Culture Check

See how it works

At a glance

Time in class

None. About 20 minutes of planning time.

Prep

Gather the materials for one upcoming unit.

Materials

Unit texts, problems, images and examples

Grouping

Teacher (optional: students suggest the swap)

Use it when

Before you start a new unit

Why it works

Students engage more when they see their lives and communities reflected in what they learn, and when they meet perspectives beyond their own. A focused audit of one unit is small enough to finish and makes the change concrete.

1. Pick one unit1 minuteThe next one you’ll teach.
2. Scan10 minutesLook through texts, word problems, images and examples. Jot a quick tally:

   • Whose names and faces appear?
   • Whose voices or authors are included?
   • Whose places, jobs, foods and traditions show up?
3. Spot the gap3 minutesAsk: “Who in my class wouldn’t see themselves here? Whose perspective is missing from this topic?”
4. Swap one thing5 minutesReplace one example, name, image or text. Keep the same learning goal.
5. Note it1 minuteWrite the change on your unit plan so it carries forward next year.

See it in action

Watch out for

• Trying to fix everything at once: one swap per unit adds up over a year.
• Token additions: choose content that matters to the learning goal.
• Guessing about students: use what they’ve told you (the Student Interest Survey helps).

Level up

• Invite students to suggest the swap.
• Audit one assessment the same way.

Make it work for everyone

• Multilingual learners: include a text or example connected to their language or home country where it fits.
• IEP and 504 supports: check that images and examples include people with disabilities.

Tech option

Digital libraries and museum collections make it quick to find diverse primary sources and images.

Resources