Anti-Bias Activity

 Diversity Activity  "Skin-Color Match-Ups."

 1.  Introduce your activity and why you chose it.

This activity, “Skin-Color Match-Ups” is wonderful for children age 3 and up because it explores similarities and differences in positive ways. I chose it because it teaches children that they all different from one another but they are special and similar. It teaches that nobody is “white.”black," " yellow," and "red.". They have their own color tone of skin. 

2. What is the appropriate age for this activity? 

The Preschool Years (age 3 and 4). Children of this age are better at noticing differences among people. They have learned to classify, and they tend to sort based on color and size. “European American children have developed a positive association with the color white and the racial label “white”” They can’t multiple classification, so they get confused about the names of racial groups and the color of their skin. “Preschoolers get even better at noticing differences among people.  They can name, identify, and match people according to their physical characteristics. Frances About (1988) said that by age three, minority children are better at classifying faces by color. Being part of the dominant culture means that many children have not had experience with or developed awareness of minority people living in society" R&W Chapter 2, Threes and Fours.

3.  Explain why this is an appropriate theme.

There are diversity activities to helping children understand that all people are similar and different from one others build self-esteem, develop respect for those who are different, learn that they will be same person, even if they are dressed in costumes, and develop an awareness of the variety of people's skin tones.

 4. Relate your activity to three concepts from the handout Goals for Anti-Bias Curriculum.

I think my theme relates three concepts from the handout Goals for Anti-Bias Curriculum. There are:

1.      Provide children with a positive experience exploring similarities and differences.

2.      Promote respect towards others.

3.      Promote group problem solving.

5. Discuss how you are meeting anti-bias goals.

The goal this activity “Skin-Color Match-Ups” (Children develop an awareness of the variety of people's skin tones) relates to Goal 2: Demonstrate comfortable, empathetic interaction with diversity among people. In the Anti-Bias Curriculum (1989), Louise Derman-Sparks states, “The goals are to facilitate children’s awareness that their racial identity does not change, to help them understand that they are part of a large group with similar characteristics (not “different” from everyone else) and to foster their desire to be exactly who they are.”

 6. Thoroughly explain the activity and materials needed.

Materials needed: Collection of nylon knee-hi stockings in many shades of tan, black, white, pink, yellow, and red.

What to do:

1.      Encourage children to try them on their hands and arms or their legs and feet.

2.       Ask questions to help the children increase their awareness of skin color. For example, “Can you find a stocking that is the same color as your skin?” Or “What color is that stocking you have on your arm?”

3.      Ask the children to “Try the _________ stocking. Is it lighter or darker than your own skin?”

4.       Tell the children no one’s skin color is really white, pink, yellow, or red.

5.      Emphasize that skin-color differences are interesting and desirable. (R&W Goals 2, activity “Skin-Color Match-Ups”)

  7.  Include variations/extensions, list 2 children's books.

1.       Read related book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

 This book is very interesting and colorful for children. Also, children will understand that all animals are different but they do the same think "see"and " looking" so they are similar. 

2. "Shades of People"

Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly (Jun 10, 2010)

  

This book introduce that people have many skin tones in our world and it has very good pictures.

It is very interesting how everyone skin is so unique and different but it is also important encourage children in some sort of activity to examine that. As a result I chose this activity and believe it will help children to study that we are different but we are the same and our skin tones are different.