We must teach people how to operate in a world that is diverse and pluralistic. Schooling is not effective if it doesn’t have a multicultural component. This is true now and will be even more so in the future. By 2000 AD, 1 in 3 will be minorities. 80% of the labor force will be women and minorities. By 2010 AD, 1 in 2 will be minorities. Click here for a lesson on respect complete with a script: Triangles are not Bad!
Middle schoolers love to perform. A great way to get them thinking about a topic such as respect, responsibility, or even the pillars of character is to have them create their own skits. I’ve had success in having students create two versions of a skit. For example, one skit would show respect, while the other showed disrespect in the same scenario. Students brainstorm, type scripts, create props, and act out their skits. This is also a great way to connect with younger students. Middle schoolers love to perform for little kids. Have fun with it! You could even do the skit of the month!