Intercultural+Respect+Lesson+3

**Goals**
1. Enable students to experience the benefits of solving problems with groups made up of people with diverse abilities and perspectives. 2. Discuss the benefits of cognitive difference and differing perspectives referencing the work of Scott E. Page. 3. Get students thinking about ways that working with teams of people with diverse abilities and perspectives can improve their own learning and problems solving possibilities.

**Materials**
Computer or mobile device with internet access Edmodo accounts

**Standards**
National and International Standards for Student Learning

//International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)// //Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts// //American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)// //National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)//

Local Standards for Student Learning

//Montgomery County Public Schools//
 * //English Language Arts Framework//
 * //World Language Framework//
 * //Social Studies Framework//

Preparation
//2 weeks in advance//: //1 week in advance//:
 * If you have not already set up an Edmodo acount see how to details here.
 * Prepare pre and post activity surveys on Edmodo
 * Prepare activity on Edmodo
 * Prepare prompt for outside of class conversation assigment on Edmodo

**Procedure**
1. Pre-poll via Edmodo: Do you prefer to solve a problem working on your own or working with a group? (5 min)

2. Talk to the students about Scott E. Page author of __The Difference__ (5 min)

3. Have students watch selected clips from Scott E. Page's videos (20 min) Leveraging Diversity [|Crowdsourcing]

4. Activity Guess the weight of the teacher (Edmodo poll) (15 min) This activity is based on an example from Scott Page. He describes a group guessing the weight of a cow at a country fair resulting in an average estimated weight of just one pound off of the actual weight of the animal. Students here will experiment with that activity by attempting to guess the weight of the teacher and comparing the group wisdom versus their individual guesses. Students will enter their guesses into the Edmodo poll, then the results will be quickly tabulated against the actual weight of the teacher.

5. Post-poll Do you prefer to solve a problem working on your own or working with a group? (5 min)

**Beyond the Classroom**
Prompt students to contribute to a conversation giving examples of when different perspectives, skills, outlooks contributed to solving a problem or creating a better solution. Use Edmodo


 * Flipping the Classroom option: Have the students view the Scott Page videos prior to class and do the "Beyond the Classroom" activity in class and discuss.

**Resources**
Page, Scott E., The difference : how the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools, and societies. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007.

Dean, Cornelia. " If you have a problem, ask everyone." New York Times. 22 July 2008. Online at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/science/22inno.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Edmodo.com

**Thoughts for further consideration**
Navigating difference. People tend to innately believe that everyone is like them. When presented with evidence that others are not like them, humans appear to switch to judgement, generally: different = wrong. How can we mitigate this? Become more aware of our beliefs and those of others, the strengths and weakness of others. Work on problems together with people who are different from us to create stronger solutions.

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