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1st Grade Diversity Lesson

This lesson has been done in first grade classrooms.

Grade Level:              1st Grade

 

Topic:                     Diversity & Respect

 

Materials:               Large piece of poster board

                             Box with lid containing all blue crayons

                             Box of crayons – all different colors

                             “The Crayon Box that Talked” by Shane DeRolf

                                   

                                   

Objectives:             1. Students will learn that each individual is unique

                             2. Students will identify why diversity is important

 

Activities:              1. Introduction

Tape a large piece of poster board to the chalkboard.  Start to draw a picture with the blue crayons (outside scene – water & clouds).  Have a few students come up and add to your picture… fish, sun, etc.  Have them pick a crayon from the box with the lid; soon they will see that every crayon in the box is the same color. 

 

                             2. Discussion

Ask the students, “How could we make this picture better?” (more colors).  Add more colors to the picture with the other box of crayons.  Ask students, “Aren’t you glad our world isn’t all the same color?”.  Remind students that the ways we are different make us special.  We are all unique.  Tell students that sometimes people don’t like other people who are different (clothes, hair, skin color).  They forget what our world would be like if we were all the same.  

                                   

                             3. Story

                             Tell students we are going to read a story that will help us understand why it is important to get along with others even if they are different from you.  Read the story.   

 

                             4. Conclusion

                             Ask students to think of themselves as one of the colors in the box of crayons.  Remind students that each of us is unique, but we need other colors to make our world complete.  Each of you have things that make you special and there is no one else just like you.  Challenge students to be nice to people who are different from them.  Thank students for being good listeners today.