CAREER PREPAREDNESS
UNIT TOPIC: ACADEMIC PLANNING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT LESSON PLAN #: 1/1
Title of Lesson:Diversity in the Workplace / Total Time on Task: 60 minutes
Content Standard:
2. Understand the effects of workplace behaviors.
a. Examine appropriate workplace behaviors, including attitude, work ethic, responsibility, dependability, punctuality, integrity, time management, effort, adherence to dress code, communication (written, verbal, and nonverbal), teamwork, and other workplace etiquette.
b. Identify inappropriate workplace behaviors, including violence and sexual harassment and procedures for addressing such behaviors.
c. Recognize the importance of and capitalize on diversity in the workplace.
Lab Access: Required for Students ☐
Optional for Students ☐
Not Needed for Students ☒
Overview/Annotation:
In this lesson, students identify diversity and become acquainted with the benefits and challenges. After this lesson, students will understand the role diversity plays in the workplace.
Essential Question(s):
What does diversity in the workplace look like?
How does diversity help the workplace?
What problems can arise if diversity is not respected by those in the workplace?
Learning Objective(s): The students will:
1. Explain what diversity in the workplace means.
2. Recognize that my thinking may limit my viewpoint.
3. Discover that in many ways people from different cultures and backgrounds hold similar values and beliefs.
4. Identify problems related to diversity.
5. Become more aware of my own cultural viewpoints and stereotypes that I may have inadvertently picked up.
6. Accept and respect differences and similarities in co-workers.
Conceptual Outline:
I. Diversity in the Workplace
A. Definition
B. Examples
C. Challenges
D. Utilizing
Materials, Equipment, and Technology Resources:
Materials:
1. Newsprint, poster paper, easel pad or other large paper to affix to walls of classroom; tape; markers
2. Teacher Information #1: Diversity Activities for Youth and Adults
3. Materials such as glue, paper strips, and pipe cleaners depending on Student Activity/Activities selected from Teacher Information #1.
Equipment:
1. None
Technology Resources:
1. Developing a Respect for Diversity lesson plan from Success Link (http://www.successlink.org/GTI/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=2301). (February 28, 2003).
2. Diversity Activities for Youth and Adults from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension (http://mep.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/PSU_Diversity_activities.pdf). (2008).
Procedures/Activities:
1. Teacher Preparation: Review Developing a Respect for Diversity lesson plan at http://www.successlink.org/GTI/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=2301 for additional verbiage to introduce topic of diversity.
2. Teacher Preparation: Review Teacher Information #1 and select the activity (or activities) that best suits your needs. Make appropriate copies of handouts and/or prepare materials based on instructions for selected activities. You are neither limited to one activity nor expected to complete all activities. Activities to select from are as follows:
a. Connect the Dots (15-30 minutes; Recognize that we subconsciously limit our perspectives and alternatives.)
b. First Impressions (10-20 minutes: Discover that your first impressions of people are not always true.)
c. Proverbs (15-20 minutes: Discover that in many ways people from different backgrounds and cultures hold similar values and beliefs.)
d. Pipe Cleaner Similarities (20-30 minutes: Discover commonalities with others regardless of background, race, or culture.)
e. Chain of Diversity (15-20 minutes: Discover and recognize ways in which we are different and ways in which each person is unique.)
f. What Do You Know or What Have You Heard? (20-30 minutes: Recognize widespread use of stereotypes.)
3. Teacher Preparation: Tape large newsprint, posters, or easel paper around the room. Write a different category on each sheet to describe students in your class. Descriptions should emphasize diversity of the group. Examples could relate to personal traits (outgoing/talkative/reserved/articulate/computer skills/artistic/musically talented/outdoorsy) and/or CTSO membership (FBLA, FCCLA, JROTC, SkillsUSA, HOSA).
4. Class Discussion: Businesses employ many different people from many different backgrounds. Today, we are talking about diversity in the workplace and how it affects us.
What is diversity? In groups such as the workplace, diversity relates to race, gender, age, disabilities, religion, job title, physical appearance, sexual orientation, nationality, multi-culturism, competency, training, experience, and personal habits—that is, the things that make us different from one another.
5. Class Activity: Instruct students to look at the words on the wall postings then add their names to the pages that describe themselves. You may wish to limit time for this activity. At the conclusion, discuss results guiding the conversation to the benefits of having a diverse population—and the challenges that can arise when the group is heterogeneous (e.g., Too many talkative students in the group can slow progress while too few can result in no discussion at all.)
6. Student Activity: Execute chosen activity or activities from Teacher Information #1.
7. Exit Slip: Have students fold a sheet of their own paper in half lengthwise. Write at top center of the page Diversity. On the top left side place a plus sign (+) as the column heading; on the top right, a minus sign (-). Give students 30 seconds for student to write advantages of diversity in the left column. Give students a second 30 seconds to write challenges that can result from diversity in the group.
Assessment:
1. Class participation
2. Exit slip