32 of the Best Open-Minded Books for the Classroom
These open-minded books deal with different events and dilemmas in an open-minded way, and focus on tolerance and respecting the perspectives of others.
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Open-Mindedness in the Classroom
Open-mindedness involves respecting the perspectives, cultures, traditions and values of others. We can’t assume our students understand the concept of being open-minded. It needs to be an ongoing conversation in any classroom.
The IBO learner profile states open-minded students “critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.”
Reading open-minded books and subsequent discussions will help your students make connections and develop open-mindedness. The world is interconnected and an open mind linked to acceptance and tolerance is vital.
In a previous post, Teaching Perspective with Open-Minded Resources, I put together open-minded books, videos and online resources.
Open-Minded Books
The open-minded books suggested below feature examples of how characters deal with dilemmas with an attitude of open-mindedness. You will also find characters who:
- respect and consider the perspectives of others.
- ask questions to discover more information
- eager to learn new things
- reflect on their own learning and the ideas of others
- react positively to constructive feedback
- act with honesty and sympathy
- problem solve
- listen attentively
- are open to ideas of others and new approaches
Open-Minded Discussion Questions
- What does an open-minded mindset look like?
- Why does being open-minded matter?
- Did [character] listen to the different points of views of others?
- Was [character] willing to change their mind as the events progressed?
- Why do you think [character] bullied other characters? What could they have done instead?
- In what ways was the [character] judgemental towards other characters?
- Who was the most open-minded character? In what way?
- How could [character] have been more open-minded?
- How would it have helped [character] if s/he was more open-minded?
- Why was it important that [character] was open-minded?
- Did [character] think about her/his actions affected other characters?
- Could [character] have understood the feelings of [character]? How?
- How could [character & character] have dealt with their differences in a better way?
- Did [character] take on board the opinions of others? Would it have made a difference?
- What caused [character] to act in the way they did? What could they have done differently?
- What could [character] do differently next time to be more open-minded?
In Conclusion...
What books do you use to promote the open-minded trait in your classroom? Add them to the comments!
Remember to check out Teaching Perspective with Open-Minded Resources for more open-minded related resources, including books, videos and online links.
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