Gia Shafer

EDU 280- Final Project

Multicultural Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: “It’s OK to be different”

Concept/Topic to Teach: Everyone is different and everyone is special.

General Goals: Pre-K students will be able to find similarities and differences with their peers.

Specific Objective: After completing the lesson students will be able to recognize 1 trait that is

unique and special about them and 1 trait they have in common with their peers. Students will

practice active listening, speaking and taking turns during the group discussion.

Required Materials: “It's Ok to be Different” by Todd Parr

Anticipatory Set (Lead In): Lesson will begin with students sitting in circle time as a group.

Teacher will explain the activity and go over the rules.

Step-By-Step Procedures: Teacher will open group discussion by asking the children who feels

special and what is something they like to do. Each student that wants to participate will raise

their hand and answer the questions. Teacher will engage with children about some obvious

similarities and differences, the color of hair, glasses, what color eyes or shirt they are wearing.

The teacher will begin reading the book “It’s OK to be different” throughout the story she will

ask open ended questions and feedback.

Closure: After the story is completed the teacher will begin pointing out some differences and

similarities about her compared to her students. She will again encourage each child to say

something that makes them unique and special as well as identify something they have in
common with the person sitting next to them. After the group discussion she will tell her students

that we are all special and unique and at the same time we are alike. It doesn’t matter the color of

your hair, skin, eyes, if you wear glasses, speak with an accent or wear different clothes and eat

different food. We need each student to be different and special in their own way so we can learn

from them.

Assessment Based On Objective: Observe if each child felt safe and joined in group discussion,

could they identify something that was unique as well as something they have in common. Does

each student feel valued and were all cultures and ethnicities represented.

Possible Connections To Other Subjects: Art- mixing colors, Technology- use the internet to find

an MC activity, Science- nature hike to find things different on the bushes and explain the

importance of each piece to the whole of the bush.

Web Resources

1. “Getting to know you” Ages 5-6 Children will be able to recognize the importance of
friendship and understanding. Children will be able to identify similar interests and
hobbies between themselves, the other students, and college students. Children will
become familiar with college students and will be able to recognize them. Children will
be able to recognize what makes them special and what makes them unique.
http://www.pointpark.edu/Academics/Schools/SchoolofArtsandSciences/Departments/Ed
ucation/ProjectChildrenLEAD/Curriculum/LessonPlans/GettingtoKnowYou/Gettoknow3
#gtky-valentine-graziani

2. “Family and Neighborhoods” Ages 3-4 Discuss verbally the uniqueness of their family
and neighborhood. Design and construct their own home for the class neighborhood, out
of a shoebox. Design and construct in cooperative groups, a class neighborhood, using a
variety of art materials. Explore and express their ideas and feelings through actively
participating/playing in the class neighborhood.
http://www.pointpark.edu/Academics/Schools/SchoolofArtsandSciences/Departm
ents/Education/ProjectChildrenLEAD/Curriculum/LessonPlans/FamiliesandNeigh
bo/Familiesandneigh3#families-weiler-lewis-otoole

3. “The Talking Stone” Ages 2-5 A preschool education circle time activity. Often during
circle time many preschoolers want to talk at once. One way to help children learn how to
 take turns is to use a visual clue. Teachers might try using a "talking stick" or "talking
stone". This is a tradition with some Native Americans. Hold your 'stick' or 'stone'
while you speak and then pass it on when it's time for another person to talk.
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/multicultural.htm

4. “Multicultural Book” Ages 2-5

Teachers ask children to cut out various pictures from magazines (old National
Geographic ones are great). Make a book by using construction paper or
cardboard. Children glue pictures on to pages. Punch holes, and add ribbon to make the
book. They can also dictate their thoughts about the pictures to you. Write their
responses down on that particular page.
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/multicultural.htm

5. “My Hands Mural” Ages 2-5 Multicultural Activity

Mix multicultural paint to match each child's skin color. Paint the child's hands and have
the child press their hands onto a large piece of butcher paper or onto paper that you use
for your bulletin board. Write the child's name near their hand prints. Repeat the process
for each child. http://www.123child.com/lessonplans/other/mulitcultural.php

6. “Apple Activity” Ages 2-5 Multicultural Activity

Have two apples, one red and one green. Ask the children to describe how the two apples
are the same and how they are different. You can use a venn diagram to display the
results. Then cut the two apples in half. Show the children that even though the skin color
is different, the two apples are both the same on the inside, just like
people. http://www.123child.com/lessonplans/other/mulitcultural.php

7. “Huichol Yarn Painting” Grades Elementary The Huichol (pronounced Wee-chol) people
inhabit the most remote parts of north central Mexico. Students visually describe an
especially significant summer event in their lives using yarn paintings, which the Huichol
people continue to use today as a testament to the whole of their religious and cultural
beliefs. http://www.dickblick.com/multicultural/lessonplans/

8. “We Are Alike And We Are Different” Ages Kindergarten Students will create a paper
face and a paper face Identify how individuals are similar and different.
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview?LPid=10573

9. “Hello’s Heard Around The World” Ages Kindergarten Students will learn how to say
hello in five different languages, Identify how individuals are similar and different.
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview?LPid=13915

10. “Our School Is A Community” Ages Kindergarten The activities in this lesson will help
students understand their surroundings and how they fit into their family, community, and
the world. Identify how individuals are similar and different.
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview?LPid=5596