My colleague and partner in crime Janet Pennington recently developed (with the help of ideas she found on the web) a really great lesson that covers diversity and facilitates a discussion on the importance and value of being unique. Too often children feel that they have to look a certain way or dress a certain way to "fit in" or be valued. When I look at the students at my school I love the diversity that I see. Janet purchased a book over the summer entitled, "Only One You" by Linda Kranz. The illustrations in the book are actually pictures that the author and her husband took using painted rocks as the fish. 308 "Rock Fish" were painted for this book, each one as unique and different as the students at our school. After reading the book and facilitating a discussion on what it means to be unique, the students were asked to trace their hand (fingers together) and create their own fish. After the fish were decorated, the students cut them out and turned them back into us. We then created a bulletin board with the hand of every 2nd grader in our school. (In the center of the bulletin we typed up a description of the lesson with our county objectives listed.) Many of the students got creative making patriotic fish, sports fish and even an Abraham Lincoln fish. Other students simply made designs using bright colors. As the students walk down the hallway and see their fish, I hope they are reminded of how unique and special they truly are. Please click the link below to see the lesson plan. Please feel free to use the lesson as you wish. Janet and I know how difficult it can be at times to find fun, engaging guidance lessons. Enjoy!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4Nf7zOyksaZT1BTNTlMQ19uNzg/edit?usp=sharing
Our bulletin board is on a main hallway that students walk down in order to get to lunch, PE and exit the building. We hope a lot of students take a second to look at the beautiful fish!
The bulletin board was not quite done at this point. I believe this was 3 classes worth--and we have a total of 6 2nd grade classes!
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