Multicultural Housekeeping Area

Materials

empty containers of ethnic foods (such as cans of coconut milk, water

chestnuts, chickpeas, grits, and taco boxes)

special kitchen tools (such as bamboo rice mats, ladles, pizza wheels, and

spaghetti servers)

multicultural pictures, fabric, and books

Instructions

1. Assemble all the materials on a table. Gather the children around the table
and display the materials.
2. Ask the children to examine the sandpaper. Discuss how it feels. Ask
questions such as, "What does it look like?" "What do you think it is used for?"
"Where did it come from or how do you think it was made?"
3. Next, examine the rocks. Ask the children to describe the rocks.
4. Give each child a rock, a small piece of sandpaper, and a container.
5. Ask them to rub their rock with the sandpaper over the container. Give the
children ample time to obtain some rubbed-off material.
6. When the children are done, ask them to describe what happened. "What is
now inside of the container?" Examine the pieces carefully. "Are there
differences?" "Did anything happen to the rock?"
7. Let children use a small amount of glue to glue the loosened material onto
the piece of sandpaper. It has now become like sandpaper again!