"The Colors of US" Revisited

One of my favorite lessons I have ever facilitated was a tolerance and diversity lesson using the book The Colors of Us by Karen Katz.  I read The Colors of Us to a first grade class. I then had the students trace their hands and mix crayon colors to find their own beautiful color.

I told the art teacher at my current school about the lesson. We came up with a way to collaborate and teach first graders an important lesson about diversity and tolerance.

The art teacher read The Colors of Us to both of the first grade classes. After reading the book, she gave students the opportunity to use paint to find their own unique and beautiful color. The art teacher showed the students how
they would mix the colors together to find a color that matched their skin color.

Each table was given four colors: orange, white, brown, and dark brown. She demonstrated that she would need white, orange, and a little bit of brown to make a color that matched her skin color. Once the students went back to their tables, they did an amazing job of finding a color that matched their skin color. They were instructed to paint a whole sheet of construction paper their color.

I will post about the extension lesson soon!

What creative lessons do you use to teach students about diversity and tolerance? Comment below, email me, tweet, or share on the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page!

Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via email, follow her on twitter, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.