The main themes of this unit are: - we all have multiple identities; - using labels can lead to stereotyping and discrimination; - classrooms should be inclusive places where everyone feels welcome; and - we need to learn about and value those in our community. Personal Development and Mutual Understanding: Key Stage 1, Year 4 Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community Unit 6: I Am... You Are... We Can... Complementary Units: Difficult Feelings Friendships I Am... You Are... We Can...
Transcript
The main themes of this unit are:- we all have multiple identities;- using labels can lead to stereotyping and discrimination;- classrooms should be inclusive places where everyone feels welcome; and- we need to learn about and value those in our community.
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding: Key Stage 1, Year 4Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider CommunityUnit 6: I Am... You Are... We Can...Complementary Units: Difficult Feelings Friendships
I Am... You Are... We Can...
Stories from Other Cultures
If you have children in your class who come from other countries try to obtain stories written in their home language.
When using photographs and other resources, try to include images from the different cultures represented in your classroom. This will give the children an opportunity to discuss their culture with others in the class and to highlight any similarities and differences.
Give new children who speak a different language to the majority of the class opportunities to meet other children from the same cultural background who speak the same language. This will help create confidence. They can use this time to talk in their home language and to practise speaking their new language.
Cultural Calendar
Use a cultural calendar to create awareness of cultural events across the world. This is a good opportunity to introduce the children to food associated with each event.
Use stories as opportunities to introduce food the children may not have tasted. For example, talk about the fruit in Handa’s Surprise (see Suggested additional resources for full reference).
Teaching approaches
Fair Group
Place a number of differently coloured sticks or straws into a ‘feely bag’. If you want to create four groups, use four different colours of sticks or straws and so on. Or, if you want to have four children in a group, place four sticks or straws of each colour in the bag. Ask the children to pick a straw from a ‘feely bag’ and to form the groups accordingly.
Alternatively, decide the roles you will need in the group for example, leader, ‘go for’, timekeeper and reporter. Allocate a colour to each role and then ask the children to pick a straw from the ‘feely bag’. Form the groups as the straws are withdrawn. For example, Group 1 will be comprised of those children who picked the first yellow, blue, red and green straws.
Ideas To Introduce A Topic
- An email- A posted letter to the class- An invitation- An announcement from the Principal- An arranged interruption by another teacher- Ask a ‘What if...’ question
Moving towards Key Stage 2
Explore, value and celebrate cultural difference and diversity:- examining and exploring the different types of families that exist, the roles within them, and the different responsibilities;- knowing about aspects of their cultural heritage including the diversity of cultures that contribute to Northern Ireland;- recognising the similarities and differences between cultures in Northern Ireland, for example food, clothes, symbols and celebrations;- acknowledging that people differ in what they believe is right or wrong;- recognising that people have different beliefs which shape the way they live;- developing an awareness of the experiences, lives and cultures of people in the wider world;- recognising the similarities and differences between cultures, for example food, clothes, symbols and celebrations; and- recognising how injustice and inequality affect people’s lives.
I know more about the people in my class than I did last year.I can tell five facts about myself.I understand that I should be friendly to everyone in our class. I know that I can only be with my special friends some of the time.I am learning ways to help other people without talking.I can name places in the local community that I go to regularly.I can name places in the local community that I do not go to (regularly). I am beginning to be able to tell you about my identity. I am developing an awareness of and respect for everyone in my class.I understand what it is like to feel excluded. I try to be fair to everyone and include them when I am playing and working in groups.I can tell ways to help someone feel included.When I see someone left out I use ways to include them.I am beginning to understand what it would be like if I was disabled in some way.I can describe something valuable about each person in our classroom.
Progress in learning
Explore and discuss similarities and differences between groups of people:- beginning to recognise similarities and differences in families and the wider community;- celebrating special occasions, for example birthdays and weddings; and- understanding that everyone is of equal worth and that it is acceptable to be different.
Building on Foundation Stage 1
Working at Key Stage 1
Similarities and differences between people:- appreciating ways we are similar and different;- being aware of their own cultural heritage, its traditions and celebrations; - recognising and valuing the culture and traditions of one other group who shares their community; and- being aware of the diversity of people around the world.
Key Experiences in exploring similarities and differences between people
Notes
Key Stage 1, Year 4
2
Recognise and value diversity in people.
In addition to involving other classroom adults who work with the children, consider inviting parent(s)/carer(s) to join in the overall planning process. Discussing diversity can be a sensitive subject, so parent(s)/carer(s) will be reassured to hear what you plan to do. It’s also good to give them an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.
You may consider having a Fears in a Hat session. Distribute paper and pens. Invite parent(s)/carer(s) and any classroom adults to write down any concerns they may have about the content of this unit. Allow
Planning together
Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community I Am... You Are... We Can...
Learning intention:
Be sensitive to those for whom English is not their first language and try to be available for questions later.
Parent(s), carer(s) and non-teaching staff often have extensive knowledge of the local area, which can be useful when planning activities in the local community. If children are present at the meeting after they have contributed to the key questions on the Planning Board, ask the adults to contribute by suggesting how they could help. If possible arrange dates and times with the adults present. When the plans come to be translated into action, involve
those parents who offered their help and support. Record all work without a written outcome using photographs or other media.
At the Review stage of the topic, consider inviting all parent(s)/carer(s) to view a presentation of the completed work and to contribute to an evaluation of what took place. Involve the children in drawing up the evaluation for the adults but in addition consider giving time to their oral contribution. Be sensitive to those adults who were unable to contribute to the topic through work or other commitments.
plenty of time for parent(s)/carer(s)/classroom adults to consider their fears and to write them down. Collect the pieces of paper and place them into a hat. Pick them out of the hat and answer the concerns one by one. If there are a number of concerns about a particular aspect of this unit, explain the activities that you may be doing (relating to that aspect) and ask the adults how they feel about what you have suggested. They may be able to suggest a strategy with which they are more comfortable.
Check work routinely for accuracy and precision;
Persist with tasks until an appropriate endpoint, with teacher prompting;
Seek help from other people;
Work towards personal targets identified by teacher; and
Develop an awareness of what they enjoy, what they find difficult, their personal strengths and limitations.
Working with others
Develop further habits of collaborative learning;
Become more adept at turn-taking, sharing and cooperating when working in a group or team;
Decide what needs to be done in a group and take responsibility for aspects of the work;
Show the ability to learn from shared and modelled activities;
Adapt behaviour and language to suit different situations;
Show fairness to others; and
Recognise and respect other people’s feelings and ideas.
Managing information
Ask more focused questions about the task, clarify purpose and what needs to be done;
Recognise where similar tasks have been done in the past;
Use their own and others’ ideas to identify, locate and select various sources of information;
Set goals for their work, break tasks into smaller parts and plan their next steps;
Record information in a variety of formats; and
Begin to identify audience and purpose when communicating.
Thinking, problem solvingand decision-making
Show their ability to organise and summarise to show understanding;
Sequence, order and rank information along different dimensions;
Identify similarities and differences by making simple comparisons and connections;
Begin to test predictions and to look for evidence;
Make decisions and generate options;
Suggest possible solutions to problems;
Be systematic and work through the stages in a task;
Explain their methods and opinions, and the reasons for choices and actions; and
Recognise the differences between why, what, where, when and how questions.
Being creative
Show curiosity when approaching new tasks and challenges;
Have experiences with all the senses;
Listen to and share ideas and experiences;
Generate as many ideas as possible, building and combining ideas;
Take time to use the imagination. Enjoy the unexpected, unusual and surprising; and
Experiment and investigate real life issues.
Self-management
Check that they are achieving their purpose by talking about what they are learning, how the work was carried out and some aspect that might be improved;
3
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities by the end of Key Stage 1
Words and phrases I will hear and use
Community
Inclusion
Across the Curriculum: Connecting the learning
Majority
Discrimination
Sitar
4
Using Mathematics Thinking Skills and Personal CapabilitiesDrama
Minority
Lambeg
drum
Constructing a 3-D shape to make a Good To Be Me Cube
Using a survey to collect information to enable decision-making about better disabled access
Responding in role to the imaginative play of others. Children responding to Learning Activity 2: How Happy?
Activity 1Multiple identities Recognising that there are lots of different things that make us who we are.
Activity 2Limiting labels Understanding that using labels can lead to stereotyping and discrimination.
Activity 3Creating inclusive spaces Creating a classroom and school community where everyone feels welcome and can join in.
Activity 4Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community Emphasising the importance of valuing and learning about others who may live their lives differently to us.
Exclusion
Personality Religious backgroundHobbies/
interests
LabelsLearning activities
5
Multiple identities
Bodhran
Disabled
Different options
Tools
6
Learning activity 1: Multiple identities
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will develop our understanding of the concept of identity.We will continue to build respect for our own and other people’s feelings, ideas and heritage.We will continue to develop and demonstrate our listening skills.
CORE CONCEPT
There are lots of different things that make us who we are. We call these our multiple identities.
POINTS TO NOTEThis unit deals with sensitive issues including identity, labelling and disability. We recommend that you send home the Letter To Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A) before beginning this topic.
This unit links with Interactive Sarah and the Whammi. You can access this at www.nicurriculum.org.uk Follow the links from the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding section.
You can access the full series of Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI website: https://learningni.net/Follow video links.
Unit 4 of Interactive Sarah and The Whammi highlights Sarah’s awareness of being part Catholic and part Protestant as she is the child of a mixed marriage. This is a good starting point for thinking
widely about multiple identities and things that are unique to us as well as things that are shared in common. Tasks 4:1 and 4:2 in Unit 4: Difference and Diversity of Interactive Sarah and the Whammi are most relevant to this learning activity.
WHAT YOU NEED- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)- Things I Notice In My Community (Resource B)- Cardboard box and cardboard cube- Sheets of card- Art materials - Coloured dot/star stickers- Digital/disposable camera(s)
WHAT TO DO- Who Am I?- It’s Good To Be Me Cube- Line Ups- Community Maps- Reflecting And Reviewing
Who Am I?
7
This activity can be done as a whole class or in smaller groups. It introduces the ideas that there is more than one thing or label that makes up our identity, and that some aspects of our identity can change. Importantly, these concepts are also true for other people.
Ask each person in the class (including the adults) to think of four things about themselves and to write them down on a piece of paper. These could include statements to do with likes/dislikes or information about family, hobbies and interests, ethnic/religious background, gender and/or personality. For example, a person might write: - I was born in Belfast; - I have a new baby sister; - I am learning to play the sitar; and - I don’t eat meat.
When everyone has finished, collect the pieces of paper, put them into a container and mix them up. Invite everyone to sit in a circle. Pass the container around and ask everyone to take one piece of paper from it. Then, invite each person to take it in turn to read out the statements written on their piece of paper. Have the rest of the class try to guess the identity of the person being described.
Use the following questions to generate a whole-class discussion:- How easy or difficult was it to think of four things about you? Why do you think that was?- Are there any things you wrote about yourself that are different or new this year? (For example a new activity or skill, a different hairstyle or a new baby in the family.)- Did you find out anything new about anyone else?- Did anyone notice anything that had changed for someone else since last year?- Did some of the same things come up several times? Did that make it harder to guess the identity of the person? (The individual combinations were probably all different.)
- Was there anything you noticed that was only used by one person?- Did people use things like being a boy/girl (gender), their skin colour or the country they come from (ethnicity/nationality) and religion? Why do you think that was? (It may be interesting to see whether, for example, any of the white children in the class used that on their list. Sometimes, being in a large majority can mean that we stop seeing that part of our identity. Issues of difference and majority/minority will be followed up in Learning activity 2.)- Having done this exercise, do you think it is possible to use one word or label to describe someone? Why do you think that?
Show everyone a cardboard box, and ask for suggestions as to how it might be made. Then show them a cube made of card. Take it apart and demonstrate how it fits together. Tell the children that they are going to make their own cube that tells others more about who they are. Use the ideas generated in the Who Am I? game as a starting point for a discussion about the type of information that could be included on the cube.
For example, the children might want to include:- a self-portrait or photograph;- some factual information such as gender, age, area/town or where they live;- people who are special to them;- pictures of some of the activities and hobbies they do;- symbols that represent any clubs they belong to; and/or- information about their religion or ethnic/national identity.
Give each child a sheet of card and art materials. Allow then enough time to create their cube.
Once the cubes have been completed, divide the class into small groups*. Invite them to talk about their cubes and explain some of the information included. Afterwards, ask the children to sit in a circle. Initiate a class discussion. Draw out the themes of multiple identities, changing aspects of identity and the things that we stop seeing/forget about because they seem too obvious. You can use the questions from Who Am I? to structure the discussion. Finally, ask the children to complete the sentence stem, ‘Something that is good about me is...’
Display the It’s Good To Be Me cubes in the classroom. You may decide to hang them from the ceiling or create a giant mobile.
*One way to divide the class into smaller groups is to get everyone to close their eyes. Stick a coloured dot/star on each person’s forehead. Without speaking, the children must find the other people with the same colour of dot or star, and join together as a group. If you have already used Green Unit 4: Friendships Learning Activity 3, the children will be familiar with this way of grouping.
who am I?
Line Ups
9NovemberJanuary August
This activity requires some space so that the whole class can get into a line from one end of the room to the other. Ask the children and any adults present to line up according to the categories that you give them. Where possible, ask them to make decisions about the order for example, if several people have a birthday in one month, they could go by date. Ask them to form all or some of the lines without speaking. This increases the challenge and highlights some communication themes that will be explored in later activities.
Here are a few ideas you can use for the lines:- birthday month from January to December;- colour of hair from lightest to darkest;- number of children in family from fewest to most; and - distance between home to school from closest to farthest away.
Be sensitive to categories where children may think that one end of the line is better than the other, for example tallest/smallest or oldest/youngest. You can include these if you want, but you may need to discuss the false sense of better/worse. It may be helpful to demonstrate what you would like the children to do using a group of about eight children first.
Afterwards, use discussion questions such as:- Did you stand beside the same people every time? - Did you stand beside anyone more than once?- Did you find out anything new about anyone else?- Were there any lines where your position is different to where you would have stood if you had done this last year? - What changed? Could it change (again) in the future?- Can you think of any other lines we could have used?- How did you find working without talking? Was it easy/difficult?- What strategies did you use to communicate? - How did you work out where to stand?- How did you help each other?
You can do this activity in the classroom by simply drawing on the children’s own knowledge of the local area. If necessary, invite the classroom adults to provide some information. Alternatively, you can set this as a home learning activity or have the children take part in an organised walk around the local community to observe the buildings, parks and spaces.
You can have the children create:- an actual map;- a poster with symbols and pictures that represent the different places; or- a collage of drawings, photographs, and magazine cut outs of the different buildings/spaces in the local area (for example, a park or playing fields).
Invite the children to share their community maps with each other in circle time and/or in small groups. Encourage them to discuss the similarities and differences in their maps. Use the following questions to encourage discussion:- How do the different places on your own map relate to different parts of your own identity? For example, if you go to the local
Presbyterian church is this marked on your map?- Are there any new places you have discovered recently, maybe because of new activities you do or because of a new friend you have made?- Is there a place that you did not know about that is important to someone else?- Do some people have to travel further than others to reach the places that are important to them?- Are there any places you feel you can’t go? Why is that? Is it because you are too young? Is it because you don’t play a particular sport? Is it because somewhere is not safe in the evening? Is it because an area is seen as belonging to another community?
Give the children a copy of Resource B: Things I Notice In My Community. Encourage them to use this to make notes of what they see in their local community. If you decide to take the children on an organised walk, have them use disposable or digital cameras to record what they see.
In class, discuss what the children have recorded on their Things I Notice In My Community resource sheets. Then invite them to make their community map. The intention is not to produce accurate road maps but for the children (and helping adults) to highlight places that are significant for them and to become more aware of diversity in their area.
11
(This may be a starting point for thinking about exclusion/ inclusion.)- What would make you feel safe/welcome there? (You could also explore this the other way round, thinking about people who may feel excluded from the children’s groups or local community.)
A possible follow on activity is to create a group or class map/poster.
Next, encourage the children to think about places in the community that are important to people other than themselves, and why. Have them use their notes from Resource B: Things I Notice In My Community and the information they received from people at home or the classroom adults.
You can use the following ideas to prompt their thinking:- places of worship different to the one you attend;- sports clubs/playing fields that you have never been to;- a community centre or church hall where a toddler’s group meets;- a local post office (point out that it is very important for local elderly people, people who don’t have a car and people who cannot get to a bank in a town centre);- buildings belonging to charitable organisations; and/or - places they might want to go to when they are teenagers.
If you have made a class map/poster, add the new places to visually represent the diversity of people living in the community.
In circle time, review the children’s understanding of the term identity. Finally, invite them to complete the following sentence stems:- A new place I have found out about is...- Something I hadn’t thought about before is...
Reflecting And Reviewing
12
Learning activity 2: Limiting labels
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will recognise some of the limitations of labels and stereotypes.We will understand more about looking beyond labels and checking out our assumptions.We will build empathy around the experience of people who feel excluded.
CORE CONCEPT
Using labels for people can lead to stereotyping and discrimination.
POINTS TO NOTEIf you have not completed Learning activity 1, consider sending home the Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A).
You can use Interactive Sarah and the Whammi Unit 4: Difference and Diversity Media Clip 4:1 with this activity. You can access this at www.nicurriculum.org.uk Follow the links from the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding section.
You can access the full series of Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI website: https://learningni.net/Follow video links.
How Big? How Happy? activity is adapted from a Train the Trainer Circle Time course by Jenny Mosely.
You can access similar courses at www.circle-time.co.uk
We suggest using playing cards for the How Big? How Happy? drama exercises. However you can use any other set of suitable cards.
WHAT YOU NEED- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)- Playing cards/number cards- Quiz questions and prizes- Newspapers- Sticky tape- Blindfolds/scarves
WHAT TO DO- How Big? How Happy? - Winners And Losers- Newspaper Towers- Reflecting And Reviewing
13
These two exercises provide a starting point for thinking about how a label tells us very little about diversity. You will need space for people to move about.
How big?Have everyone stand in a circle. Ask them to imagine that they have an invisible ball. Have them throw the imaginary ball to each other. Instruct them say their name and the name of the person they are going to throw the ball to. Start by saying the ball is big. After a few throws, start challenging the children about how big the ball is. Encourage them to think about different sizes that would still be considered big and how this might change their throwing/catching. For example if the ball is enormous, the thrower might have their arms stretched out wide, be staggering about or might need someone else to help them throw it. Encourage everyone to be as imaginative and creative as possible.
After a while, tell them to stop speaking and to carefully watch for the ball being thrown to them. Then, change the label or description of the ball. For example, you might say, ‘The ball is small/light/heavy/bouncy.’ Again, challenge the children to think about the characteristics of the label and how this might change how they throw and catch the ball.
How Big? How Happy?
How happy?Take the aces and number cards from a pack of playing cards. Alternatively, make up enough number cards for the class with some extras. Give everyone a card. Tell them not to show it to anyone else. Tell them you want them to move around the room (without speaking) as if they are feeling happy. Explain that their level of happiness is determined by the number on their card. The ace or one means not happy and the ten means extremely happy. Give the children some time to imagine how they will do this, what it will feel like and how they might express it. You or a volunteer may need to talk/act through one example to get people started. After a couple of minutes, ask everyone to show their card. Collect the cards and repeat the exercise using different feelings, for example disappointed, confident, bored, shy or excited.
You may decide to repeat the activity with the feeling of confidence. This time ask the children to observe the others moving around the classroom. Explain that they are going to have to rank order themselves from least confident to most confident. When the children have ranked themselves, invite them to show their cards and see how well they performed in the task.
De-brief the two exercises using discussion questions such as:- How did you feel during the ball activity?- When I said the ball was big, what did you think? Did you have one size in your mind, or did you think, ‘How big?’- How did you decide how to throw/catch the ball?- Did you ever think about asking anyone to help you when the ball was very, very big or heavy? Why/why not?- Did you ever think of offering to help someone else when the ball was very, very big or heavy? Why/why not?- How did you feel when you had to do the ball activity without speaking? How did you communicate?- How did you feel doing the cards activity? Did you find it easier or more difficult than the ball game?
- Did you find it easy/difficult to get into role? Why do you think that was?- Did the way you acted out the feeling affect the way you moved around other people? In what ways?- Do you think some numbers were harder to express than others? Why do you think that is? (The children will probably say that they found it more difficult to act out the middle numbers because the differences are less obvious than at the extremes of ace/one and ten.)- Did you find it difficult to rank order yourselves? Did you get it mostly right? What caused the most confusions/mix ups?- Do you think everyone would have acted the number five in the same way? Why is that?- Would it have been easier if you had been able to speak? What kinds of talk or noises
might you have added for the different feelings?- Can you think of some of the labels we use to describe people when we are putting them into groups? (As well as labels like sporty or musical, encourage the group to think about labels linked to gender, religion, disability, ethnicity and nationality.)- Can you think what the exercises help us understand about using one label for lots of different people in a group?- Can you give me any examples from your own experience?- What do we call it when we have one picture in our mind of what someone with that label looks like?- What are some of the things that can happen when we have labelled or stereotyped someone?
rank
labels
help
throw
15
This game provides an opportunity for the children to think about discrimination resulting from being grouped under a particular label. Divide the class into quiz teams based on eye colour or birthday months. It doesn’t matter if there are different numbers of people in each group. In your mind, choose one group and every time it is their turn, ask them very easy questions. With each of the other teams, make sure you include at least some questions that it will be impossible for them to answer. At the end of the quiz, reward the winning team with a prize. If you want to introduce the idea of majorities and minorities, ask all the teams except one very easy questions and reward all the teams except one at the end.
Winners And Losers
You may already be getting some lively feedback as the quiz progresses, but at the end, use discussion questions such as:- What did you think of the quiz?- How did you feel about the way the teams were selected?- How did you feel about how your team did?- How did you feel about the other teams?- How do you feel about me as the person asking the questions and deciding who won?
- How did it feel to be in the minority group and be asked harder questions?- How did it feel to be left out when the prizes were given out?- Can anyone think of any real life situations in school where people are treated unfairly because of a label that they have/are given, or because they are seen as different? What about in the community or our society as a whole?- Can you think of any real life situations in school where the people who are treated unfairly are the minority? What about in the community or our society as a whole?- Do you think this makes any difference? Why do you think that?- Are there times when you are in the majority and still feel left out or excluded?
their groups, give them a pile of newspapers and some sellotape. Alternatively, use other resources that could be used for building a tower. Tell the groups that you are going to give them a limited amount of time to construct a tower. The group with the biggest tower is the winner.
When they have been working for a short time, go to each group and ask for two volunteers. Blindfold one of the volunteers and attach the other volunteer’s arms to their chest. Leave the groups to finish their towers within the timeframe you have decided. Alert them five minutes before the finish time.
Afterwards use the following questions to develop a class discussion:- How did you feel you worked together as a group?- Did different people take on different roles/jobs?
If you were blindfolded:- How did you feel? - What did you contribute to the team? - How did the rest of the team relate to you? - Did you feel part of the team? - What might have helped you to feel part of the team?
If you had your arm attached to your chest:- How did you feel? - What did you contribute to the team? - How did the rest of the team relate to you? - Did you feel part of the team? - What might have helped you to feel part of the team?
Explain to the children that one way people can be discriminated against is if they are excluded or left out because they are seen as being different or are labelled in a certain way. This exercise gives the class an opportunity to experience and think about this.
Divide the class into groups of approximately six people. One way of doing this is to make simple jigsaws from magazine pictures stuck on card or from postcards (these could be of people/faces). If you want groups of six, create jigsaws with six pieces. Give everyone a piece of the jigsaw, and ask them to find the other members of their group. When the children have formed
Newspaper Towers
17
For the other members of the teams:- How did you feel when the volunteers were blindfolded and had their arms strapped? - How did you relate to them after that? - What contributions did they make to the team? - Did you include them or exclude them? In what ways? - Which felt more important- including your teammates or getting the tower built? - How could you maybe have included them more? How might you have benefited if you had done this?- What are the things we can learn from doing this activity? - What can we learn about being different, exclusion and inclusion, being in a minority, being the only one and being in the majority?
Encourage all children to share their experience using questions such as:- Can you tell us if something like this that has happened to you? - How do you feel when you are asked to do something that you cannot do the same way as others in the class?
This theme will be revisited in Learning activity 4.
In circle time, review the children’s understanding of the words inclusion, exclusion, majority and minority. Highlight the idea of fair participation by passing round a speaking object or by giving each child a penny/token to use when they want to take their turn to speak. Have the children use sentence starters such as:- Something I could do if I feel excluded is...- Something I could do if I see someone being excluded is...- Something we did that made me think was...
Reflecting And Reviewing
18
Learning activity 3: Creating inclusive spaces
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will recognise that differences make our classroom/school/community more interesting.We will work together, sharing ideas and skills with each other.We will use thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills to explore ways to help people feel included.
CORE CONCEPT
We need to build a classroom/school/community where everyone feels welcome and can join in.
POINTS TO NOTEIf you have not completed Learning activities 1 or 2, send home the Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A).
You can use Interactive Sarah and the Whammi Unit 4: Difference and Diversity Media Clip 4:2 and Task 4:3 with this Learning activity. You can access this at www.nicurriculum.org.uk Follow the links from the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding section.
You can access the full series of Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI website: https://learningni.net/Follow video links.
WHAT YOU NEED- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)- The Rainbow Song (Resource C)- CD of Serge Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf- Materials for making musical instruments- Sticky labels- Pot/stand and branch or materials to make a tree- String/wool/ribbon
WHAT TO DO- Class Orchestra- Suns And Clouds: Included And Excluded- Changing The Story- Welcome Posters- The Wishing Tree- Reflecting And Reviewing
19
This activity introduces the children to the concept that we all have ideas and skills to contribute and that inclusion benefits everyone. Have the children listen to Serge Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf (Opus 67). This is a great introduction to orchestral instruments and the way they work together.
There may be children in your class who are learning musical instruments. Invite them to bring their instruments into class and show them to the other children and/or play them. There may be opportunities to learn about music and instruments from different cultures.
Have the children sit in a circle. Explain that they are going to play in an imaginary orchestra. Ask the children to suggest instruments that might be part of the orchestra. Then, ask them what playing each instrument would look like. For example, you could ask, ‘What would it look like if you were playing the guitar, trombone, sitar, Lambeg drum or bodhran?’ Explain that one person is going to be the leader of the orchestra and that everyone else has to copy the instrument that they are playing. The leader will play several instruments and the children must copy them each time.
Ask for a volunteer to go and stand at one side of the room with their back to the group. Silently choose a leader. Invite the volunteer to come back and stand in the middle of the circle. Ask the orchestra to start playing their instruments. The volunteer in the middle must guess who the leader is. Remind the leader to change instruments carefully to avoid being caught out. Remind the other players to try to keep the
Class Orchestra
identity of the leader a secret. Repeat this game with different volunteers.
Have the children make instruments from scrap materials, for example:- rattles (fill different shaped bottles and containers with dried peas/rice/paper clips/ scraps of card); - shakers (attach a string of milk bottle tops or crepe paper streamers to a stick); - stringed instruments (stretch elastic bands across different shaped open boxes); - scrapers (made with two blocks of wood covered with sandpaper); and/or - drums.
- What does our class look like/ sound like/feel like when everyone is enjoying being here and can join in together?- What do you think are some of the skills we need to make our class work well together?- Does everyone have the same skills? How can we work as a team?- What are some of the things that can happen so that people don’t feel welcome in our classroom or don’t feel able to take part in things?
You can introduce this activity by saying, ‘Being in an orchestra or music group means everyone belonging and everyone working together. Sometimes we have experiences like that where we feel included and other times we feel left out or excluded.’ Ask the children for some general examples of inclusion and exclusion.
Invite the children to play their instruments in the class orchestra.
Finish by having a class discussion. You can use the following questions to prompt the children’s thinking:- When everyone in an orchestra/music group is playing their instruments really well together, what does it sound like?- As well as being able to play an instrument, what skills do you need to play in an orchestra/music group?- What would happen if the players did not listen to each other/did not watch the conductor or leader/played their own instrument very loudly all the time?
Give everyone two sheets of paper. Ask them to draw a large outline of the sun on one sheet and a large outline of a cloud on the other. Inside the sun, ask them to write about or draw a picture of a time they felt included because of one of the parts of their identity. For example, they might draw or write about:- a great time that they had with their friends; - being included on a sports team; - being at their church/place of worship;- going to a family event like a wedding; or - something they described/drew on their It’s Good To Be Me cube.
Inside the cloud, ask them to write about or draw a picture of a time they felt excluded because of one of the parts of their identity. For example, they might draw or write about:- being left out of a game with friends because of a disability;- a time they were left off the sports team;- not being able to eat school meals because the food was not prepared in a way that was appropriate for their religious beliefs;- not being able to go to a special family event because they were sick; or- something they described/drew on their It’s Good To Be Me cube.
It may be useful for the children to work in small groups of approximately four people to help them come up with ideas and examples. You can group the children by writing the names of musical instruments on sticky labels (for example four violins, four trombones, four flutes and so on). Stick the labels on to the children’s backs. Without talking, the children must work out what their own instrument is, find the other people who are the same instruments and form a group. Be sensitive to the possibility that there may be children who feel excluded at times within the class group.
When the children have completed their sun and cloud pictures, invite them to share their work with the other members of their group. Encourage them to explain what happened and particularly, how they felt. Remind them of the How Happy? exercise and encourage them to give details about their feelings.
Finish off by having circle time. Ask the children for a few examples of inclusion and exclusion. Use the following questions:- What kinds of identity labels were people included for? (List these on the board.)- What kinds of identity labels were people excluded for? (List these on the board.)- Are there some labels that appear on both lists? Why do you think that is?- How did you feel when you were thinking back to a time when you felt included?- How did you feel when you were thinking back to a time when you felt excluded?
Afterwards, discuss:- How easy or difficult was it to think of different options for changing the stories so that the excluded person felt included?- If you think about your personal example, would the options people suggested have helped you?- If any of you are still in those situations, do you now have any strategies you could use to try to change things? What could you do? Is there someone you could ask to help?
Have the children stay in the same groups. Ask them to think about the examples of being excluded and about ways in which they could turn this into an example of inclusion instead. Encourage them to try and come up with several options. Next, ask them to choose one of the examples given in their group and develop it as a role-play. They must first depict an example of a person being excluded and show how the situation could be changed into a story of inclusion. Have the groups perform their dramas for each other.
Changing the Story
Ask the children to reflect back on their personal experiences and the exercises in this and previous activities. As a class, make a list of words/phrases that describe how we feel when we are included. Make another list of words/phrases that describe how we feel when we are excluded. Display these in the classroom where everyone can see them. Explain to the children that you want them to think about their classroom and/or the school as a whole school environment.
Use the following questions to generate a class discussion:- How do you feel about coming to school/being part of our class? Which list are those kinds of feelings on?- How important is it for our classroom/school to be somewhere that all individual, different people feel welcomed and included?- Do you think we are doing a good job of being inclusive?
- Thinking about the feelings people have about coming to school/ being in our class, which things could we do better?- Are there people you can think of who might not feel welcomed and included in our classroom/school? Why do you think that?
You may need to prompt the children’s thinking. Ask them to think about:- people with visual or hearing impairments (they would have difficulties joining in some activities); - someone whose first language is not English; - someone who is new to the school and has come from another area/country; - someone who does not have a television in their home; and/or- someone who, for religious, cultural or other reasons, does not go to the same places/do the same activities as others in the class.
Continue by asking if these people are likely to be part of a majority or a minority and how that might affect how they feel. One aspect of this is that sometimes there can be an unspoken perception of the majority position as normal or the norm. It may be useful to talk about this, give examples like those above and ask again about feelings.
Finally, ask the children to think about the word welcome. Encourage them to discuss what it means and describe what it might look like in practice. As a class, thought shower ideas for a welcome slogan for your classroom/school. Ask for some volunteers to decorate a poster with the slogan on it. Display the poster in your classroom or at the school entrance/reception area. Alternatively, get the class to work in groups and create a series of welcome posters. Hang them in different places around the school building.
Build on the idea of welcome and inclusion by thinking more about what it looks like in practice. Reinforce the idea that a welcome poster on its own is only the first step. Encourage the children to think about how they can take personal responsibility for ensuring that everyone feels welcome and included in practice.
Make a tree using a pot and a bare branch, wire coat hangers or other metal or cardboard. Ask each person to draw a star outline and a light bulb outline, and to cut them out. On the star, ask them to write/draw a picture of how they wish their classroom/school could be more inclusive of all different individuals. On the light bulb, ask them to write/draw a picture of an idea they have for a way they could help to make their wish become a reality. Encourage them to think widely and to be creative, but also to think realistically about things that you can actually do. Finally, have them put a small hole in their star and light bulb and make a hanger with string/wool/ribbon.
The Wishing Tree In circle time, have the children complete the following sentence stem, ‘My wish is... and my idea is...’ Once they have spoken or shown their star/light bulb, they can go and tie them onto the tree. When everyone has done this, thank them for all their ideas and contributions. Explain that the tree display will help remind them to try to put their ideas into practice. Provide opportunities in future class circle times to ask how people are doing with their wishes and ideas.
Reflecting and Reviewing
One way to finish this activity is to have the children learn Resource C: The Rainbow Song by Norman Richardson. The chorus of the song was first introduced to the resource in Year 2 Indigo Unit 6: Grace and Tracey, Learning activity 4: Everyone has a place. Inform the children that this song was written for a group of primary school children. Spend some time discussing the lyrics and what they mean. Use this to review the children’s understanding of inclusion and welcome, particularly in relation to diversity.minoritymajority
24
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will develop our awareness of the diversity of people who make up our community and society.We will begin to understand that belonging to this group is only one part of someone’s identity and that the people within the group are diverse.We will apply our understanding of welcome and inclusion/exclusion to real life situations for people belonging to different groups.
CORE CONCEPT
We need to learn about and value everyone within our community.
POINTS TO NOTEIf you have not completed Learning activity 1, 2 or 3, send home the Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A).
You can use Interactive Sarah and the Whammi Unit 4: Difference and Diversity Media Clip 4:4 and Task 4:5 with this activity. You can access this at www.nicurriculum.org.uk Follow the links from the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding section.
You can access the full series of Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI website: https://learningni.net/Follow video links.
The section on disability re-visits the themes explored in Year One,
Indigo Unit 6, Learning Activities 5 and 6. The guidance given for teachers is relevant and it may also be useful to repeat some of the activities suggested there.
WHAT YOU NEED- Letter for Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)- Lindsay’s Story 1 (Resource D)- Lindsay’s Story 2 (Resource E)- Disability Cards (Resource F)- Blindfolds/earplugs
WHAT TO DO- Tools for Life- Differently Abled: Sharing Gifts and Skills- School Maps/Community Maps- Reflecting and Reviewing
25
Begin with all of the children sitting in a circle. Tell them you would like each of them to make and decorate a clay pot. Take out a book and begin to read silently. After a short time, look up and ask why they have not begun the task you asked them to do. Discuss why this is. Focus particularly on the points that: - you have not given them enough help as you have not explained exactly what you want them to do and they are unable to find the resources they need; and - you have not given them the tools they need to do the task.
Tools for Life
- a kettle to make a cup of tea;- walking boots for climbing a mountain; or - a telephone to contact a friend.
Next, ask them to think about and share with each other a situation where not having help or the right tools/equipment meant that they felt unable to join in or excluded from something, for example:- having to take their glasses off to go swimming and not being able to see their friends at the other end of the pool; - forgetting their games kit and having to watch everyone else have great fun playing sport together; or - not understanding the rules of a game that everyone else is playing.
Point out that we all need help and tools/equipment to do lots of things many times a day. Ask the children to think about what kinds of things tools can be.
Divide the class into pairs. You can do this by using pair cards with pictures of different tools for example pencils, phones, hammers and saucepans. When the children have found their partner, ask them to share with
each other a situation where they needed help, for example: - schoolwork they found difficult; - a time they got lost; or - a time they wanted to improve their skills at playing a musical instrument.
Also ask them to talk about a situation where they needed some tools/equipment to complete a task, for example:
26
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community (continued)
being able to go fast enough to join in a running game or being given a book about something you’re really interested in but not being able to read it because you have difficulty with some of the words or because it’s in a different language.- What might you need to happen? Encourage the children to think about how inclusion is not about the person who feels left out having to find a way to fit in, rather it is about adapting things so that they can join in. - Can we always see when someone else needs help or needs us to do things differently so that they can join in? Why/ why not? Can you think of any examples?
Finally, have them discuss ideas about the help and/or tools that would have enabled them to join in and to feel included. Encourage them to think of several options, if possible.
Invite the children to come back into the whole class circle and ask the following questions:- What kinds of situations did you think of where you felt unable to join in or felt excluded?- Were you able to come up with lots of possible help and tools? Can you give me a few examples?- Can you think of any situations where having the tools might not enable you to join in totally or at all? For example, having a musical instrument but not being able to play it well enough to join a group/orchestra, having a wheelchair but not
If there is a child in the class who has a specific disability, for example has to use a wheelchair, ask them separately if they have any experiences they would like to share. Talk to them about this in advance so that they have time to consider your question and time to prepare their answer. Be sensitive to children who say no to your request. Alternatively, you may know someone or have a relative who would be willing to share their experiences. Bringing someone from outside the classroom avoids any individuals feeling under the spotlight. On the other hand, some children if given the opportunity, would very willingly share their experiences.
Follow up this learning by giving some or all of the children, perhaps at different times, the
opportunity to experience in a small way what it might be like to have a disability/disabilities. You can do this by:- asking the children to use blindfolds/earplugs;- attaching their arms to their chest;- asking them to do everything sitting down for part of the day or during specific activities.
27
Bear in mind that those who need to wear glasses or have had a broken leg/arm will already have experiences that they can reflect on. You can also encourage the whole class to reflect back on previous activities in which they had to find ways of communicating with each other without speaking.
Afterwards ask these reflection and discussion questions:- How did you feel when you were wearing the blindfold/when you had a broken leg?- Which activities were you not able to join in, in the same way as you usually do?- What tools/equipment would have been useful?- How did other people react to you?- Did you have to ask for help or did other people offer to help you?- Did you always need the help that people tried to give you, or could you have managed more on your own?- How did your disability affect the way you were able to learn? Did it affect your learning in any negative ways? Did it affect your learning in any positive ways? For example, not being able to do something the same way as everyone else may mean that you can be more creative about how you do it.- From this experience, does every person with a disability need the same things? Why do you think that? Can you give some examples?- What might happen if you have more than one disability?
Differently Abled: Sharing Gifts and Skills
Read aloud Resource D: Lindsay’s Story 1 and Resource E: Lindsay’s Story 2 and the attached discussion questions. Encourage the children to think about how we are all differently abled and bring different gifts, skills and contributions to the classroom, school and other groups to which we belong.
School Maps/Community Maps
For this activity it will be helpful to draw on the experience and ideas of any children in your class who have a disability/disabilities. If there are no children in the class with disabilities, you may want to invite someone you know who has a disability or a person from one of the disability support charities to come and talk to the children about their experiences in a local community.
equipmentdisability feel
28
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community (continued)
You may consider repeating this activity for: - the journey to the Assembly Hall; - around the outside of the school; and/or - various places inside the school.
Remind the children to think about disabilities that you cannot see for example diabetes or heart problems. They might want to think about other kinds of exclusion, for example: - all signs, including any welcome signs, being in English; - no separately cooked vegetarian food on the canteen menu; and/or - a lack of diversity of people represented in corridor displays.
Organise the class into groups using the Disability Cards in Resource F. Ask each group to make a map of the classroom and then to go around carefully look for and note down any problems they might encounter if they had their named disability.
Ask the children to identify:- any places or situations where they feel that efforts have been made to include people with a disability;- any places or situations where efforts have been made to make the area accessible for people with a disability; and - any places or situations where they feel that people might be excluded or unable to join in because of a disability.
When the children have completed their survey, invite them to discuss their findings. If possible, involve the school Principal in the discussion. As in Learning activity 3, encourage the children to think about things that they might be able to do to make their classroom and school more inclusive. It will be helpful if the classroom adults also talk about things that they will try to do to make the classroom more inclusive.
Invite the children to look at their community maps (completed in Learning activity 1). Ask them to observe their local area and make notes about how much inclusion/exclusion there is in the local community. They can do this:
- on the journey to a friend’s house;- on a trip to the shops, library or swimming pool; - when going to church or another place of worship; and/or- at an event such as a sports match or a concert.
Remind the children to use their experience of doing the class/school inspection. It is important to have sent a letter home to parents/carers about this activity so that they can accompany the children and work with them. A suggested letter is available in Resource A.
29
Afterwards, invite the children to discuss their findings. Encourage them to think about whether there are any things that would be appropriate for them to do to help make things more inclusive/accessible. One possibility would be to invite a local business person or someone who works for the local council to talk about their responsibilities and what they try to do.
Reflecting and Reviewing
Finish this activity with an affirmation exercise. Emphasise that each different individual brings valuable contributions to the class group. For example you could:- work with the class group to develop a scroll for each person which highlights some of the gifts and skills that others feel that person brings to the class; or- have a small certificate presentation where each person receives a certificate which thanks them for a particular contribution they make to the class.
Extension Work
If there is a Special school in your local area, consider how you could organise an
occasion to meet. You might decide to invite pupils to your school play or to visit a
display your class is having. Have the children design and send a Keep the Date
invitation. Plan well in advance as there will be many things you will need to think of.
Consider:
- What do the children know about the pupils in the school?
- What do they need to know?
- How can they find out?
- Do you need to make any special arrangements for the visit?
Certificate
This is to certify that
Thank You!
Signed
If these discussions are already taking place
informally between the teachers in both schools, the
host teacher can be guided by the visiting teacher.
Form a committee of pupils from both schools to
discuss the event. Arrange alternate meetings in each
school. That way any changes that need to be made
can be discussed. It is always good to ask what other
people need. Sometimes we think we know when
we really don’t!
Learning activity 1: Multiple identities
30
Resource APersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Letter to Parent(s) / Carer(s) my school
31
Dat
e
Dea
r Pa
rent
(s)/
Car
er(s
)
We
are
begi
nnin
g a
new
uni
t of w
ork.
We
will
be
look
ing
at:
- ou
r ow
n se
nse
of id
entit
y;-
how
ther
e ar
e lo
ts o
f thi
ngs
that
mak
e us
the
way
we
are;
- al
l of t
he th
ings
that
mak
e us
diff
eren
t and
uni
que/
all o
f the
thin
gs th
at w
e ha
ve in
com
mon
; -
how
we
som
etim
es u
se la
bels
to d
escr
ibe
peop
le; a
nd
- ho
w w
e ca
n m
ake
our s
choo
l and
oth
er p
lace
s w
elco
min
g fo
r eve
ryon
e.
We
are
goin
g to
cre
ate
com
mun
ity m
aps
and
thin
k ab
out t
he p
lace
s th
at a
re im
porta
nt to
us
in o
ur lo
cal
com
mun
ity. Y
ou c
an h
elp
by ta
lkin
g ab
out t
his
with
you
r chi
ld a
nd b
y en
cour
agin
g th
em to
thin
k ab
out
plac
es th
ey g
o to
regu
larly
, for
exa
mpl
e:-
plac
es th
ey g
o to
for a
ctiv
ities
;-
plac
es th
ey g
o to
do
shop
ping
; -
your
chu
rch
or o
ther
pla
ce o
f wor
ship
; and
-
the
hom
es o
f fam
ily a
nd fr
iend
s.
If w
here
you
live
now
is n
ot y
our c
hild
’s o
rigin
al h
ome
com
mun
ity, y
ou m
ight
wan
t to
talk
with
them
abo
ut
plac
es th
at w
ere
impo
rtant
ther
e, p
lace
s th
at th
ey m
iss
and/
or p
lace
s in
this
new
com
mun
ity th
at th
ey re
ally
en
joy
goin
g to
. You
can
als
o he
lp th
em to
thin
k ab
out o
ther
peo
ple
and
the
diffe
rent
pla
ces
that
mig
ht b
e im
porta
nt to
them
, for
exa
mpl
e:
- el
derly
peo
ple
who
dep
end
on a
loca
l pos
t offi
ce to
get
thei
r pen
sion
;-
peop
le w
ho g
o to
diff
eren
t pla
ces
of w
orsh
ip; a
nd
- pe
ople
who
use
diff
eren
t spo
rts g
roun
ds.
We
will
also
thin
k ab
out p
eopl
e w
ho h
ave
a di
sabi
lity/
disa
bilit
ies.
We
will
be d
raw
ing
on th
e ex
perie
nce
of p
eopl
e w
ithin
our
sch
ool a
nd/o
r som
e vi
sito
rs to
con
side
r how
wel
com
ing
and
acce
ssib
le o
ur s
choo
l is fo
r peo
ple
with
dis
abilit
ies
and
how
muc
h w
e su
ppor
t eve
ryon
e to
join
in a
ll as
pect
s of
sch
ool l
ife. W
e w
ill lo
ok a
t how
wel
com
ing
and
acce
ssib
le
our l
ocal
com
mun
ity is
for p
eopl
e w
ith d
isab
ilitie
s. Y
ou c
an h
elp
your
chi
ld to
thin
k ab
out t
his
whe
n yo
u ar
e ou
t tog
ethe
r, fo
r exa
mpl
e w
hen
goin
g to
a fr
iend
’s h
ouse
and
whe
n at
the
swim
min
g po
ol, s
hops
and
/or l
ibra
ry.
We
will
con
side
r how
som
etim
es w
hen
we
thin
k ab
out p
eopl
e as
par
t of a
gro
up w
e us
e la
bels
to d
escr
ibe
them
. Th
is c
an le
ad to
ste
reot
ypin
g an
d di
scrim
inat
ion.
We
will
thin
k ab
out w
ays
to o
verc
ome
this
by
expl
orin
g ho
w
ther
e ar
e lo
ts o
f diff
eren
t thi
ngs
that
mak
e up
eve
ryon
e’s
iden
tity,
and
that
peo
ple
with
in a
gro
up o
r who
hav
e th
e sa
me
labe
l can
be
very
diff
eren
t. W
e w
ill th
ink
abou
t how
mus
icia
ns in
an
orch
estra
or m
usic
gro
up w
ork
toge
ther
to c
reat
e th
eir m
usic
. Thi
s w
ill a
lso
give
us
an o
ppor
tuni
ty to
find
out
abo
ut d
iffer
ent k
inds
of m
usic
, in
stru
men
ts, s
ingi
ng a
nd d
ance
from
diff
eren
t cul
ture
s. If
you
thin
k yo
u co
uld
help
us
with
this
, we
wou
ld b
e de
light
ed to
talk
to y
ou a
bout
it.
We
are
very
hap
py to
talk
to y
ou m
ore
abou
t thi
s un
it if
you
have
any
sug
gest
ions
, que
stio
ns o
r con
cern
s.
Best
wis
hes,
Cla
ss T
each
er
Inse
rt sc
hool
logo
or l
ette
r hea
d
my
scho
ol
Learning activity 1: Multiple Identities
32
Resource BPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Things I Notice In My Community
33
What shops are here?
Who lives here?What churches or other places of worship are here?
What kinds of houses are here?
What places are there to relax and meet friends?
What signs of political or cultural identity are here?
Other buildings/places:
What does the area look like?
Learning activity 3: Creating inclusive spaces
34
Resource CPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
The full music edition with keyboard accompaniment was published by Enelar Publications in 2001 and is available on the CCEA website at www.nicurriculum.org.uk. Follow the links from PD&MU to Living.Learning.Together. Year 4, Unit 6.
A recording of the song, featuring children from controlled and maintained primary schools, can be accessed at www.creni.org in the Stories From Other Countries, Faiths and Times section of the Stepping Out resource.
35
2. Just seven diff’’rent colours, And each one alone is fine. Yet put them together up there in the sky And a rainbow starts to shine! Together we can make a rainbow ...
3. If all the world were just one colour It would be a cheerless place. But with shades and hues from which to choose We can paint a smile on each face. Together we can make a rainbow ...
4. So we’ll colour the world together, And we’ll shout so all can hear That in our exciting rainbow world There’ll be no room for hatred or fear! ...Together we can make a rainbow ...
NotesAdapt the melody of each verse to the rhythm of the words. The chords above (C, capo 3) are compatible with the piano part in E flat. If a lower setting is required without piano move the capo to a lower fret.
A song to celebrate differencesWords & music by Norman Richardson
Guitar Chords VersionPlay in the key of C, capo 34/4 time
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
36
Resource DPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Lindsay’s Story 1: Thinking about being differently abled
37
Lindsay has cerebral palsy. That means that she doesn’t have the same control of her body as the other members of her class. She uses a wheelchair to move around. Her favourite subjects in school are English and history. She also enjoys painting. Her occupational therapist fitted her with a unicorn head pointer because her head is the part of her body she can control best. She uses this when typing on the computer and when painting.
One day an artist came to talk to the children in the school. He talked about his landscape paintings. He also told the children that he uses oil paints and how he always gets a lot of paint of his hands. “Why don’t you use your head,” Lindsay suggested helpfully. At first the visitor thought she was being cheeky. “And how exactly would that help?” he asked. Lindsay looked over towards her head pointer. “Ah,” he said, “That’s clever. I don’t suppose you ever have to worry about getting paint on your hands!”
Discussion Questions:- What do we learn from the story about Lindsay’s interests? - What other things do you think she might enjoy doing?- Can you think of activities that you like doing that Lindsay might find it more difficult to join in with? - Can you think of things that could be done differently so that she could join in?- Do you think there are any things Lindsay can do that you are not able to, or would need help with?- What things do you think you would have in common with Lindsay?- Can you think of ways in which the children in our class are differently abled?- How does that help us to work well together as a team?- How does that help us to learn from each other?
This story is taken from Stepping Out, written by Yvonne Naylor as part of the Transforming Sectarianism - SEED Project, Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College, Dublin. Other stories from this resource are used in Living.Learning.Together. Year 2, Indigo Unit 6: Grace and Tracey and Year 5, Indigo: Unit 6: Learning More About Others.
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
38
Resource EPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Lindsay’s Story 2: Thinking about sharing gifts and skills
39
Lindsay is a very kind girl. She often observes other people while sitting in her wheelchair, and imagines how they are feeling from their actions and expressions. For example, she noticed that Susie often stayed inside while the other girls were playing ring games outside.
One day Lindsay found Susie pretending to read a library book. “Hi Susie,” she said. “Is that a good book?” “I don’t know,” said Susie. “I’m not really reading it. I just don’t want to be outside. The others never let me join in because they won’t hold my hands - you see they’re covered in warts!”
“Well sometimes it’s difficult for me to join in things because I use a wheelchair, but I have to adapt and think of ways round it. Have you ever thought of wearing gloves?” asked Lindsay. “What?” said Susie.“Gloves - that way people can hold your hands without touching your warts!” Lindsay replied. “You’re brilliant Lindsay,” said Susie, “why didn’t I think of that!”
“Your physical difficulties don’t have to ‘disable’ you. You have to think of different ways of doing things - that’s all. There are lots of ways in which all of us are differently abled,” said Lindsay
Discussion Questions:- What gifts and skills do you notice that Lindsay has that make her a good friend?- How does Lindsay help Susie to be and feel included?- Do you think having to use a wheelchair has helped Lindsay to develop some of her gifts and skills? What makes you think that?- Without naming names, can you think of a time when you assumed that someone couldn’t do something or wouldn’t have been able to contribute because they had a disability? - Did anything happen to change your assumption or your stereotype? - Can you think of ways that we can help ourselves or other people to overcome physical difficulties and be included?- What skills can we develop to help us make our classroom/school a more welcoming and inclusive place? How might we do that?
This story is taken from Stepping Out, written by Yvonne Naylor as part of the Transforming Sectarianism - SEED Project, Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College, Dublin. Other stories from this resource are used in Living.Learning.Together. Year 5, Indigo Unit 6: Learning More About Others.
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
40
Resource FPersonal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Disability Cards
41
Visual
Walking with crutches
Wheelchair user
Hearing
Asthma
Visual
Walking with crutches
Wheelchair user
Hearing
Asthma
Visual
Walking with crutches
Wheelchair user
Hearing
Asthma
Visual
Walking with crutches
Wheelchair user
Hearing
Asthma
Visual
Walking with crutches
Wheelchair user
Hearing
Asthma
Visual
Walking with crutches
Wheelchair user
Hearing
Asthma
Notes
42
Notes
Bedford, D and Julian, R. It’s a George Thing (2008 Egmont Press) 9781405228053
Gravett, E. Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears (2007 Macmillan Children’s Books) 978 1405089487
Gravett, E. Meerkat Mail (2007 Macmillan Children’s Books) 978 1405090759
Hedderwick, M. Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers (1997 Red Fox) 978 0099118718
Brown, J. and Ungerer, T. Flat Stanley (1964 HarperCollins) 978 0060206819
Beddard, M. Sitting Ducks (2001 Putnam Juvenile) 978 0698118973
Browne, E. Handa’s Surprise (1995 Walker Books) 9780744536348
Griffiths, N. Shaun the Shy Shark (2008 Red Robin Books) 905434206
Henkes, K. Chrysanthemum (1996 Mulberry Books) 9780688147327
Gavin, J. Grandpa’s Indian Summer (2006 Egmont Books) 978 1405212861
Coplans, P. Dottie (1994 Houghton Mifflin) 978 0395667880
Bradman, T. and Ross, T. Michael (1997 Andersen Press) 9780862647599
Foreman, M. Seal Surfer (2006 Andersen Press) 978 1842705780
Browne, A. The Night Shimmy (2003 Corgi Childrens) 978 0552549363
*Cave, K. Something Else (1995 Puffin) 978 0140549072
* See CCEA Primary Values (2005) 1 858853370
Interactive Sarah and the Whammi (2008 CCEA) Available from www.nicurriculum.org.uk Follow links from Personal Development and Mutual Understanding section
You can access the full Sarah and the Whammi series on the LNI website:http://learningni.net/Follow video links
Circle Time Courses and Resourceswww.circle-time.co.uk
Diversity Calendar www.diversiton.com
Educating for Diversity www.educatingfordiversity.com
Finding words in other languageswww.yourdictionary.com
Information about festivals and associated recipes can be found at:www.festivals.comwww.asiarecipe.comwww.bbc.co.uk/food
Useful websites
Houses and Homes, Ideas for Connecting Learning (ICL) Years 3 and 4 (CCEA)
Ross, J. I Can’t Walk But I Can Crawl (2005 Paul Chapman Educational Publishing) 978 1412918725
Weir, L. Not On Your Own Wise Up and Think series (2007 CCEA)
Klein, S. and Kemp, J. Reflections From A Different Journey (2004 McGraw Hill) 9780071422697
Potter, M. and Lynagh, N. Joined Up: Developing Good Relationships in the School Community (2005 NICIE and the Corrymeela Community) 1 87373930 3
Naylor, Y. Who We Are - Dealing With Difference (as part of the Transforming Sectarianism SEED Project by the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin) www.creni.org
