Learning toolkit
Background
Wales is a multicultural society made up of many ethnicities, languages and religions. It has a rich and long history of diversity, being home to one of the oldest Black communities in Europe and its development, wealth creation, spirit and international connections reflect strong contributions from minority communities past and present. The history and development of Wales in the world is a multifaceted story of both conflicts and solidarities and coalitions, and of migrations of peoples who have made contributions from which all have benefited. The history of Wales provides the context for knowledge development and enables learners to draw links between their contemporary experiences of local, national and global connections. Welsh history is a history of difference and diversity. Ethnic diversity is not a threat to Wales but part of its historical character. These understandings are critical to the identity of learners. Recognising this should help all feel they belong to Wales.
(Quote from Welsh Government report - Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, Contributions and Cynefin in the New Curriculum Working Group, March 2021)
The learning resources on this page can help teachers and learners to:
- Be aware of the various people, cultures, and communities that live in Wales.
- Investigate identity in Wales.
- View Wales as a culturally diverse society.
- Learn about individuals from various ethnic backgrounds in Wales.
Possible questions to discuss
- What does it mean to be Welsh?
- What is cultural diversity?
- Are there diverse communities in your area?
Activity ideas
- Create a video of your cynefin and the different communities in your area.
- Snow globe activity
- Engage with a community group in your area.
- Connect with families - hold a multicultural evening.
- Use learners’ cultural knowledge, perspectives and skills as a resource for teaching.
- Connect with a school in another part of Wales. Learners could send letters, emails, and videos to learn more about their local area whilst also learning about a different part of Wales.
- Search maps, newspapers, videos and journals from the Library's collection to find more information about your area.
Learning experiences
(derived from the statements of what matters)
Humanities
- Understanding ideas and perspectives
- Human impact on the world
- Understanding the past
- Understanding human rights
- Similarity and social differentiation
- Contribution to society
- Identity
