A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute
Bias-Free Foundations: Early Childhood Activities for Families
Bias-Free Foundations: Early Childhood Activities for Families is a 24-page color booklet for families that provides anti-bias activities -- such as cooking and meal time, reading/telling stories and arts/crafts -- as well as guidance about talking to kids about bias, exposing them to diversity and buying them multicultural toys and books that reflect the world at large. This workbook is only available through participation in The Initiative's Family Workshops, but a sample activity is included below.
My Hand Print
Learning area: respecting self
What you need: washable paints in a variety of skin tones (see page 9 for resources), paper, paper plates, newspaper to cover your work surface, an old shirt or smock
Work with your child to mix the paints to create tones that are similar to your skin tones. Put each new color in a paper plate, then you can each place a hand in the dish that has the color that matches your skin. Press your hands down on the paper side by side. Help your child to write both of your names underneath the handprints. Talk about how the prints are similar and different. Then work together to create a page including both of your handprints and ask other family members to add their handprints. Talk about how other family members' prints are similar and different.
ADL's A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute operates on the premise that educators are most likely to be successful in integrating anti-bias content and methodology practices in their classrooms when they have had hands-on experience and training with the materials they use. For this reason, ADL's A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute curriculum materials are available only within the context of a six-hour (minimum) staff development workshop, and are not for sale through ADL’s Resource catalog. In the interest of providing specific examples of the Institute's curriculum materials, this sample exercise has been made available. For more information on how to organize an A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE ® Institute training program in your school or community, contact your ADL Regional Office, ADL National Headquarters (212) 885-7700, or by E-mail.
Reprinted from The Miller Early Childhood Initiative of A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute Bias-Free Foundations: Early Childhood Activities for Families, New York: Anti-Defamation League, 2001.
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