Write about what addresses the degree to which cultural values and attitudes influence your beliefs and then how they influence your relationships with others. Included is an examp

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CHS252 – Social Studies in Early Childhood

Unit 8 Assignment: Cultural Study Due Date: 11:59 pm EST Wednesday of Unit 8 Points: 100 Overview: This assignment requires you to conduct research on your own family and tell your cultural story! For this assignment, you will write a paper that addresses the degree to which cultural values and attitudes influence your beliefs, your relationships with others, and teaching young children. Instructions: Focus: Your cultural heritage and how it can influence your relationships and teaching This assignment requires you to conduct research on your own family and tell your cultural story! You will then link your findings to specific ways of building relationships and teaching young children. Key Questions:

1.) “How might my personal history, background, and experiences influence my relationships with children from diverse backgrounds?”

2.) “How will this information influence my teaching practices?”

Research has shown that biases creep into our relationships and interactions with others. Many times, people do not realize that they may hold biases toward particular groups. It is through the personal reflection of one’s own life, beliefs, and customs that we might be able to acknowledge them. Usually, once we self-reflect and acknowledge our personal biases, we can manage them more appropriately. For this assignment, please reflect on your personal family history, background, and experiences and respond to the two questions above. To begin your thinking, reference course materials. First consider the degree to which cultural values and attitudes influence your beliefs, and then how they influence your relationships with others. Using course materials and explicit details, respond to the following sections:

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Personal/Family History:

1.) Country of origin: How many generations have been in the United States?

2.) Arrival in the United States? How, why, when, language(s) spoken, where settled, why there?

3.) Research the origin of your name(s)

4.) Describe a family treasure that represents your family’s cultural or ethnic heritage. Why do you keep this treasure?

Relationships with Others: Think and write about your experiences growing up and relationships with community neighbors, school teachers, friends, and others. Venn Diagram: As part of your relationship with others, choose a friend who is from another culture and complete a Venn diagram comparing the two of you. Compare five or more traits. Personal Beliefs: How might your personal history, background, and experiences influence your relationships with children and families from diverse backgrounds? Choose option a, b or c. Provide explicit details.

1.) Cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious, economic, and political differences

2.) Philosophies related to:

a. serving others

b. inclusion versus separate education

c. educational equity

3.) Analyze your relationships with people who are different:

a. Are there groups of people with whom you know you have to work to develop a relationship? Why? (e.g., stereotypes)

b. Do you have concerns about potentially working with children or their families?

Teaching Practices: How will this information influence your teaching practices? What can you do to ensure that your work with the children and their families will be successful?

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Requirements:

• At least 3 pages double-spaced, 5-page max excluding title page and reference page.

• APA 7 formatting required.

• In-text citations.

• Use at least two resources: one resource must be from the course.

Be sure to read the criteria below by which your work will be evaluated before you write and again after you write.

Evaluation Rubric for Unit 8 Assignment

CRITERIA Outstanding Good Fair Needs Improvement

14-16 Points 13 Points 10-12 Points 0-9 Points Personal/ Family History

Responds to all prompts using explicit details.

Responds to all prompts using substantive details.

Responds to all prompts using clear details.

Responds to one or two prompts and/or details are minimal or lacking.

Relationships with Others

Demonstrates thorough reflection and provides an explicit summary.

Demonstrates thorough reflection and provides a detailed summary.

Demonstrates some reflection and provides a clear summary.

Demonstrates little to no reflection and/or provides a vague summary.

Venn Diagram Venn diagram is included and compares five or more traits.

Venn diagram is included and compares four traits.

Venn diagram is included and compares three traits or less.

No venn diagram included.

Personal Beliefs

Compares and contrasts major points and integrates common ideas, strategies, and findings.

Outlines a few key points and combines those that are similar.

Highlights key points and shows how they are similar.

Provides only a literal summary.

Teaching Practices

Appraises the usefulness of the information

Outlines the usefulness of the information

Somewhat outlines the usefulness of

Does not describe information

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and thoroughly explains how results will be used to guide the student’s classroom practices.

and generally explains how the results will be used to guide student’s classroom practice.

the information and generally explains how the results will be used to guide the student’s classroom practice.

learned and/or how the information can be used to guide the student’s classroom practice.

9-10 Points 8 Points 6-7 Points 0-5 Points Page Length At least 3

pages, no more than 5 pages.

N/A N/A Less than 3 pages, more than 5 pages.

Clear and Professional Writing and APA Format

Paper is highly polished; no grammar or spelling errors. APA compliant.

Paper is good. Maximum of one grammar or spelling error. APA formatting is mainly used.

Paper is adequate; maximum of two grammar and/or spelling errors. APA formatting is somewhat used.

Poorly written paper. Four or more grammar and/or spelling errors. APA formatting not used.

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Cultural Study Paper (My Ethnocentric Project)

C. Hernandez – Student Example

Post University

CHS252: Social Studies in the Early Childhood Education Classroom

Instructor Jon Oddo

February 2020

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Self- Reflection: Personal History

My family’s country of origin is Trinidad and Tobago located in the West Indies region of

the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago are often noticed as a “boot”

shaped close to Venezuela; we are considered the southernmost Caribbean island. We have about

five generations that have been in the United States. On my mother’s side of her family, her

father was the initiator to bring my mother and four of her eight siblings to the United States.

Later on, my mother and her siblings that arrived in United States brought their mother from

Trinidad to the United States. On my father’s side of family, since my mom arrived in the United

States first, she then brought along my father after marriage. My father was the only one from his

family to move to the United States. The majority of my father’s family resides in Trinidad and

Tobago. My mother had a child from a previous relationship before my dad; my eldest brother

who she left in Trinidad and brought along with my father as well to the United States. Everyone

migrated to the United States to have a better life to be able to provide for families left back in

Trinidad and Tobago and family they established here. Everyone wanted to have a career and

succeed with better education, finances and a better way of living. Languages spoken were

English, but my dad’s family has a Spanish/Chinese ethnicity and my mother has an Indian/Irish

ethnicity. I was taught just English but on both sides my parents can understand and speak in

Spanish, Chinese and Indian.

When everyone first migrated to the United States, they settled in Brooklyn, New York.

Brooklyn, New York is considered the steppingstone in Caribbean culture to first settle then

move to wherever after. Brooklyn, New York is very Caribbean cultured, so it felt like home

away from home for the families. The origin of our names is coming from our mixed background

as stated before, the Spanish, Chinese, Indian and Irish. Two family treasures that represent my

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family’s cultural or ethnic heritage would be gems (gold jewelry) that were passed down from

generations for keepsake in remembrance from our ancestors passed down or from death given to

members in the family.

Another treasure would be a musical instrument called the Steel Pan. This represents our

culture and is a different instrument from the norm that here in America children learn to play in

school or as a hobby. We cherish these things because it reminds us of where we come from,

those left behind and those who have died. Growing up experiences with my family are always

gathering as a big family coming together and enjoying company. We love Soca music playing,

food cooking, playing cards or dominoes and all the adults having their fun and the children

having their own fun. The neighbors who are also from other Caribbean islands would attend as

well and enjoy the festivities because they felt like they were still back in the islands. Neighbors

would always look out for one another no matter what the situation might be through good and

bad times. When it came to babysitting or needing a small favor everyone got along very well. In

school, because the majority of the children were from Caribbean background, we all could

relate in similarities and have differences as well. I would say the children who did not have a

Caribbean background always were interested and wanted to be from the Caribbean whichever

island.

Reflection: Relationships with Others

My personal beliefs about cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious, economic and political

differences is I respect others’ views regarding these criteria. Everyone is entitled to their own

opinions and visions. I will always listen to others and not judge a person on their beliefs.

Having differences and similarities, I believe that when we all share, we can always collaborate

for the better. Sharing my views and showing some light to a different way from a person’s way

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of thinking to help and encourage others I am always open to do. “Through experience,

observation, and reflection, students will identify elements of culture as well as similarities and

differences among cultural groups across time and place. They will acquire knowledge and

understanding of culture through multiple modes, including fiction and non-fiction, data analysis,

meeting and conversing with peoples of divergent backgrounds, and completing research into the

complexity of various cultural systems” (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013). Taking

a look at the United States of America, the growth and popular country that is well established is

because of the people of diverse backgrounds contributing.

We all have our differences and issues within the country, but the voices of the country always

bring change and we make difference changes within our country. I have philosophies related to

serving others, inclusion versus separate education and educational equity. Serving others in

other words helping others is born in me from a child. I benefited from others throughout my life

for always being there for me and I contribute that same generosity to others. Inclusion versus

separate education and educational equity personally based on adapting to the children’s needs.

Inclusion education is designed instruction and support for students with special supports and

service needs in regular classrooms and community schools. Separate education offers education

in a specific religious denomination or gender related. Educational equity is consisted of

achievement, fairness and opportunity in education no matter of race, religion, gender, disability

etc. To me I feel children can benefit more from educational equity because this will help

children develop the knowledge and skills they need to engage and become productive members

of society. Having this start will lead to better economic and social outcomes.

There are groups of people with whom I know I have to work to develop a relationship such as

not English-speaking groups because of the language barrier. It is harder in regard to

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communication with this groups. This world is full of diverse people who speak different

languages. The fears about potentially working with these children or their families is not being

able to understand and deliver the results they need or want. I want to be able to treat all children

equal regardless of differences. To insure that my work with these children will be successful

that getting the resources that can help me with the language barrier and getting the resources

that can help these children transition better from their norm in the classroom.

Venn Diagram

In my Venn Diagram, I chose a friend who is American culture and compared to my

Trinidadian culture. The similarities that we have are that education is important to us, we enjoy

sports such as soccer, basketball and track and field, both of our culture racial status is something

that is happening in both our countries and how we were brought up. Hierarchy is also something

Food

Music

Language

History

Morals

Education

Sports

Racial Stat

Hierarchy

Religion

Food

Music

Language

History

Morals

Trinidadian American

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that stands out between the two, and we both believe in God or religion is a big thing in both of

our countries. The differences include foods, music, languages, history and morals; they are

completely different between the two of us. The types of food we eat, different genres of music,

the language accent different and variety of different languages. Our history is different and

morals in Caribbean culture that is important to us in regard to my friend it is not so much

important.

Personal Beliefs

“How might my personal history, background and experiences influence my relationships with

children from diverse backgrounds?” My personal history, background and experiences can

influence my relationships with children from diverse background. By showing how much

diversity exists in my Trinidadian country I can show that everyone collaborates and contributes

to our country and in our own family lifestyles. Sharing my experiences that can be similar and

different to the children can give them knowledge and interest to work well with other regardless

of different criteria. We all may look different, but we all have similarities. Children will want to

learn about other cultures and enjoy collaboration.

Teaching Practices: Children from Diverse Backgrounds

How will this information influence my teaching practices? This information from my research

will influence my teaching practices by not secluding children based on cultural differences. Be

open to and not show bias to children and families that are not from my own personal

experiences. I will be sure to accommodate teaching practices to all children to help them be

productive citizens to society.

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References

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: Chapter 2-The Themes of Social Studies.

(2013, August 1). Retrieved from https://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands

Watts, D., Robinson, A. N. R., & Brereton, B. M. (2020, March 1). Trinidad and Tobago.

Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Trinidad-and-Tobago

.