With a specific focus on India, this workshop will provide teachers with tools and information to strengthen global awareness and multicultural education for students at the lower grade levels (K-6). Presentations will help teachers learn more about India, while also providing them with classroom-ready lessons and materials that are tailored to save time in searching for educational content on India appropriate for younger students. Throughout the day, we will cover a range of topics on India, including highlights of geography, culture and history; celebrations, holidays and festivals; and children's folktales and literature. Presenters will guide participants through hands-on activities and carefully vetted materials (books, artifacts, films, lesson plans) to use with younger students. The workshop will address Texas and national social studies standards that cover the importance of culture, cultural heritage, and family and national traditions. In doing so, the workshop will provide educators with ways to guide young students toward deeper understandings of similarities and differences among people. Multi-culturally literate students value diversity, understand the perspectives of other cultural groups, and are sensitive to issues of bias, prejudice, and stereotyping. Engaging global content will enable young learners to generalize from the study India and apply that learning in all aspects of their lives. Further, multicultural programming will validate the experience of all students in culturally diverse classrooms.
Space is limited to 20 participants with priority to K-6 educators. Please let the South Asia Institute know your school and the grade level you teach. If you teach at the high school level, SAI will put you on a numbered wait-list and will include you if the workshop doesn't fill by mid-September. (Please note that the age level for the workshop pieces are geared to elementary level students)
Attendance is free of charge to all teachers, but pre-registration is required.
Attendees will receive:
Professional Development Hours (CPE)
Teacher materials (books, lesson plans, and artifacts for a classroom India-activity box)
Continental Breakfast, Lunch and other refreshments
To register and for more information on the workshop please contact:
Senior Program Coordinator, South Asia Institute