I would like to dedicate this post to Nelson
Mandela. His respect for all people led to the change of a nation and the
world.
Me Bodies I chose this activity because I thought it was a good way to teach the preschoolers about multicultural acceptance. At this age "they can name, identify, and match people according to their physical characteristics."(Roots and Wings 17)The main goal was to give children a fun way to learn about similarities and differences among people and to appreciate the beauty within themselves and every child.
Before this activity I read the book The Colors of Us by Karen Katz. I first read this book for the class blog and really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the colors as it relates to food. It's perfect for the preschool ages!
In this activity I gave each child a mirror and ask them to tell me what they see. Then I took out my mirror and I told them what I saw in my mirror. Again I asked them what they saw. I gave them a tablespoon of white, brown, yellow and red and asked them to mix the colors until it matched their skin. I offered them many sizes and shapes of
bodies and let them paint "their
skin" on one. Then we looked in the mirror again and I asked them about
their hair and eye color. The children chose out yarn and beads to match.
They then dressed their bodies with an array of clothing I had cut from felt.
I actually used the idea of having them mix their own skin color from the film we watched. I know it probably didn't sink in but I like the idea of showing that their skin color comes from a mixture of different colors. We all started with the same colors but we ended up with something that was unique to us.
It surprised me the first time I did this activity that the children didn't have the vocabulary to describe how they looked. Many of the kids didn't even respond the first time I asked them to describe what they looked like. That is why I describe myself and ask them again. That way they understand just what I am asking of them.
When we got to doing the hair and eyes many children said they had black eyes. I showed them pictures of different eyes from a magazine and pointed out what part of the eye we were looking at. Then they got it!
I love the skin I'm in!, written by Mayma Rapheal, a mom with a curious little girl that wanted to know about her skin color. This is a beautiful book for 3-8 year olds about the similarities and differences in people, self acceptance and loving yourself. I read this book after the activity ad had the children tell me what they love about themselves.
I think this activity did a wonderful job of
opening up a dialog with the preschoolers about cultural diversity.
It was a great way to cover Gaol 1 "To develop positive, knowledgeable,
and confident self-identity within the cultural context."(Roots and Wings
138) They enjoyed finding out what makes them special and unique as well as how
they are alike.
