Differences

A couple of years ago, I wanted a very creative way to explain differences with an actual activity.  I used Todd Parr's book It's Okay to Be Different. 

I just talk to them a little bit about differences, read the story, discuss the story, and then explain to the kids that Todd Parr is the author of this book and he loves to be different. I tell them "You are now going to draw Todd Parr!"


Explain to the kids that they must follow my instructions and draw exactly what I tell them and when. I tell them to not jump ahead because I want all of them to look the same.

Have the kids do the following:

1. Pick your favorite color of crayon (or colored pencil).
2. Draw a circle for the head.
3. Draw a mouth that is shaped like a bowl.
4. Add a tooth.
5. Draw Todd's eyes, nose, ears.
6. Add some hair
7. Draw his shirt and make it with stripes, because he likes stripes.
8. Add his legs, feet, and hands.
9. Now take 2 minutes and share with your neighbor and compare.
10. Take 2 minutes and compare your Todd's with the rest of your table.

Ask:

1. Whats the same?
2. What's different? (When they start telling you all the differences, act shocked that they are different because you explained to them to do exactly what you said and all the pictures should look the same).

I love this part of the discussion.  The kids will then start catching on and get a little defensive by saying, we are all different, our favorite colors are going to be different, or what I think a mouth looks like maybe he/she wont draw the same one. I try and get them to think about all different aspects of their pictures, color, size, stripes, shoes/no shoes, fingers, toes, and even hair.  Allow for several other answers or responses, if time allows.

This gets their little brains thinking about all the differences and that we aren't always going to think or do the same things.