Individual and family comparisons

Through a series of six activities, this lesson plan will help first-grade students to explore similarities and differences between individuals and families.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Social Studies

By Julia R. Foote

(Photograph by Margery H. Freeman. More about the photograph)

Learn more

• Hispanic America An excellent site for researching Hispanic-American history and culture. The site has won numerous awards, including an Excellence in Education Award for Educational Quality.
• African Studies Center From the University of Pennsylvania, this site points to high-quality resources on Africa that can be used in the classroom and for research.

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This lesson uses children’s literature and images of people from around the world to help students understand the similarities and differences between individuals and families. The students will hear stories about differences and similarities and will view images of individuals and families in Turkey, Vietnam, Bali, India, and Mexico. Students will make symbolic pictures representing themselves, compare themselves with pictures of children in other countries, and discuss different types of families and homes.

Learning outcomes

Students will gain a cross-cultural understanding of how individuals, families, and groups are similar and different.

Teacher preparation

Time required for lesson

Six 30-45 minute periods. An additional 30-45 minute period may be needed if you use the optional extension in activity five.

Materials needed

• All activities:
  • Computer with LCD projector or SMART Board to display images to students
• Activity one:
  • One copy of either of the following books:
    • All the Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger or
    • All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka
  • Image of boy from Turkey from LEARN NC
  • Paper plates (one per student)
  • Construction paper
  • Yarn, in colors similar to students’ hair colors
  • Glue
  • Colored pencils or markers
• Activity two:
  • One copy of the book We’re Different, We’re the Same: Featuring Jim Henson’s Sesame Street Muppets by Bobbi Kates
  • Images from the LEARN NC multimedia collection:
    • Portrait of smiling boy in Hoa Lu, Vietnam
    • Balinese boy in red clothes
• Activity three:
  • Blank sheets of paper, one for each student
  • One copy of the book All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka
  • Images from the LEARN NC multimedia collection:
    • Young Balinese girl dancing
    • Boy and girl from India
  • Optional: document camera
• Activity four:
  • One copy of the book We Are All Alike, We Are All Different, by Laura Dwight and Cheltenham Elementary School
  • Optional: Computer with Kidspiration or other drawing program and printer
  • Paper
  • Glue
  • Markers or crayons for coloring
• Activity five:
  • Image of family in San Pablito, Mexico from LEARN NC multimedia collection
  • Chart paper or white board
• Activity six:
  • One copy of the book Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

Activities

Activity one

Pre-activities

Before conducting activity one with your class, prepare a sample glyph based on your own characteristics, using the instructions listed in the activity. You’ll also need to prepare paper “t-shirts” for the students’ glyphs using construction paper. Each t-shirt should be half the size of a piece of 8½x11” piece of paper, and you should have enough of each color — red, blue, yellow, and green — for each student to choose one based on his or her favorite subject.

Activities

1. Read either All the Colors We Are or All the Colors of the Earth to the class.
2. Divide students into groups of six, and explain that students will make glyphs representing themselves. A glyph is a way to show information using a picture. Show students your sample glyph as an example of a finished product.
3. Make a model glyph to demonstrate the process to the class. Follow the instructions below to make a glyph based on the photo and description of this 17-year-old boy from Turkey:
   • Draw a face on the paper plate, including ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.
   • Choose pieces of yarn that match your hair color. Count out the number of pieces so that they match your age. For example, 7 years old = 7 pieces of yarn.
   • Glue the yarn on the top of the plate.
   • Pick a colored t-shirt that matches your favorite subject:
     • Math = red t-shirt
     • Reading = blue t-shirt
     • Science = yellow t-shirt
     • Social studies = green t-shirt
   • Glue the t-shirt under your plate so the top of the t-shirt covers the bottom of the plate. (Each t-shirt should be ½ the size of a piece of an 8½x11” piece of paper.)
   • Using the list below, find the number of siblings you have, then select the right headband color and glue it on your plate near the top.
     • 0 siblings = black headband
     • 1 sibling = orange headband
     • 2 siblings = blue headband
     • 3 siblings = red headband
     • 4 siblings = yellow headband
     • 5 or more siblings = brown headband
   • If you are a girl add a hair bow, if you are a boy add a bow tie.
4. After you finish your demonstration, ask each student to complete a characteristic glyph based on himself or herself using the same set of instructions. (This can be given as a homework assignment, involving the parents.)
5. After students have completed their glyphs, conclude the activity with a class discussion. Students should be able to translate patterns from the activity. They should be able to look at the similarities and differences among the finished projects and make two or three statements about the project. An example could be “Thirteen of the students liked math and had black hair.” This pictorial representation also allows the teacher to see how students view themselves. Many students do not choose the actual hair color that a teacher may think — they choose the one they would like to have, particularly at this young age.

Assessment for activity one

Assess by completion of project.

• All parts completed = 5 points
• 4 parts completed = 4 points
• 3 parts completed = 3 points
• 2 parts completed = 2 points
• 1 part or no attempt at completion = 1 point

Activity two

1. Read We’re Different, We’re the Same to the class during oral read-aloud time.
2. Show students the LEARN NC photo of a young boy in Hoa Lu in Vietnam. (Tip: For the best view, select the largest image size by clicking on the link below the photo.) Choose one student in the classroom and ask students to describe how the student is similar to and different from the boy in the photo. This will demonstrate to the students that a young boy living in a different country halfway around the world will have some similiarites to them and some differences from them. As you conduct this discussion, record the information in a chart:
   

   Boy from Hoa Lu	Student from classroom	Balinese boy

   Begin by filling in the first two columns — you will fill in the third as the next picture is introduced.
   Guide the students with integration questioning:

   • How many ways can you think of that the pictures are different?
   • How many ways can you think of that the pictures are similar?

   Start with visual characteristics (e.g. hair color, eye color, clothing color) and build knowledge. Ask knowing questions:

   • Which one is outside?
   • How would you know where this boy is living?
   • Where is Hoa Lu? [Hoa Lu is a major city in Vietnam. It once was the capitol of the country.]

   Then ask organizing questions such as “Tell what you think…”

   • How would you compare the two students’ ages?
   • Explain how you know they are both young children.
3. When this discussion is finished, add the next photograph, of a Balinese boy, to the discussion by displaying it for the students. (Again, select the largest image size.) Ask students:
   • How would you compare the three students now?
   • Do you know if this young man from Southeast Asia is in school?
   • Which picture shows a boy working?
   • How does that compare to the chores you do at home?
   • What is different and what is similar?

   As the class discusses how the boy in this photograph is similar to and different from the boy from Hoa Lu and the student in your class, add the information to the chart.

4. Follow-up: End the discussion by having students review some of the similiarites and differences they have observed. The follow-up discussion may take place the next day in another lesson.

Assessment for activity two

Assess by students’ participation in the discussion.

Activity three

1. Guide students through a review of the previous day’s activity. Ask students to remember what similarities and differences they found.
2. Give each student a blank sheet of paper, and instruct them to make columns as follows:
   

   Me	Young Balinese girl

3. Display the photo of the young Balinese girl dancing for the students. (Tip: Select the largest image size by clicking on the link below the photo.) Then ask students to use the columns to compare themselves with the Balinese girl in the picture. Some students may list “like to dance,” “dress in nice clothing,” or “like to wear costumes” under both.
4. Use this activity to lead into the book All the Colors of the Earth. This book about physical differences includes differences in dress. The book has beautiful photographs that invite opportunities to discuss physical characteristics of children around the world. Read the book aloud to the class.
5. Use either the photographs and illustrations in the book or the photograph of a boy and girl from India to engage students in a dialogue about physical differences. Have the students share this knowledge in a literacy circle. (Note: If you use the book, you may wish to visually display the book’s features using a document camera. If you use the image of the boy and girl from India, select the largest image size by clicking on the link below the photo, and project the image for the class to see.) Some suggestions for the dialogue:
   • Ask a question (Ideally, students will ask about children’s differences)
     • “I wonder…”
     • “Why…?”
     • “How…?”
   • Make a prediction
     • “I think… will happen next.” (I use this in between pages of a book, calling on different students)
   • Make a comment
     • “I love the way the author describes the children of…”
     • “I’m not sure I understand this part.”
   • Make a connection
     • “This reminds me of when…”
     • “I used to…”
     • “He is just like…”

Assessment for activity three

Assess by completion of comparison chart and participation in discussion.

Excellent=5	Good=4	Average=3	Poor=2
Provided more answers than others on comparison chart	Provided as many answers as others on comparison chart	Provided almost as many answers as others on comparison chart	Provided fewer answers than others on comparison chart
Participated more than others in discussion	Participated as much as others in discussion	Participated almost as much as others in discussion	Participated less than others in discussion

Activity four

Pre-activities

Before conducting this activity, make a flower template using Kidspiration or other drawing program. (If you do not have access to a drawing program, you may choose to create the template by hand.) Make each part of the flower separately to hand out to students. You’ll need one circular flower center and one stem for each student, and seven ovals (petals and leaves) for each student.
If you’re using Kidspiration:

1. Make an oval 1½” wide by 9” long. Font thickness should be 4½ point.
2. Copy and paste the oval so that two fit on a page.
3. Add another page. Draw a circle 4½ inches in diameter and make the line 4½ point font.
4. Draw a rectangle for the stem. Change the line to 4½ font.
5. Save the file and print.

Activities

1. Read the book We Are All Alike, We Are All Different to the students. This book uses photographs and children’s illustrations to explore the physical differences and similarities between children. This is an excellent book to use when talking about the differences in children.
2. Tell the students they will make “getting-to-know-you flowers” based on each student’s attributes and preferences. Explain that the flower will be another glyph.
3. Give each student one flower center, one stem, and seven sheets of ovals (six for petals and one for a leaf.) Instruct the students to color the petals as follows:
   1. Petal #1 — Student’s favorite color
   2. Petal #2 — One color that the student is wearing
   3. Petal #3 — Color of the student’s skin
   4. Petal #4 — Color of the student’s socks. If the student is not wearing any socks, they should not color the petal.
   5. Petal #5 — Color of the student’s eyes
   6. Petal #6 — Color of the student’s hair
4. Give students the following instructions:
   1. Cut out the petals. (Parents or teachers may help.)
   2. Glue the petals in clockwise order onto the back of the flower center.
   3. Write your name on the flower center.
   4. Color and glue the leaves onto the stem.
   5. Glue the stem onto the flower.
   6. Put your flower on the teacher’s desk.
5. You may choose to display the flowers in the hallway or in the classroom as a diversity display.

Assessment for activity four

Assess by students’ flowers:

• Did the student follow directions for coloring?
• Did the student glue the flower correctly?

Activity five

This activity may serve as a good introduction to the different kinds of families within the classroom.

1. Begin a student discussion about different types of families. Use a KWL chart to spark the discussion:
   • What do you already know or think you know about different types of families?
   • What do you want to find out about different types of families? (Try to come up with at least three questions.)
   • What have you learned from this activity? (This part should be completed at the end of the activity.)
2. Show students the image of the family in San Pablito, Mexico. Invite students to compare and contrast their own families with the family in the photograph. Ask students how their families are similar to this family, and how they are different. As you lead the discussion, you may have students take notes comparing their own families to the on in the image, or you may make use chart paper or a white board to compile their responses.
3. Have each student create a Venn diagram to compare his or her family with the family in the photograph. Draw an example for the students as you give them instructions. Have the students to create two overlapping bubbles, one labeled “My family” and one labeled “Family in photo.” Supervise students to ensure that there is sufficient space in the overlapping area to record similarities.
4. After the students have created the template for the Venn diagram, have them fill it in, recording similarities in the overlapping area of the circles and differences outside the overlapping area.
5. Close the activity by revisiting the KWL chart. Have each student complete the section describing what they’ve learned by creating a chart:
   

   Types of families	Facts about the family types	How many families like this do you know?	What do you think about this family type?

6. You may opt to have a wrap-up discussion where you tally the different family types represented in your classroom. For example, the author found that one class had four students from families with two parents and children, four students from families consisting of mothers and children, two students from families consisting of fathers and children. Ask the students questions to help them make sense of the data. (For example, “How many students have stepfamilies?”) If you have two classes following this lesson plan, you can make a chart comparing the data from both classes.

Assessment for activity five

Assess by completion of the Venn diagram, participation in the discussion, and completion of the chart.

Activity six

1. Read the book Smoky Night to the class. The book is about a boy who lives with his mother in an apartment house in the city. During a riot, the apartment building burns and the boy and his mother are led to a shelter, which becomes their temporary home. Introduce the Spanish word esqueleto, which means skeleton. The same word also means house frame.
2. Have students complete a chart like the one in step five of the previous activity, but this time focus on the similarities and differences between the houses in which different families live. Begin by reflecting on how we have different families and how we live in different homes. Have students fill in the chart:
   

   Types of homes	Facts about the family homes	How many families do you know that live in this kind of home?	What do you think about this type of home?

3. Again, you may opt to lead a wrap-up discussion where you tally the different types of homes represented in your classroom. (Note: Before you decide to conduct a discussion like this, gauge the students’ comfort level.) Make a class chart detailing the number of students who live with a mother, a mother and a father, a father, a grandparent, another blood relative, or in another arrangement. If you have two classes following this lesson plan, you can make a chart comparing the data from both classes.

Assessment for activity six

Assess by participation in discussion and completion of chart.

Supplemental information

The following books may also be useful when discussing multiculturalism or the differences between individuals and families:

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

The author tells the story of his family and himself through the eyes of a young boy. The book provides an easy way to introduce issues of diversity to children. I especially like to use it with children from migrant families to introduce them to the diversity within their own culture and their surrounding communities. The book includes beautiful illustrations by Leslie Straub.

Grandparents Song by Sheila Hamanaka

The main character in this colorful book looks at her grandparents to understand the differences in characteristics that she has inherited.

Skin Again by bell hooks

Skin Again opens a discussion of race and identity, emphasizing the importance of looking beyond the skin to the person within.

The Colors of Us by Karen Katz

Karen Katz created this book for her daughter, who was adopted from Guatemala. It celebrates the many different skin colors and affirms our differences. The author and her daughter take a walk and discover all the colors of brown in their city.

Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children by Sandra L. Pinkney and Myles C. Pinkney

Shades of Black describes a tapestry of different skin colors, hair textures, and eye colors woven together by the refrain, “I am black. I am unique.” It encourages a celebration of similarities and differences in the classroom through discussion and writing.

Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say

This 1994 Caldecott winner tells the story of a Japanese grandfather’s journeys as a young man, which are later repeated by his grandson. The book explores how immigrants may feel in a foreign country.

Mr. Bow Tie by Karen Barbour

A family who befriends a homeless man helps him find his family. This book may help lead into discussions of homelessness.

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Unhei has moved to the United States from Korea. She is the new kid in school and she is worried about being teased about her name. Instead of introducing herself, she tells her class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her classmates help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. She practices being Suzy, Laura, or Amanda until one of her classmates goes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day she is supposed to choose her new name, the name jar disappears. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone learn to pronounce it.

This Home We Have Made by Anna Hammond and Joe Matunis

One night a homeless child joins a magical parade in hopes of finding a home of her own. Inspired by a mural in New York City painted largely by formerly homeless children. This book helps children learn that all children have hopes and dreams — even if they don’t have homes.

Lalo — and the Red Hot Chile Pepper by Elizabeth Jimenez, Michael Ramirez, and Barbara Teuten

Lalo, the six-year-old son of a Mexican father and a white mother, is teased because he does not have dark hair like his cousins. The book provides a good lead-in to discuss what gives people their ethnic identities.

Coming On Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson and Earl B Lewis

When her mother has to go to work in Chicago, Ruth moves in with her grandmother. This book tells the struggles she has living with her grandmother and her feelings about missing her mother.

National Standards

In addition to meeting objectives of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, this lesson plan addresses the following national standards.

National Educational Technology Standards

Goal 5: Work cooperatively and collaboratively with peers, family members when using technology in the classroom.

Goal 8: Create developmentally appropriate multimedia products with support from teachers, family, members, or student partners.

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Funding for this lesson plan was provided by the UNC Center for Global Initiatives through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s International Education Programs Service.