Anti-Bias Photo Doll Activity

Anti-Bias Activity By Ildiko Novak

My activity centers around the “People Paper Dolls” on page 213 in the Roots and Wings book by Stacey York.  I can use this activity with ages 3-8 because “during this time children acquire a self-concept, build their self-esteem, learn how to make friends become aware of family and community, learn to use words to express themselves, have strong feelings and fears, use magical (and often distorted) thinking, and tend to believe in everything they see and hear”.(York pg129)   I love this activity because I can expand upon the basic concept with the younger age group and move toward unlimited options with the older group’s age and interest.  The base concept of compare and contrast the physical differences of each other is thoroughly discussed.  Using these “other” selves we go on to discuss how we play and act with and toward one another. Then by introducing themes about the environment in which they live vs. other people in other places we start to expand the view that other people in other places exist.  Where people live and what they live in is compared and contrasted.  How people dress as dictated by their culture and environments is also introduced with a variety of clothing that can be put on their photo dolls. As the year progresses, other elements will be introduced to reinforce the themes that are introduced.  Foods, spices, music, fabric, flora, building material are a few of the more tangible items that will be introduced and will build upon the regions of the world.  I expect to discover other options as I continue listening and learning from the children and where their interests guide me throughout the school year.

I took photos of each of the children and I prepared them (see below) so that they can be used over and over.  The children were delighted to see themselves and were eager to interact with them.  Because we have children of varying heights in the same age group (some children have been calling others a baby because of their shorter stature), I used a scale to create the respective height differences.  This variance in height was to foster conversation about exploring similarities and differences in their size, age, skin tone, hair texture, hand size and even the size of their feet! The goal is to provide children with a positive experience about themselves and others. 

The book “Big Dog Little Dog” by P.D.Eastman 

is read or you can have the children 

watch this child read the book to them. 

   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f1kCr-0Z1c

Further discussion with the older age group continued with what we know and like about each other on the inside so that we could foster positive self-esteem and a positive self-concept in children (goal #2). 

The dolls are displayed together on the shelf for easy access.  A “peace table” has been set up for the children to take their own photo doll and sit with another to work out a conflict.  This is something that needs to be modeled between the teachers during each morning circle so that the students get the concept of problem solving and goal #3 to teach children how to cooperate with others.  During story time a book will be read and the teachers will model again a conflict.  The children are asked to think about a problem they may have had with another child.  Have them get their photo doll and ask them to sit at the peace table.  Help them work through the problem by asking open ended questions.  While keeping the two children at the peace table, engage the entire class to discuss the conflict so that you will promote group problem solving (goal #4) Read “Can You Tell How Someone Feels?” by Nita Everly.

http://www.linguisystems.com/products/product/display?itemid=10630

http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/Children's%20books%20on%20friendship.pdf

 (see the link for an extensive list of books)

The purpose of the goals listed above are to teach “skills in individual and group problem solving and critical thinking, and they are provided with experiences in taking social action”. (York pg 135)

Goals

Foster positive self-esteem and a positive self-concept in children

Promote respect towards others

Provide children with a positive experience exploring similarities and differences

Teach children how to cooperate with others

Promote group problem solving

Help children notice and do something about unfair behavior and events

Introduce children to other cultures

Encourage children to respect other cultures.

People paper dolls pg 213 Roots and Wings : Stacey York

Theme:           I’m Me and I’m Special, Boys and Girls, Friends, Bodies, Alike and                                                             Different, Feelings

Objectives:     Experience, positive respectful interactions with people who are different.                                              Recognize that our class and community are made up of many different types of people.

Materials:      Camera, film, cardboard, half-round molding (1 inch diameter), mat, knife, saw, rubber                          cement.

Description:    Take a full-length picture of each child.  Have it enlarged so that it          measures 10 inches high.  Mount the photo on a cardboard and cut it out with a mat knife.  Cut a short piece (2 inches) of molding and a saw a groove in the rounded side for a stand.  Slide the paper doll into the groove.  Set out the dolls in the block area or with the doll house.  Encourage children to create situations and dramas with their dolls. 

Variations:      1.         Use the dolls to act out conflicts between children.

2.                  Make dolls of people from different cultures

3.                  Make a doll for each member of the family.

My Variations:

            Take of photo of them with their arms out so that the doll                      can be dressed in a variety of culture specific clothing.

2.                 Measure the height of each child explaining that their height is a unique part of them and that they will grow taller and we can measure them again at the end of the school year to see how much they have grown. 

3.                  Create by printing photos off the internet or cutting out of magazines or travel posters, various backgrounds showing different environments.

4.            

5.                  Use the “3 Little Pigs” book as a way to introduce different homes that match the various geographical environments.  (Home building on a 8x 10 area can be added as a week/month long or as interest grows school year project using materials present in the homes featured on the map).  These play homes can be used to introduce children to the day in the life, food, work, etc.  of the people in those homes (many variations and extensions can be gleamed from this start point)

The goal of this activity is to personalize the photo doll so that the child feels like it is an extension of them.  Comparing their features in the photos with each other draws upon the understanding that we are each unique yet the same in many ways.  A sense of community can be gained.  When adding to the discussion the intangible features such as what we like about each other helps the children build language and draws them toward seeing the other person as someone with wants and needs.  The next step is for them to learn about empathy for the others wants and needs so that they can develop skills to problem solve and resolve conflicts.  Expanding upon that premise, introduction of other places, peoples and cultures come into play.  When you expand upon the inner circle, you create the concept that the world is larger then their classroom and their home yet the world starts with them – who they are – what they do – how they treat each other.  Diversity and culture is interwoven into their life – almost as if they are the center of a spider web – connected and ever expanding.  

Here is a web site (no pun intended) of a science project for a spider web.  Can you create an anti-bias activity with this?   http://scienceforpreschoolers.com/archives/62

The Indian in the Cupboard

This film made in 1995 directed by Frank Oz and Melissa Mathison was originally a 1980 published book written by British author Lynne Reid Banks and illustrated by Brock Cole.  The book has received numerous awards and  four sequels were written from the original story.

The recommended reading level for the book(s) is nine and up.  The film released by Columbia Pictures has a PG rating for "Mild Language and Brief Video Images of Violence and Sexy Dancing.

A movie trailer can be seen on this link
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3029205273/ 

The story is about a boy by the name of Omri.  On his 9th birthday he is given an old cupboard.  When his mother offers him a key from her collection that she received from her grandmother, the cupboard is given magical properties.  Plastic toy figurines put into the cupboard  come to life.


 This is a "coming of age" story where Omri is taught by a 19th Century Iroquois warrior by the name of Little Bear important lessons of the responsibility required when leaving childhood to become a man.


Children use their imagination to “bring to life” their toys during play.  I should think that most people can revive the memory of a favorite childhood toy that has provided the “no less than real” comfort and support.  This movie offers us a glimpse of the wonder and responsibility of that magic.

As the story unfolds one can relate to the fun and possibilities available as well as the depth of consequences encountered.  Omni must face and learn to live with the mistakes he has made with the power of the magic cupboard. He comes to feel the weight of responsibility with the guardianship of Little Bear, the Iroquois Indian that has come to life  

 

“It is just like having a child every time I leave him I worry about him”.


The Indian "Little Bear" tells Omri he is from the year 1761.  He has learned English because they are using the Indians to fight the French.  When a  T.P. is offered to Little Bear for lodging he is unfamiliar with the structure.
 Little Bear tells Omri "he sleeps in the mothers house, a long house made of wood"

 

10 Native Americans Everyone Should Know

http://www.manataka.org/page136.html 

This link will offer tips for teaching about American Indians
http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/november09 

Several free web sites can be found with activities to do in conjunction with the reading of the book to encourage discussion about the historical errors and discrepancies portrayed about Native Americans.  These activities are geared toward the middle and upper elementary grades so that they do not confuse fact with fiction before reading the book. The links to these sites are:

http://childrens-books.lovetoknow.com/free-indian-cupboard-activities

http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/pages/techtrac/techtrac9/harriet/acmyweb.htm 

The story introduces the cowboy character by the name of Boone.  He confesses that his peers call him boo hoo  Boone because he is prone to crying due to his "soft heart".  He is from Texas in the year 1879 which he states is "the dawn of a new century with the railroads coming in".  When Boone catches sight of Little Bear he refers to him as "injun" and "redskin" and tells Omri that he better watch out "that savage doesn't skin you in your sleep".  All very derogatory names and attitude.  When the t.v. is turned on to a show in which the cowboys are shooting and killing the Indians, Boone gets excited; draws and fires his pistol in the air.  Little Bear draws his bow and shoots his arrow in defense hitting and wounding Boone.   

This scene reinforces the attitude that the cowboy is victim to the confusion and impulsiveness of the Indian.  

 

This site addresses the teacher / librarian to promote critical thinking by using "information literacy" to separate multicultural fact from fiction:

http://www.davidvl.org/250coursespr04/b71.pdf

Patrick, Omri's friend whose ethnicity is not clearly known, wants the cowboy brought to school the next day.  When Little Bear hears the cowboy will be going to the learning place he states "white man goes to school - I can go to school".  The use of language by both characters reinforces the "western movie"stereotypes.  

 

In the article "A Demand for Excellence in Books for Children"  by Jan LaBonty 

"Oftentimes, American Indian culture is portrayed as inferior to the white culture, valueless, quaint, and superficial. When the aforementioned criterias for literary and artistic excellence and the criteria for excellence in multicultural literature are applied to TheIndian in the Cupboard trilogy, the books do not meet them. So it is regrettable that the negative, inaccurate depiction of the Iroquoian character stimulates serious questions about the use of the book either as required reading or as a read aloud book for young children."

http://jaie.asu.edu/v34/V34S2dem.htm

 

This site "Students and Teachers against Racism" offers many links for educational material to teach against racism of the Native American culture. 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentsAndTeachersAgainstRacism/links 

The stories imaginary theme is whimsical and carries a message of responsibility for ones actions, however, the stereotypical use of the characters reinforces the all too prevalent misrepresentation of the history of the American Indian.  We are only starting to provide "authentic" information for the school children.  Other books can be found and enjoyed without having to either "set the stage" or "backtrack" to explain the problem with the stories inaccuracies.  This style of storytelling should be left for the older children who would not have to be "reprogrammed". 


The University of Saskatchewan offers a list of Challenged books Education and Music Library Guide to resources that have been subject to censorship challenges in public school or academic libraries in Northern America.
 http://library.usask.ca/education/files/Guides/ftr.pdf

Photos collected from http://www.screenrush.co.uk/films/film-39926/photos/detail/?cmediafile=19638750

The Polar Express Book Analysis

The Polar Express

The Polar Express is a book of fiction with a Christmas theme.  The book was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg in 1985.  The author was awarded the Caldecott Medal for children’s literature in 1986.  This book has become a Christmas classic and was made into a holiday movie that starred Tom Hanks and was nominated for an Oscar in 2004 under the category of motion-capture film. 

The tale starts and ends in Grand Rapids, Michigan which is the author’s home town.  The story is told as a recollection of an event in the aging narrators’ life and centers around the belief that magic is awarded to the young at heart.

Late at night on Christmas Eve a boy lies in bed patiently waiting for the appearance and confirmation that Santa exists even though he is told otherwise by a peer.  Instead of the sound of Santa’s sleigh bells the boy hears the sound of a train that has mysteriously appeared on a previously non-existent track in front of his house.

The boy is encouraged onto the train by the conductor and joins other children dressed in their night clothes.  Christmas songs are sung and treats of Christmas delights and hot coco are consumed while they journey at great speeds northward.  A great distance over many landscapes can be seen outside the window during this journey.  The children disembark at their destination which is the center of the city at the North Pole.  Here the boy is honored to receive the first Christmas gift.  The boy can ask for anything his hearts desire, however, he chooses a bell from Santa’s sleigh.  On the train ride home the boy discovers that he has lost the bell because his robe had a hole in the pocket.  He “sadly” returned to his house and his bed.  In the morning after all the gifts where opened, a small box is discovered.  It contained a note and the lost bell.  The bell produced the most beautiful sound but only for the ears of those who “believe”.     

The setting of the book is stereotypical of the 1950’s.  The author Chris Van Allsburg grew up in a small community with families living in houses that were built for 4 to 5 people.  His idealistic family life is reflected in television programming while growing up.   The little boy in the story lives in such a house and place.  The “white” family with two children, one girl and one boy, in a nice house celebrating Christmas is the “picture perfect” portrayal of American life.   The little boy is not worrying about crime in the streets where he lives.  He isn’t hungry or cold.  His only concern in his life is the existence of a figure representing the “magic” of the season. 

The story is linear, the writing is direct and the story takes you through to a final resolution with a message.  This book and subsequent movie has acquired “classic” status.  Is it because  the message to “believe” makes one young at heart forever or because the story represents an inner wish that life can be boiled down to the simplicity of that belief. 

The muted but beautiful illustrations take one through a journey of the country.  The train travels through the forest with animal life (wolfs), the pristine mountains and over a bridge to a large city filled with elves.   The train does not travel through the ghettos, or by a landfill or past factories.  This journey is simplistic. The train itself represents the romantic style of steam engines we see in museums (and on special occasions here in Roseville).  Diversity can be seen amongst the children scattered throughout the car while two men with no particular ethnicity wearing kitchen attire serve the hot chocolate. All in all, the illustrations leave one with a warm, comfortable “view” of life but do not reflect a true representation of a culturally diverse society.  Can children of diversity relate to the plight of the boy in the story?  Does the story give a skewed perception of American family life?  Can a child in foster care “buy into” this kind of fantasy or does it cause a feeling of loss? 

The hero “Santa” randomly chooses the boy of the story who happens to be white.  When we talk about “white privilege” being infused in our society creating a feeling of “less than” attitude by the diverse population of children could it come from simple stories such as this?  The choice of the bell over all other things by the boy also represents a type of wisdom.  How does the boy know the bell has special properties?  Is this knowledge bestowed upon the “white population”?  When the bell is lost because of a hole in the pocket of his robe, the boy has not done anything wrong to warrant the loss.  He is a victim of circumstance.  Of course the bell is returned to the boy by the hero “Santa” which reinforces the belief that the boy (who is white) deserves the gift. 

The bell symbolizes the message that if you truly “believe” then you will capture the magic and stay “young at heart” is such a lofty ideal. Maybe this book is really written for the “white” adult rather then the child. “Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

In closing, this was a story and a running theme I used every Christmas till my son was ten years old.  I created a sense of magic every year around the “believe” concept only to learn some very valuable lessons.  Don’t tell your child that Santa brings toys to all the children all over the world because you will paint yourself into a corner.  My child wanted to know why would we need  to purchase extra toys for those children who are not getting toys if Santa has it covered (If your good Santa will bring you something – and if your bad – not poor – Santa will leave you coal).  When my son finally realized the truth about the holiday, his disappointment was painfully apparent in his comment to me “You lied to me all these years!”  I felt (and still do) lower than low.  

Who Am I

Hi, my name is Ildiko.  I was named after my aunt who was probably named after a family member.  My name is very common in Hungary where both my parents were born.  The name dates back to Attila the Hun who married Ildiko and died on his wedding night.  Here is the link to the whole story.

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/profilesofasianleaders/p/AttilaProf.htm

I was born in Canada because my parents had to escape from Hungary during the war.  The Nazi's were on their way to arrest my grandfather who was a minister and preached against the invasion.  My grandfather (who could speak seven languages) was threatened many times to stop but he continued to write and speak out against them.  One night a friend told him that the Nazi's were on their way to finally silence him so he packed up his family (my mother was the oldest child) with whatever they could carry (as well as several layers of clothing) and escaped.  The adventure of their escape and final immigration to Canada is quite a story and one that a family member plans to write about soon.  My father was 15 when the Russians pulled into Budapest.  He was born on the pest side.  He ran out of his house with his best friend in anger against the Russian tank at the end of the street.  The Russians shot at them.  His best friend was shot in the throat and died.  My father ran and escaped.  The bullet holes are still in the house where he grew up  walls to this day.  My father has his own story of escape and immigration to Canada (very exciting but lengthy).  They met and married (another long story).  All but one of my siblings were born in Canada.  I am still Canadian (Resident Alien) but I consider myself (and my allegiance) an American.

My family moved to America when I was in first grade.  We moved to Roseville when I was 12 and have lived here ever since.  This is my home.  My parents decided to teach us English instead of Hungarian because  my older  sister was bullied in school.  They said that we could always pick up the language later but we never did.  We were brought up with several Hungarian traditions.  One of the traditions was the way we celebrate Christmas.  Santa Claus comes on Dec 6th.  We put out our shoes and he fills them with small toys, candies and mandarin oranges.  The Angels bring us gifts on Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Our family holds our Hungarian ancestry very dear and we believe we have traced back our lineage to the Habsburg Monarchy.   We eat the food, display the artifacts, talk about and wear the title proudly.

I am the mother of a 16 year old boy.  Being a mom has been the best and most important part of my life.  I started studying child development before he was born.  When I found out I was pregnant, I decided the best thing I could do was to take the time to raise him.  I read and watched everything I could find on child development.  He was my classroom.  I worked part-time and lived modestly as a single parent so I could be around to see the wonderful way he learned and developed.  My son's paternal grandparents helped out when I worked so he was always with family.  I love that his life was enriched by their love and guidance (he is also the only grandchild so he is the center of attention).  I wanted to instill in him a love of self so he would have the self confidence, self esteem and self worth needed to become a valuable member of our society. 

My dream was to travel the world living and experiencing different countries and cultures.  I almost realized that dream with my dear friend and partner but he died of cancer right after retiring.  Then Russell came along and I could not imagine doing anything else but being a mom.  I am one of seven children so I really hadn't intended on having any children.  I saw the struggles my parents went through to provide for us (especially with limited education) so I didn't realize the joy children can bring into your life. 

I love classical music and reading.  I have to limit myself on the reading because I will read all day long.  I raised my son on classical music and use it in the baby room where I work.  Until last week, I was working at two preschools owned by one person.  One of the schools has  been purchased and I chose to stay with the new owner.  I am excited because she understands the importance of developmentally appropriate practices.  I am the cook and substitute teacher.  I want to implement a healthier lunch menu as well as establish a garden.  The new owner plans on expanding so I hope to have my own classroom in the future when I finish all my classes. 

Our student base has been changing lately.  The new students are coming from other countries (Columbia, India) and English is their second language.  Several of our existing students are white European coming from different countries with English as their second language.  As teachers we have discussed the differences in the way the parents raise their children and how that affects the way the child interacts with us and their peers.  Growing up I learned to assimilate into the status quo and my culture was only brought up as a curiosity.  I am looking forward to learning the tools to celebrate, recognize, appreciate the diverse cultures of these children.  I am excited to bring this new knowledge to the classroom.  The timing with the new owner and all that I will learn in this class is like "fishing my wish" (I use this term from the game "Go Fish" whenever something fortuitous happens to me).