Primary 1

Personal and Social Development

Stage:
Primary 1

• confident individuals with self respect , able to relate to others and manage themselves
• responsible citizens with respect for others

Title:
Everyone is special, everyone is different

Today we are going to:

• Find out about being the same but also different
• Explore what is the same and what is different

We will know we have been successful if we

• Understand that we are all different but the same
• Can talk about these differences positively
• Have learned ways to respect difference and to know each of us is special

Resources

• We're different, we're the same by Bobbi Jane Kates
• Elmer the Patchwork Elephant or
• Something Else by Kathryn Cave and Chris Riddell
• You, me just the same by Fischy Music

Step 1: Warm-up / Round
Dance and loosen up to Fischy Music - You, me just the same.

Step 2: Look the same, look we are different
Children are asked to look around at each other's noses. There are lots of different shapes and colours but noses all do the same thing - they breathe, sniff and sneeze.

Now look at each other's hair - what's different? Hair colour, length, are different, but it all grows from our heads.

What about our mouths? Lots of different shapes but we can use our mouth to smile - let's smile and we can all shout out the words 'Same and Different'.

What about our eyes? All different, with different colours but all the same - we can blink, wink and when we cry, tears come from our eyes.

What about our bodies? All different but we can stretch, we need food and rest each day, we may look different but we are all alike in some ways.

Our feelings? Who is feeling happy now? Who is feeling tired now? Who is feeling hungry now? We have different but similar feelings but we are all WONDERFUL.

What other ways are we different? Maybe in what we believe - who is a Christian? Who is a Muslim? Other faiths and beliefs? Who does not have any religion?

The book We're different, we're the same by Bobbi Jane Kates can be read out or pictures used to guide children through the above points.

Step 3: Calming down / closing ritual
Read the story about Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. He is happy to be different or another super book to use is Something Else. Something Else is about a 'something else' who is always diferent from everyone else. It wants so much to be the same but it is always different. Until the day it meets another something else! Something else finds it a bit hard to accept the new creature at first and then realises that their differences are strengths and they become best friends. This story gently helps children understand how people can be different and shows them a way to accept others who are different to them.

For the teacher

Self-awareness - children value their uniqueness.
Self-esteem - they feel positive about themselves, how they look.
Inter-personal relationships - they become aware that others may be different.
Independence and inter-dependence - demonstrate ability to co-operate when exploring differences.

Books

Something Else by Kathryn Cave and Chris Ridell
1995, Puffin Books, £4.99

We're different, we're the same by Bobbi Jane Kates
1992, Random House Books, £1.77 (from www.amazon.co.uk)

Elmer, the Patchwork Elephant by David McKee
1990, Red Fox, £4.99