We are all different!

Variety is the spice of life! I love this lesson that lets little people know that being different is ok. It's a great beginning of the year lesson.  I use the book The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane DeRolf. Cute book and perfect when showing how different is good.

I start the lesson by drawing a picture with only one color in a crayon box. For example, I might use the color blue. I would color grass, a tree, the sun, a person, etc all in the blue color. I have the kids come up and add things, still using the blue. Then I ask what the picture is missing. Some might say a dog or a bird, etc but the answer you are looking for is COLOR! Then I talk about ice cream. Yeah, weird segue, but they get it. :) I ask the class if they like ice cream. Then ask those who like chocolate to  raise their hand, the same with those who like vanilla, and then those that like strawberry, etc. I then ask the children if they would still be friends with a person who likes chocolate ice cream even if they liked vanilla. Ask them how it would feel if their friend didn't like them because they liked a certain flavor. That gets a good conversation going. Then I ask if anyone knows what happens when you mix chocolate and vanilla together? It makes a swirl or twist cone. Yummy! 

By this time in the year ( a couple of weeks), we've been doing "All About Me" stuff, so we've talked a lot about same and different. We talk about that a little bit and then I mention how some people don't like others who are different from them. We talk about our picture and that if no one was different then we would live in a one color world and that would be BORING! 

Then I read the book. Then I  lead a discussion about how our classroom is like a box of crayons. All of us are different- different colors, ages, talents, etc., but we will all work together to have a great year! At this point, I usually tell the students to look at their neighbor and tell them something they like about that person after giving an example. :) I like this part. Ask the students how it made them feel to hear something nice. We want our classroom to be a nice place where we can all work together to have a great classroom. When we say nice things and treat each other kindly it makes us feel good. Think about yourself as one of the crayons in the crayon box. Each of you is special and unique, but we need all of you to make our world beautiful. Then we re-draw our one color picture using many colors in our box of crayons. We talk about which picture we like best and then talk about how we all bring unique things to the world, just like each color crayon. 

Then we make our own classroom Crayon Box. It is so cute and I love to display it. It is a great reminder to be good friends and support differences. They have to draw their head to look exactly like them. Well, at least they are supposed to. :)

This pictures was from when I was student teaching and my first time teaching this lesson. :)

Have fun and be fabulous!

~Mrs. Sweeney