Focus of the Final Paper:

This paper should be a combination of philosophies, theories, and concepts learned and how they apply to the early childhood classroom. The primary focus will be on the comprehensiveness of understanding the many components that are necessary for the preschool classroom.

In a 4-6 page paper (not including the title and reference page) respond to the following situation:

You have just been hired to teach pre-school children at an international school. You will be teaching a diverse class of 3-5 year olds. Some will stem from white backgrounds, but more than half the class will come from diverse backgrounds which includes Middle Eastern, Asian, African, Hispanic, Native American, and European descent. Some families will be recent immigrants who do not yet speak English, while others will come from backgrounds who have been in the U.S. for generations.

The Director has asked teachers to become experts on one diverse background or "culture" which they know the least about. Choose one of these diverse backgrounds listed above, research the history and culture of that group, and in your paper:

1. Assess the usefulness of the term you've chosen, such as "Hispanic" or "Middle Eastern" as a category and how race or gender issues factor into the description and consider how this "group" might be misrepresented, misunderstood, or ignored in U.S. early childhood programs.

2. Propose ways that staff can engage with the children and their families and demonstrate an appreciation of their background while also respecting each student as a unique individual.

3. Design at least 2 activities, which will educate other children about students from this background and then tie this to lessons garnered from Vivian Gussin Paley's book.

4. Identify 3 or more ways that this culture should be addressed throughout the standard curriculum including specific recommendations for ESL learners. Be sure to provide a list of at least 3 recommended resources, which you believe the school should utilize.

At a minimum, use two external sources, in addition to the course text. Remember to cite all references using APA style.