and in the workplace.

**Exercise 2.1**: **Multicultural Jeopardy**  15 minutes (requires a
computer and projector for the PowerPoint exercise; if unavailable, use
Alternative Exercise 2.2).

We have talked about the variety of people and cultures in the US and in
Job Corps. We are now going to do a quick activity about words and their
meanings related to diversity.

##### Exercise 2.1: Multicultural Jeopardy

> **Purpose**: This activity identifies common terms to describe terms
> used in learning about multicultural diversity. It clarifies relevant
> vocabulary and gives students a common understanding of important
> concepts.
>
> **Activity**: Ask how many students are familiar with the TV game
> "Jeopardy". Explain that you will give them the meaning of a word and
> they need to give the word -- "What is\_\_\_\_\_\_\_?" (or identify
> the correct word.) You must download the PowerPoint presentation from
> the JCCDRC website, then set up a computer projections of the
> presentation in your classroom. The list of 10 terms is located on the
> left side of the screen. When you click once, you will get the
> meaning. Read the definition out loud slowly, twice. Ask the group
> which they think is the correct word. Ask how many people think one
> word is right vs. another. Then click again to reveal the answer.
>
> After finishing the game, ask students which terms they now understand
> that they were previously unclear about. Ask them to define in their
> own words out loud to the group one of the new terms they learned. Ask
> the group if they agree with the student's definition.
>
> *(continued)*
>
> **Instructions to students:** *There is a popular quiz show on
> television called Jeopardy. [Contestants]{.mark} in the game are given
> a meaning or statement, and the contestants must say the word or
> phrase. We will now play Multicultural Jeopardy. Look at the board.
> There is a list of 10 multicultural terms on the left side. I will
> read the meaning, and you must tell me which term I am defining. You
> can answer like the television show and say "What is\_\_\_?"*
>
> Adapted from [Cultural Sensitivity Training]{.underline} PowerPoint
> (Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Cultural Sensitivity
> Training PowerPoint Presentation, no date),
> [[http://www.tcada.state.tx.us/training/presentation/index.shtml]{.underline}](http://www.tcada.state.tx.us/training/presentation/index.shtml),
> then select Cultural Sensitivity.

**Instructor Guidance**: This is a short exercise for students to think
about diversity in many forms. Students do not need to know or learn all
10 terms. By having students explain the terms in their own words, other
students may be better able to understand their meaning.

**Alternative Exercise 2.2: Multicultural Terms and Definitions**  5
minutes

*We have talked about the variety of people and cultures in the United
States and in Job Corps. We are now going to do a quick activity about
words and their meanings related to diversity.*

###### Alternative Exercise 2.2: Multicultural Terms and Definitions

> **Purpose**: This activity identifies common terms to describe terms
> used in learning about multicultural diversity. It clarifies relevant
> vocabulary and gives students a common understanding of important
> concepts.
>
> **Activity**: The instructor will pass out the matching handout found
> in the [Appendix]{.underline} and give students 3-5 minutes to fill
> match the 10 terms and definitions. Afterwards the instructor will
> check the answers by having one student read a meaning and then tell
> the class the term. If the match is not correct, the instructor will
> provide the correct answer.
>
> After going over the answers, ask students which terms they now
> understand that they were previously unclear about. Ask them to define
> in their own words out loud to the group a new term they learned. Ask
> the group if they agree with the student's definition.
>
> **Instructions to students:** *You have 5 minutes to match these 10
> multicultural terms and their meanings together. Put the letter of the
> word (from the right column) in the blank next to its meaning (in the
> left column). We will review the answers in 5 minutes.*
>
> Adapted from [Cultural Sensitivity Training]{.underline} PowerPoint
> (Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Cultural Sensitivity
> Training PowerPoint Presentation, no date),
> [[http://www.tcada.state.tx.us/training/presentation/index.shtml]{.underline}](http://www.tcada.state.tx.us/training/presentation/index.shtml),
> then select Cultural Sensitivity.

**Instructor Guidance**: This is a short exercise for students to think
about diversity in many forms. Students do not need to know or learn all
10 terms. If they can not put the terms in their own words, you can give
them some of the following suggestions to help them think:

1.  Ethnicity: sharing religion, a racial group, or national group

2.  Culture: shared learned beliefs, traditions, principles, and guides
    for behavior

3.  Cultural Sensitivity: to be open to different cultural groups

4.  Discrimination: to treat differently

5.  Multiculturalism: many cultures exist; ethnicity, sexual
    orientation, geography, religion, gender, and class

6.  Prejudice: feelings, opinions; no reason or knowledge for them

7.  Race: groups of people based on genetic characteristics

8.  Racism: thinking one race is better than another

9.  Sexism: thinking one sex /gender is better than another

10. Stereotype: thinking some characteristics can describe all people of
    a group

**Exercise 2.3: Defining Multicultural**  30 minutes

We just reviewed 10 terms about culture and diversity, but how do we
think about it every day in our lives? The way we think and act, what we
say or wear are different aspects of our diversity. This next exercise
will have us thinking and talking about how we try to understand other
people culturally.

> **Exercise 2.3: Defining Multicultural**
>
> **Purpose:** To consider the many ways that culture can be thought of,
> and how people use it to define who they are, and then to understand
> who other people are.
>
> **Activity**: Students will create a list of [aspects of
> culture]{.mark} (the instructor will go around the room asking
> students for their answers), then categorize them into three areas.
> They will state which area best describes how they see themselves
> culturally. Then they will talk about the ways they try to understand
> others culturally. The items of culture they use for themselves and
> for others may be the same or not. This will lead to a discussion.
>
> Go through each category and ask students to raise their hands if they
> consider the items listed under that category to be the most important
> dimensions in how they define their own culture. Most people will
> choose \"the Symbolic" category as the items that most define their
> own culture.
>
> Then open up the discussion with:
>
> *When you meet somebody, which items (under any of the categories) do
> you use to understand them culturally?*
>
> Are the responses similar to what people themselves use to define
> their cultural? Ask the students:
>
> *Do you try to understand others culturally the same that you want to
> be viewed and understood?*
>
> **Instructions to students**: *We will make a list of the
> [dimensions]{.mark} of culture. Let's go around the room and tell me
> something that you think shows culture for you.*
>
> *Now we will divide the items into 3 categories:*

-   *The [Concrete]{.mark}: The most visible and [tangible]{.mark} level
    of culture, such as clothes, music, food, games, etc.*

-   *The Behavioral: The level of culture that defines our social roles,
    > the language(s) we speak, and our [nonverbal]{.mark}
    > communication. Items include language, gender roles, family
    > structure, political [affiliation]{.mark}, and other items that
    > situate us organizationally in society.*

-   *The Symbolic: The level of culture for values and beliefs. Items
    include value systems, customs, spirituality, religion, worldview,
    beliefs, etc.*

> *Which items are concrete? Behavioral? Symbolic?* (If there is some
> disagreement about where a certain item falls, allow the same item to
> be listed under two categories.)
>
> Adapted from The Depth and Breadth of "Multicultural" (Used with
> permission),
> [[http://edchange.org/multicultural/activities/multicultural.html]{.underline}](http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/multi/activities/depthbreadth.html)

**Instructor Guidance**: In starting the activity, the list of
dimensions of culture, allow for some short silences, or suggest some
deeper dimensions, including faith, religion, values, language, family
structure, and others. To wrap up this exercise, you can ask students to
give examples of how they might try to make the way they want to be
understood more in line with the way they try to understand others.
Mention that this exercise is not meant to pick on anyone, but instead
to highlight how forces from the media to our education can affect our
understanding of others.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor**:

-   [Multicultural Jeopardy]{.underline} PowerPoint (from JCCDRC.ORG);
    computer and projector for showing the presentation.

-   If using Alternate Exercise 2.2, make sure you have copies of
    Handout for Exercise Alternative Exercise 2.2: Multicultural Terms
    and Definitions

**Lesson 2**

**Increasing Multicultural Awareness**

**Student Handouts**

**[Lesson 2: Key Concepts in Multicultural Diversity]{.underline}**

# Alternative Exercise 2.2: Multicultural Terms and Definitions

Match the definitions of these multicultural words together. Write the
letter of the word (in the right column) in the blank next its
definition (left column).

+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 1.  To be open to learning about    |     | A.  Cultural        |
| _ |     and accepting of different      |     |     Sensitivity     |
| \ |     cultural groups.                |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 2.  A belief that racial            |     | B.  Culture         |
| _ |     differences make one race       |     |                     |
| \ |     better than another race.       |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 3.  The idea that characteristics   |     | C.  Discrimination  |
| _ |     of a cultural group are true    |     |                     |
| \ |     for everyone in that group.     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 4.  Treating someone differently    |     | D.  Ethnicity       |
| _ |     from how you treat others       |     |                     |
| \ |     because of something like race  |     |                     |
| _ |     or culture instead of what they |     |                     |
| \ |     are like as a person.           |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 5.  The recognition that there      |     | E                   |
| _ |     exists many cultures based      |     | .  Multiculturalism |
| \ |     around ethnicity, sexual        |     |                     |
| _ |     orientation, geography,         |     |                     |
| \ |     religion, gender, and class.    |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 6.  An attitude, opinion, or        |     | F.  Prejudice       |
| _ |     feeling formed without adequate |     |                     |
| \ |     prior knowledge, thought, or    |     |                     |
| _ |     reason.                         |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 7.  The belief that one sex         |     | G.  Race            |
| _ |     (gender) is better than the     |     |                     |
| \ |     other and can be in control.    |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 8.  A set of learned beliefs,       |     | H.  Racism          |
| _ |     traditions, principles, and     |     |                     |
| \ |     guides for behavior that are    |     |                     |
| _ |     shared among members of a       |     |                     |
| \ |     particular group.               |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 9.  In biology, groups of people    |     | I.  Sexism          |
| _ |     based on a set of genetically   |     |                     |
| \ |     transmitted characteristics.    |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+
| \ | 10. Sharing a strong sense of       |     | J.  Stereotype      |
| _ |     identity with a particular      |     |                     |
| \ |     religious, racial, or national  |     |                     |
| _ |     group.                          |     |                     |
| \ |                                     |     |                     |
| _ |                                     |     |                     |
+---+-------------------------------------+-----+---------------------+

Adapted from [Cultural Sensitivity Training]{.underline}, Texas
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

**[Lesson 2: Increasing Multicultural Awareness]{.underline}**

# Alternative Exercise 2.2: Multicultural Terms and Definitions (Answer Key)

Match the definitions of these multicultural words together. Write the
letter of the word (in the right column) in the blank next its
definition (left column).

+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***A |                                      |   |                     |
| nswe |                                      |   |                     |
| r*** |                                      |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 1.  To be open to learning about and |   | A.  Cultural        |
| A*** |     accepting of different cultural  |   |     Sensitivity     |
|      |     groups.                          |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 2.  A belief that racial differences |   | B.  Culture         |
| H*** |     make one race better than        |   |                     |
|      |     another race.                    |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 3.  The idea that characteristics of |   | C.  Discrimination  |
| J*** |     a cultural group are true for    |   |                     |
|      |     everyone in that group.          |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 4.  Treating someone differently     |   | D.  Ethnicity       |
| C*** |     from how you treat others        |   |                     |
|      |     because of something like race   |   |                     |
|      |     or culture instead of what they  |   |                     |
|      |     are like as a person             |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 5.  The recognition that there       |   | E                   |
| E*** |     exists many cultures based       |   | .  Multiculturalism |
|      |     around ethnicity, sexual         |   |                     |
|      |     orientation, geography,          |   |                     |
|      |     religion, gender, and class.     |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 6.  An attitude, opinion, or feeling |   | F.  Prejudice       |
| F*** |     formed without adequate prior    |   |                     |
|      |     knowledge, thought, or reason.   |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 7.  The belief that one sex (gender) |   | G.  Race            |
| I*** |     is better than the other and can |   |                     |
|      |     be in control.                   |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 8.  A set of learned beliefs,        |   | H.  Racism          |
| B*** |     traditions, principles, and      |   |                     |
|      |     guides for behavior that are     |   |                     |
|      |     shared among members of a        |   |                     |
|      |     particular group.                |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 9.  In biology, groups of people     |   | I.  Sexism          |
| G*** |     based on a set of genetically    |   |                     |
|      |     transmitted characteristics.     |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+
| ***  | 10. Sharing a strong sense of        |   | J.  Stereotype      |
| D*** |     identity with a particular       |   |                     |
|      |     religious, racial, or national   |   |                     |
|      |     group.                           |   |                     |
+------+--------------------------------------+---+---------------------+

Adapted from [Cultural Sensitivity Training]{.underline}, Texas
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse

**Slanted Words**

**Purpose:** To improve students\' abilities to understand how words may
be used to communicate a point of view.

**Objectives for this lesson:**

1.  Increase students' appreciation of the power of the words.

2.  Increase students' awareness and understanding of how words can be
    used to create either a favorable or unfavorable impression of a
    person, especially with regard to cultural differences.

Student Competencies:

-   Understands cultural differences in communication styles and the
    impact of word choice on intercultural communication.

**Exercise 3.1: Flower or Weed?**  5 minutes

*Words have the power to shape our thoughts or feelings. Depending on
the words that are used, people's [perceptions]{.mark} of a person or a
thing or a situation can be influenced or sometimes even changed
completely. It's possible to deliberately create a favorable or
unfavorable [impression]{.mark} of someone just by using favorable or
unfavorable words to describe them. These words are "[slanted]{.mark},"
because they make your opinions lean one way or the other, depending on
what the speaker intends for you to do. It's amazing how the use of
words that have positive or negative meanings for most of us can cause
us to react almost automatically, and [interpret]{.mark} what is said as
being positive or negative.*

> **Exercise 3.1: Flower or Weed?**
>
> **Purpose**: To help students understand how the words we use can
> influence our [perceptions]{.mark}.
>
> **Activity**: Handout a picture of a dandelion. (If there is a similar
> local plant with which the students are familiar, you may want to show
> a picture of that plant instead.)
>
> **Instructions to students:** *What would you call this plant? Is it a
> "flower" Or is it a "weed?" Some people call it one thing and some
> people call it another. It's exactly the same plant, no matter what
> you call it. What do think when you see a flower? How pretty it is,
> right? But what if you see a weed? You want to pull it out by its
> roots and kill it!*
>
> *Can you think of any other examples? How do your feelings about
> someone or something change when the word describing them is changed?*

**Instructor Guidance**: See if the students are able to come up with
any other examples of slanted words, but don't press them if no one is
able to think of any. You might want to suggest some yourself, for
example: Is the glass half-full? Or is it half-empty? Is your friend a
sports "fan," or a "fanatic"? Is a payment to someone an "incentive," or
a "bribe"? There's a big difference between a matter-of-fact statement
like, "Traffic was delayed by an accident," [versus]{.mark} "A car crash
brought traffic to a halt"! Tell the students to pay close attention
whenever they hear word choices like these.

*You can easily influence how people think about a person by using words
or phrases that communicate approval or disapproval. You can say that
"She stood up for herself," which sounds like she did something good and
positive. Or you can say that "She was stubborn," or "She made a scene,"
which sounds like you don't approve of what she did.*

*We can often see this clearly in the [news media]{.mark}. Consider the
following headlines for an event that was attended by about 950 people:*

"More Than 900 Attend Event" [versus]{.mark} "Fewer Than 1,000 Show Up
At Event"

*Both are accurate descriptions of the attendance at a meeting. But the
first gives the impression that the event was successful, with more
people than expected attending. The second implies fewer people than
expected showed up.*

(Media Awareness Network, "Bias in the News")

*Or consider this recent [poll]{.mark} finding: When the question was,
"Are we spending too much, too little, or about the right amount on
[welfare]{.underline}?" 22 percent said "Too much." But when the
question was, \"Are we spending too much, too little, or about the right
amount on [assistance to the poor]{.underline}?\" 61 percent said "Too
little."*

(Robert Harris, www.virtualsalt.com

**Exercise 3.2: Recognizing Slanted Words**  20 minutes

> **Exercise 3.2: Recognizing Slanted Words**
>
> **Purpose**: To show how slanted words can be used to depict a person
> favorably or unfavorably.
>
> **Activity**: Distribute the Handout to students. Have a student read
> Passage 1 aloud. Answer the questions below, and discuss how the
> writer's choice of words influences how you feel about the subject of
> the piece. Do the same for Passage 2.
>
> **Instructions to students**: *So, after reading these passages what
> do you think of Mr. Washington?*
>
> *What words are used to describe what he is like?*
>
> *What does this make you think about him?*
>
> *What words are used to describe his actions?*
>
> *Is he treated with the same level of respect in both passages?*
>
> *How are [direct quotes]{.mark} used to present him favorably or
> unfavorably?*
>
> *How does the reporter's tone affect your opinion of Alvin
> Washington?*
>
> Writing for Change: 1.22, Raising Awareness of Difference, Power, and
> Discrimination, Lockhart & Shaw, in Teaching Tolerance,
> <http://www.tolerance.org/teach/web/wfc/pdf/section_1/1_22_recognizing_words.pdf>
>
> Reprinted with permission from Teaching Tolerance, a program of the
> Southern Poverty Law Center

**Instructor Guidance**: If the students do not bring it up on their
own, ask whether they think the slanted words in these passages imply
anything about Mr. Washington's race or ethnicity, and about the
likelihood that he has committed a crime.

**Exercise 3.3: How to Detect Bias in the News**  20 minutes

> **Exercise 3.3: How to Detect Bias in the News**
>
> **Purpose**: To provide students with skills for detecting slanted
> words and bias in the news media.
>
> **Activity**: Assign different students to read aloud from the
> Handout, "How to Detect Bias in the News," and discuss the readings as
> a group.
>
> **Instructions to students**: *This is an article on how you can
> recognize not only slanted words, but also other biases in the news
> media. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (Names of selected students) are going to
> read this out loud for us. While they are reading, keep in mind the
> ways in which news about people from different cultures can be slanted
> to communicate either a positive or negative impression about them.*

**Instructor Guidance**: Keep the discussion focused as much as possible
on multicultural issues. Have students provide examples from the news or
from their own personal experiences that show how slanted words are used
to describe people from different language and cultural backgrounds.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor**:

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 3.1: Flower or Weed?

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 3.2: Recognizing Slanted Words

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 3.3: How to Detect Bias in the News

**Lesson 3**

**Slanted Words**

**Student Handouts**

**[Lesson 3: Slanted Words]{.underline}**

**Exercise 3.1: Flower or Weed?**

## Below is the host webpage [http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/Dandelion.html](http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=dandelion/v=2/SID=w/l=IVR/SIG=125tgqau6/EXP=1108616777/*-http%3A//www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/Dandelion.html) with the 

## image in its *original context*.

*Permission to use this image has been requested.*

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="5.208333333333333in"
height="3.9479166666666665in"}

**[Lesson 3: Slanted Words]{.underline}**

# Exercise 3.2: Recognizing Slanted Words

**Passage 1:**

**WASHINGTON DISCOUNTS ALLEGATIONS**

NEW YORK (AP) Member of Congress and executive Alvin Washington today
denied reports involving him in illegal alcohol sales. Addressing his
colleagues in the alcohol manufacturing industry at a banquet last
night, Mr. Washington calmly denied reports that he and a group of
friends had sneaked bottles of unlicensed whiskey into the city at
night. \"Such talk is all lies,\" said Mr. Washington.

Sources suggest tonight that Mr. Washington\'s activities may become the
subject of a Congressional review. Meantime, Wall Street analysts note
that the stock of Washington Distillery, Inc. has fallen in the last two
days as a result of a wave of selling.

**Passage 2:**

**\"A PACK OF LIES,\" CLAIMS WASHINGTON**

NEW YORK (AP) Liberal politician and liquor king Alvin Washington today
rejected allegations implicating him in whiskey smuggling. Addressing a
group of large alcohol producers last night at a dinner at an exclusive
restaurant, Washington angrily denied the rumors that he and his
associates had smuggled large amounts of illegal booze into the District
under cover of night. \"Such talk is a pack of lies,\" snarled
Washington.

Rumors around Capitol Hill hint tonight that Washington \'s alleged
crime will be investigated by Congress. Meantime, Wall Street is reeling
from the sudden drop in the value of Washington stock in the last two
days.

Adapted from Jim Henderson, Mediascan (Toronto: pub, 1976)

**[Lesson 3: Slanted Words]{.underline}**

**Exercise 3.3: How to Detect Bias in the News**

+---+-----------------------------------------------------------------+---+---+
|   | +------------------------------------------------------------+  |   |   |
|   | | **How to Detect Bias in the News**                         |  |   |   |
|   | |                                                            |  |   |   |
|   | | At one time or other we all complain about \"bias in the   |  |   |   |
|   | | news.\" The fact is, despite the journalistic ideal of     |  |   |   |
|   | | \"objectivity,\" every news story is influenced by the     |  |   |   |
|   | | attitudes and background of its interviewers, writers,     |  |   |   |
|   | | photographers, and editors.\                               |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | Not all bias is deliberate. But you can become a more      |  |   |   |
|   | | aware news reader or viewer by watching for the following  |  |   |   |
|   | | journalistic techniques that allow bias to \"creep in\" to |  |   |   |
|   | | the news:\                                                 |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias through selection and omission\                     |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **An editor can express a bias by choosing to use or not   |  |   |   |
|   | | to use a specific news item. Within a given story, some    |  |   |   |
|   | | details can be ignored, and others included, to give       |  |   |   |
|   | | readers or viewers a different opinion about the events    |  |   |   |
|   | | reported. If, during a speech, a few people boo, the       |  |   |   |
|   | | reaction can be described as \"remarks greeted by jeers\"  |  |   |   |
|   | | or they can be ignored as \"a handful of dissidents.\"\    |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | Bias through omission is difficult to detect. Only by      |  |   |   |
|   | | comparing news reports from a wide variety of outlets can  |  |   |   |
|   | | the form of bias be observed.\                             |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias through placement\                                  |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Readers of papers judge first page stories to be more    |  |   |   |
|   | | significant than those buried in the back. Television and  |  |   |   |
|   | | radio newscasts run the most important stories first and   |  |   |   |
|   | | leave the less significant for later. Where a story is     |  |   |   |
|   | | placed, therefore, influences what a reader or viewer      |  |   |   |
|   | | thinks about its importance.\                              |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias by headline\                                        |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Many people read only the headlines of a news item. Most |  |   |   |
|   | | people scan nearly all the headlines in a newspaper.       |  |   |   |
|   | | Headlines are the most-read part of a paper. They can      |  |   |   |
|   | | summarize as well as present carefully hidden bias and     |  |   |   |
|   | | prejudices. They can convey excitement where little        |  |   |   |
|   | | exists. They can express approval or condemnation.\        |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias by photos, captions, and camera angles\             |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Some pictures flatter a person, others make the person   |  |   |   |
|   | | look unpleasant. A paper can choose photos to influence    |  |   |   |
|   | | opinion about, for example, a candidate for election. On   |  |   |   |
|   | | television, the choice of which visual images to display   |  |   |   |
|   | | is extremely important. The captions newspapers run below  |  |   |   |
|   | | photos are also potential sources of bias.\                |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias through use of names and titles\                    |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **News media often use labels and titles to describe       |  |   |   |
|   | | people, places, and events. A person can be called an      |  |   |   |
|   | | \"ex-con\" or be referred to as someone who \"served time  |  |   |   |
|   | | twenty years ago for a minor offense.\" Whether a person   |  |   |   |
|   | | is described as a \"terrorist\" or a \"freedom fighter\"   |  |   |   |
|   | | is a clear indication of editorial bias.\                  |  |   |   |
|   | | *(continued)*                                              |  |   |   |
|   | |                                                            |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias through statistics and crowd counts\                |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **To make a disaster seem more spectacular (and therefore  |  |   |   |
|   | | worthy of reading about), numbers can be inflated. \"A     |  |   |   |
|   | | hundred injured in air crash\" can be the same as \"only   |  |   |   |
|   | | minor injuries in air crash,\" reflecting the opinion of   |  |   |   |
|   | | the person doing the counting.\                            |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Bias by source control**\                                |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | To detect bias, always consider where the news item        |  |   |   |
|   | | \"comes from.\" Is the information supplied by a reporter, |  |   |   |
|   | | an eyewitness, police or fire officials, executives, or    |  |   |   |
|   | | elected or appointed government officials? Each may have a |  |   |   |
|   | | particular bias that is introduced into the story.         |  |   |   |
|   | | Companies and public relations directors supply news       |  |   |   |
|   | | outlets with puff pieces through news releases, photos, or |  |   |   |
|   | | videos. Often news outlets depend on pseudo-events         |  |   |   |
|   | | (demonstrations, sit-ins, ribbon cuttings, speeches and    |  |   |   |
|   | | ceremonies) that take place mainly to gain news coverage.\ |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Word choice and tone\                                    |  |   |   |
|   | | \                                                          |  |   |   |
|   | | **Showing the same kind of bias that appears in headlines, |  |   |   |
|   | | the use of positive or negative words or words with a      |  |   |   |
|   | | particular connotation can strongly influence the reader   |  |   |   |
|   | | or viewer.                                                 |  |   |   |
|   | |                                                            |  |   |   |
|   | | Excerpted from Newskit: A Consumers Guide to News Media,   |  |   |   |
|   | | by The Learning Seed Co.                                   |  |   |   |
|   | |                                                            |  |   |   |
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|   | | ucational/handouts/broadcast_news/bw_bias_in_the_news.cfm> |  |   |   |
|   | |                                                            |  |   |   |
|   | | Reprinted with their permission.                           |  |   |   |
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|   | | Media Awareness Network                                    |  |   |   |
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+---+-----------------------------------------------------------------+---+---+

**Understanding**

**Different Communication Styles**

**Purpose**: To increase students\' awareness of differences in
communication styles and of how these can be influenced by cultural
differences as well as by individual and family styles, and to promote
the development of a tolerant multicultural environment on-center.

**Objectives for this lesson**:

1.  Increase students\' multicultural awareness and sensitivity by
    exploring differences in communication styles among different
    cultures.

2.  Increase student's tolerance of differences in communication styles
    by exploring their own communication styles and how they are
    influenced by family and cultural differences.

**Student Competencies:**

1.  Demonstrates multicultural awareness \-- is aware that cultural
    differences exist and may affect how different people think and
    behave on center and in the workplace.

2.  Demonstrates multicultural sensitivity \-- appreciates a variety of
    cultural perspectives and values diversity on center and in the
    workplace.

*Diversity means different things to different people and we value ALL
people here at Job Corps. There are things about us that make us as
alike as they may make us different. Many people who have come to the US
from other countries ([immigrants]{.mark}) are not only proud of their
history and culture, but they also embrace many of the traditions and
customs of American life. Differences in cultures are not in their
history and customs, but can also be in the ways we interact with each
other. The more we understand these differences, the easier it is for us
to react to each other with respect and sensitivity.*

*When we say "sensitivity" we mean that we shouldn't allow cultural
differences to be a reason for criticism and judgments. Differences are
neither good nor bad. The following exercise discusses one type of
difference between cultures -- differences in how people communicate
with each other. We will first look at some ways that different groups
of people communicate and then we will look at our own communication
styles. We'll see that not only are there cultural differences in
communication styles, but there can also be differences that come from
our individual personalities, or from our families and communities where
we grew up.*

**Exercise 4.1: Cultural Differences in Communication Styles**  15-20
minutes

#### Exercise 4.1: Communication Styles

> **Purpose of the Activity**: This activity examples of the ways that
> different cultures approach various forms of communication:
> animation/emotion, eye contact, gestures, turn taking and pause time,
> space, time, touch, and voice.
>
> **Activity**: Students will review the material presented in *Handout
> 4.1 Cultural Differences in Communication Styles*. The instructor will
> read sections out loud and/or ask for volunteers to read sections out
> loud. The instructor can pause as needed to clarify any words they
> feel students may not understand. Or students can be given 10 minutes
> to read the material and the instructor can then ask students to
> respond by sharing with the class any particular section they found
> interesting or new to them.

**Exercise 4:2: Your Communication Style --** 25-30 minutes

> **Exercise 4.2 Your Communication Style**
>
> **Purpose of the Activity**: This activity provides insights into
> differences in communication styles by having students examine their
> own communication styles. The students will be able to discuss in
> pairs if their own styles match a certain group or not and if they
> have friends that have similar communication patterns.
>
> **Activity:** Students with [first]{.underline} complete *Handout 4.2
> Communication Style Worksheet* to reflect how their style of
> communication varies when they speak to friends, family members, their
> instructors, or people they don't know. [Second,]{.underline} students
> will pair up and discuss differences in how they each filled out the
> sheet. They will also talk about how their own communication styles
> are similar to other members of their immediate and extended family,
> and explore whether their two families seem to be significantly
> different from each other. [Third]{.underline}, back in the large
> group, the instructor will go through the list of forms of
> communication and ask student to raise their hand if they use, for
> example, emotion "much" in communicating, and then ask if they use it
> "almost never". The raising of hands will give students a visual image
> of the diversity of communication styles among them and will make them
> aware that they should be sensitive to how they communicate.

**Instructor Guidance:**

Be sure students read the Handout 4.1, either by reading out loud or by
group discussion following silent reading. These examples will help
students to understand what each of the items is on the Handout 4.2.

Encourage students to fill out the Communication Style worksheet fairly
quickly, not thinking too long about how to answer each item. Encourage
them to ask questions if there are any of the items they don't fully
understand.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor:**

-   Copies of Handout 4.1: Cultural Differences in Communication Styles

-   Copies of Handout 4.2: Communication Style Worksheet

**Lesson 4**

**Understanding Different Communication Styles**

**Student Handouts**

**[Lesson 4: Understanding Different Communication Styles]{.underline}**

**Exercise 4.1: Cultural Differences in Communication Styles**

Here are some examples of cultural differences in the ways people
communicate with each other:

**Animation/emotion:**

-   In some cultures communication is often passionate and animated.
    When it is more passive or neutral it may seem less believable and
    the listener may even question the speaker's motives. The assumption
    is that if you believe something, you will advocate for it. Truth is
    established by arguing for what you believe in.

-   In other cultures people don't often express their emotions and may
    even worry that emotional communication could lead to a loss of
    self-control. People are more concerned with acting nice or
    friendly, even when they have strong differences of opinion. People
    may also assume that if they feel or think a certain way about
    something, others feel or think much as they do.

-   In some cultures it is considered OK to show a great deal of emotion
    when talking to people of the same culture, but not when around
    people of a different culture.

**Eye Contact:**

-   In some cultures, the speaker usually looks into the listener's eyes
    for short moments while the listener looks fairly steadily at the
    speaker. Children are taught to look at the person who is speaking
    to them. Direct eye contact is believed to be a sign of honesty and
    sincerity.

-   In other cultures direct eye contact is often viewed as
    disrespectful. When a person is being spoken to, he or she may look
    away or down as a sign of respect to the person speaking, especially
    if that person is older than the listener or is in a position of
    authority over them.

-   In other cultures, eye contact may be quite direct and held as long
    as the person is speaking, less so when listening. The overall
    amount of eye contact may not be different, but when the eye contact
    occurs might be different.

**Gestures:**

-   In some cultures, people use gestures often and sometimes use large
    gestures. Very expressive communication is considered best, and if
    the gestures increase expressiveness they are seen as helping
    communication to be effective.

-   In other cultures, fewer gestures are used in normal conversation,
    but storytellers or elders may often use gestures, which are larger
    and more frequent than those in usual conversations.

-   In other cultures, gestures are usually kept close to the body and
    are not used very often. They may even be considered rude. The use
    of gestures often is related to the amount of emotion people
    typically show in their communication.

**Turn taking and pause time:**

-   In some cultures, taking turns is signaled by the speaker looking
    directly at the listener becoming quiet.

-   In cultures pause time between speakers is very short; in fact,
    there may not be any pause time at all because often people speak on
    the end of the first speaker's last sentence.

-   In some cultures taking turns happens whenever a speaker is moved to
    speak. The right to continue speaking depends on how well the
    speaker's idea is being accepted. Responses from others are usually
    made at the end of each of the speaker's points, and this is not
    felt to be an interruption of the speaker.

-   In some cultures any kind of interrupting another speaker, even just
    speaking responding to the points being made or beginning to speak
    on the end of the other speakers last sentence, is considered
    unbearable rudeness, especially if the person interrupted is an
    elder.

**Space:**

-   In some cultures people tend to stand 2-3 feet apart (\"arm's
    length\"). Standing closer than that can be considered invasive or
    rude, depending on the relationship of those involved.

-   In other cultures keeping an arm's length apart is seen as cold,
    unfriendly, or a way to show superiority. Although different
    expectations for \"normal\" social distances are different, since
    they are unconscious, sometimes a person can actually be backed
    across the room by a person used to a closer social distance.

-   In some cultures, a side-by-side arrangement is more comfortable
    than face-to-face, especially in two-person conversations.

-   Psychological space can be maintained by silence. This might be used
    if the listener is asked a question he or she feels is invasive or
    too personal.

**Time:**

-   In some cultures time is seen as moving in a straight line, it is
    seen as something everyone is short of, and the assumption is that
    everything should happen at a specific time. Time is seen as having
    a past, present, and future, and is often thought of as a real
    object \"which should be saved and not wasted.\"

-   In some cultures many activities may be going on at once, and
    priority is given to the peoples' immediate needs even if that means
    interrupting some other activity, especially those involved in one's
    collateral network. Time is a fluid and malleable concept.

-   Some cultures are very relaxed about time, feeling the \"right
    time\" for something is when everything and everyone comes together.
    People might be puzzled if being late makes someone angry. "I'm here
    now, let's get started\" is a common response to this kind of
    situation. Time is felt to be more a matter of season, general time
    of day, or when the person is internally ready for a particular
    activity. The imposition of \"clock time\" by members of other
    cultures may be seen as arrogant, uncaring, or oppressive.

-   In some cultures, time is seen as cyclical and ever-returning. Some
    cultures are masters of waiting till \"the time is right.\" They
    excel in long-term planning and maintaining long-term relationships.
    They may not understand why some people talk quickly and may see
    them as impatient.

**Touch:**

-   In some cultures people touch each other quite frequently when
    talking, especially friends and children. They may even use touch as
    a means of communication without talking.

-   In some cultures hugging is a frequent form of greeting, even
    between strangers, and does not carry any sexual connotation whether
    between members of the same sex or the opposite sex.

-   Other cultures use very little touching in public, with the
    exception of a handshake. Lack of touching may be related to
    cultural values of objectivity, efficiency, and autonomy.

-   In some cultures handshakes are firm and extended, where in others
    the handshake is very light and fleeting, to avoid imposing energy
    on the other person or receiving energy one does not want.

**Voice:**

-   Some cultures use a wide range of both volume and pitch when they
    speak. The voice can range from a very quiet, deep sound to very
    loud and high-pitched, and all may be considered appropriate.

-   Other cultures tend to have a fixed, relatively narrow range of
    expected volume and pitch, especially in business conversation. Some
    people can experience those with more range in pitch and volume as
    \"yelling at me." Adult, mature communication in public is believed
    to be objective, rational, and relatively non-emotional. Talking
    quickly, loudly, or showing emotion in the voice may be seen as
    inappropriate or rude.

**Directness/Indirectness:**

-   In some cultures directness in stating the point, purpose, or
    conclusion of a communication is not the preferred style. In some
    cultures, communication is like an arrow that makes sharp turns
    before getting to its destination. The journey is part of the valued
    experience.

-   Other cultures may gradually come to the point in a style that is
    more like a spiral with each successive piece of discussion or
    explanation getting closer to the central issue. They may see direct
    communication as abrupt or inappropriate.

-   Some cultures focus on more direct and linear forms of communication
    and may see other styles as disorganized or intellectually weak.
    They may even assume non-direct speakers are being evasive or
    intentionally difficult. Their general form of communication tends
    to rely heavily on logic and technical information rather than
    allusion, metaphor, or other more creative or emotional styles of
    persuasion.

**[Lesson 4: Understanding Different Communication Styles]{.underline}**

**Exercise 4.2: Communication Style Worksheet**

The purpose of this worksheet is to identify areas of differences in the
ways people communicate. These unknown or invisible differences can make
it difficult to trust and respect each other if people don't understand
that some might be cultural differences rather than simply differences
in individual personality. By identifying your own style, you can "see"
differences that may have been hidden between yourself and someone with
another cultural background.

1\. What is your communication style? Check the boxes to describe your
own communication style when working with someone in a work setting.
(Look back at Handout 4.1 if you need to remind yourself what each of
the communication styles is referring to.)

Your Communication Style at Work (or School)

  ------------------------- ------------- ------------ ------------ ------- -------------
  **Communication Style**   **Almost      **Little**   **Medium**   **A     **Almost
                            Never**                                 Lot**   Always**

  Animation/Emotion                                                         

  Eye Contact                                                               

  Gestures                                                                  

  Turn Taking and Pause                                                     
  Time                                                                      

  Space                                                                     

  Time                                                                      

  Touch                                                                     

  Voice                                                                     

  Directness/Indirectness                                                   
  ------------------------- ------------- ------------ ------------ ------- -------------

2\. Now think about your communication style at home. Check the boxes to
summarize your own communication style at home.

Your Communication Style at Home

  ------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------- -------------
  **Communication Style**   **Almost     **Little**   **Medium**   **A     **Almost
                            Never**                                Lot**   Always**

  Animation/Emotion                                                        

  Eye Contact                                                              

  Gestures                                                                 

  Turn Taking and Pause                                                    
  Time                                                                     

  Space                                                                    

  Time                                                                     

  Touch                                                                    

  Voice                                                                    

  Directness/Indirectness                                                  
  ------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------- -------------

3\. Now compare your answers with those of a fellow student. How
different are your answers from each other's? Which of you has more
difference between your work and home answers? How different is your
style from other members of your family? How are your two families
different from each other?

Being Away from Home: Adjusting to Residential Life

**Purpose**: To identify and address situations that students encounter
in residential life that may be affected by cultural differences.

**Objectives of the Lesson**:

1.  Identify ways in which students from different cultural backgrounds
    may face special issues in adjusting to residential life (e.g.,
    sharing rooms, family relationships, homesickness).

2.  Facilitate dialogue among students of different backgrounds sharing
    living quarters.

3.  Provide students of all cultural backgrounds with strategies/tools
    to help them adjust to Job Corps residential life.

**Student Competencies:**

1.  Demonstrates multicultural awareness \-- is aware that cultural
    differences exist and may affect how different people think and
    behave on center and in the workplace.

2.  Positively interacts with people of different cultural backgrounds.

3.  Demonstrates the ability to address issues that may arise in a
    multicultural environment on center and in the workplace.

**Exercise 5.1: Developing Mutual Understanding**  25 minutes

###### Exercise 5.1: Developing Mutual Understanding

> **Purpose:** The purpose of this exercise is to help students
> understand the variation in ways that different students feel about
> being away from home and adjust to residential living, and increase
> awareness of how these differences may affect the ways that students
> get along with each other.
>
> **Activity**: Students are divided into small groups (3-4 per group)
> to compare notes on their background and experiences as a resident.
> Each the group goes through a set of sentence starts and completes
> each sentence based on each member's own experiences, and discusses
> how similar or different their responses. This is followed by a large
> group discussion of the results.
>
> **Instructions to students**: *Talk with people in your group by
> completing the sentences in the Handout. Note how similar and
> different your responses are.*

**Instructor Guidance**: This activity should take place in a large
enough room that the small groups will not be distracted by each other.
Give the small groups about 15 minutes to go through the sentence starts
to see how similar and different their responses are from each other.
Then back in the large group, ask for students to share overall
reactions to the exercise. Also ask:

-   Were there major differences in how students finished the sentences?

-   Which ones did students tend to finish differently?

-   Which ones did students tend to finish the same way?

Encourage students to take the time to share their reactions to some of
the sentence leads with their own roommates. This process will help them
understand each other more fully and pinpoint potential areas for
negotiation and compromise

**Exercise 5.2**: **Dealing with Homesickness**  20 minutes

> **Exercise 5.2: Dealing with Homesickness**
>
> **Purpose:** The purpose of this exercise is for students to share
> their experiences with homesickness, develop an understanding of how
> this is something that other students also experience, although they
> may experience it differently, and to begin to share ideas in how to
> address it.
>
> **Activity**: Have participants sit in a circle---arrange desks and
> chairs accordingly---and, with the instructor serving as facilitator,
> have participants discuss their personal experiences with
> homesickness, using the following conversation starters. (If a
> participant has not had to deal with homesickness, ask him or her to
> tell of a second-hand experience---perhaps a friend or family member
> has experience homesickness. Also, ask the participant for ideas about
> why they did not experience homesickness.)
>
> **Instructions to students:** *Share a little about how you feel about
> being away from home with your fellow students. What do you miss about
> being at home? If you don't find that you miss home very much, think
> about why that is. How you cope with homesickness? What ideas do you
> have about things you might try to help you cope wit homesickness?*

**Instructor Discussion Guidance:**

Reassure students that it is very natural to feel homesick and not
something they should feel shy or embarrassed about. If you have trouble
getting discussion started, consider sharing a time when you felt
homesick, how it felt and how you dealt with it.

Encourage students to talk about ways to cope with homesickness. If they
don't have many ideas to share about how they currently cope, encourage
them to think of things to try, or just brainstorm ideas.

Following the discussion, pass out copies of Handout for Exercise 15.2:
"10 Ways to Deal with Homesickness," and suggest that participants post
this list somewhere visible in their dorm rooms.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor**:

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 5.1: "Developing Mutual
    Understanding"

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 5.2: "10 Ways to Deal with
    Homesickness."

**Lesson 5**

**Being Away from Home:**

**Adjusting to Residential Life**

**Student Handouts**

**[Lesson 5: Being Away from Home: Adjusting to Residential
Life]{.underline}**

**Exercise 5.1: Developing Mutual Understanding**

#### 

Instructions: Talk with people in your group by completing the sentences
in the Handout. Note how similar and different your responses are.

#### Developing Mutual Understanding

##### The cultural community environment I come from is...

*What I miss most and least about home is...*

*I came to Job Corps because...*

*I am worried about...*

*I need about \_\_\_\_\_ hours of sleep each night.*

*My typical approach to studying is...*

*Some things I feel strongly about are\...*

*My parents and friends describe me as...*

*What I do when I'm restless is\... happy is\... sad is\... bored is\...
tired is\... sick is\... stressed is\... angry is\...*

*What I want others to do when I'm (each of the above) is\....*

*Something that is likely to annoy me is\...*

> Adapted from Strategies for Avoiding and Resolving Roommate Conflicts
> at
> [http://www.residentassistant.com/advice/roommate1.htm](http://www.residentassistant.com/)
> (Permission requested)

**[Lesson 5: Being Away from Home: Adjusting to Residential
Life]{.underline}**

**Exercise 5.2: 10 Ways to Deal with Homesickness**

Homesickness, it\'s universal. Psychologists call it \"separation
anxiety\" and few people are [immune]{.mark}. Here are a few tips to
help you through it now or in the future.

####### 10 Ways to Deal with Homesickness

1.  Admit that you have it. Much of what you know and can rely on is
    back home. Homesickness is a natural response to this sense of loss.

2.  Talk about it with an older sibling or friend who has gone away from
    home. It takes strength to accept the fact that something is
    bothering you and to confront it.

3.  Bring familiar items from home to your new location. Photos, plants,
    even stuffed animals help to give one a sense of continuity and ease
    the shock of a new environment.

4.  Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. Walk around. You
    will feel more in control if you know where buildings, classes, and
    services are.

5.  Invite people along to explore. Making friends helps overcome
    homesickness.

6.  Keep in touch with the people back home. Write them reports of your
    activities and new experiences. Let them know you\'d like to hear
    from them, too.

7.  Plan your trips home carefully. This helps keep you focused on your
    goals in staying at the center.

8.  Examine your expectations. Setting a goal of perfection is the most
    predictable way of creating trouble for yourself. Laugh at your
    mistakes. You\'re learning.

9.  Seek new opportunities. As scary as it is to see all those people,
    all those classes, all those buildings, all those choices, they will
    provide opportunities to meet new people who like what you like.

10. Do something. Don\'t wait for it to go away by itself. Buried
    problems often emerge later disguised as headaches, fatigue,
    illness, or lack of motivation.

> Adapted with permission from University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire
> Counseling Services,
> [http://www.uwec.edu/counsel/pubs/homesick.htm](http://www.uwec.edu/counsel/)

Being Away from Home: Strategies for Residential Life

**Purpose**: To identify and address situations that students encounter
in residential life that may be affected by cultural differences.

**Objectives of the Lesson**:

1.  Increase students' understanding of how cultural differences may
    affect one\'s adjustment to residential life.

2.  Facilitate dialogue among students of different backgrounds sharing
    living quarters.

3.  Provide students of all cultural backgrounds with strategies/tools
    to help them adjust to Job Corps residential life.

**Student Competencies:**

1.  **Demonstrates multicultural awareness \-- is aware that cultural
    differences exist and may affect how different people think and
    behave on center and in the workplace.**

2.  **Positively interacts with people of different cultural
    backgrounds.**

3.  **Demonstrates the ability to address issues that may arise in a
    multicultural environment on center and in the workplace.**

**Exercise 6.1: Tips for Managing Conflicts**  10 minutes

###### 

###### Exercise 6.1: Tips for Managing Conflict

> **Purpose**: The purpose of this exercise is to give students some
> ideas about how to manage conflict that can serve as a foundation for
> managing conflicts that relate to multicultural diversity issues.
>
> ***Activity***: Classroom discussion of ideas presented in the
> Handout, "Tips for Managing Conflict."
>
> **Instructions to students:** *We are going to read over these tips
> for managing conflict. If you have questions, let me know and we'll
> discuss them.*

**Instructor Guidance:**

Go over the handout quickly, reading and asking for questions, or taking
turns having students read and comment on each.

**Exercise 6.2: Dealing with Roommate Conflicts**  30-40 minutes
(depending on number of groups)

> **Exercise 6.2: Dealing with Roommate Conflicts**
>
> ***Purpose***: The purpose of this exercise is to teach the first
> level of conflict management skills that participants can build on in
> later lessons. Through role-playing they have the opportunity to try
> out some strategies for avoiding and resolving roommate conflicts.
>
> **Activity**: Students divide into small groups based on their living
> quarters (3-4 participants per group). Each group is given a different
> scenario and discusses different ways to handle this potential
> conflict. Each group will "script out" its scenario to perform in
> front of the larger group at the end of the session.
>
> **Instructions to students:** *I am going to place you in groups. In
> your group, you will work together to write a script between
> roommates. Think of a situation that might cause a conflict, for
> example, how you room is decorated, how loud to play a CD, how long to
> use the shower, etc. Think about some strategies for avoiding and
> resolving these conflicts. Write down some of these ideas and practice
> acting them out.*

**Instructor Guidance**:

This activity should take place in a large enough room where groups will
not be distracted by each other. Give each group a card or slip of paper
with one of the scenarios, not letting them see what is assigned to
other groups.

Have the participants act out the scenarios for the full class. (If more
than one group was assigned to each scenario, it may be appropriate to
choose just one group to act out each.) Discuss other versions of how
the scenario could play out.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor**:

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise Handout 6.1: Tips for Managing
    Conflict

-   Cards or small slips of paper for each group of 3-4 students, each
    with one of the Roommate Conflict Scenarios.

**Lesson 6**

**Being Away from Home:**

**Strategies for Residential Life**

**Student Handouts**

**[Lesson 6: Being Away from Home: Strategies for Residential
Life]{.underline}**

**Exercise 6.1: Tips for Managing Conflict**

#### Tips for Managing Conflict

> [Talk straight and level with each other]{.underline}. Example: "When
> you do X in situation Y, I feel Z." Be honest about your needs,
> thoughts, and feelings. Try to avoid statements that begin with "You
> make me feel/do..."
>
> [Validate other's positions]{.underline}. Try to understand others'
> points of view even when they differ from you own. Example: "I can
> understand how you might feel that way. Your reaction makes sense."
>
> [Negotiate]{.underline}. Attack problems, not each other. Come to an
> agreement on what the conflict is and on what a solution may be. Make
> a plan of action. Set a future date to evaluate the situation.
>
> [Use "I" statements to own and express your thoughts and
> feelings]{.underline}. Example: "I feel left out" sounds very
> different from "You never spend any time with me."
>
> [State issues positively]{.underline}. Instead of detailing why you
> can't do what someone asks of you, state what you're willing to do.
> Example: "No, I can't clean up the kitchen right now, but I will do it
> by noon tomorrow."
>
> [Don't Spread it.]{.underline} Try not to involve your neighbors or
> mutual friends in your conflict. This can aggravate the conflict and
> complicate the situation.
>
> Adapted from Strategies for Avoiding and Resolving Roommate Conflicts
> at <http://www.residentassistant.com/> (Permission requested)

**Lesson 6**

**Being Away from Home:**

**Strategies for Residential Life**

**Instructor Materials**

**[Lesson 6: Being Away from Home: Strategies for Residential
Life]{.underline}**

**Exercise 6.2: Roommate Conflict Scenarios**

###### Instructions: Write each down or on a separate card or slip of paper. Give one to each small group, without letting the groups see what the other scenarios are.

###### Roommate Conflict Scenarios

***Scenario 1***: Your roommate is decorating their side of the room
with religious stuff that you are unaccustomed to and uncomfortable
with.

***Scenario 2***: You are trying to study for an exam the next morning
but find it impossible because your roommate is blasting "the music
those people like."

***Scenario 3***: It makes you uncomfortable that your roommate only
hangs out with participants that are of the same race as he/she is.

***Scenario 4***: Your roommate made a comment about your religion
during a discussion that really made your blood boil.

**On the Job in the**

**Multicultural Workplace**

**Purpose**: To help students succeed in today's multicultural workplace
when they leave Job Corps.

**Objectives for this lesson**:

1.  Improve students\' skills in working with people from diverse
    backgrounds.

2.  Improve students\' workplace communication skills.

Student Competencies:

1.  Demonstrates multicultural awareness \-- is aware that cultural
    differences exist and may affect how different people think and
    behave in the workplace.

2.  Positively interacts with people of different cultural backgrounds.

3.  Demonstrates the ability to address issues that may arise in a
    multicultural environment on center and in the workplace.

4.  Understands cultural differences in communication styles and the
    impact of word choice on intercultural communication.

**Exercise 7.1: On the Job**  40 minutes

We're going to do some more role-playing now, with different situations
and challenges that may arise on the job in a multicultural workplace.
We'll practice talking to the different kinds of people we may encounter
at work, including a potential employer, in a job interview.

> **Exercise 7.1: On the Job**
>
> **Purpose**: The purpose of this exercise is to help the students
> practice interacting with an employer, supervisor, or peer in the
> workplace.
>
> **Activity**: Students will get into pairs. They will be given a
> handout with a scenario for the students to role-play. They will be
> given 15 minutes to work together. Then the instructor will have the
> pairs demonstrate the situation for the class. After several
> presentations, there will be some discussion about the scenario.
>
> **Instruction to students**: *Get into pairs; one group may have 3
> students. I will pass out to you a scenario for you to discuss
> together and then role-play. You will have 15 minutes to prepare. At
> the end of that time I will ask for volunteers to present your work to
> the class. We will discuss other possible solutions for these
> situations.*
>
> *(continued)*
>
> **Scenario 1: The Job Interview**
>
> Person A is interviewing person B for a job at X (a restaurant, an
> office, a manufacturing plant, etc.). Person A will ask about the
> skills Person B has and Person B's past experience. Person B has never
> had a job before OR does not speak English well. Create a short
> dialogue so that Person B is able to communicate all their skills
> (including the type of environment and training Job Corps provides)
> and their desire to work hard, and learn anything new needed for the
> job.
>
> **Scenario 2: Talking to Your Supervisor**
>
> Person A is the Supervisor of Person B. Person B just received their
> first paycheck and doesn't understand why the check is a lot less than
> their hourly wage. Person B has never had a job before and Person A
> has worked at the company for 10 years and has a slight accent. Create
> a short dialogue about the situation when Person B talks to Person A
> about the deductions on their paycheck. How can the questions be
> answered? Practice using your cultural sensitivity skills.
>
> **Scenario 3: Talking to a Co-Worker (this scenario may be done with 3
> people)**
>
> Person A has been with the company for several years. Person B started
> at the company a few weeks ago. Person A moved to the US as a teenager
> and Person B moved to the US two years ago. It's Monday morning.
> Create a dialogue between the two people who are engaged in small
> talk. Keep in mind that due to their culture, they may or may not
> share much of their personal life. How would you try to get to know
> your co-workers when you are at your new job?
>
> If 3 people are in the group, then Person C has been with the company
> for 5 years and has lived in this town all their life.
>
> Students will share their role-playing results.
>
> *Now that you've had your 15 minutes, which pair wants to start first?
> One person from the group will tell the title of their scenario, and
> then you can begin.*

**Instructor Guidance**: After several of the role-plays have been
presented (at least 1 of each of the 3 scenarios), ask students for
suggestions on other ways to respond in the situation, at the job
interview, talking to the supervisor, and talking to a co-worker. If
students are having trouble making suggestions for the job interview
scenario, then ask students to use their Job Corps experience to
highlight the people skills they have, as well as the vocational
training they receive. What opportunities do they have to work together
in teams with people from diverse backgrounds?

If students are having trouble making suggestions for the supervisor
scenario, try having them rephrase questions, or else think of how to
ask for assistance from another employee, like someone in the accounting
department or human resources.

With the co-worker scenario, you can remind students that small talk can
be a variety of things, from the weather to activities over the weekend.
If a person is private about their time away from work, then
conversation can be about the work they may have in common or how things
are going since they joined the company. If they mention some activity
or aspect of their life that you're not familiar with, it's a good time
to learn something new or share a part of your culture. Different is not
bad; it's just different.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor**:

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 7.1: On the Job

**Lesson 7**

**On the Job in the Multicultural Workplace**

**Student Handouts**

**[Lesson 7: On the Job in the Multicultural Workplace]{.underline}**

**Exercise 7.1: On the Job**

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--Cut
along this
line\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

### Scenario 1: The Job Interview

Person A is interviewing person B for a job at X (a restaurant, an
office, a manufacturing plant, etc.). Person A will ask about the skills
Person B has and Person B's past experience. Person B has never had a
job before OR does not speak English well.

Create a short dialogue so that Person B is able to communicate all
their skills (including the type of environment and training Job Corps
provides) and their desire to work hard, and learn anything new needed
for the job.

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--Cut
along this
line\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

### Scenario 2: Talking to Your Supervisor

Person A is the Supervisor of Person B. Person B just received their
first paycheck and doesn't understand why the check is a lot less than
their hourly wage. Person B has never had a job before and Person A has
worked at the company for 10 years and has a slight accent.

Create a short dialogue about the situation when Person B talks to
Person A about the deductions on their paycheck. How can the questions
be answered? Practice using your cultural sensitivity skills.

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--Cut
along this
line\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

**Scenario 3: Talking to a Co-Worker** (this scenario may be done with 3
people)

Person A has been with the company for several years. Person B started
at the company a few weeks ago. Person A moved to the US as a teenager
and Person B moved to the US two years ago. It's Monday morning.

If 3 people are in the group, then Person C has been with the company
for 5 years and has lived in this town all their life.

Create a dialogue between the two people who are engaged in small talk.
Keep in mind that due to their culture, they may or may not share much
of their personal life. How would you try to get to know your co-workers
when you are at your new job?

**Getting Involved in**

**Increasing Cultural**

**Awareness on Center**

**Purpose**: To identify ways that students can use what they have
learned to proactively contribute to helping make the Job Corps center a
positive multicultural environment.

**Objectives for this lesson**:

1.  Introduce students to different ideas about ways to increase
    tolerance.

2.  Encourage taking responsibility for one's own actions.

3.  Enlist students\' help in increasing cultural awareness and
    tolerance on center.

The instructor will introduce the lesson.

We have been learning tools for working with each other at Job Corps and
in the workplace. One unique aspect of life at Job Corps is that there
are both residential and vocational components with a lot of diversity
in students and staff. This is a very good place for you to practice
your diversity "people" skills in a social, as well as work setting, and
that means that you can have a direct impact on life here.

# Exercise 8.1: 101 Tools for Tolerance  20 minutes

In the following exercise, you will get to decide what cultural
awareness activities you want to try. Then as a group, you'll talk about
what types of activities you have in common for using those tools.

## Exercise 8: 101 Tools for Tolerance

> **Purpose**: To expose students to lots of ideas about ways to
> increase tolerance, and to encourage taking responsibility for one's
> own actions.
>
> **Activity**: The instructor will divide the class into groups of 3 or
> 4. Groups of 3 are ideal. Pass out the handout copies of [101 Tools
> for Tolerance]{.underline} (available in English and Spanish) to all
> the students. All the while, the instructor is going from group to
> group, and answering questions or engaging students in the task at
> hand.
>
> *(continued)*
>
> [Step 1]{.underline}- In their groups, for 5 minutes students
> individually review 101 Tools for Tolerance "Ideas for Yourself" list,
> choose 3 things from that list that they are willing to do change in
> the way they relate to others, and write them down. Then for 5 minutes
> students share the 3 things they chose, looking to see how many they
> had in common and how many were different. Which things on the "self"
> list seem difficult? Why?
>
> [Step 2]{.underline}- For 5 minutes, each student chooses 3 things
> from the "Ideas for Your School" list and writes them down. Students
> then spend 5 minutes sharing with the rest of the team to see how many
> they have in common and how many are different. The group works to
> reach consensus on at least three things they are willing to commit to
> doing.
>
> [Step 3]{.underline}- The instructor asks different groups to state
> the 3 ideas they chose together and to tell the class why they chose
> the ones they did.
>
> **Instructions to students**: *I'm passing out a handout to all of
> you. Get into groups of 3 or 4 people, based on the people closest to
> you.*
>
> *[Step 1]{.underline}- In your group, spend 5 minutes individually
> looking over the "Ideas for Yourself" list. Choose 3 things from that
> list that you are willing to do/change in the way you relate to
> others, and write them down. Then spend 5 minutes sharing the 3 things
> you chose, looking to see how many everyone in the group has in common
> and how many were different. Which things on the ""yourself" list seem
> difficult? Why?*
>
> *[Step 2]{.underline}- For 5 minutes, each person individually chooses
> 3 ideas from the "Ideas for Your School" list and writes them down.
> Then spend 5 minutes sharing with the rest of the group to see how
> many they have in common and how many are different. The group works
> to reach consensus on at least three things they are willing to commit
> to doing.*
>
> Instructor picks a group.
>
> *[Step 3]{.underline}- State the 3 ideas you all chose and then tell
> us why you picked them.*

**Instructor Guidance**: In Steps 1 and 2, students have the opportunity
to discuss what's on their mind in small groups. The instructor should
walk from group to group to be available to answer questions. Questions
may come up about the ideas presented in the lists. The exercise should
help students talk about their own ideas, and therefore, they do not
need to understand every item in the list.

Note that 101 Tools for Tolerance is available in both English and
Spanish. If some of the students would like to have the Spanish version,
encourage them to take the English version as well. If some of the
native English speakers are learning or are interested in learning
Spanish, encourage them to take a Spanish version as well as English.

In Step 3, once a group has presented their 3 ideas for cultural
awareness at Job Corps, asked them how they decided together that these
were ideas they could practice here. Here are some questions you can ask
the group and the rest of the class:

-   Are some of the ideas, things they had wished were practiced or that
    they had thought of before?

-   Had any of the students tried to do one of these activities before?

-   What were the challenges and the successes?

# Exercise 8.2: Develop an Action Plan  25 minutes

Remain in your groups. Just as you plan a date with the person you like,
or a holiday or birthday party for a relative, so should you plan for
other activities in life. Now that you have chosen 3 activities as a
group that you think you could commit to doing to promote cultural
awareness, we will work in your small groups creating a plan of action
to make the idea possible.

## Exercise 8.2: Develop an Action Plan

> **Purpose**: To have students list the steps they needed to complete
> an activity by writing down a plan of action.
>
> **Activity**: The instructor passes out the Action Plan handout, one
> copy per student. S/he explains the steps involved in developing an
> action plan to the whole group. Then individual groups develop an
> action plan for at least one of the three ideas from the "Ideas for
> School" activities they chose. The plan will include steps,
> responsibility assignments, timeline, potential challenges and
> solutions, and follow-up. Then the instructor will ask 2 groups to
> present their activity, their steps, and the challenges and solutions
> they foresee.
>
> **Instructions to students**: *I'm passing out a handout to all of
> you. As a group, pick one activity from the 3 you have chosen from the
> "Ideas for School" list to make an action plan. You will use the
> worksheet to identify the action steps your group can take for your
> cultural awareness activity. The different parts of an action plan
> include;*
>
> *- What specific change will occur (this is the activity from the
> "Ideas for School" list that your group decides to work on)*
>
> *- Who will carry it out (there may be several steps with tasks that
> need to be completed)*
>
> *- When the plan will be completed (give yourselves time to get steps
> done)*
>
> *- Resources (list things like money, time, help from specific people)
> needed*
>
> *- Who should know what about this (a group on-Center; a specific
> instructor)*
>
> *Below the chart, note the challenges and solutions you encounter in
> planning this out.*
>
> *You have 15 minutes to work together on this.*

**Instructor Guidance:** After the students have worked on their action
plan for 15 minutes, the instructor will ask 2 groups to present their
activity, their steps, and the challenges and solutions they foresee.
Play particular attention to the challenges and solutions that they have
come up against. This is a good opportunity to ask other people in the
class for solutions and to share ideas. Ask the class, "Does anyone have
other suggestions for solutions to this challenge in the activity?' Note
the suggestions on the board for all to see. Spend 5 minutes on the
first group and their activity and five minutes on the second group and
activity.

**Materials/teaching tools needed by the instructor:**

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 8.1: 101 Tools for Tolerance (English
    and Spanish); 11 pages long, can be printed directly from
    tolerance.org website:
    [www.tolerance.org/101_tools/](http://www.tolerance.org/101_tools/);
    enough copies for all the students.

-   Copies of Handout for Exercise 8.2: Develop an Action Plan

**Lesson 8**

**Getting Involved in Increasing Cultural**

**Awareness on Center**

**Student Handouts**

[Lesson 8: Getting Involved in Increasing Cultural Awareness on
Center]{.underline}

# Exercise 8.1: 101 Tools for Tolerance 

Print out English and Spanish versions directly from website:
[www.tolerance.org/101_tools/](http://www.tolerance.org/101_tools/)

If these Website materials are used, note that they are used with
permission from Teaching Tolerance, a program of the Southern Poverty
Law Center.

[Lesson 8: Getting Involved in Increasing Cultural Awareness on
Center]{.underline}

**Exercise 8.2: Develop an Action Plan**

Use the worksheet below to identify the action steps your group can take
for your cultural awareness activity. Keep in mind:

-   What specific change will occur (this will be the activity from the
    "Ideas for School" list that your group chose)

-   Who will carry it out (there may be several steps with tasks that
    need to be completed)

-   When the plan will be completed (give yourself time to get steps
    done)

-   Resources (money, time, help from specific people) needed

-   Who should know what about this (a group on-Center; a specific
    instructor)

**Components of an Action Plan:**

Specific change to be taken:
[\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

Students to carry it out:
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

  ------------------------ ---------------- -------------- ----------- --------- --------------
  **Target completion      **Who is         **When should  **What      **Who     **Status
  date\_\_\_\_\_\_**       responsible?**   it be          resources   should    (check when
                                            completed?**   do we       know      completed)**
                                                           need?**     about     
                                                                       this?**   

  Step 1:                                                                        

  Step 2:                                                                        

  Step 3:                                                                        

  Step 4:                                                                        

  Step 5:                                                                        
  ------------------------ ---------------- -------------- ----------- --------- --------------

Possible challenges:

Possible solutions: