Everyone Matters: A First Look at Respect for Others

Author:  Pat Thomas

Illustrator:  Lesley Harker

Grade Level:  Preschool - Second Grade

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Summary:

Everyone Matters is a children’s picture book about the meaning of the word “respect.”  From the beginning it states that “respect” is a little word but has a very big meaning.  This book shows children that respect means to value the worth of other people as much as we value ourselves, treating people equally despite the fact they might look different from us.  It shows that people should focus on how people are alike and not to worry much about the ways in which people are different.  Everyone Matters also discusses that there are some types of respect that each person must earn for themselves--by keeping promises, by being honest in what they say and do, and being polite and respectful to others.  No matter what size you are, color of your skin, handicap you have, respect always makes you feel that you are as important as anyone else.  Everyone Matters also points out that even though you may disagree with someone else, you should try and understand why they believe why they think or believe something.  Everyone has an equal right to their opinion.  Lastly, Everyone Matters states that adults and children need to work on respect every single day in order for the world to be a happier place to work, play and live together.

Element 2:

Everyone Matters is a great book that shows respect for others (Element 2).  The book takes the definition of respect and brings it into the children’s everyday lives.  The illustrations show children of all colors, shapes and sizes showing respect on the playground, school, home, subway, during a town flood, passing a homeless person on the street and talking to a girl in a wheel chair.  It states that respect is more than being nice to others; it means that we need to realize that no matter how someone looks, we are all equal.  A great quote in the book demonstrates this element best, “Most of the differences between human beings are one we can see with our eyes. What makes us alike are the things we feel in our hearts.”

Activity:

Schools and classrooms are ideal places to help teach respect, tolerance of differences, and appreciation for diversity.  An activity that a teacher can do is to conduct a read-aloud of Everyone Matters.  The teacher can form groups in which children of different backgrounds are working together.  As a group, the students can brainstorm on what respect means and doesn’t mean.  What kinds of behavior can be considered disrespectful?  The groups would then share with the class as a whole.  To further promote respecting differences, the teacher can ask students to bring in a snack or an activity from their culture to share with the group.  After everyone had a turn, ask if any student identified things that other students like but they do not like.  This discussion is a good way to show that although you may have difference of opinions, you should treat each other respectfully.

Since parents are children’s first role models and teachers, I would also photocopy the book and send it home for the parents to read with their children.  This will further reinforce the element of respect for others.

Sitti's Secrets

Author: Naomi Shihab Nye

Illustrator: Nancy Carpenter

Grade Level: Ages 4-8; Kindergarten - Grade 3

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Resources on Issues Related to the Middle East

Summary: Sitti's Secrets tells the story of Mona, a young girl living in America, who misses her grandmother who lives in Palestine. Mona takes comfort in thinking that as the sun sets in America, it is just beginning to rise over her grandmother on "the other side of the earth". She remembers visiting Palestine with her father, and how at first she could not communicate with her grandmother who speaks Arabic. In time, Mona and her grandmother, "Sitti" in Arabic, learn ways to talk to each other without words. Through the story, Mona recalls more Arabic words, and the customs and way of life in the village. When Mona returns to America, she writes a letter to the President telling him about her grandmother and her growing concerns about the situation in the Middle East. This book tells the story of a strong family connection that is unbroken by language barriers, world politics, different cultures and hundreds of miles in between.

How It Relates To Element 1: This story relates to Element 1, "Self-Love and Knowledge", because it shows Mona's exploration of her Palestinian culture, something that seems foreign to her at first. The story shows the language, customs and traditions of Palestinian village life, and how Mona begins to share a strong bond with her grandmother and culture, even without words. This book allows children to gain an insight into Palestinians, as well as Arabs and even Arab-Americans, by depicting them as people who have families, play games, bake bread and live life just as we do in America. Through remembering her visit to see her grandmother, you can tell that Mona is proud of her Arabic heritage, and the letter that she writes to the President upon coming home shows her hope that Americans will be able to see her grandmother just as she does.

Activity: Discussion questions following reading this book could include: Does anyone in your family live in another country? Speak a language other than English? How do you communicate? In the story, Mona plays marbles with her cousins because they don't need to speak to each other to have fun - what are some games that you could play?

For younger children, students could create a Venn Diagram comparing Sitti's life in Palestine with their life in America. What things are different? What things are the same?

For older children, the teacher could use the book as an opening to a unit discussion the issues and politics surrounding the Middle East. Students could explore geography and time zones through looking for the Palestinian territories on a map.

Students could also be asked to create persuasive essays, to the President or another authority, on behalf of someone in their family or about another pre-determined issue.

Lesson Plan on Middle Eastern Countries and Cultures

Loser

Author: Jerry Spinelli
Grade Level: 3-6
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Resource


Summary: 

Loser, a novel written by Jerry Spinelli, is a story about Donald Zinkoff, a young, unusual character, who demonstrates great self-acceptance and is unafraid to fail. Zinkoff faces the familiar challenges of elementary-aged children -- disagreeable teachers, peer pressure, social conformity, and competition. At first, Zinkoff appears to be an average child, but as he grows older, his classmates begin to view him differently. By the time Zinkoff is in the fourth grade, his unathletic, awkward ways become weird and annoying to his peers. In fact, Zinkoff's poor coordination causes his fourth grade classmates to lose a race during Field Day. By the end of the day, Donald Zinkoff has a new nickname, "Loser". Despite this new name, Zinkoff continues on and remains happy. As fifth grade Field Day approaches however, the other children tell Zinkoff that they don't want him to be a part of their team this year. As a result, Zinkoff skips school and meets up with his neighborhood friends: an elderly lady who calls him "mailman" and a little girl named Claudia. Zinkoff eventually graduates from elementary school and enters Monroe Middle School as a sixth grade student. His life goes on, with one clumsy story after the next, until one winter night when he finds out that the little girl across the street, Claudia, has gone missing in a snowstorm. Immediately, Zinkoff decides to find her himself, as he bravely goes out in the cold and searches for hours. It is after this journey that the other children view Zinkoff in a new light. By maintaining a strong sense-of-self throughout his experiences, Donald Zinkoff teaches us all important and unforgettable lessons of self-esteem, tolerance and happiness.

Element 1 - Self-Love and Knowledge: 

This book is an excellent representation of Element 1 because it illustrates issues such as self-esteem, bullying, and self-confidence through an age-appropriate read. Most of the audience can relate to either knowing, or being, a Donald Zinkoff at some point in their lives. Zinkoff is the last person picked for athletic teams, his flute consistently hits the wrong note during concerts, and he is occasionally too eager at the wrong times. But, despite these bumbling ways, Zinkoff is comfortable in his own skin and learns to approach life with a positive spirit. This book teaches students to be proud of who they are and where they come from. It also highlights the negative attitudes of his peers, which allows for discussion about tolerance, stereotypes, and unnecessary judgments. Lastly, this story reinforces individuality and is a reminder to respect everyone's differences.  

Activity:

We just finished reading this novel, as a read-a-loud story, in my fourth grade classroom. As I mentioned above, this book teaches children to embrace who they are and be tolerant of others who are different from them. It also allows for discussion about bullying, self-acceptance and acceptance of others. While it is unfortunate that kids get labeled with names like "loser", this novel could lead to an effective classroom discussion. During this conversation, the teacher can ask the students the following questions: what are some of the different "labels" that children get assigned, what does a kid have to do to get a label like "loser", how do you think you would feel if people perceived you as that "label" every day? After this discussion, students could write about the limits of their own perspectives, for example: what are some examples of times when you've jumped to conclusions about someone and been totally wrong? What are some ways people can expand their perspectives and keep their minds more open?

Something Beautiful

Author: Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Illustrator: Chris K. Soentpiet

Grade Level: 1-2 grade

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Resources:




Summary: Everyday, a little girl walks through her neighborhood and notices the trash strewn about, the graffiti on her front door and the homeless lady who sleeps in a box. After studying the word "Beautiful"in school,  she walks around her neighborhood again asking several people in her community what they have that's beautiful. The responses are as varied as the people she asks: fried fish sandwich, jump rope, an old stone of sentimental value, a baby's laugh, a beautiful store. The girl goes back to sit on the stoop of her building and contemplate her surroundings, then decides to take action. She fetches soap, water and a broom and cleans up the courtyard in front of her building. She scrubs the graffiti on the door, in an uplifting change of tone she writes: "When Die disappears, I feel powerful".

Element 5: Raising awareness. I chose this book because it illustrates from the child's perspective the entire journey from a feeling of powerlessness, to coming to an awareness of what bothers her, to finally figuring out how she can become an agent of change, and exert some control over the situation.

How I plan to use this in the classroom: This book provides an opportunity to talk about different neighborhoods. Children can be encouraged to draw comparisons with their neighborhoods, and make lists of the public vs private spaces in their neighborhoods. An important lesson can be taught about private vs. public spaces, and our collective responsibility to keep them clean, safe and pleasant for everyone's enjoyment. More specifically, students can explore the many ways some neighborhood residents contribute to enhancing their neighborhoods: neighborhood patrols, organizing community cleanup crews, planting community gardens, etc...

A Bad Case of Stripes

A Bad Case of Stripes

Author: David Shannon

Illustrator: David Shannon

Reading Level: Ages 5 and up; Kindergarten

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Resources

Summary:

A Bad Case of Stripes is about a little girl named Camilla Cream and her struggle to gain self-love and confidence in being herself. Camilla loves lima beans, but she is too embarrassed to eat them in front of her friends because they all hate them. Camilla was so concerned about fitting in that she picked up the unfortunate ability to change colors at the will of her peers. Neither Camilla's parents or any of the expert doctors could figure out a solution. Eventually, an old woman offered the transforming Camilla some of her favorite lima beans. She couldn't stop thinking about how good those lima beans would taste, especially after all she had been through; so, she admitted to liking them and ate every last one. All of a sudden, Camilla transformed back into a "normal" little girl. Camilla was never quite the same after that. She ate lima beans in front of whoever she wanted and was proud to be her "lima bean loving" self.

Element 1: Self-Love and Knowledge

A Bad Case of Stripes portrays the common issue of "fitting in" and having self-confidence amongst peers in elementary school. I relate this topic to self-love and knowledge because it is important for children to embrace themselves for their differences just as much as for their similarities. It would be impossible to have respect for others and their cultures (needed for Element 2) without first respecting your own culture and having self-pride. Camilla Cream experienced a very colorful, and somewhat scary, adventure in order to gain self-love and knowledge. In the end, Camilla learned that being herself made her special; she embraced the real Camilla and never had a bad case of stripes again. Overall, this book opens the door for early elementary students to begin exploring their own families, cultures, and histories by illustrating the fundamental thought--everyone is special in their own way.

Classroom Use:

This book is a great resource for Kindergarten students. Teachers can read it in the beginning of the year to stress that all students are different in a positive way. As reading extensions, teachers can ask students to talk about times they have felt like the "odd man out." Conversely, they can ask students to share a unique fact about themselves in order to promote self-love and knowledge. Teachers can also get creative by inviting students to create self portraits in which students decorate their portrait with personal hobbies or cultural activities that define them. By displaying these portraits, students can show off their new self-love and knowledge and segue into Element 2 of social justice.

Let's Talk About Race

Author: Julius Lester

Illustrator: Karen Barbour

Grade Level: 1st + (Age Level: 6+)

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For more information about Julius Lester and other stories he wrote, please click here

Additional Teacher Resource

Summary: Julius Lester's narrative opens with, “I am a story. So are you,” the beginning of a short book about racial identity and how it affects the way we view one another. He begins by writing about his hobbies and what he likes amongst other things. Then, Julius leads into the topic of race; he explains the different races and how people tend to dislike others simply because of their race. The book explains that despite our race, we are all the same under our skin and have no reason to judge another based on their skin color. He discusses how we all are much more than our race and have many elements in our stories such as family name, family places, likes and dislikes. Lester writes about what makes each individual special. The book ends with Julius Lester asking the reader, “I’ll take off my skin. Will you take off yours?” pertaining to not to judge others.

Element 1 (Self-Love and Knowledge): This book is a great choice to use for Element 1 as it is intended for young children and its concentration is about race. The author, Julius discusses many different things about himself and what makes him unique. He discusses his race of which has great importance and meaning to him, although it does not define who he is. The book is centered on racial identity and characteristics that make individuals who they are, different, yet alike. Most importantly, the book emphasizes how we are all the same under our skin, we share similar life stories, events, and characteristics, which teaches acceptance of oneself and of one another. In addition, the book emphasizes how we all are much more than just our race and are made up of many elements, race just being one and minor detail. Nonetheless, it is also centered around what makes each individual special.

Activity: One of many possible follow-up activities may be engaging students in a classroom discussion not only about race, but about things that represent themselves and their "story" as individuals, their families, religion, culture, community, etc. Following, the teacher will explain to the class that they will have a “Show and Tell” multi-cultural lesson where each student will be required to bring in one item that represents themselves, their family, religion, culture, etc. This “Show and Tell” lesson will help inform and motivate the students to be open and share with one another about their backgrounds and to understand, learn, and accept others. “Students learn about different aspects of their identity and history associated with it” (Picower). This lesson will also allow the students to learn about who they are and where they came from. 

Dumpling Soup

Author: Jama Kim Rattigan
Illustrator: Lillian Hsu-Flanders
Grade Level: K-3

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Resources

Summary: Seven-year-old Marisa is an Asian American girl who lives in Hawaii.  As part of her family's New Year's Eve tradition, everyone goes over to her Grandma's house and eats dumplings at midnight.  For the first time this year, Marisa will help her Grandma, aunts and mother make dumplings for the family's New Year's Eve celebration.  Marisa carefully tries to emulate the way her aunt makes them, but is concerned that nobody will eat her funny-looking dumplings (mandoo).  Dumpling Soup celebrates the food and customs of Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Hawaiian cultures.  Marisa says that her Grandma refers to the family as "chop suey"which means "all mixed up" in pidgin.

Element 1: Self-Love and Knowledge: I believe this book is a great representation of Element 1 because it introduces children to a little girl who is clearly proud of her family tradition and cannot wait to be a part of the whole process.  Her family in Oahu comes from different cultures and they all celebrate their food, customs and languages together. 

Activities: On the author's website, she discusses many different ways that a teacher can incorporate this book into the classroom.  From the ideas that she mentions, I have a few favorites that I would select.  After reading this book to the class, I would first discuss the concept of "mixing" or "blending" as cited in the book.  I would use examples such as the mixture of races in the family and the ingredients in the soup and dumplings.  The activities that I thought would be very worthwhile are the following: 1) Making a class book and asking each child to contribute a word representing his/her ethnic origin; 2) Researching other types of New Year's celebrations and creating a mural illustrating these; and 3) Interviewing family members to find out if there are any kinds of family celebrations or special traditions and those sharing those orally or on paper.