Kristen has been an educator for 25+ years - as a classroom teacher, a school administrator, and a university instructor. She holds a doctorate in Education Leadership.
At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define and discuss the idea of discrimination
- Identify something unique about themselves
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
- Copy of the book, The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss
- A large cut-out drawing of a Sneetch (use yellow bulletin board paper)
- A small cut-out blue star for each student (just big enough for a sentence and a name to be written on it)
- Tape or glue
- Crayons or markers for each student
Begin by introducing the book to students.
- Identify the author/illustrator. Ask for discussion about other books the children may have heard or read by Dr. Seuss.
- Discuss the title of the book. Ask about the word 'Sneetches.' What is a Sneetch? Do we know?
- Discuss the cover of the book. Ask if the cover gives a hint about what a Sneetch might be.
- Ask if there are any predictions as to what the story might be about.
Next, read the book to the class. As you read, stop on the appropriate pages to discuss:
- What is the difference between one kind of Sneetch and the other?
- Why do you think star-bellied Sneetches are better than the others?
- How do the other Sneetches feel about being left out of everything?
- Have you ever been left out of something? How did it make you feel?
- Who is McBean? What does he offer to the Sneetches?
- Why do the star-bellied Sneetches want their stars removed?
- Do you think McBean was trying to teach the Sneetches a lesson or did he just want to trick them out of all their money?
- What lesson do the Sneetches all learn in the end?
- What lesson do you think Dr. Seuss may have wanted us all to learn from this book?
After reading the book, allow time for class discussion. Offer prompts for discussion, such as:
- What is discrimination?
- What does this book teach us about discrimination?
- How does discrimination make people feel?
- How can we avoid discrimination?
- Would you say it is silly to try and change yourself to be like someone else? Why or why not?
- Why is it important for people to accept themselves the way they are?
As a reinforcement to the lesson about accepting ourselves for who we are, use this activity to help each student identify something unique about themselves.
- Place the large cut-out Sneetch somewhere prominent in the classroom.
- Give each student a blue cut-out star.
- Ask students to think about who they are and identify something that they especially like about themselves.
- Call on some students and allow them to share their thoughts with the class.
- Next, have each student write something they like about themselves on their star.
- Encourage the use of complete sentences.
- If needed, start them off with a prompt such as, ''I am unique because ...'' or ''One thing I really like about myself is ...''
- After their sentences are written, have students put their name on their star and bring them to you.
- Affix each of the stars to the Sneetch using the glue or tape.
- Leave the Sneetch up in the classroom for a while as a reminder that all students are special and unique.
There are several possibilities for extending this lesson:
- Place students in groups of 4-5 and have each group create a skit that focuses on the idea of discrimination. Allow time for students to create their skits and then present them to the class. Be sure to discuss the lessons learned from each skit.
- Carry the discrimination theme further by applying it to real life. Hold a discussion about what types of discrimination exist in the world today (either down at the school level or up to the national or world level).
- Have students create a story map or other type of graphic organizer outlining the beginning, middle, and end of The Sneetches.
- Turn the activity from the lesson around and ask students to identify unique qualities about each other.
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