How To Use Picture Books To Teach Diversity
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Children and Their Families
In grade one, students begin to become aware of the importance of different people and cultures in their community (Social Studies, 68). Because of this, students begin to see similarities and differences between themselves and others in their community. At this age, students recognize that their family may be different from their friend’s families. Families come in all shapes and sizes; some families have one mom and one dad, some families have one dad, some families have one mom, and some families have an adopted mom or dad. Students in grade one are aware of this and may begin to wonder why people have different families and how that changes their home life. Children may wonder why they look different than their parents while their friends look similar to their parents. Children may also wonder why one of their classmates has two dads but they only have one. I believe that it is important to answer these questions early on so that everyone’s differences are recognized and appreciated at a young age. A perfect way to do so is through the use of picture books. According to the Ontario Social Studies Curriculum, Students must “demonstrate an understanding that it is important to treat other people and the environment with respect” by grade one (68). It is important for students at this age to respect those who have families that they are not accustom to and ask questions in an open and safe environment. The teacher should be prepared to answer all questions in a respectful manner taking all families in his or her class into account. If this is completed properly, all students will feel proud to share information about their own families to the class. This opens up a huge opportunity for language arts based lessons. Students can speak orally about their families, write about what makes their family unique, listen and comment on the stories, present a creative skit about what family means to them, and connect with a classroom from a different part of the world to examine what family means around the world. |
Lesson Plan Ideas: Using Storybooks to Teach Diversity
Lesson One
Overall Expectation 1 - Oral Communication:
Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.
Specific Expectation 1.6 - Extending Understanding:
Extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience; to other familiar texts, including print and visual texts; and to the world around them.
Summary of Activity
After Reading The Family Book, Students will discuss as a class what family means on the carpet. As the students raise their hands and give answers the teacher will record the answers on the board for all to see. If the students are stuck, the teacher can prompt the students by asking them what their family at home looks like, what is the difference between families, what are the similarities? Students will then return to their desks and discuss their own families with their tablemates. Students will describe who is in their family and why each member is important to them and the family as a whole. The students will then decide what family in the book best represents their own. To complete this task, students will be asked to represent their family in a picture with two to three sentences describing their picture.
Language Arts Addressed
The language arts that are addressed in this lesson are: listening, speaking and writing. In this lesson, students are expected to listen intently to the story that is being read to them At the end of the book, this listening portion will be tested, as the teacher will ask what family means to them. Students will be encouraged to use examples from the book as well as their own experiences. In this lesson, students are also expected to share information about their family both orally and in writing. As students complete the oral section, the teacher will monitor each table to gain a better idea of how students are personally relating to the book. The writing portion of this lesson will then be used as a way to sum up their oral thoughts. The relationships that the students make with the book will be the main focus of this lesson.
Lesson Two
Over All Expectation 1- Reading:
Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.
Specific Expectation 1.8 – Responding to and Evaluation Texts
Express personal thoughts and feelings about what has been read.
Summary of Activity
After reading And Tango Makes Three, students will represent how they felt about the story through a dramatic role-play. Students will get into groups of three or four and reenact a scene from the book that they liked best. Students will demonstrate an understanding of what was read to them as they show what the story meant to them through their dramatic scene. Students will each pick a character and interpret how the roles change in different circumstances. After the presentations are presented to the class, students will take part in consolidation guided by the teacher. In this portion of the lesson, the teacher will discuss how each penguin family experienced love even though they were a little bit different. Students should recognize that the male penguins were able to provide the same amount of love to their child as the other penguin couples.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson, the language arts that are addressed are: speaking, listing, reading and viewing. In this lesson, students take part in a read aloud as the teacher reads the book to the students. While the teacher reads the book, the students listen attentively so that they can be prepared to present a scene from the book. Students then talk about the book with other students and the teacher while they prepare for their presentation. While the presentations occur, the students view other presentations and comment on them to gain a better understanding of the book. The focus of this lesson is reading as the teacher attempts to gain knowledge on the students understanding of the book.
Lesson Three
Overall Expectation 2- Writing:
Draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms
Specific Expectation 2.1- Form:
Write short texts using a few simple forms.
Summary of Activity
In this lesson students will take part in a read-aloud of the book The Family Book. After listening to the book students will write a draft, revise, and write a good copy of what makes up a family. Students will do this this as a written piece with added pictures and various stylistic elements. The students will be encouraged to write out a recipe describing what makes up a family. For example, family is one cup of love, one of cup understanding, two cups of hugs, and a tablespoon of embarrassment. After completing their draft students will edit their recipe and peer edit a partner’s recipe before the final draft and picture making commences. Students will have the chance to present their work to the class if they choose to do so.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson, the language arts that are being addressed are: Listening, reading, viewing and representing. In this lesson students take part in active listening as their teacher reads aloud. The students then represent their understanding of the book by taking information that they have learned and already know and creating a recipe for a family. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the books concepts as they complete their recipes and present it to the class. This lesson focuses on writing, as the students will demonstrate their understanding through their writing.
Lesson Four
Overall Expectation Oral 2- Communication
Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Specific Expectation 2.3- Clarity and Coherence
Communicate ideas and information orally in a clear, coherent manner. (E.g., use a logical framework such as beginning, middle, and end sequence to retell a story read aloud by the teacher).
Summary of Activity
After the teacher reads the story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born, students will partner up and retell the story to each other as if the other person did not hear what the teacher was reading. The listener will then try to retell the story back to their partner. This activity encourages the oral communication of ideas. The teacher and peers will listen for a beginning, middle, and end to the retelling to ensure that the speaker understands what makes up a good story. Before the students go off into pairs, the teacher could write key scenes in the book to create a starting point for the students.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson, the language arts that are addressed are: speaking, listening, reading. Students are expected to listen to the story as it is read so that they can recreate the story. Students will be encouraged to collaborate with other students while they attempt to create a beginning, middle, and end to their story. The main focus of this lesson is oral communication as students are retelling the story orally.
Lesson Five
Overall Expectation 3- Media Literacy
Create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms conventions and techniques.
Specific Expectation 3.1- Purpose and Audience
Identify the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create.
Summary of Activity
When this lesson takes place, students will have read all three books. By this point, the students have an understanding about what family means to them personally as well as what family means as a whole. Students and teacher will work collaboratively to set up a conference with another classroom from a different country. Once the connection occurs, the students are free to ask their global classmates what family means to them. The students will have to consider who their audience is, what the topic of their discussion will be and how they want to convey their message to other students. This will be a rich technological experience for the children as they will now be able to relate to the stories on a global level.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson the language arts that are addressed are: Speaking and listening. Students are required to take part in the global discussion while they increase their knowledge on the concept of family. As students learn about a different culture, the students will begin to realize that the definition of family can change because of culture. This is a great opportunity to create inquiry based lessons as they children may want to ask the students more than just about their family. The teacher can use this opportunity to expand the language and social studies lessons.
Lesson One
Overall Expectation 1 - Oral Communication:
Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.
Specific Expectation 1.6 - Extending Understanding:
Extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience; to other familiar texts, including print and visual texts; and to the world around them.
Summary of Activity
After Reading The Family Book, Students will discuss as a class what family means on the carpet. As the students raise their hands and give answers the teacher will record the answers on the board for all to see. If the students are stuck, the teacher can prompt the students by asking them what their family at home looks like, what is the difference between families, what are the similarities? Students will then return to their desks and discuss their own families with their tablemates. Students will describe who is in their family and why each member is important to them and the family as a whole. The students will then decide what family in the book best represents their own. To complete this task, students will be asked to represent their family in a picture with two to three sentences describing their picture.
Language Arts Addressed
The language arts that are addressed in this lesson are: listening, speaking and writing. In this lesson, students are expected to listen intently to the story that is being read to them At the end of the book, this listening portion will be tested, as the teacher will ask what family means to them. Students will be encouraged to use examples from the book as well as their own experiences. In this lesson, students are also expected to share information about their family both orally and in writing. As students complete the oral section, the teacher will monitor each table to gain a better idea of how students are personally relating to the book. The writing portion of this lesson will then be used as a way to sum up their oral thoughts. The relationships that the students make with the book will be the main focus of this lesson.
Lesson Two
Over All Expectation 1- Reading:
Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning.
Specific Expectation 1.8 – Responding to and Evaluation Texts
Express personal thoughts and feelings about what has been read.
Summary of Activity
After reading And Tango Makes Three, students will represent how they felt about the story through a dramatic role-play. Students will get into groups of three or four and reenact a scene from the book that they liked best. Students will demonstrate an understanding of what was read to them as they show what the story meant to them through their dramatic scene. Students will each pick a character and interpret how the roles change in different circumstances. After the presentations are presented to the class, students will take part in consolidation guided by the teacher. In this portion of the lesson, the teacher will discuss how each penguin family experienced love even though they were a little bit different. Students should recognize that the male penguins were able to provide the same amount of love to their child as the other penguin couples.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson, the language arts that are addressed are: speaking, listing, reading and viewing. In this lesson, students take part in a read aloud as the teacher reads the book to the students. While the teacher reads the book, the students listen attentively so that they can be prepared to present a scene from the book. Students then talk about the book with other students and the teacher while they prepare for their presentation. While the presentations occur, the students view other presentations and comment on them to gain a better understanding of the book. The focus of this lesson is reading as the teacher attempts to gain knowledge on the students understanding of the book.
Lesson Three
Overall Expectation 2- Writing:
Draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms
Specific Expectation 2.1- Form:
Write short texts using a few simple forms.
Summary of Activity
In this lesson students will take part in a read-aloud of the book The Family Book. After listening to the book students will write a draft, revise, and write a good copy of what makes up a family. Students will do this this as a written piece with added pictures and various stylistic elements. The students will be encouraged to write out a recipe describing what makes up a family. For example, family is one cup of love, one of cup understanding, two cups of hugs, and a tablespoon of embarrassment. After completing their draft students will edit their recipe and peer edit a partner’s recipe before the final draft and picture making commences. Students will have the chance to present their work to the class if they choose to do so.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson, the language arts that are being addressed are: Listening, reading, viewing and representing. In this lesson students take part in active listening as their teacher reads aloud. The students then represent their understanding of the book by taking information that they have learned and already know and creating a recipe for a family. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the books concepts as they complete their recipes and present it to the class. This lesson focuses on writing, as the students will demonstrate their understanding through their writing.
Lesson Four
Overall Expectation Oral 2- Communication
Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Specific Expectation 2.3- Clarity and Coherence
Communicate ideas and information orally in a clear, coherent manner. (E.g., use a logical framework such as beginning, middle, and end sequence to retell a story read aloud by the teacher).
Summary of Activity
After the teacher reads the story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born, students will partner up and retell the story to each other as if the other person did not hear what the teacher was reading. The listener will then try to retell the story back to their partner. This activity encourages the oral communication of ideas. The teacher and peers will listen for a beginning, middle, and end to the retelling to ensure that the speaker understands what makes up a good story. Before the students go off into pairs, the teacher could write key scenes in the book to create a starting point for the students.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson, the language arts that are addressed are: speaking, listening, reading. Students are expected to listen to the story as it is read so that they can recreate the story. Students will be encouraged to collaborate with other students while they attempt to create a beginning, middle, and end to their story. The main focus of this lesson is oral communication as students are retelling the story orally.
Lesson Five
Overall Expectation 3- Media Literacy
Create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms conventions and techniques.
Specific Expectation 3.1- Purpose and Audience
Identify the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create.
Summary of Activity
When this lesson takes place, students will have read all three books. By this point, the students have an understanding about what family means to them personally as well as what family means as a whole. Students and teacher will work collaboratively to set up a conference with another classroom from a different country. Once the connection occurs, the students are free to ask their global classmates what family means to them. The students will have to consider who their audience is, what the topic of their discussion will be and how they want to convey their message to other students. This will be a rich technological experience for the children as they will now be able to relate to the stories on a global level.
Language Arts Addressed
In this lesson the language arts that are addressed are: Speaking and listening. Students are required to take part in the global discussion while they increase their knowledge on the concept of family. As students learn about a different culture, the students will begin to realize that the definition of family can change because of culture. This is a great opportunity to create inquiry based lessons as they children may want to ask the students more than just about their family. The teacher can use this opportunity to expand the language and social studies lessons.