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Dear Parents and Caretakers:

As part of our commitment to keep you informed and a part of your child’s school experience, I am excited to announce that we will be starting a new themed literature unit on March 22 titled, Building an Inclusive Community Respectful of Differences. This webpage and handout describes the unit and includes an activity I am requesting that you complete at home with your child. Through powerful and meaningful literature options, students will explore differences and how we treat each other because of these differences. While I hope for students to reflect on and identify what these differences are based on personal experiences, it is highly likely that we will be exploring differences in learning abilities, physical abilities, appearance, race, ethnicity, cultural background, immigration status, gender, and class. Representing the oldest students at Mark Twain, I am hoping this unit inspires a service learning project where they can share what they have learned with the rest of the school community.

Please contact me if you have any questions and suggestions at Kevin@myschool.edu or 999-999-0000.

The learning targets for this unit are:
1. Students will understand that to build an inclusive community we have to understand the many differences among its members.

2. Students will understand that exclusive behaviors limit their experiences with each other, and that being part of an inclusive community provides for a more meaningful experience.

3. Students will understand that building an inclusive community often requires challenging themselves and others to take action, speaking up, and realizing it may not be the most popular thing to do.

Family Activity

To prepare your child for the unit, I would like you and your child to discuss the unit’s central questions. You can discuss these questions as they pertain to your family and the community. Based on this discussion, your child will write a paragraph response question #7. This will need to be completed by March 22 and signed by you.

1. What are our differences?

2. What does it mean to respect difference?

3. What does it mean to be inclusive?

4. How does respect for difference create an inclusive community?

5. Why do we want an inclusive community? (What do we lose when not inclusive?)

6. How does our desire to fit in and to be accepted keep us from being inclusive?

7. What is the difference between being a friend to someone and respecting someone?

I hope that you will continue to discuss these questions as your child explores these questions during this unit.


Book List for the Unit Read-Aloud Literary Circle Book Loser by Jerry Spinelli Book List for Student Choice Literary Circles American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake Thank You Mr Falker by Patricia Polacco Book List for Children’s Books Literary Circles The Sneetches, Dr. Seuss Don’t Laugh at Me, Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin Feathers and Fools, Mem Fox The Skin I’m In, A First Look at Racism, Pat Thomas	Building an Inclusive Community Respectful of Differences Dear Parents and Caretakers: As part of our commitment to keep you informed and a part of your child’s school experience, I am excited to announce that we will be starting a new themed literature unit on March 22 titled, Building an Inclusive Community Respectful of Differences. This webpage and handout describes the unit and includes an activity I am requesting that you complete at home with your child. Through powerful and meaningful literature options, students will explore differences and how we treat each other because of these differences. While I hope for students to reflect on and identify what these differences are based on personal experiences, it is highly likely that we will be exploring differences in learning abilities, physical abilities, appearance, race, ethnicity, cultural background, immigration status, gender, and class. Representing the oldest students at Mark Twain, I am hoping this unit inspires a service learning project where they can share what they have learned with the rest of the school community. Please contact me if you have any questions and suggestions at Kevin@myschool.edu or 999-999-0000. The learning targets for this unit are: 1. Students will understand that to build an inclusive community we have to understand the many differences among its members. 2. Students will understand that exclusive behaviors limit their experiences with each other, and that being part of an inclusive community provides for a more meaningful experience. 3. Students will understand that building an inclusive community often requires challenging themselves and others to take action, speaking up, and realizing it may not be the most popular thing to do. Family Activity To prepare your child for the unit, I would like you and your child to discuss the unit’s central questions. You can discuss these questions as they pertain to your family and the community. Based on this discussion, your child will write a paragraph response question #7. This will need to be completed by March 22 and signed by you. 1. What are our differences? 2. What does it mean to respect difference? 3. What does it mean to be inclusive? 4. How does respect for difference create an inclusive community? 5. Why do we want an inclusive community? (What do we lose when not inclusive?) 6. How does our desire to fit in and to be accepted keep us from being inclusive? 7. What is the difference between being a friend to someone and respecting someone? I hope that you will continue to discuss these questions as your child explores these questions during this unit.