Draw Me/Draw You is a great activity to help children
understand that everyone is alike and different in many ways, but each
individual is special and we have to learn how to appreciate beauty and value
of others. We all have to know that there is no need to disrespect another
person just because they look, talk, smell, act, etc., different from us.
In this
activity, each child has a partner, who will sit directly across the table, and
will be encouraged to draw a picture of their face. Each child will be asked to
look at the different features in detail. Some examples of what should be
looked at are color of skin, eyes, and hair, length of hair, and whether it’s
curly or straight, and if the other child has freckles. Upon the completion of
their drawings, they will exchange their portraits.
There
aren’t many materials needed for this specific activity. In fact, we may all
have these things around the house and they can definitely be found in any
classroom. The materials needed are as follows: drawing paper, felt-tip pens,
and crayons.
I was able
to do this activity with my sons and nephews. Their ages are 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Yes, very convenient. I was able to get an idea of how advanced each child was
in their ability to pay attention to detail. My 4 year old son picked up a
purple crayon and started to draw a crooked circle for the face, two dots for
eyes and a crooked smile, all with the same color crayon. There was no hair, no
nose, and no ears. My 5 year old son had a drawing that was almost identical
except for the few additional details like using the yellow crayon for the
hair, and a blue crayon to draw the eyes. My 6 year old nephew is in a ninja
phase so he drew my 4 year old son with a black ninja mask that covered his
eyes. There was nothing I could do about this one. The 7 year old did the most
impressive job with his drawing because he obviously paid attention to the
instructions that I gave before they started to draw. He drew my 5 year old son
with blond hair, brown eyes, a few light freckles on his cheeks, fair skinned,
and a big smile that was missing the top two teeth.
The three
things goals that I could connect from the handout “Anti-Bias Activity Goals”
were:
1.
Recognize, appreciate, and respect the uniqueness,
beauty, value and contribution of each child.
2.
Promote respect towards others.
3.
Provide children with a positive experience
exploring similarities and differences.
These goals
could all fall under the Multicultural Education that York speaks of.
“Recognize and respect human similarities and differences, and develop skills
for living in a diverse society. Alike and different; clothes; foods; and
families” (York, pg. 134).
I found two
very cute children’s books that talk about how we are different and the same in
many ways. These books contain great color and describe a variety of cultures. I believe that these books would be a great read for children of different ages.
1.
We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street)
by Bobbi Kates
2.
Special People, Special Ways by Arlene Maguire
Here are a few different variations in how this activity
could be presented:
1.
Have the children describe themselves to each
other before they begin drawing.
2.
Have the children share their drawings with the
class at group time.
3.
Play a guessing game during group time. Have the
children look at the drawing and
guess who it is.
I chose
this particular activity because the materials were easily accessible and I
wanted to try doing it with my children first for the experience. They enjoy
coloring and drawing, so I knew that it would be an activity that they could
have fun with. They liked this activity even more because they were able to do
it with their cousins.
I believe
that this activity is appropriate for children whose ages range from 3-9,
because they do the following:
·
Make false associations and overgeneralize
·
Explore real and pretend, fair and unfair
·
Understand group membership; form groups to
distinguish self from others
(York, pg.
21).
Children in this age range are able to acknowledge the
similarities and differences that they share with those around them. This
activity would also be a great conversation starter in talking about the
importance of respecting and accepting those that are different.
The three
concepts that are relatable to this activity and how it meets the anti-bias
goals are as follows:
1.
People are similar
2.
People are different
3.
Some physical attributes stay the same and some
change
As we have been learning from the beginning of this class,
children are able to tell/see differences from a very early age. Being able to
draw their partner and then having discussions will help them understand why we
are similar and different. We all have eyes for seeing, noses for smelling, mouths
for eating, hands for touching, legs for walking, etc. My nose and mouth might
look different from the next persons, but it still has the same function.
York, Stacey. (2003). Roots & Wings Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs. St. Paul, MN
York, Stacey. (2003). Roots & Wings Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs. St. Paul, MN
