It's Me

It’s Me:

I chose the activity called, It’s Me! I chose this activity because it really gives the children a chance to maybe notice things about themselves that they never noticed before.   By drawing their own face with the correct color crayon of their skin, they may notice that they have a mole, or a birthmark that they never knew of.  They get to see and compare and contrast the similarities and differences between their classmates. 

It is age appropriate because they are able to see their reflection, have a crayon and other materials to help them draw themselves.  They can look at the color of their skin and match it to the crayon, match their hair color, eye color, and go from there.  We would assist in making sure they see the positioning of their nose and mouth and eyes and they can replicate what they see in the mirror.  Something that is age appropriate doesn’t mean it has to be easy, it means it can be challenging for that age group.  Seeing and comparing the similarities and differences in a more obvious thing, but seeing and understanding where people come from and their culture is different, but challenging. 

The three multicultural concepts I chose that young children could understand are: Everyone is important, people are similar, and people are different.  I chose these because in my activity they are seeing the differences and similarities between their classmates.  Not only by the color of their skin, but their eye color, hair color, shape and size of their mouth and nose, and maybe even things like moles on their faces and such.  It shows a lot of diversity in this activity and shows you how many people can look alike and many people can look different.  But we are all special and important to the world.

As stated in the text, “ An anti-bias approach that helps children learn about human diversity, gain respect and appreciation for diversity, learn to recognize and resist stereotypes and unfair behavior, and learn to work with others to stand up for oneself or to challenge bias; anti-bias education is implemented through classroom materials and planned activities.” By doing such this, and with this activity we are showing respect for our piers and appreciation for diversity because we are seeing how people can be different.  We are also teaching them to resist stereotypes.  By showing how we are all alike, yet can look so different is a more physical way to show instead of tell.  Children can make their own assumptions on things, but with this activity we can show that similarities and differences are a wonderful thing.

In this activity called, It’s Me!  The children will be given skin colored crayons, construction paper, a miniature mirror so they can hold it in front of them to see what they look like, and then draw what they see themselves as from the mirror.   This activity not only helps them recognize what they look like, but what others look like as well, like the similarities and differences between their classmates.  They could also see something they didn’t know they had, such as a birthmark or a mole perhaps. 

Another activity, such an extension activity that the children could do is to draw another classmate.  It can really show them how to see a person not only from what they look like, but to appreciate who they are as a person.  They could include a little survey to ask their classmate to learn more about that person and connect it with what they truly look like and also what is inside. 

One of the books that I found that would go with this activity is called: Pancakes With Chocolate Syrup by Rebekah Barlow Rounce.  This book is perfect because it talks about the differences between these two sisters.  Their different eye color, skin color, and hair color.  But in the end they are so much alike and like the same things and love each other for being different, but have similarities as well.  The other book is called: All Kinds of People by Emma Damon.  This book is perfect as well because it talks about all the different kinds of people with colorful images of children of all different sizes, hair types, skin tones, temperaments and personalities.  It really shows the respect for all different kinds of people and is a way to understand the differences between everyone. 

All in all this activity can be such a wonderful learning experience in so many ways.  It not only helps the children see themselves in a different light, but they can compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the entire classroom.  Having the children then look around the classroom and look at the other drawings could be helpful.  They could compare the similarities with them and discuss them, then discuss the differences and how they are both still special and can respect their piers.