Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Out of Many, One

Respect for Cultural Diversity 

K20 Center, Theresa Balan | Published: September 16th, 2020 by Oklahoma Young Scholars/Javits

  • Grade Level Grade Level 4th
  • Subject Subject Social Studies
  • Course Course
  • Time Frame Time Frame 4-5 class period(s)
  • Duration More 250 minutes

Summary

Students explore how different cultures have contributed to the United States of America. We are made of many, but we are one nation.

Essential Question(s)

How are we (The United States of America), "Out of many, one?"

Snapshot

Engage

Students individually construct art on their desk, then as a cooperative group, and compare the two experiences.

Explore

Students Jigsaw informational sheets about some of the diverse cultures that have contributed to the United States of America.

Explain

Students collaboratively create a poster to express many cultures' contributions to what we identify as "American."

Extend

Each student creates a paper quilt square exhibiting how they contribute to the class. All the quilt squares are put together to form a classroom quilt, illustrating how each individual is important to the whole group.

Evaluate

Students write a claim and three supporting pieces of evidence describing how the United States of America is, "Out of many, one."

Materials

  • 3-2-1 strategy handout

  • Four envelopes per group with different colored 1-inch squares of construction paper for each group (around 30 squares in each envelope)

  • Internet access to show YouTube Coca-cola commercial (link below)

  • Note-Taking/Fact Sheet handout

  • 9”x9” white paper squares for each student’s quilt square

  • Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) handout

  • Transcontinental Railroad Information handout

  • Vaqueros Information handout

  • Tap Dance Information handout

  • Code Talkers Information handout

Engage

Begin by having students sit in groups of four. Give each group a set of four envelopes as prepped in the above Teacher's Note. Each student in the group receives an envelope with only one color of construction paper cut in 1-inch tiles (around 30 tiles per envelope).

Give students around four minutes to individually arrange their colored construction paper tiles on their desk to create a piece of art.

Examples of possible student artwork.

Next, ask the students to use their tiles collectively and to work together as a group of four to create one piece of art using all of the group's color tiles.

Examples of possible student artwork.

Introduce a 3-2-1 Strategy and have students reflect on the process and the art they were able to create as individuals and as a group. Distribute the attached 3-2-1 handout and ask the students to complete it for their individual and team artwork.

Ask students to compare how their experiences differed between their individual 3-2-1 to their group 3-2-1.

Ask students, "How was constructing your artwork as a group different from constructing it by yourself? Which did you enjoy more? Why?"

Explore

Keeping students in their groups of four, distribute a Note-Taking/Fact Sheet (attached) to each student along with a set of the four informational handouts per group. Have students use a Jigsaw Strategy to read the attached short informational handouts about different Americans and how their cultures contributed to the United States of America. Each student in a group will read a different informational sheet and become the "expert" on that topic—Vaqueros, Code Talkers, Tap Dancing, and the Transcontinental Railroad. Allow students time to read silently and take notes on their Note-Taking/Fact Sheet.

After they've completed their readings and note-taking individually, ask the students to share out within their group of four what they learned from the information sheet. They can use their Note-Taking/Fact Sheet to help them.

Explain

Write the following questions on the board: "What makes an American?" and "What does an American look like?"

Explain to the students they will be watching a commercial, then play the following short clip:

Ask the students to reflect on the following question: “In the commercial, did you see any of the cultures you read about in the informational sheets?’

Write the phrase “E Pluribus Unum" on the board. This is a Latin phrase that is the traditional motto of the United States. Translated to English, it means, "Out of many, one" or "One, out of many”. It appears on the Great Seal of the United States and on United States coins.

Tell the students, “E Pluribus Unum was first used in the United States by the Thirteen Colonies to describe how the thirteen separate colonies united to become one country. Thinking about this phrase, along with your fact sheet notes and reflections about your group discussion, create a poster which describes what it is like to be an American.”

Allow students around 30 to 45 minutes to work on the poster collaboratively. The goal is for students to recognize that many cultures have contributed to the development of the United States. The United States is truly a "melting pot" of diverse cultures, which has allowed us to develop into a robust country.

Extend

Explain to the students that they are a whole class that functions as one large group, but they are made up of wonderful and unique individuals.

Pass out white paper squares to each student. Have each student illustrate how they contribute to the class on the square.

When all the students have finished their square, tape the back of the squares together to assemble them to make a class quilt.

Evaluate

Students will use a modified Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) strategy to answer the question: How are we, "Out of many, one?"

Distribute the attached CER handout and ask students to write their claim at how the United States of America is “Out of one, many." Have students also provide three supporting pieces of evidence for their claim on the CER handout.

Resources