The lesson plans and activities provided in this section support teacher efforts to diversify classroom curricula, celebrate Muslim identity, and foster inclusion.

According to culturally relevant pedagogy, to design engaging lesson plans that resonate with students, it is essential to consider classroom demographics and seek ways to refer back to students’ cultures and traditions. This approach not only captivates students’ interest, but also enhances safety and comfort. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs lists love and belonging as fundamental to the overall well-being of human beings. Hence, students that learn in environments where they feel respected and celebrated possess greater support to engage in abstract and critical thinking, blooming into lifelong learners.

Highlighting diversity while avoiding tokenism in the classroom is particularly challenging, even for experienced educators. Hence, the following lesson plans are meant to inspire educators to incorporate peer-led learning opportunities to introduce students to diversity beyond tokenism. Considering the student demographic before initiating a larger conversation addressing a particular community is imperative to avoid targeting students who practice the cultural traditions being explored in class.

Lesson Plans