To Introduce Viewpoint Diversity, Ignite Curiosity
My latest in the Chalkboard Review
“A class of high school juniors go to the National Museum of the American Indian on a field trip. They start their tour of the museum by entering a room filled with artifacts once used by American Indians in different regions of the US. The artifacts are household materials like cooking utensils and weaving machines. The students meander through the room, reading the plaques affixed next to each object. Next, they enter a room filled with modern artwork. Adjacent to each painting or object is a description of what is depicted and what inspired the artist.
These students, by imaginatively placing themselves in another culture as they learn about it, are engaging in perspective-taking. They are learning about the lives of people who are different from themselves. They are taking themselves out of their day-to-day routines to stand in the shoes of someone who has lived a life distinct from their own. Even if only for a moment, they are trying to understand how someone else views the world”…
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