Reflections - Being comfortable with difference

Lesson overview

Theme:	Being comfortable with difference
Age Group:	Kindergarten
Learning Area:	Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
Outcomes:	IGDES1.9

Students label external body parts, names their functions and recognises similarities and differences between others.

There are many kindergarten ‘body part’ songs and rhymes that will help reinforce facial vocabulary.
Students should be encouraged to draw hair, eyes, nose, ears, mouth and clothes in the bands as indicated on the handout: My face.
Teachers should ensure that there is an appropriate range of textas, crayons and paints for realistic skin tones, eyes and hair.

Hand mirror, A4 paper, textas and crayons or paint

Ask students to sit in a circle and run their fingers over their faces locating and exploring their features: forehead, eyes, nose, chin, cheeks, ears, mouth, skin texture and hair.
Ask students to pass around a hand mirror. Ask students to take turns to look in the mirror and say, “My name is ____ and I have____ hair and _____ eyes.” e.g. “My name is Adam and I have brown hair and green eyes.” Teacher may need to model this for the class depending on the students’ abilities. More features can be added e.g. “My name is Adam and I have brown hair, green eyes, freckles, a red mouth and round ears.“
Ask students to draw self-portraits using the handout: My face [DOC]. Discuss the positioning of facial features.
Encourage students to talk about the similarities and differences in their portraits e.g. eye colour, hair and skin as they work.
As an extension, a circle activity may be used to include description of other students e.g. “My name is Adam and I have brown hair and green eyes. His name is Zak and he has red hair and brown eyes.”
Collect and keep self-portraits for the next activity.