Resource 1

NATE
Community cohesion and the prevention of violent extremism
A resource for teachers to use in the classroom


Resource title
Cultural diversity
Source: See attached example PowerPoint slides.
Outline
For this resource, teachers design a lesson appropriate to their individual school and age range asking their students to develop a short presentation about their identity using four PowerPoint slides and commentary. Each slide can have a heading in the appropriate language, suitable to a Primary or Secondary setting.

Students can present as individuals or in groups, based on the teacher's judgement. Children and young people can prepare for the exercise by bringing in a range of existing images from home and their community, and the teacher can also provide images from the web and from hard copy texts.

Students will discuss these in groups, guided by the teacher depending on age and ability. The teacher can also present their own PowerPoint either as a model at the opening of this sequence of work or as part of the final set of presentations. Eventually the slides will form a class collage, either stored on the VLR or as a class exhibition.

The slides could be made up of:
  • existing personal and family images and photos of people
  • new images produce by students for the presentation
  • images of places and events
  • images taken from the media, local and national
The example PowerPoint slides provided are of stereotypical images of Scotland. Students can be asked to review each one and discuss what its meaning may be and why it is so 'Scottish'. They can be asked to consider whether such images reflect what life is really like in Scotland, especially for young people. How could a commentary be added that made this an advertisement for Scotland? How could a different commentary show that these are only stereotypes? How might the class create a PowerPoint that really demonstrates real life and also shows the culture of that life?

The benefit of this resource is that Microsoft PowerPoint is accessible in all schools and its students' own images, photos, ideas and experiences that are used as stimulus for raising awareness about stereotypes and facilitating discussions about identity, culture and ethnicity.
Links across other subjects within resource
PSHE education, Art & Design, Citizenship, ICT and can also be used for Geographical and Historical contexts.
Additional support
Teachit http://www.teachit.co.uk/

Citizenship websites:

Centre for Global Education: