I agree with the theory of the United States being like a bowl of M&Ms, and I think that theory works to teach small children, because it is simple, and it gets across the point that we all have differences, but at the same time we are all humans. I like the idea of the salad bowl as well because it does emphasis the unique differences of the people that make up America, but for young children, I think it would be easy to misinterpret, which would be bad because kids are all so impressionable.
The only problem I would worry about with the M&M theory is that kids would attach certain stereotypical colors to the different races and ethnicity's within our society. I would worry that they would make the brown M&M be African Americans, and the red M&M's be Native Americans, and so on. This theory of the bowl of M&Ms I do believe is the best, however I would just worry that kids would see an emphasis on the different colors (of peoples skin) and classify our differences that way, seeing race as biological. I don't think there will ever be a perfect theory to describe America in the right way, or a theory that cant be negatively twisted or interpreted. I think not matter what, when teaching students about American diversity, it is most important that, no matter what analogy is used, the right message is coming across.
Brigit May, Post 10
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