Teach Out

For my Teach Out Project, I wanted to help my young learners explore and understand their identity and the different aspects of identity. Over the course of a week, I read a variety of children's books that focused on different aspects of identity like gender, language, race, and culture.

 After reading each book, I asked my students questions about the story and the conflict the characters faced (if applicable.) My student's favorite read aloud was The Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon. In this story, a young girl named Camilla Cream changes colors because she refuses to eat her favorite food, lima beans, because she is worried about what people will think of her. Doctors and specialist from across the land try to help Camilla, but her condition gets worse and worse with each visit. Finally an old woman comes to see Camilla offering a solution- lima beans! At first Camilla is reluctant to eat the beans because of the opinions of others, but she finally decides that only her opinion of herself matters. Camilla eats the lima beans and returns to her original form.

As a culminating task, I had my students create a paper doll version of themselves using a variety of art supplies. After student's created their dolls, they dictated 2 sentences to me about what they like about themselves; 1 sentence about their outer appearance and 1 sentence about their identity that wasn't visible to others.

 

 My students lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvved this project! It was amazing to hear little people talk about themselves and describe the aspects of their identity they loved and valued most. They worked hard to create their dolls and they are so excited to share them with my FNED 502 classmates!
This lesson was fun to teach and facilitate; I loved the art project and the adorable sentences😍.
I plan on extending this lesson into a unit, which I will teach at the beginning of the school year.

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