From Tolerance to Acceptance

1. From Tolerance to Acceptance Strategies and lessons for teaching children appreciation for and acceptance of diversity in their community and the global community.

2. Tolerance a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. It also means respecting and learning from others, valuing differences. Acceptance favorable reception; approval; favor. Stereotype an exaggerated belief, image or distorted truth about a person or group; often based on images in mass media or reputations passed on by parents, peers or society; can be positive or negative. Prejudice an opinion, prejudgment or attitude about a group or its individual members; can be positive, but usually is negative. Basic Definitions

3. Diversity • Stereotyping • Cultural Differences • SES Differences • General Respect for Others

4. Stereotyping • A too-simple and therefore distorted image of a group, such as “Football players are stupid.” • Dangers • Children may not get to know each other as individuals • Can lead to social bullying

5. Stereotyping Lesson • Hold up Origami butterfly and ball of paper, ask students which they would choose if I were to give one to them • Ask why they chose the paper object they did – what characteristics did you like about it – (color, shape, size, design, etc.) • Have two students unfold the butterfly and open up the ball of paper to see what is inside – butterfly is a plain piece of paper and the ball has a quarter inside – now which would they choose? • Discuss how appearances are deceptive and when they knew what was inside of each it changed their opinion about which was better, often the same with people – can’t know what is inside just by appearances. • Talk about potential consequences of stereotyping

7. Cultural Differences • Teaching kids to have pride in their own cultures • Traditions • Experiences • Family and community identity

8. SES Differences Since America is truly a “Melting Pot,” there are many levels of wealth throughout our county. SES is a reflection of: • Family income • Family education • Parents occupation • Access to community resources • Group associations • Ability to enhance child’s school experiences with outside activities and learning opportunities

9. General Respect for Differences in Others • Gender • Religion • Weight or height (size bias) • Physical or intellectual disabilities • Athletic ability • Artistic ability

10. Guidance Activities for Students on Diversity Ways to help students learn to respect and understand differences

11. Recognizing Similarities and Differences • Give all students the same object such a rock, an apple, orange, banana, etc. with similarities and differences • Have students observe their item VERY carefully • Have students put their object on a table • Mix them up and then have students come up, one at a time, to pick out their object • Ask how many are SURE they got their original item back • Discuss how the students recognized their object • Discuss how people have similarities and differences • Give some scenarios of when students encounter each other (in the hall, lunchroom, after school, etc.) and possible situations where students could have a problem or potential embarrassing circumstance • Have students role-play positive ways of responding to others who may be different

12. Just Like Me • Give each student a paper with each student in the class listed. • Have the children go around the room and find something about each classmate that they have in common – try to find something they did not know. • Share information with the class that surprised them and/or found really interesting.

13. Celebrating Our Cultural Differences • On a blank page each student writes down 2-3 things about their culture that they identify with and are proud of. • They can choose to identify with more than one culture (African-American and Christian) • In small groups (4-5 students) share cultural identities and traditions and/or beliefs they hold as a part of that culture. • Each student folds their paper in half and passes their paper around the group and the other group members write down something they learned that culture that they liked and found interesting. • When the papers come back each student can see what others thought - creates pride in self and culture, makes students aware of differences and similarities in cultures, focuses on positives.

14. Elementary Mapping Activity Each student will create a sociogram to chart their patterns of interactions with ALL peers in their class Give each student a copy of the Sociogram Handout. Tell them that the “Me” in the center represents them. Have them write the names of all their classmates on the page (or you could have done this already for them to make the activity go quicker). Ask the students to visually map out their relationships. No one else needs to see their paper and it can remain private. Use the Sociogram Example as a model of what they are going to do and see if they can “read” the relationships. (Example on next page)

16. Mapping Activity, Follow Up • Once students have filled out the Sociogram Handout, and without naming any classmates, ask them the following questions: • Do you have multiple lines going to the same name(s)? What could this tell you? • Look at the names you didn’t draw any lines to. Why do you think you don’t interact with them? • Using a green crayon, draw circles around people you don’t usually play with, but would like to start playing with. Make an effort to spend time with them today. (Do the same thing for people you would like to play with tomorrow or the next day, using different colored crayons for each day.) • After a few days of using the sociogram to help students cross their usual social groups, have them write about or discuss the following prompts: • What did it feel like to Mix It Up? Was it easy or difficult? Why? • Did you make new friends? Why or why not? • Do you find yourself playing with different people more now? • What did you learn about a new friend that you didn’t know before? This activity is taken from www.tolerance.org

17. The Crayon Box that Talked • As a group, ask each child their favorites color and write them on the board • Have them take that color crayon and draw a picture of something using only that one crayon • Read The Crayon Box that Talked, by Shane DeRolf • Now ask students to draw the same picture again, but using as many crayons as they would like • Talk about the importance of using many colors, just like with friends – each brings something different and special to your world • Can come back and read the Black Crayon story

18. A Rainbow of Friends • Read A Rainbow of Friends, by PK Hallinan • Talk about what makes a rainbow: sun + rain and how special and unique it is to see a rainbow • Have square paper in equal numbers of rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue) big enough for kids to trace their hand, then cut it out • Once they cut theirs out, have them write their name on it and you can make a rainbow of their handprints on a large sheet of paper • Can put a title at the bottom “Mrs. D’s Rainbow of Friends” so the handprints go over it in an arch • Can hang it in the classroom to remind everyone of their own diversity

19. Labeling Activity • Talk with students about labels, what they are, how they can help and hurt • Have them list some labels they know of or ones that might be used in the school (don’t use students names!) • Have a set of labels ready to use and have 5-8 students come up, tape the label on their back (without them seeing what it is), and allow the class to just mingle and talk for 10 minutes – the key is to make sure everyone treats them according to their label • Afterwards have the ‘labeled’ students come forward and see if they guessed their labels • Have them talk about how it felt, how people interacted with them

20. Books on Diversity • A Rainbow of Friends, by PK Hallinan • The Crayon Box that Talked, by Shane DeRolf • It’s Okay to Be Different, by Todd Parr • My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss • The Feelings Book, by Todd Parr • Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Days, by Jamie Lee Curtis • Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox • The Special Kid in School Series, JayJo Publishing (www.jayjo.com)

21. Books on Diversity • Don’t Look At Me: a Child’s Book About Feeling Different, by Doris Stanford • The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Anderson • The Sissy Duckling, Harvey Fierstein • Children Just Like Me, UNICEF • Why Am I Different, by Norma Simon • I Like Myself, by Karen Beaumont

22. More Resources • www.tolerance.org • www.teachervision.fen.com/diversity/teacher-resources/33631.html • splcenter.org/what-we-do/teaching-tolerance • www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson294.shtml • www.ccsf.edu/Resources/Tolerance/ • www.teendiversophy.com