Fran, Pam, & Victoria

Lesson adapted from: Beating Bias with Books: Fostering Awareness and Compassion with Children’s Literature

Elizabeth H. Rowell, Thomas B. Goodkind, and Elizabeth U. Henshaw  Social Studies and the Young Learner 12(1).

Title:  Fostering Awareness and Compassion

Grade Level:

2

Content Areas:

Diversity/self awareness

Learning Target/Goal: 

Fostering learning about themselves and others

EALRS and GLES

G3.3.1a

 Know that people are born into societies that consist of different racial, ethnic, religious, and/or social groups.

Assumptions: 

Considerations:

Address the word “weird” with students before lesson begins. 

Materials:

Other books to consider for this lesson or future lessons:

For Future lessons:

Introduce vocabulary terms such as prejudice, stereotype, sexism, and racism

Pre-Assessment:  

How are we alike? 

How are we different?

Key Concepts:    

Alike/Different

Objective:

Given a story and discussion on similarities and differences, students will each draw a portrait of their partner and include the different features they have.  Each student will display their portrait to the class and explain one way they are like their partner and one way they are different

Rationale

Building acceptance of differences is an important an essential part of building a learning community. 

Procedure:

  • First, we are going to read a story.  The story is called “Different Just Like Me.” (Teacher reads the story to the class)
  • Each one of us is special and unique. Today we are going to talk about why we are all special and different.  We are going to first come up with all the ways we are alike.  (Teacher lists all answers on the board that the students come up with.)
  • Now we are going look at some of the differences we have.  First, I want you to turn to your partner and ask him/her what color eyes do you have? Pick one color that your eyes are most like. (Brown, blue or green.) If your partner needs help figuring out your eye color, raise your hand and we will come around to help you.(Teacher walks around to observe and help)
  • Now, on the board I have a column for each eye color.  I am going to call on tables to come up and write your name under your eye color. 
  • (Teacher reads all of the names of the people with blue eyes, brown eyes, and green eyes.) 
  • How are student A and student B alike?  How are student C and student D different?  So as you can see eye color is one of the ways that we are alike and different. 
  • Now we are going look at some of the differences we have.  First, I want you to turn to a partner and ask them what color hair you have? Pick one color that your eyes are most like. Either brown, black, blonde or red.
  • Now, on the board I have a column for each hair color.  I am going to call on tables to come up and write your name under your hair color. 
  • (Teacher reads all of the names of the people with red, brown, black or blonde hair.) 
  • How are student A and student B alike?  How are student C and student D different?  So as you can see hair color is another way that we are alike and different. 
  •    

Closure:

Let’s review some of the ways we are alike and some of the ways we are different. (Teacher writes on the board.)  Now we are going to work with our partners to draw a portrait. Each student will draw a portrait of their partner.  The portrait will only be of your partner’s head. 

Formative Assessment:

Students will each draw a portrait of their partner and include the different features they have.  Each student will display their portrait to the class and explain one way they are like their partner and one way they are different. 

*Accommodations:

Future Lessons:

Rubric

Student Name

Alike

Different

Drew Portrait