Diversity Activities For Youth and Adults
Diversity Activities For Youth and Adults
Diversity Activities For Youth and Adults
Activities for
Youth and Adults
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Connect the Dots
Procedure: Discussion:
Goal:
Begin the activity by telling participants Why is it that most of us did not think
Participants will experience the that youd like to challenge their of going outside the boundaries to solve
fact that we often unconsciously thinking. Pass out copies of the the problem?
limit our perspectives and Connect the Dots handout and
alternatives. pencils. Ask participants to try to To solve the problem, we had to get
complete the puzzle following the outside of our usual way of thinking
Time:
directions on the handout. Ask partici- outside of the box we put ourselves in.
1530 minutes, depending on pants who already know the solution or We had to literally draw outside the
discussion. figure out the solution before time is lines. This is what is required of us
called to please turn their paper over when we interact with people who are
Materials: and allow the others to figure out the different from us. We have to look at
Copies of the Connect the Dots solution themselves. Give participants other ways of thinking about
handout, a pencil with an eraser three to five minutes to work on the thinking.
for each participant, an overhead problem.
projector, and a marker. Drawing outside the lines is very
At the end of that time, have partici- difficult because we are so used to our
pants put down their pencils. Ask if own way of thinking and our own point
anyone has found the solution. If so, ask of view that it is hard to see other points
that person to come to the overhead of view. To successfully interact with
Solution projector and demonstrate the solution people from different backgrounds and
for the group. If no one has found the different cultures, we must learn to look
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solution, draw the correct solution for at the world from many points of view.
v
the group.
v
2 v 1
v
3
Connect the Dots
Directions:
Connect all of the dots with four straight lines. Do not lift your pencil off the paper. Do not retrace any line. Lines may cross if
necessary.
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First Impressions
Procedure: Discussion:
Goal:
Pass out copies of The Herman Grid. Are the gray dots really there?
Participants will discover that Ask participants to share their first
their first impressions of people impression of this image. Ask if they see This is an example of how we some-
are not always true. gray dots in the white spaces. times see things that do not exist.
Sometimes this happens when we see
Time: people, too. Ask participants to think
1020 minutes, depending on about the following questions:
discussion.
Have you ever had a wrong first
Materials: impression of someone who had a
Enough copies of The Herman different background or came from
Grid for each participant. another culture?
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The Herman Grid
Instructions
Look at the squares and you will see gray dots appearing at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical white lines.
From Casse, Pierre (1981). Training for the cross-cultural mind: A handbook for cross-cultural trainers and consultants, 2nd edition.
Washington, D.C.: The Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research.
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Proverbs
Procedure: Discussion:
Goal:
In advance, print the pairs of proverbs This activity shows that although we
Participants will discover that, in on the next page on index cards so that have many differences when we
many ways, people from different each proverb appears on a separate card. compare ourselves to other kinds of
backgrounds and cultures hold people, we also have many similarities.
similar values and beliefs. Count the number of participants in We may have different ways of talking
the group and select enough cards to and different behavior patterns, but
Time: equal the number of participants. If many of our most basic needs and
1520 minutes. there is an uneven number of partici- interests are similar.
pants, the leader must participate in this
Materials: activity. Make sure that the cards are
A set of paired Proverb Cards. selected in matching pairs (one card
with a proverb from the United States
and one card with a similar proverb
from another country).
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Proverbs
He makes a wine cellar from one My house burned down, but it was a A sparrow in the hand is better than a
raisin. (Lebanon) relief the bedbugs died. (Korea) cock on the roof. (Russia)
He makes a mountain out of a mole- Every cloud has a silver lining. (United One bird in the hand is better than
hill. (United States) States) two in the bush. (United States)
Even a tiger will appear if you talk He who is not in sight, is not in the Where something is thin, thats where
about him. (Korea) heart. (Tanzania) it tears. (Russia)
Speak of the devil and he will appear. Out of sight, out of mind. (United A chain is only as strong as its weakest
(United States) States) link. (United States)
God is a good worker, but he loves to Two captains sink the ship. (Japan) Not everyone who has a cowl on is a
be helped. (Spain) Too many cooks spoil the soup. monk. (Russia)
God helps those who help themselves. (United States) Dont judge a book by its cover.
(United States) (United States)
By trying often, the monkey learns to
You can force a man to shut his eyes, jump from the tree. (Zaire) As you cooked the porridge, so must
but you cant make him sleep. Practice makes perfect (or, if at first you eat it. (Russia)
(Denmark) you dont succeed, try, try again). As you sow, so shall you reap. (United
You can lead a horse to water, but you (United States) States)
cant make him drink. (United States)
A person that arrives early to the Every seed knows its time. (Russia)
A little in your own pocket is better spring never gets dirty drinking water. All in good time. (United States)
than much in anothers purse. (Spain) (Zaire)
One bird in the hand is better than The early bird gets the worm. (United
two in the bush. (United States) States)
If you climb up a tree, you must climb I will not cry over a mishap and injure
down that same tree. (Ghana) my eyes. (Tanzania)
What goes up, must come down. It is no use to cry over spilt milk.
(United States) (United States)
From the rain into the gutter. Trust in God but tie your camel. (Iran)
(Germany) God helps those who help themselves.
From the frying pan into the fire. (United States)
(United States)
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Pipe Cleaner Similarities
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What Do You Know or What Have You Heard?
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Resources/References
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