What if you are someone new?

Abstract

Purpose

This early grades lesson set for the age group of 4–8 years explores the concepts of diversity, inclusion and friendship, involving three young students who are recent immigrants. The lesson set uses two companion books. In the book I am New Here, three recently immigrated young children from Guatemala, Korea and Somalia step into and experience their new school in their new country, the USA. In the companion book Someone New, their classmates explore how to reach out to and become friends with these new peers. The companion books are a resource for this lesson set, as they portray typical young learners who are immigrants exploring their identities and sources of support and how their presence and experiences challenge their classmates to find ways to support them in their new environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Students are guided to see themselves and others as unique individuals, with a range of abilities including the ability to speak different languages, to read and write in different ways so that they may initiate discussion and connect with classmates. Students occupy both the roles of new immigrant students and domestic students while they read the books, model how to interact with a new friend and represent their experiences in the lesson set.

Findings

The books promote young learners' interactions within and across groups. Both the domestic and immigrant students are encouraged to approach the experience of difference in school spaces as mutually beneficial, providing opportunities to learn more about self and others, as well as to develop a sense of inclusivity and friendship.

Originality/value

Someone New and I am New Here are companion books that together present a story of diversity, inclusion and friendship rendered in different perspectives. Efforts are made by three young students, who are immigrants from Guatemala, Korea and Somalia, and their classmates to understand and relate to each other. The books promote young learners’ interactions within and across groups.

Citation

Odebiyi, O.M., Sunal, C. and Sunal, D. (2020), "What if you are someone new?", Social Studies Research and Practice, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 141-154. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-12-2019-0059