My approach will be to explore the similarities among people and then move on to a celebration of our differences. So we might begin this section by turning off the light with poet, Shel Silverstein:
No Difference
-
Small as a peanut,
-
Big as a giant,
-
We’re all the same size
-
When we turn off the light.
-
Rich as a sultan,
-
Poor as a mite,
-
We’re all worth the same
-
When we turn off the light.
-
Red, black or orange,
-
Yellow or white,
-
We all look the same
-
When we turn off the light.
-
So maybe the way
-
To make everything right
-
Is for God to just reach out
-
And turn off the light!
(
Where the Sidewalk Ends
, p.81)
After discussing how we as human beings share so many things in common, I would ask my students to imagine a world where everyone looked, dressed and acted the same. In Peter Spier’s
People
, a book that cultivates appreciation of the diversity of our physical and cultural characteristics, there are two large-page illustrations at the end that I would show the class. The first presents an urban setting where all of the buildings are brownish, all vehicles green, and all people are of one skin color and are dressed in identical, brown clothes. I would ask the students to imagine what life would be like in such a setting and to write about it in their journals.
I would then ask the class to join me in “turning
on
the lights” and take a look at all the
difference
that surrounds us. The second illustration in Spier’s book shows an urban setting rich in diversity of ethnic groups and store fronts. As we attempt to gather adjectives for our word-bank, I would ask the students to describe what they see in the contrasting illustration—which they could refer to later when writing about the scenes they are to create, mural-style, on large pieces of butcher-paper (and which may be entitled “The Beauty of Difference”). Before beginning the murals, I would read
People
aloud to the class, noting as we go the numerous differences we may encounter in the people around us. This book will be available for them to refer to as they create their murals.
To appreciate the diversity we have right within our own classroom, we would go on to take thumbprints of ourselves, each of which will be unique, and compare our eye shape, hair texture and skin tones.
People
lends itself well to an exploration of these differences because of its skillful focus in the very beginning on the varying physical characteristics of people.
We vary in our preferences, not just in our looks. To illustrate this, I would have the students complete a series of simple sentence-starters, some of which might include:
My favorite food is ________________________.
I never like to _____________________________.
I like reading books about ____________________.
When I grow up I want to be a __________ because _______________.
My favorite pet would be __________________.
Three wishes I would make if I could would be _________________.
The clothes I most like to wear are ________________________.
Usually after school I like to ___________________________.
Eloise Greenfield has written a wonderful poem describing all of the things that make up this individual:
By Myself
-
When I’m by myself
-
And I close my eyes
-
I’m a twin
-
I’m a dimple in a chin
-
I’m a room full of toys
-
I’m a squeaky noise
-
I’m a gospel song
-
I’m a gong
-
I’m a leaf turning red
-
I’m a loaf of brown bread
-
I’m a whatever I want to be
-
An anything I care to be
-
And when I open my eyes
-
What I care to be
-
Is me
(taken from
Honey, I Love
)
Following the structure of this poem, I would ask my students to list sounds, songs, rooms or buildings, musical instruments, food and plants that would describe them. A variation of the game, charades, could be played where children attempt to act out the object most like them for others to guess. They would then create their own version of “By Myself.”
The next book I would use is Norma Simon’s
Why Am I Different?
, which very simply, but quite effectively, has children explaining to the reader the many and varied ways that they are different—in preferences, type of family, abilities, type of home, foods they eat, occupations of their parents, etc. This book celebrates the uniqueness of each individual, suggesting that the differences in people is what makes our world such a rich and interesting place. She promotes the idea that the strength of our culture lies in our diversity and in the contributions that individuals continually make. I would then ask the class to participate in a ‘living Venn diagram’ activity to get a clearer idea of the preferences, similarities and differences found in our class. This activity is outlined in detail in Lesson Plan One found in this unit.
Continuing with the theme of appreciating similarities and differences, we might move on to a wonderful story by Patricia Polacco, entitled
Mrs. Katz and Tush
. In this story the two main characters, different in race and culture, age and gender, develop a lasting friendship and come to see how their heritages share common themes of suffering and triumph. Its great appeal lies, I think, in its centering around an event that children can relate to: the adoption and caring for a runt kitten (without a tail, in fact) which draws Larnel, a young African-American boy and his older neighbor, Mrs. Katz, a Jewish emigrant from Poland, closer together. An unlikely pair, they become close friends. Through them we learn about their ancestors’ similar beginnings in slavery and the years of segregation and discrimination. After reading this story I would ask the students to think about the two main characters, their differences and similarities. Their responses could be depicted on a ‘Venn diagram’ like this:
(Figure available in print form)
Can people who are very different from each other become friends? Children would be asked to reflect on their own prior experience. Stories could be shared orally or in journals. Because the characters are so well-developed in this story, it lends itself well to creating a play or puppet show about them. We leave the book with a strong sense of what Larnel and Mrs. Katz were really like, so much so that the students could probably predict in future journal entries how they would act in other every-day situations, such as:
ÐÐLarnel’s birthday party
ÐÐCaring for a stray puppy
ÐÐLarnel’s house loses its heat
ÐÐLarnel’s team wins the championship
ÐÐMrs. Katz buys a new hat
