Celebrating Similarities and Differences

    We read The Crayon Box That Talked and then discussed how differences make each of special and allow us to do bigger and better things together. Then we illustrated ourselves on a crayon and colored our crayon.

    We read Elmer and discussed how sometimes when we feel different, we try hard to be like everyone else, but it's really better just to be your self. We colored our own Elmers and shared how we are different.

    We read Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. We talked about how our skin may be different colors, but we all have feelings, likes, and dislikes. Then we examined a brown and white egg. We looked at the outside and compared/contrasted the two. Then we cracked our eggs and compared/contrasted the inside. We recorded our observations on a Venn Diagram. We made the connection between the eggs and people; the only difference is on the outside. Then students shared a way they the same with their partner and wrote a rebus sentence about what they both like.

    We read The Peace Book by Todd Par. Then we wrote a five senses poem about peace through interactive writing.

We are Poets!

We brainstormed about the Gingerbread men we had eaten using our five senses. 

As a class, we wrote a five senses poem about gingerbread men. The students wrote on their own white boards while I wrote what they dictated to me.

We brainstormed about Christmas using our five senses.

Then students used the ideas we brainstormed to write their own five senses poem about Christmas.

We brainstormed about Christmas trees by creating a bubble map.

Then we created a shape poem about a Christmas tree. I wrote what the students dictated as they wrote on their own white boards at the same time.

We brainstormed about presents by creating a bubble map.

Then students used our bubble map to write their own shape poems about presents.