I Am... You Are... We Can... - Northern Ireland Curriculum

I Am... You Are...
We Can...
The main themes of this unit are:
- we all have multiple identities;
- using labels can lead to stereotyping and discrimination;
- classrooms should be inclusive places where everyone
feels welcome; and
- we need to learn about and value those in our community.
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding: Key Stage 1, Year 4
Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community
Unit 6: I Am... You Are... We Can...
Complementary Units: Difficult Feelings
Friendships
Teaching approaches
Fair Group
Stories from Other Cultures
Place a number of differently coloured sticks or straws into
a ‘feely bag’. If you want to create four groups, use four
different colours of sticks or straws and so on. Or, if you want
to have four children in a group, place four sticks or straws of
each colour in the bag. Ask the children to pick a straw from
a ‘feely bag’ and to form the groups accordingly.
If you have children in your class who come from other
countries try to obtain stories written in their home language.
Alternatively, decide the roles you will need in the group for
example, leader, ‘go for’, timekeeper and reporter. Allocate a
colour to each role and then ask the children to pick a straw from
the ‘feely bag’. Form the groups as the straws are withdrawn.
For example, Group 1 will be comprised of those children who
picked the first yellow, blue, red and green straws.
Ideas To Introduce A Topic
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An email
A posted letter to the class
An invitation
An announcement from the Principal
An arranged interruption by another teacher
Ask a ‘What if...’ question
When using photographs and other resources, try to
include images from the different cultures represented in
your classroom. This will give the children an opportunity to
discuss their culture with others in the class and to highlight
any similarities and differences.
Give new children who speak a different language to the
majority of the class opportunities to meet other children
from the same cultural background who speak the same
language. This will help create confidence. They can use this
time to talk in their home language and to practise speaking
their new language.
Cultural Calendar
Use a cultural calendar to create awareness of cultural
events across the world. This is a good opportunity to
introduce the children to food associated with each event.
Use stories as opportunities to introduce food the children may
not have tasted. For example, talk about the fruit in Handa’s
Surprise (see Suggested additional resources for full reference).
Key Experiences
in exploring similarities and
differences between people
Building on Foundation Stage 1
Moving towards Key Stage 2
Explore and discuss similarities and
differences between groups of people:
Explore, value and celebrate
cultural difference and diversity:
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beginning to recognise similarities and differences in families and
the wider community;
celebrating special occasions, for example birthdays and weddings; and
understanding that everyone is of equal worth and that it is acceptable
to be different.
Working at Key Stage 1
Similarities and differences
between people:
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appreciating ways we are similar and different;
being aware of their own cultural heritage, its traditions and celebrations;
recognising and valuing the culture and traditions of one other group
who shares their community; and
being aware of the diversity of people around the world.
examining and exploring the different types of families that exist, the roles
within them, and the different responsibilities;
knowing about aspects of their cultural heritage including the diversity
of cultures that contribute to Northern Ireland;
recognising the similarities and differences between cultures in
Northern Ireland, for example food, clothes, symbols and celebrations;
acknowledging that people differ in what they believe is right or wrong;
recognising that people have different beliefs which shape the way they live;
developing an awareness of the experiences, lives and cultures of people
in the wider world;
recognising the similarities and differences between cultures, for example
food, clothes, symbols and celebrations; and
recognising how injustice and inequality affect people’s lives.
Progress in learning
I know more about the people in my class than I did last year.
I can tell five facts about myself.
I understand that I should be friendly to everyone in our class.
I know that I can only be with my special friends some of the time.
I am learning ways to help other people without talking.
I can name places in the local community that I go to regularly.
I can name places in the local community that I do not go to (regularly).
I am beginning to be able to tell you about my identity.
I am developing an awareness of and respect for everyone in my class.
I understand what it is like to feel excluded.
I try to be fair to everyone and include them when I am playing
and working in groups.
I can tell ways to help someone feel included.
When I see someone left out I use ways to include them.
I am beginning to understand what it would be like if I was disabled in some way.
I can describe something valuable about each person in our classroom.
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Key Stage 1, Year 4
Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community
I Am... You Are... We Can...
Learning intention:
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Recognise and value
diversity in people.
Planning together
In addition to involving other
classroom adults who work with the
children, consider inviting parent(s)/
carer(s) to join in the overall planning
process. Discussing diversity can
be a sensitive subject, so parent(s)/
carer(s) will be reassured to hear
what you plan to do. It’s also good
to give them an opportunity to ask
any questions they may have.
You may consider having a Fears
in a Hat session. Distribute paper
and pens. Invite parent(s)/carer(s)
and any classroom adults to write
down any concerns they may have
about the content of this unit. Allow
plenty of time for parent(s)/carer(s)/
classroom adults to consider their
fears and to write them down.
Collect the pieces of paper and
place them into a hat. Pick them out
of the hat and answer the concerns
one by one. If there are a number of
concerns about a particular aspect
of this unit, explain the activities
that you may be doing (relating
to that aspect) and ask the adults
how they feel about what you have
suggested. They may be able to
suggest a strategy with which they
are more comfortable.
Be sensitive to those for whom
English is not their first language and
try to be available for questions later.
Parent(s), carer(s) and nonteaching staff often have extensive
knowledge of the local area, which
can be useful when planning
activities in the local community. If
children are present at the meeting
after they have contributed to the
key questions on the Planning
Board, ask the adults to contribute
by suggesting how they could
help. If possible arrange dates
and times with the adults present.
When the plans come to be
translated into action, involve
those parents who offered their
help and support. Record all work
without a written outcome using
photographs or other media.
At the Review stage of the topic,
consider inviting all parent(s)/carer(s)
to view a presentation of the
completed work and to contribute
to an evaluation of what took place.
Involve the children in drawing up
the evaluation for the adults but
in addition consider giving time to
their oral contribution. Be sensitive
to those adults who were unable to
contribute to the topic through work
or other commitments.
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities by the end of Key Stage 1
Managing information
Ask more focused questions about the task,
clarify purpose and what needs to be done;
Recognise where similar tasks have been
done in the past;
Use their own and others’ ideas to identify, locate
and select various sources of information;
Suggest possible solutions to problems;
Check work routinely for accuracy and precision;
Be systematic and work through the stages
in a task;
Persist with tasks until an appropriate endpoint,
with teacher prompting;
Explain their methods and opinions, and the
reasons for choices and actions; and
Seek help from other people;
Recognise the differences between why,
what, where, when and how questions.
Work towards personal targets identified
by teacher; and
Develop an awareness of what they enjoy, what they
find difficult, their personal strengths and limitations.
Set goals for their work, break tasks into
smaller parts and plan their next steps;
Being creative
Record information in a variety of formats; and
Show curiosity when approaching new tasks
and challenges;
Working with others
Have experiences with all the senses;
Develop further habits of collaborative learning;
Listen to and share ideas and experiences;
Become more adept at turn-taking, sharing and
cooperating when working in a group or team;
Begin to identify audience and purpose when
communicating.
Thinking, problem solving
and decision-making
Show their ability to organise and summarise
to show understanding;
Sequence, order and rank information along
different dimensions;
Identify similarities and differences by making
simple comparisons and connections;
Begin to test predictions and to look for evidence;
Make decisions and generate options;
Generate as many ideas as possible, building
and combining ideas;
Take time to use the imagination. Enjoy the
unexpected, unusual and surprising; and
Experiment and investigate real life issues.
Self-management
Check that they are achieving their purpose by talking
about what they are learning, how the work was
carried out and some aspect that might be improved;
Decide what needs to be done in a group and take
responsibility for aspects of the work;
Show the ability to learn from shared and
modelled activities;
Adapt behaviour and language to suit
different situations;
Show fairness to others; and
Recognise and respect other people’s
feelings and ideas.
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4
Across the Curriculum: Connecting the learning
Using Mathematics
Constructing a 3-D shape
to make a Good To Be
Me Cube
Words and
phrases I will
hear and use
Drama
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
Responding in role to the imaginative
play of others. Children responding to
Learning Activity 2: How Happy?
Discrimination
Inclusion
Using a survey to collect information
to enable decision-making about
better disabled access
Minority
eg
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drum
Sitar
Community
Majority
Disable
d
Hobbies/
interests
Tools
Learning activities
Personality
Exclusion
Religious
backgrou
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Diffe
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optio ent
ns
Activity 1
Multiple identities
Activity 3
Creating inclusive spaces
Recognising that there are lots
of different things that make us
who we are.
Creating a classroom and school
community where everyone feels
welcome and can join in.
Activity 2
Limiting labels
Activity 4
Getting to know the people
who live in our local and
wider community
Understanding that using labels
can lead to stereotyping and
discrimination.
Emphasising the
importance
of valuing and
learning about others
who may live their lives
differently to us.
Multip
l
e
ident
ities
Bodhran
Labels
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Learning activity 1: Multiple identities
CORE CONCEPT
There are lots of different things that
make us who we are. We call these
our multiple identities.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will develop our understanding
of the concept of identity.
We will continue to build respect for
our own and other people’s feelings,
ideas and heritage.
We will continue to develop and
demonstrate our listening skills.
POINTS TO NOTE
This unit deals with sensitive
issues including identity, labelling
and disability. We recommend
that you send home the Letter To
Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)
before beginning this topic.
widely about multiple identities and
things that are unique to us
as well as things that are shared in
common. Tasks 4:1 and 4:2 in Unit 4:
Difference and Diversity of Interactive
Sarah and the Whammi are most
relevant to this learning activity.
This unit links with Interactive
Sarah and the Whammi.
You can access this at
www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Follow the links from the
Personal Development and
Mutual Understanding section.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s)
(Resource A)
- Things I Notice In My Community
(Resource B)
- Cardboard box and
cardboard cube
- Sheets of card
- Art materials
- Coloured dot/star stickers
- Digital/disposable camera(s)
You can access the full series of
Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI
website: https://learningni.net/
Follow video links.
Unit 4 of Interactive Sarah and
The Whammi highlights Sarah’s
awareness of being part Catholic
and part Protestant as she is the
child of a mixed marriage. This is
a good starting point for thinking
WHAT TO DO
- Who Am I?
- It’s Good To Be Me Cube
- Line Ups
- Community Maps
- Reflecting And Reviewing
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Who Am I?
This activity can be done as a whole class
or in smaller groups. It introduces the ideas
that there is more than one thing or label that
makes up our identity, and that some aspects
of our identity can change. Importantly, these
concepts are also true for other people.
Ask each person in the class (including the adults) to think of four things
about themselves and to write them down on a piece of paper. These
could include statements to do with likes/dislikes or information about
family, hobbies and interests, ethnic/religious background, gender
and/or personality. For example, a person might write:
- I was born in Belfast;
- I have a new baby sister;
- I am learning to play the sitar; and
- I don’t eat meat.
When everyone has finished, collect the pieces of paper, put them into
a container and mix them up. Invite everyone to sit in a circle. Pass the
container around and ask everyone to take one piece of paper from
it. Then, invite each person to take it in turn to read out the statements
written on their piece of paper. Have the rest of the class try to guess
the identity of the person being described.
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Use the following questions
to generate a whole-class
discussion:
- How easy or difficult was it to
think of four things about you?
Why do you think that was?
- Are there any things you wrote
about yourself that are different
or new this year? (For
example a new activity or skill,
a different hairstyle or a new
baby in the family.)
- Did you find out anything new
about anyone else?
- Did anyone notice anything that
had changed for someone else
since last year?
- Did some of the same things
come up several times? Did
that make it harder to guess
the identity of the person? (The
individual combinations
were probably all different.)
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majority
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Was there anything you
noticed that was only used
by one person?
Did people use things like being
a boy/girl (gender), their skin
colour or the country they come
from (ethnicity/nationality) and
religion? Why do you think that was? (It may be interesting to see whether, for example, any of the white children in the class used that on their list. Sometimes, being in a large majority can mean that we stop seeing that part of our identity. Issues of difference and majority/minority will be followed up in Learning activity 2.)
Having done this exercise,
do you think it is possible to
use one word or label to
describe someone? Why
do you think that?
gende
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Learning activity 1: Multiple identities (continued)
It’s Good To Be Me Cube
Show everyone a cardboard box, and ask for
suggestions as to how it might be made. Then
show them a cube made of card. Take it apart
and demonstrate how it fits together. Tell the
children that they are going to make their own
cube that tells others more about who they are.
Use the ideas generated in the Who Am I?
game as a starting point for a discussion about
the type of information that could be included
on the cube.
For example, the children might want to include:
- a self-portrait or photograph;
- some factual information such as gender, age, area/town
or where they live;
- people who are special to them;
- pictures of some of the activities and hobbies they do;
- symbols that represent any clubs they belong to; and/or
- information about their religion or ethnic/national identity.
Give each child a sheet of card and
art materials. Allow then enough
time to create their cube.
Once the cubes have been
completed, divide the class into
small groups*. Invite them to talk
about their cubes and explain
some of the information included.
Afterwards, ask the children to sit in
a circle. Initiate a class discussion.
Draw out the themes of multiple
identities, changing aspects of
identity and the things that we stop
seeing/forget about because they
seem too obvious. You can use
the questions from Who Am I? to
structure the discussion. Finally,
ask the children to complete the
sentence stem, ‘Something that
is good about me is...’
Display the It’s Good To Be Me
cubes in the classroom. You may
decide to hang them from the
ceiling or create a giant mobile.
*One way to divide the class into
smaller groups is to get everyone
to close their eyes. Stick a coloured
dot/star on each person’s
forehead. Without speaking, the
children must find the other people
with the same colour of dot or star,
and join together as a group. If you
have already used Green Unit 4:
Friendships Learning Activity 3, the
children will be familiar with this
way of grouping.
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I
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who
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Line Ups
This activity requires some space so that the whole
class can get into a line from one end of the room
to the other. Ask the children and any adults present
to line up according to the categories that you give
them. Where possible, ask them to make decisions
about the order for example, if several people have
a birthday in one month, they could go by date.
Ask them to form all or some of the lines without
speaking. This increases the challenge and highlights
some communication themes that will be explored in
later activities.
Here are a few ideas you can use for the lines:
- birthday month from January to December;
- colour of hair from lightest to darkest;
- number of children in family from fewest to most; and
- distance between home to school from closest to
farthest away.
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Novembe
Be sensitive to categories where children may think
that one end of the line is better than the other, for
example tallest/smallest or oldest/youngest. You can
include these if you want, but you may need to discuss
the false sense of better/worse. It may be helpful to
demonstrate what you would like the children to do
using a group of about eight children first.
Afterwards, use discussion questions such as:
- Did you stand beside the same people every time?
- Did you stand beside anyone more than once?
- Did you find out anything new about anyone else?
- Were there any lines where your position is different
to where you would have stood if you had done this
last year?
- What changed? Could it change (again) in the future?
- Can you think of any other lines we could have used?
- How did you find working without talking? Was it
easy/difficult?
- What strategies did you use to communicate?
- How did you work out where to stand?
- How did you help each other?
January
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Augu
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Learning activity 1: Multiple identities (continued)
Community Maps
You can do this activity in the classroom by simply
drawing on the children’s own knowledge of
the local area. If necessary, invite the classroom
adults to provide some information. Alternatively,
you can set this as a home learning activity or
have the children take part in an organised
walk around the local community to observe
the buildings, parks and spaces.
Give the children a copy of
Resource B: Things I Notice In
My Community. Encourage them
to use this to make notes of what
they see in their local community. If
you decide to take the children on
an organised walk, have them use
disposable or digital cameras to
record what they see.
In class, discuss what the
children have recorded on their
Things I Notice In My Community
resource sheets. Then invite them
to make their community map.
The intention is not to produce
accurate road maps but for the
children (and helping adults) to
highlight places that are significant
for them and to become more
aware of diversity in their area.
You can have the children create:
- an actual map;
- a poster with symbols and
pictures that represent the
different places; or
- a collage of drawings,
photographs, and magazine
cut outs of the different
buildings/spaces in the local
area (for example, a park or
playing fields).
Invite the children to share their
community maps with each other
in circle time and/or in small
groups. Encourage them to discuss
the similarities and differences
in their maps. Use the following
questions to encourage discussion:
- How do the different places on
your own map relate to different
parts of your own identity? For
example, if you go to the local
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Presbyterian church is this
marked on your map?
Are there any new places you
have discovered recently,
maybe because of new
activities you do or because of
a new friend you have made?
Is there a place that you did not
know about that is important
to someone else?
Do some people have to travel
further than others to reach
the places that are important
to them?
Are there any places you feel
you can’t go? Why is that? Is
it because you are too young?
Is it because you don’t play
a particular sport? Is it
because somewhere is not
safe in the evening? Is it
because an area is seen as
belonging to another community?
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Reflecting And Reviewing
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(This may be a starting point
for thinking about exclusion/
inclusion.)
What would make you feel
safe/welcome there? (You could
also explore this the other way
round, thinking about people
who may feel excluded from
the children’s groups or local
community.)
A possible follow on activity is to
create a group or class map/poster.
Next, encourage the children to
think about places in the community
that are important to people
other than themselves, and why.
Have them use their notes from
Resource B: Things I Notice In My
Community and the information
they received from people at home
or the classroom adults.
You can use the following ideas
to prompt their thinking:
- places of worship different
to the one you attend;
- sports clubs/playing fields that
you have never been to;
- a community centre or church
hall where a toddler’s
group meets;
- a local post office (point out that
it is very important for local
elderly people, people who
don’t have a car and people
who cannot get to a bank in
a town centre);
- buildings belonging to
charitable organisations; and/or
- places they might want to go to
when they are teenagers.
In circle time, review the children’s understanding
of the term identity. Finally, invite them to complete
the following sentence stems:
- A new place I have found out about is...
- Something I hadn’t thought about before is...
If you have made a class map/
poster, add the new places to
visually represent the diversity
of people living in the community.
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Learning activity 2: Limiting labels
CORE CONCEPT
Using labels for people can lead to stereotyping
and discrimination.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will recognise some of the limitations
of labels and stereotypes.
We will understand more about looking beyond
labels and checking out our assumptions.
We will build empathy around the experience
of people who feel excluded.
POINTS TO NOTE
If you have not completed
Learning activity 1, consider
sending home the Letter to
Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A).
You can use Interactive Sarah and
the Whammi Unit 4: Difference
and Diversity Media Clip 4:1 with
this activity. You can access this
at www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Follow the links from the Personal
Development and Mutual
Understanding section.
You can access the full series of
Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI
website: https://learningni.net/
Follow video links.
How Big? How Happy? activity is
adapted from a Train the Trainer
Circle Time course by Jenny Mosely.
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You can access similar courses at
www.circle-time.co.uk
We suggest using playing cards for
the How Big? How Happy? drama
exercises. However you can use
any other set of suitable cards.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s)
(Resource A)
- Playing cards/number cards
- Quiz questions and prizes
- Newspapers
- Sticky tape
- Blindfolds/scarves
WHAT TO DO
- How Big? How Happy?
- Winners And Losers
- Newspaper Towers
- Reflecting And Reviewing
How Big? How Happy?
These two exercises provide a starting point
for thinking about how a label tells us very little
about diversity. You will need space for people
to move about.
How big?
Have everyone stand in a circle. Ask them to imagine that they have an
invisible ball. Have them throw the imaginary ball to each other. Instruct
them say their name and the name of the person they are going to
throw the ball to. Start by saying the ball is big. After a few throws, start
challenging the children about how big the ball is. Encourage them to
think about different sizes that would still be considered big and how
this might change their throwing/catching. For example if the ball is
enormous, the thrower might have their arms stretched out wide, be
staggering about or might need someone else to help them throw it.
Encourage everyone to be as imaginative and creative as possible.
After a while, tell them to stop speaking and to carefully watch for the
ball being thrown to them. Then, change the label or description of the
ball. For example, you might say, ‘The ball is small/light/heavy/bouncy.’
Again, challenge the children to think about the characteristics of the
label and how this might change how they throw and catch the ball.
How happy?
Take the aces and number cards from a pack of playing cards.
Alternatively, make up enough number cards for the class with some
extras. Give everyone a card. Tell them not to show it to anyone else.
Tell them you want them to move around the room (without speaking)
as if they are feeling happy. Explain that their level of happiness is
determined by the number on their card. The ace or one means not
happy and the ten means extremely happy. Give the children some time
to imagine how they will do this, what it will feel like and how they might
express it. You or a volunteer may need to talk/act through one example
to get people started. After a couple of minutes, ask everyone to show
their card. Collect the cards and repeat the exercise using different
feelings, for example disappointed, confident, bored, shy or excited.
You may decide to repeat the activity with the feeling of confidence.
This time ask the children to observe the others moving around the
classroom. Explain that they are going to have to rank order themselves
from least confident to most confident. When the children have ranked
themselves, invite them to show their cards and see how well they
performed in the task.
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Learning activity 2: Limiting labels (continued)
De-brief the two exercises using
discussion questions such as:
- How did you feel during the
ball activity?
- When I said the ball was big,
what did you think? Did you
have one size in your mind,
or did you think, ‘How big?’
- How did you decide how
to throw/catch the ball?
- Did you ever think about asking
anyone to help you when the
ball was very, very big or
heavy? Why/why not?
- Did you ever think of offering
to help someone else when the
ball was very, very big or heavy?
Why/why not?
- How did you feel when
you had to do the ball activity
without speaking? How did
you communicate?
- How did you feel doing the
cards activity? Did you find it
easier or more difficult than
the ball game?
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Did you find it easy/difficult to
get into role? Why do you think
that was?
Did the way you acted out the
feeling affect the way you
moved around other people?
In what ways?
Do you think some numbers
were harder to express than
others? Why do you think that
is? (The children will probably
say that they found it more
difficult to act out the middle
numbers because the differences
are less obvious than at the
extremes of ace/one and ten.)
Did you find it difficult to rank
order yourselves? Did you get
it mostly right? What caused the
most confusions/mix ups?
Do you think everyone would
have acted the number five in
the same way? Why is that?
Would it have been easier if
you had been able to speak?
What kinds of talk or noises
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might you have added for the
different feelings?
Can you think of some of the
labels we use to describe
people when we are putting
them into groups? (As well as
labels like sporty or musical,
encourage the group to think
about labels linked to gender,
religion, disability, ethnicity
and nationality.)
Can you think what the
exercises help us understand
about using one label for lots
of different people in a group?
Can you give me any examples
from your own experience?
What do we call it when we
have one picture in our mind
of what someone with that
label looks like?
What are some of the things
that can happen when we have
labelled or stereotyped someone?
throw
labels
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help
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Winners And Losers
This game provides an opportunity for the
children to think about discrimination resulting
from being grouped under a particular label.
Divide the class into quiz teams based on eye
colour or birthday months. It doesn’t matter if
there are different numbers of people in each
group. In your mind, choose one group and
every time it is their turn, ask them very easy
questions. With each of the other teams, make
sure you include at least some questions that
it will be impossible for them to answer. At
the end of the quiz, reward the winning team
with a prize. If you want to introduce the idea
of majorities and minorities, ask all the teams
except one very easy questions and reward all
the teams except one at the end.
You may already be getting some lively feedback as the quiz
progresses, but at the end, use discussion questions such as:
- What did you think of the quiz?
- How did you feel about the way the teams were selected?
- How did you feel about how your team did?
- How did you feel about the other teams?
- How do you feel about me as the person asking the questions
and deciding who won?
-
-
-
-
-
-
How did it feel to be in the
minority group and be asked
harder questions?
How did it feel to be left out
when the prizes were given out?
Can anyone think of any real life
situations in school where
people are treated unfairly
because of a label that they
have/are given, or because
they are seen as different?
What about in the community
or our society as a whole?
Can you think of any real life
situations in school where the
people who are treated unfairly
are the minority? What about
in the community or our society
as a whole?
Do you think this makes any
difference? Why do you think that?
Are there times when you are
in the majority and still feel left
out or excluded?
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15
Learning activity 2: Limiting labels (continued)
Newspaper Towers
Explain to the children that one
way people can be discriminated
against is if they are excluded or
left out because they are seen as
being different or are labelled in a
certain way. This exercise gives the
class an opportunity to experience
and think about this.
Divide the class into groups of
approximately six people. One
way of doing this is to make
simple jigsaws from magazine
pictures stuck on card or from
postcards (these could be of
people/faces). If you want groups
of six, create jigsaws with six
pieces. Give everyone a piece of
the jigsaw, and ask them to find
the other members of their group.
When the children have formed
their groups, give them a pile of
newspapers and some sellotape.
Alternatively, use other resources
that could be used for building
a tower. Tell the groups that you
are going to give them a limited
amount of time to construct a
tower. The group with the biggest
tower is the winner.
When they have been working for
a short time, go to each group and
ask for two volunteers. Blindfold
one of the volunteers and attach
the other volunteer’s arms to their
chest. Leave the groups to finish
their towers within the timeframe
you have decided. Alert them five
minutes before the finish time.
Afterwards use the following
questions to develop a class
discussion:
- How did you feel you worked
together as a group?
- Did different people take
on different roles/jobs?
If you were blindfolded:
- How did you feel?
- What did you contribute to
the team?
- How did the rest of the team
relate to you?
- Did you feel part of the team?
- What might have helped you
to feel part of the team?
If you had your arm attached
to your chest:
- How did you feel?
- What did you contribute to
the team?
- How did the rest of the team
relate to you?
- Did you feel part of the team?
- What might have helped you
to feel part of the team?
16
Reflecting And Reviewing
For the other members
of the teams:
- How did you feel when the
volunteers were blindfolded
and had their arms strapped?
- How did you relate to them
after that?
- What contributions did they
make to the team?
- Did you include them or
exclude them? In what ways?
- Which felt more important including your teammates
or getting the tower built?
- How could you maybe have
included them more? How
might you have benefited if
you had done this?
- What are the things we can
learn from doing this activity?
- What can we learn about being
different, exclusion and
inclusion, being in a minority,
being the only one and being
in the majority?
Encourage all children to share
their experience using questions
such as:
- Can you tell us if something like
this that has happened to you?
- How do you feel when you are
asked to do something that you
cannot do the same way as
others in the class?
This theme will be revisited in
Learning activity 4.
In circle time, review the children’s understanding
of the words inclusion, exclusion, majority and
minority. Highlight the idea of fair participation
by passing round a speaking object or by giving
each child a penny/token to use when they want
to take their turn to speak. Have the children use
sentence starters such as:
- Something I could do if I feel excluded is...
- Something I could do if I see someone being
excluded is...
- Something we did that made me think was...
17
Learning activity 3: Creating inclusive spaces
CORE CONCEPT
We need to build a classroom/school/community
where everyone feels welcome and can join in.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will recognise that differences make our
classroom/school/community more interesting.
We will work together, sharing ideas and skills
with each other.
We will use thinking, problem-solving and
decision-making skills to explore ways to help
people feel included.
POINTS TO NOTE
If you have not completed
Learning activities 1 or 2, send
home the Letter to Parent(s)/
Carer(s) (Resource A).
You can use Interactive Sarah and
the Whammi Unit 4: Difference
and Diversity Media Clip 4:2
and Task 4:3 with this Learning
activity. You can access this at
www.nicurriculum.org.uk Follow
the links from the Personal
Development and Mutual
Understanding section.
You can access the full series of
Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI
website: https://learningni.net/
Follow video links.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s)
(Resource A)
- The Rainbow Song (Resource C)
- CD of Serge Prokofiev’s Peter
and the Wolf
- Materials for making
musical instruments
- Sticky labels
- Pot/stand and branch or
materials to make a tree
- String/wool/ribbon
WHAT TO DO
- Class Orchestra
- Suns And Clouds:
Included And Excluded
- Changing The Story
- Welcome Posters
- The Wishing Tree
- Reflecting And Reviewing
18
Class Orchestra
This activity introduces the children to the
concept that we all have ideas and skills to
contribute and that inclusion benefits everyone.
Have the children listen to Serge Prokofiev’s
Peter and the Wolf (Opus 67). This is a great
introduction to orchestral instruments and the
way they work together.
There may be children in your class who are learning musical
instruments. Invite them to bring their instruments into class and show
them to the other children and/or play them. There may be opportunities
to learn about music and instruments from different cultures.
Have the children sit in a circle. Explain that they are going to play in an
imaginary orchestra. Ask the children to suggest instruments that might
be part of the orchestra. Then, ask them what playing each instrument
would look like. For example, you could ask, ‘What would it look like if
you were playing the guitar, trombone, sitar, Lambeg drum or bodhran?’
Explain that one person is going to be the leader of the orchestra and that
everyone else has to copy the instrument that they are playing. The leader
will play several instruments and the children must copy them each time.
Ask for a volunteer to go and stand at one side of the room with their
back to the group. Silently choose a leader. Invite the volunteer to
come back and stand in the middle of the circle. Ask the orchestra to
start playing their instruments. The volunteer in the middle must guess
who the leader is. Remind the leader to change instruments carefully
to avoid being caught out. Remind the other players to try to keep the
identity of the leader a secret.
Repeat this game with different
volunteers.
Have the children make instruments
from scrap materials, for example:
- rattles (fill different shaped
bottles and containers with
dried peas/rice/paper clips/
scraps of card);
- shakers (attach a string of
milk bottle tops or crepe paper
streamers to a stick);
- stringed instruments (stretch
elastic bands across different
shaped open boxes);
- scrapers (made with two
blocks of wood covered with
sandpaper); and/or
- drums.
19
Learning activity 3: Creating inclusive spaces
(continued)
Suns and Clouds: Included and Excluded
Invite the children to play their
instruments in the class orchestra.
Finish by having a class
discussion. You can use the
following questions to prompt the
children’s thinking:
- When everyone in an
orchestra/music group is
playing their instruments really
well together, what does it
sound like?
- As well as being able to play
an instrument, what skills do
you need to play in an
orchestra/music group?
- What would happen if the
players did not listen to each
other/did not watch the
conductor or leader/played
their own instrument very loudly
all the time?
-
-
-
-
What does our class look like/
sound like/feel like when
everyone is enjoying being
here and can join in together?
What do you think are some
of the skills we need to make
our class work well together?
Does everyone have the same
skills? How can we work as
a team?
What are some of the things
that can happen so that
people don’t feel welcome in
our classroom or don’t feel able
to take part in things?
You can introduce this activity by saying, ‘Being
in an orchestra or music group means everyone
belonging and everyone working together.
Sometimes we have experiences like that where
we feel included and other times we feel left out
or excluded.’ Ask the children for some general
examples of inclusion and exclusion.
20
Give everyone two sheets of
paper. Ask them to draw a large
outline of the sun on one sheet
and a large outline of a cloud on
the other. Inside the sun, ask them
to write about or draw a picture of
a time they felt included because
of one of the parts of their identity.
For example, they might draw or
write about:
- a great time that they had with
their friends;
- being included on a sports team;
- being at their church/place of
worship;
- going to a family event like
a wedding; or
- something they described/drew
on their It’s Good To Be Me cube.
Inside the cloud, ask them to write
about or draw a picture of a time
they felt excluded because of one
of the parts of their identity. For
example, they might draw or
write about:
- being left out of a game with
friends because of a disability;
- a time they were left off the
sports team;
- not being able to eat school
meals because the food was
not prepared in a way that
was appropriate for their
religious beliefs;
- not being able to go to a
special family event because
they were sick; or
- something they described/drew
on their It’s Good To Be Me cube.
It may be useful for the children
to work in small groups of
approximately four people to
help them come up with ideas
and examples. You can group
the children by writing the names
of musical instruments on sticky
labels (for example four violins, four
trombones, four flutes and so on).
Stick the labels on to the children’s
backs. Without talking, the children
must work out what their own
instrument is, find the other people
who are the same instruments
and form a group. Be sensitive to
the possibility that there may be
children who feel excluded at times
within the class group.
When the children have completed
their sun and cloud pictures, invite
them to share their work with the
other members of their group.
Encourage them to explain what
happened and particularly, how
they felt. Remind them of the
How Happy? exercise and
encourage them to give details
about their feelings.
Finish off by having circle time. Ask
the children for a few examples of
inclusion and exclusion. Use the
following questions:
- What kinds of identity labels
were people included for? (List
these on the board.)
- What kinds of identity labels
were people excluded for?
(List these on the board.)
- Are there some labels that
appear on both lists? Why do
you think that is?
- How did you feel when you
were thinking back to a time
when you felt included?
- How did you feel when you
were thinking back to a time
when you felt excluded?
21
Learning activity 3: Creating inclusive spaces
(continued)
Changing the Story
Have the children stay in the same
groups. Ask them to think about
the examples of being excluded
and about ways in which they
could turn this into an example of
inclusion instead. Encourage them
to try and come up with several
options. Next, ask them to choose
one of the examples given in their
group and develop it as a role-play.
They must first depict an example of
a person being excluded and show
how the situation could be changed
into a story of inclusion. Have the
groups perform their dramas for
each other.
Welcome Posters
Afterwards, discuss:
- How easy or difficult was it
to think of different options for
changing the stories so that the
excluded person felt included?
- If you think about your personal
example, would the options
people suggested have
helped you?
- If any of you are still in those
situations, do you now have
any strategies you could use to
try to change things? What could
you do? Is there someone you
could ask to help?
Ask the children to reflect back on their
personal experiences and the exercises in this
and previous activities. As a class, make a list
of words/phrases that describe how we feel
when we are included. Make another list of
words/phrases that describe how we feel
when we are excluded. Display these in the
classroom where everyone can see them.
Explain to the children that you want them to
think about their classroom and/or the school
as a whole school environment.
Use the following questions to generate a class discussion:
- How do you feel about coming to school/being part of our class?
Which list are those kinds of feelings on?
- How important is it for our classroom/school to be somewhere that
all individual, different people feel welcomed and included?
- Do you think we are doing a good job of being inclusive?
22
-
-
Thinking about the feelings people have about coming to school/
being in our class, which things could we do better?
Are there people you can think of who might not feel welcomed and
included in our classroom/school? Why do you think that?
You may need to prompt the children’s thinking. Ask them to think about:
- people with visual or hearing impairments (they would have
difficulties joining in some activities);
- someone whose first language is not English;
- someone who is new to the school and has come from another
area/country;
- someone who does not have a television in their home; and/or
- someone who, for religious, cultural or other reasons, does not go
to the same places/do the same activities as others in the class.
Continue by asking if these people are likely to be part of a majority or
a minority and how that might affect how they feel. One aspect of this
is that sometimes there can be an unspoken perception of the majority
position as normal or the norm. It may be useful to talk about this, give
examples like those above and ask again about feelings.
Finally, ask the children to think about the word welcome. Encourage
them to discuss what it means and describe what it might look like in
practice. As a class, thought shower ideas for a welcome slogan for
your classroom/school. Ask for some volunteers to decorate a poster
with the slogan on it. Display the poster in your classroom or at the
school entrance/reception area. Alternatively, get the class to work in
groups and create a series of welcome posters. Hang them in different
places around the school building.
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The Wishing Tree
Build on the idea of welcome
and inclusion by thinking more
about what it looks like in
practice. Reinforce the idea that
a welcome poster on its own is
only the first step. Encourage the
children to think about how they
can take personal responsibility
for ensuring that everyone feels
welcome and included in practice.
Make a tree using a pot and a
bare branch, wire coat hangers
or other metal or cardboard. Ask
each person to draw a star outline
and a light bulb outline, and to cut
them out. On the star, ask them to
write/draw a picture of how they
wish their classroom/school could
be more inclusive of all different
individuals. On the light bulb, ask
them to write/draw a picture of
an idea they have for a way they
could help to make their wish
become a reality. Encourage them
to think widely and to be creative,
but also to think realistically about
things that you can actually do.
Finally, have them put a small hole
in their star and light bulb and make
a hanger with string/wool/ribbon.
In circle time, have the children
complete the following sentence
stem, ‘My wish is... and my idea
is...’ Once they have spoken or
shown their star/light bulb, they
can go and tie them onto the
tree. When everyone has done
this, thank them for all their ideas
and contributions. Explain that
the tree display will help remind
them to try to put their ideas into
practice. Provide opportunities in
future class circle times to ask how
people are doing with their wishes
and ideas.
Reflecting
and Reviewing
One way to finish this activity is to
have the children learn Resource
C: The Rainbow Song by Norman
Richardson. The chorus of the
song was first introduced to the
resource in Year 2 Indigo Unit
6: Grace and Tracey, Learning
activity 4: Everyone has a place.
Inform the children that this
song was written for a group of
primary school children. Spend
some time discussing the lyrics
and what they mean. Use this to
review the children’s understanding
of inclusion and welcome,
particularly in relation to diversity.
23
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people
who live in our local and wider community
CORE CONCEPT
We need to learn about and value everyone
within our community.
SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA
We will develop our awareness of the
diversity of people who make up our
community and society.
We will begin to understand that belonging to
this group is only one part of someone’s identity
and that the people within the group are diverse.
We will apply our understanding of welcome
and inclusion/exclusion to real life situations for
people belonging to different groups.
POINTS TO NOTE
If you have not completed
Learning activity 1, 2 or 3, send
home the Letter to Parent(s)/
Carer(s) (Resource A).
Indigo Unit 6, Learning Activities
5 and 6. The guidance given for
teachers is relevant and it may also
be useful to repeat some of the
activities suggested there.
You can use Interactive Sarah and
the Whammi Unit 4: Difference
and Diversity Media Clip 4:4 and
Task 4:5 with this activity. You can
access this at www.nicurriculum.
org.uk Follow the links from the
Personal Development and
Mutual Understanding section.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Letter for Parent(s)/Carer(s)
(Resource A)
- Lindsay’s Story 1 (Resource D)
- Lindsay’s Story 2 (Resource E)
- Disability Cards (Resource F)
- Blindfolds/earplugs
You can access the full series of
Sarah and the Whammi on the LNI
website: https://learningni.net/
Follow video links.
The section on disability re-visits
the themes explored in Year One,
WHAT TO DO
- Tools for Life
- Differently Abled: Sharing
Gifts and Skills
- School Maps/Community Maps
- Reflecting and Reviewing
24
Tools for Life
Begin with all of the children sitting in a circle.
Tell them you would like each of them to make
and decorate a clay pot. Take out a book and
begin to read silently. After a short time, look up
and ask why they have not begun the task you
asked them to do. Discuss why this is. Focus
particularly on the points that:
- you have not given them enough help as you
have not explained exactly what you want
them to do and they are unable to find the
resources they need; and
- you have not given them the tools they
need to do the task.
Point out that we all need help
and tools/equipment to do lots of
things many times a day. Ask the
children to think about what kinds
of things tools can be.
Divide the class into pairs. You
can do this by using pair cards
with pictures of different tools
for example pencils, phones,
hammers and saucepans. When
the children have found their
partner, ask them to share with
each other a situation where they
needed help, for example:
- schoolwork they found difficult;
- a time they got lost; or
- a time they wanted to improve
their skills at playing a musical
instrument.
-
-
-
a kettle to make a cup of tea;
walking boots for climbing a
mountain; or
a telephone to contact a friend.
Next, ask them to think about and
share with each other a situation
where not having help or the right
tools/equipment meant that they
felt unable to join in or excluded
from something, for example:
- having to take their glasses off
to go swimming and not being
able to see their friends at the
other end of the pool;
- forgetting their games kit and
having to watch everyone
else have great fun playing
sport together; or
- not understanding the rules
of a game that everyone else
is playing.
Also ask them to talk about a
situation where they needed some
tools/equipment to complete a task,
for example:
25
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people
who live in our local and wider community (continued)
Finally, have them discuss ideas
about the help and/or tools that
would have enabled them to join in
and to feel included. Encourage them
to think of several options, if possible.
Invite the children to come back
into the whole class circle and ask
the following questions:
- What kinds of situations did you
think of where you felt unable
to join in or felt excluded?
- Were you able to come up with
lots of possible help and tools?
Can you give me a few
examples?
- Can you think of any situations
where having the tools might
not enable you to join in totally
or at all? For example, having
a musical instrument but not
being able to play it well
enough to join a group/orchestra,
having a wheelchair but not
-
-
being able to go fast enough
to join in a running game or
being given a book about
something you’re really
interested in but not being able
to read it because you have
difficulty with some of the
words or because it’s in a
different language.
What might you need to happen?
Encourage the children to think
about how inclusion is not
about the person who feels left
out having to find a way to fit in,
rather it is about adapting
things so that they can join in.
Can we always see when
someone else needs help or
needs us to do things differently
so that they can join in? Why/
why not? Can you think of
any examples?
If there is a child in the class
who has a specific disability, for
example has to use a wheelchair,
ask them separately if they have
any experiences they would like
to share. Talk to them about this
in advance so that they have time
to consider your question and
time to prepare their answer. Be
sensitive to children who say no
to your request. Alternatively, you
may know someone or have a
relative who would be willing to
share their experiences. Bringing
someone from outside the
classroom avoids any individuals
feeling under the spotlight. On
the other hand, some children if
given the opportunity, would very
willingly share their experiences.
Follow up this learning by giving
some or all of the children,
perhaps at different times, the
opportunity to experience in a
small way what it might be like to
have a disability/disabilities. You
can do this by:
- asking the children to use
blindfolds/earplugs;
- attaching their arms to
their chest;
- asking them to do everything
sitting down for part of the day
or during specific activities.
26
Differently Abled: Sharing Gifts and Skills
Bear in mind that those who need to wear glasses or have had a
broken leg/arm will already have experiences that they can reflect on.
You can also encourage the whole class to reflect back on previous
activities in which they had to find ways of communicating with each
other without speaking.
Afterwards ask these reflection and discussion questions:
- How did you feel when you were wearing the blindfold/when
you had a broken leg?
- Which activities were you not able to join in, in the same way as
you usually do?
- What tools/equipment would have been useful?
- How did other people react to you?
- Did you have to ask for help or did other people offer to help you?
- Did you always need the help that people tried to give you, or could
you have managed more on your own?
- How did your disability affect the way you were able to learn? Did it
affect your learning in any negative ways? Did it affect your learning
in any positive ways? For example, not being able to do something
the same way as everyone else may mean that you can be more
creative about how you do it.
- From this experience, does every person with a disability need the
same things? Why do you think that? Can you give some examples?
- What might happen if you have more than one disability?
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Read aloud Resource D: Lindsay’s Story 1 and
Resource E: Lindsay’s Story 2 and the attached
discussion questions. Encourage the children
to think about how we are all differently abled
and bring different gifts, skills and contributions
to the classroom, school and other groups to
which we belong.
School Maps/Community Maps
For this activity it will be helpful to draw on the
experience and ideas of any children in your
class who have a disability/disabilities. If there
are no children in the class with disabilities,
you may want to invite someone you know
who has a disability or a person from one
of the disability support charities to come and
talk to the children about their experiences
in a local community.
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27
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people
who live in our local and wider community (continued)
Organise the class into groups
using the Disability Cards in
Resource F. Ask each group to
make a map of the classroom and
then to go around carefully look
for and note down any problems
they might encounter if they had
their named disability.
Ask the children to identify:
- any places or situations where
they feel that efforts have been
made to include people with
a disability;
- any places or situations where
efforts have been made to
make the area accessible for
people with a disability; and
- any places or situations where
they feel that people might
be excluded or unable to join
in because of a disability.
You may consider repeating this
activity for:
- the journey to the Assembly Hall;
- around the outside of the
school; and/or
- various places inside the school.
Remind the children to think about
disabilities that you cannot see for
example diabetes or heart problems.
They might want to think about other
kinds of exclusion, for example:
- all signs, including any welcome
signs, being in English;
- no separately cooked
vegetarian food on the
canteen menu; and/or
- a lack of diversity of people
represented in corridor displays.
When the children have completed
their survey, invite them to
discuss their findings. If possible,
involve the school Principal in the
discussion. As in Learning activity
3, encourage the children to think
about things that they might be
able to do to make their classroom
and school more inclusive. It will
be helpful if the classroom adults
also talk about things that they will
try to do to make the classroom
more inclusive.
Invite the children to look at their
community maps (completed in
Learning activity 1). Ask them to
observe their local area and make
notes about how much inclusion/
exclusion there is in the local
community. They can do this:
-
-
-
-
on the journey to a friend’s house;
on a trip to the shops, library
or swimming pool;
when going to church or another
place of worship; and/or
at an event such as a sports
match or a concert.
Remind the children to use their
experience of doing the class/
school inspection. It is important
to have sent a letter home to
parents/carers about this activity
so that they can accompany the
children and work with them. A
suggested letter is available in
Resource A.
28
Afterwards, invite the children to
discuss their findings. Encourage
them to think about whether
there are any things that would
be appropriate for them to do to
help make things more inclusive/
accessible. One possibility would
be to invite a local business
person or someone who works
for the local council to talk about
their responsibilities and what
they try to do.
Reflecting and
Reviewing
Finish this activity with an
affirmation exercise. Emphasise
that each different individual brings
valuable contributions to the class
group. For example you could:
- work with the class group to
develop a scroll for each person
which highlights some of the
gifts and skills that others feel
that person brings to the class; or
- have a small certificate
presentation where each person
receives a certificate which thanks
them for a particular contribution
they make to the class.
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29
Resource A
30
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Learning activity 1: Multiple identities
Letter to
Parent(s) /
Carer(s)
l
o
o
h
c
s
y
m
31
Class Teacher
Best wishes,
We are very happy to talk to you more about this unit if you have any suggestions, questions or concerns.
We will consider how sometimes when we think about people as part of a group we use labels to describe them.
This can lead to stereotyping and discrimination. We will think about ways to overcome this by exploring how
there are lots of different things that make up everyone’s identity, and that people within a group or who have
the same label can be very different. We will think about how musicians in an orchestra or music group work
together to create their music. This will also give us an opportunity to find out about different kinds of music,
instruments, singing and dance from different cultures. If you think you could help us with this, we would be
delighted to talk to you about it.
We will also think about people who have a disability/disabilities. We will be drawing on the experience of people
within our school and/or some visitors to consider how welcoming and accessible our school is for people with disabilities
and how much we support everyone to join in all aspects of school life. We will look at how welcoming and accessible
our local community is for people with disabilities. You can help your child to think about this when you are out together,
for example when going to a friend’s house and when at the swimming pool, shops and/or library.
If where you live now is not your child’s original home community, you might want to talk with them about
places that were important there, places that they miss and/or places in this new community that they really
enjoy going to. You can also help them to think about other people and the different places that might be
important to them, for example:
- elderly people who depend on a local post office to get their pension;
- people who go to different places of worship; and
- people who use different sports grounds.
We are going to create community maps and think about the places that are important to us in our local
community. You can help by talking about this with your child and by encouraging them to think about
places they go to regularly, for example:
- places they go to for activities;
- places they go to do shopping;
- your church or other place of worship; and
- the homes of family and friends.
We are beginning a new unit of work. We will be looking at:
- our own sense of identity;
- how there are lots of things that make us the way we are;
- all of the things that make us different and unique/all of the things that we have in common;
- how we sometimes use labels to describe people; and
- how we can make our school and other places welcoming for everyone.
Dear Parent(s)/Carer(s)
Date
my school
Insert school logo or letter head
Resource B
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Learning activity 1: Multiple Identities
Things I
Notice In My
Community
32
Who lives here?
What shops are here?
What churches or other
places of worship are
here?
What does the area
look like?
What kinds of houses
are here?
What places are there
to relax and meet
friends?
Other buildings/places:
What signs of political
or cultural identity are
here?
33
Resource C
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Learning activity 3: Creating inclusive spaces
The Rainbow
Song
The words and music of The Rainbow Song are by
Norman Richardson: © 1989/1992.
The full music edition with keyboard accompaniment was
published by Enelar Publications in 2001 and is available on
the CCEA website at www.nicurriculum.org.uk. Follow the
links from PD&MU to Living.Learning.Together. Year 4, Unit 6.
A recording of the song, featuring children from controlled
and maintained primary schools, can be accessed at
www.creni.org in the Stories From Other Countries, Faiths
and Times section of the Stepping Out resource.
34
A song to celebrate differences
Words & music by Norman Richardson
Guitar Chords Version
Play in the key of C, capo 3
4/4 time
Refrain
C
G7
Together we can make a rainbow:
G7
C
Let the bright colours show!
F
C G7 Am F
We need each other like the diff’rent colours
C
G7/9 C
That make the rainbow glow.
Verse 1
Am
Em
Wouldn’t the world be an ugly place
Am
E
If everyone looked the same,
F
G
C
F
If everyone had an identical face
C7
C
G7
C
G7
Or even the very same name?
(back to Refrain)
2.Just seven diff’’rent colours,
And each one alone is fine.
Yet put them together up there in the sky
And a rainbow starts to shine!
Together we can make a rainbow ...
3.If all the world were just one colour
It would be a cheerless place.
But with shades and hues from which to choose
We can paint a smile on each face.
Together we can make a rainbow ...
4.So we’ll colour the world together,
And we’ll shout so all can hear
That in our exciting rainbow world
There’ll be no room for hatred or fear!
...Together we can make a rainbow ...
Notes
Adapt the melody of each verse to the rhythm of the words. The chords
above (C, capo 3) are compatible with the piano part in E flat. If a lower
setting is required without piano move the capo to a lower fret.
Words & music ©Norman Richardson, 1992; Enelar Publications 2001
35
Resource D
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
Lindsay’s Story 1:
Thinking about being
differently abled
36
Lindsay has cerebral palsy. That means that she
doesn’t have the same control of her body as the
other members of her class. She uses a wheelchair
to move around. Her favourite subjects in school are
English and history. She also enjoys painting. Her
occupational therapist fitted her with a unicorn head
pointer because her head is the part of her body she
can control best. She uses this when typing on the
computer and when painting.
One day an artist came to talk to the children in the
school. He talked about his landscape paintings. He
also told the children that he uses oil paints and how
he always gets a lot of paint of his hands. “Why don’t
you use your head,” Lindsay suggested helpfully. At
first the visitor thought she was being cheeky. “And
how exactly would that help?” he asked. Lindsay
looked over towards her head pointer. “Ah,” he said,
“That’s clever. I don’t suppose you ever have to worry
about getting paint on your hands!”
This story is taken from Stepping Out, written by Yvonne Naylor as part of the
Transforming Sectarianism - SEED Project, Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College,
Dublin. Other stories from this resource are used in Living.Learning.Together. Year 2,
Indigo Unit 6: Grace and Tracey and Year 5, Indigo: Unit 6: Learning More About Others.
Discussion Questions:
- What do we learn from the story about Lindsay’s interests?
- What other things do you think she might enjoy doing?
- Can you think of activities that you like doing that Lindsay might
find it more difficult to join in with?
- Can you think of things that could be done differently so that
she could join in?
- Do you think there are any things Lindsay can do that you are not
able to, or would need help with?
- What things do you think you would have in common with Lindsay?
- Can you think of ways in which the children in our class are
differently abled?
- How does that help us to work well together as a team?
- How does that help us to learn from each other?
37
Resource E
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
Lindsay’s Story 2:
Thinking about sharing
gifts and skills
38
Lindsay is a very kind girl. She often observes other
people while sitting in her wheelchair, and imagines
how they are feeling from their actions and expressions.
For example, she noticed that Susie often stayed inside
while the other girls were playing ring games outside.
One day Lindsay found Susie pretending to read
a library book. “Hi Susie,” she said. “Is that a good
book?” “I don’t know,” said Susie. “I’m not really
reading it. I just don’t want to be outside. The others
never let me join in because they won’t hold my
hands - you see they’re covered in warts!”
Discussion Questions:
- What gifts and skills do you notice that Lindsay has that make
her a good friend?
- How does Lindsay help Susie to be and feel included?
- Do you think having to use a wheelchair has helped Lindsay
to develop some of her gifts and skills? What makes you think that?
- Without naming names, can you think of a time when you assumed
that someone couldn’t do something or wouldn’t have been able
to contribute because they had a disability?
- Did anything happen to change your assumption or your stereotype?
- Can you think of ways that we can help ourselves or other people to
overcome physical difficulties and be included?
- What skills can we develop to help us make our classroom/school
a more welcoming and inclusive place? How might we do that?
“Well sometimes it’s difficult for me to join in things
because I use a wheelchair, but I have to adapt and
think of ways round it. Have you ever thought of
wearing gloves?” asked Lindsay. “What?” said Susie.
“Gloves - that way people can hold your hands
without touching your warts!” Lindsay replied. “You’re
brilliant Lindsay,” said Susie, “why didn’t I think of that!”
“Your physical difficulties don’t have to ‘disable’ you.
You have to think of different ways of doing things that’s all. There are lots of ways in which all of us are
differently abled,” said Lindsay
This story is taken from Stepping Out, written by Yvonne Naylor as part of the
Transforming Sectarianism - SEED Project, Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College,
Dublin. Other stories from this resource are used in Living.Learning.Together. Year 5,
Indigo Unit 6: Learning More About Others.
39
Resource F
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Indigo Unit
Learning activity 4: Getting to know the people who live in our local and wider community
Disability
Cards
40
Visual
Visual
Visual
Visual
Visual
Visual
Walking with
crutches
Walking with
crutches
Walking with
crutches
Walking with
crutches
Walking with
crutches
Walking with
crutches
Wheelchair
user
Wheelchair
user
Wheelchair
user
Wheelchair
user
Wheelchair
user
Wheelchair
user
Hearing
Hearing
Hearing
Hearing
Hearing
Hearing
Asthma
Asthma
Asthma
Asthma
Asthma
Asthma
41
42
Notes
Suggested stories
Bedford, D and Julian, R. It’s a George Thing
(2008 Egmont Press) 9781405228053
McKee, David. Elmer
(1989 HarperCollins)
978 0688091712
Gravett, E. Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears
(2007 Macmillan Children’s Books)
978 1405089487
Gravett, E. Meerkat Mail
(2007 Macmillan Children’s Books)
978 1405090759
Griffiths, N. Shaun the Shy Shark
(2008 Red Robin Books)
905434206
Henkes, K. Chrysanthemum
(1996 Mulberry Books)
9780688147327
Gavin, J. Grandpa’s Indian Summer
(2006 Egmont Books)
978 1405212861
Coplans, P. Dottie
(1994 Houghton Mifflin)
978 0395667880
Hedderwick, M.
Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers
(1997 Red Fox) 978 0099118718
Bradman, T. and Ross, T. Michael
(1997 Andersen Press)
9780862647599
Brown, J. and Ungerer, T. Flat Stanley
(1964 HarperCollins) 978 0060206819
Foreman, M. Seal Surfer
(2006 Andersen Press)
978 1842705780
Beddard, M. Sitting Ducks
(2001 Putnam Juvenile)
978 0698118973
Browne, E. Handa’s Surprise
(1995 Walker Books)
9780744536348
Browne, A. The Night Shimmy
(2003 Corgi Childrens)
978 0552549363
*Cave, K. Something Else
(1995 Puffin) 978 0140549072
* See CCEA Primary Values
(2005) 1 858853370
Useful websites
Suggested
additional resources
Interactive Sarah and the Whammi
(2008 CCEA)
Available from www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Follow links from Personal Development
and Mutual Understanding section
Houses and Homes, Ideas for Connecting
Learning (ICL) Years 3 and 4 (CCEA)
You can access the full Sarah and the
Whammi series on the LNI website:
http://learningni.net/
Follow video links
Circle Time Courses and Resources
www.circle-time.co.uk
Diversity Calendar
www.diversiton.com
Educating for Diversity
www.educatingfordiversity.com
Finding words in other languages
www.yourdictionary.com
Information about festivals and
associated recipes can be found at:
www.festivals.com
www.asiarecipe.com
www.bbc.co.uk/food
Ross, J. I Can’t Walk But I Can Crawl
(2005 Paul Chapman Educational
Publishing) 978 1412918725
Weir, L. Not On Your Own
Wise Up and Think series (2007 CCEA)
Klein, S. and Kemp, J.
Reflections From A Different Journey
(2004 McGraw Hill) 9780071422697
Potter, M. and Lynagh, N.
Joined Up: Developing Good
Relationships in the School Community
(2005 NICIE and the Corrymeela Community)
1 87373930 3
Naylor, Y. Who We Are Dealing With Difference
(as part of the Transforming Sectarianism
SEED Project by the Irish School of
Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin)
www.creni.org