Everyone's Equal

Grade Levels: 3 - 5

Subjects: Language Arts, Character Education, Music, Art

Learner Outcomes:
  Students will compare and contrasts ways in which people are alike and different.
  Students will state how some differences in people cause problems like prejudice.
  Students will list different kinds of prejudice and how it effects people.
  Students will list ways in which they can overcome prejudice.

Duration of Lesson: Three 1 hour sessions

Materials: Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss, 1 sheet gray 8½" by 11" construction paper per student, black markers, scissors, masking tape, multicolored embroidery thread, 4" x 18" strip of tan or light brown construction paper for each student, My Character Counts Thinksheet

Technology Tools/Courseware: Brown Eyes Are Better Simulation (teacher information sheet can be printed from this site),  Inspiration Software,  Daddy Tell Me Why There's Hate?, LCD projector, Different But the Same song, Friendship Bracelet

Teacher Notes:
1. Read the Brown Eyes Are Better Simulation teacher information carefully before conducting simulation with students.
2. If you want students to sing Different But the Same song you'll need to print the lyrics and chords from the site. You may need to share this with a music teacher or someone who plays the guitar. The site lists chords, not sheet music. You might want to prerecord music on cassette tape for use in your classroom.
3. Read the online directions for making Friendship Bracelet before this activity to determine how much thread is needed. Precutting thread in lengths will make the activity flow more smoothly.
 

Procedures:
1. Conduct the Brown Eyes Are Better Simulation activity. Lead a class discussion/debriefing as the activity concludes.
2. Read the story "The Sneetches" from the book Sneetches and Other Stories aloud to students. Discuss the story with students. Relate the "star" theme of the story to the "brown eyes" theme of the simulation. See teacher information sheet for questions to guide group discussion/debate.
3. Have students create a web using Inspiration Software. The center of the web should be labeled with a term appropriate to grade level: How We're Alike, Similarities, Likeness, Traits All People Share.
Have students branch out the web by brainstorming characteristics of all people (i.e. human, mammals, have hair, 2 eyes, talk, etc.).
4. Complete a second web using  Inspiration Software.  The center of this web should be labeled "differences" or a like term appropriate to the age/grade of your students. Have students brainstorm to complete this web by sharing ways in which people are different (i.e.  hair color, eye color, age, etc.) Teacher may give input for some types of differences (race, wealth, religion) as a springboard for older students to share differences that cause problems between groups of people in today's society.
5. Give each student a sheet of gray construction paper. Have students use black markers to outline the shape of a stone about an inch from the edge of the sheet. Have students cut out the "stone". Ask students to choose one "difference" from the web created in step #4 above. The "difference" they choose should be one that in some way separates people (i.e. hearing impairment, race, religion, money, etc.) Have students print that "difference" in large letters in the center of their paper stone.
6. Choose a focal wall in the classroom or hallway. Have students tape their individual stones onto the classroom wall to create the "stone wall" of differences. As each student adds their stone to the "wall" have him tell how it separates people.
7. Have students locate the online book Daddy Tell Me Why There's Hate?  Lead a class discussion about the book. Discuss with students why "they" think there is hate. Guide the discussion to share ways that they can help overcome or change the "hate".
8. Use the LCD projector to show the class the lyrics to song Different But the Same. If appropriate, sing the song with the class.
9. Have students find the online directions for the Friendship Bracelet. Make bracelets.
10. Hand out construction paper "slats" or "foot boards". Have students use markers to write a statement describing how they will overcome "hatred"/"prejudice"/"discrimination". Teacher should write on a strip as well. When students are finished writing, teacher shares orally how she is going to overcome hatred. Teacher walks to wall created in step #6 above and places her "footboard" above the "wall". Explain that each student should read his statement and place his footboard so that it touches another footboard. Tell students that you are "building a bridge" to overcome hatred. Guide students as needed so that foot boards create a "bridge" over the wall of stones.
10. Complete My Character Counts Thinksheet for Lesson 3.
 

Modifications:
1. Modify simulation to the age/ability of the students you teach.
2. If making the Friendship Bracelet with younger students, arrange to have older students or volunteers assist.
3. Preteach and reteach vocabulary (prejudice, discrimination, etc.) as needed.

Enrichment Activities:
1. Invite a person with a disability to speak to your students about how they live with their disability. Make sure to talk with your speaker prior to their talking with students. Make sure it is okay with the speaker for students to ask questions relating to their disability (i.e. Do people make fun of you because you are deaf? How does that make you feel?, etc.)
2. Have students learn sign language alphabet or selected words in sign language.
3. Provide Braille alphabet cards for students. Have them close their eyes and try to "read" with their fingertips.
4. Have student partners create a Venn Diagram using Inspiration Software. Have student partners place one of their names in one circle and one in the other. Their common characteristics will be noted in the intersection of the diagram labeled "both".
 

Evaluation and Assessment:
Student participation in the simulation activity.
Student creation of one "stone" in the wall of separation.
Student creation of one "footboard" in the bridge to overcome prejudice.
Student creation of Friendship Bracelet.

West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives:
Language Arts - 3.2, 3.3, 3.15, 3.16, 3.24, 3.27, 3.35, 4.3, 4.13, 4.16, 4.19, 4.20, 4.26, 4.29, 4.43, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.21, 5.23, 5.51
Music - 3.4, 4.4, 5.2
Technology - 3.90, 3.92, 4.98, 5.186, 5.188
Art - 3.22, 3.24, 4.26, 5.22

National Standards

References:
 Inspiration Software
http://www3.igalaxy.net/~lauriec/
http://www.worldpeace2000.org/songs/same.htm
http://members.aol.com/pforpeace/peacepals/project3.htm