Children will engage in discussions about the importance of celebrating different skin colors.

Children will explore the beauty of diversity and learn to accept and celebrate differences.

Materials:

"The Colors of Us" by Karen Katz

Different skin-toned paint

Big sheets of paper

Procedure:

1. Introduction (10 minutes):

Introduce the book "The Colors of Us" and discuss its theme of celebrating diversity.

Engage children in a brief discussion about why it's important to embrace and celebrate different skin tones.

2. Reading and Discussion (15 minutes):

Read "The Colors of Us" aloud, pausing to discuss key moments and themes.

Use discussion prompts to encourage children to reflect on the beauty of diversity and the importance of accepting others.

Discussion Prompts:

Why do you think it's important to celebrate having different skin colors?

Do you think the world would be the same if we were all the same color? How would you feel if everyone looked exactly like you?

Why is it important to accept and celebrate the differences in others?

3. Art Activity: Self-Portraits (25 minutes):

Provide children with different skin-toned paint.

Let children choose the paint that matches their skin tone and paint their hands.

Have them create handprints on the paper, emphasizing the diversity of skin tones.

Encourage children to observe their own skin color and to celebrate their individuality and others.

4. Reflection and Discussion (10 minutes):

Lead a reflection activity where children can share their thoughts and feelings about the story and their collaborative artwork. What they see, know, or have questions about.

5. Friendship Circle Time (10 minutes):

Gather children in a circle and facilitate a discussion about friendship and acceptance.

6. Closing (5 minutes):

Summarize the key themes of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of diversity and celebrating differences.

Assessment:

Student participation in discussions and art activity

Alignment with Objectives:

This lesson plan aligns with the objective of engaging with a children's book that addresses anti-bias goals by exploring themes of diversity.

Through reflection and discussion, children will reflect on the importance of embracing diversity and celebrating the beauty of different skin colors.

3/24/24

Title: Family Means… By Matthew Ralph

“Family Means…”is a charming and heart-warming children’s picture book about family, diversity, inclusion and the joy of everyday life.

Objective:

• Children will engage with "Family Means…” to explore what families, look like.

• Children will reflect on the importance of embracing families, and understanding that all families look different

Materials:

• “Family Means…” by Matthew Ralph

• Art supplies- Construction paper, markers, crayons

• Question Cards- prompts

Procedure:

1. Day 1- Introduction

• Teacher will introduce the book and read it to the children.

• Talk to the children about families, and how they can all look different.

2. Day 2- Reading

• Read “family means…”, and discuss the differences of families.

• Ask the children simple questions about their families, and what they look like.

3. Day 3 Art-day- Drawing you Family

• Give the children a piece of construction paper and have the children draw their family. (Remember that every family look different)

• Discuss and ask them to explain their picture to you and the class.

4. Day 4 Discussion prompts

• In the story, it shows different family’s types, what does your family look like?

• Do you see any differences from your picture and your classmates’ pictures?

• Does being or looking different change things?

• How can we make sure that no one is left out of the family?

5. Conclusion- Day 5

• Show the children everyone’s family pictures and show the children that everyone’s family looks different but we are still family.

• Send home a note for the parents to talk to the children about what we learned about families this week in class.

Objective:

❖ Children will understand how their actions affect others' safety and belonging.

❖ Create an anti-bias goal allowing children to feel empathy for their classmates.

❖ Recognizing our similarities and differences.

❖ Share different cultures.

❖ Creating the idea that the classroom is a safe and inclusive environment where all are welcome.

Materials:

❖ Book - We Don’t Eat Our Classmates: A Penelolope Rex Book, by Ryan T Higgins ❖ 2 Handouts – How can I be a good classmate? Good & Poor choices

❖ Art Supplies – Pencils, Crayons, Scissors, Glue sticks

❖ Felt Board with Good Choice / Poor Choice and pictures of actions

❖ Handheld Mirrors

❖ Felt Board with pictures of various foods from different cultures. ❖ 2 Toy Dinosaurs – T-Rex and Brontosaurus

Procedure:

Day 1 (25 minutes):

❖ Read We Don’t Eat Our Classmates aloud to the class

❖ Discussion prompts to build empathy and promote anti-bias classroom behavior

➢ How did Penelope treat her classmates in the beginning of the story? ➢ How did Penelope change at the end of the story?

➢ How are we alike and different?

➢ Have you ever felt left out in class?

➢ What do you think it would feel like to be eaten by a dinosaur? ➢ What does a safe classroom look and feel like?

Day 2 (30 minutes)

❖ Review Story emphasizing how Penelope changed throughout the book. ❖ Discussion Prompts:

➢ How do we treat our classmates?

➢ What would it feel like to be treated poorly by our classmates?

➢ What does a good friend look like?

➢ How can we stick up for a friend if we see them being treated poorly?

❖ Coloring / writing activity, If I had a dinosaur as a classmate (see below)

➢ Children can color the dinosaur while teacher and aids go around the classroom

and ask children how they could be a good classmate to someone who was different (like a dinosaur). Write their response or help them if they are able to write it themselves.

Day 3 (30 minutes)

❖ Felt board activity highlighting good and poor choices towards friends

➢ Discuss good and poor behaviors like pushing a friend or working together

➢ Place cards of various choices under Good or Poor (see below).

▪ Continue discussion with an emphasis on empathy and thinking about others.

➢ Go to tables and color / cut out good and poor choice sheet and glue them into the correct column.

Day 4 (25 minutes)

❖ Compare and contrast the two toy dinosaur figurines (size, color, diet, etc). Ask children to give examples.

❖ Break children into groups of two and give them a handheld mirror to share. Have them look in this mirror and give examples of how their physical appearance is alike and how it is different. Stress complimentary statements. Have each group tell the class one physical similarity and difference. Switch about 5 times.

❖ Go outside to a grassy area if possible. Ask a question (i.e. What do you like more? vanilla ice cream or chocolate, trucks or trains, etc.) and have the children run to one side for one choice or another side for the other. Repeat around 5 times. After each question, encourage children to look around and see whether their classmates have the same favorites or different ones.

Day 5 (20 minutes)

❖ At circle time show t-rex and brontosaurus again to discuss what they ate (carnivore vs. herbivore). Discuss the different types of food each child likes to eat at home. Compare different cultures.

❖ Place pictures of different types of food and ask children if they like them and / or eat them at home. Start with hamburgers (Penelope’s food of choice) and go to other types of cuisine; Spanish, Indian, Mediterranean, etc. If a child says they have that kind of food at home, ask questions about how their caregiver prepares it or if they have any other cultural traditions around food they would like to share.

Assessment

❖ Student participation in discussions and activities.

❖ Effort demonstrated in coloring / writing activity.

❖ Observing if children are grasping the concept of empathy and understanding of different

cultures and friendships.

Alignment with Objectives

❖ This lesson plan is designed to help children understand their differences and build empathy at an age-appropriate level.

❖ Through class discussion and activities, children will observe how they can embrace diversity, celebrate each other's similarities and differences, and how to be a good friend. This promotes anti-bias, inclusive behavior in the classroom.