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Differences Classroom Guidance Lesson Plan

School Districts: School Names: Contact: New Paltz Central School District Duzine Elementary School Kimberly Pietris School Counseling Practicum Intern Kimberly.pietris@gmail.com

New York State Standards for Guidance Standards Addressed: Section 1: The Transformed School Counselor discusses the need for leadership, advocacy and accountability in the profession. Section 2: The State of Education in New York details the educational initiatives in New York State that work hand in hand with comprehensive school counseling programs. These initiatives include, but are not limited to, the New York State Learning Standards, Academic Intervention Services, The Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) standards, and the Career Plan Initiative. Section 3: Understanding the Student investigates the impact of learning style on academic achievement and the role of school counseling programs. Section 4: Determining the Need offers school counselors a series of activities they can use to assess the state of their current program and begin the process of developing a comprehensive school counseling program. Section 5: Foundation describes the foundation elements of school counseling programs, such as the philosophy, vision and mission statement. Section 6: Delivery System examines methods of delivering a school counseling program. By examining the components of a delivery system, school counselors can determine the amount of time they need to spend on each component. Section 7: Managing the System discusses methods for program management. These include annual and monthly calendars, monthly reports, service logs, and the school counseling advisory committee. Section 8: Accountability looks at the most important aspect of a

2 school counseling program, accountability to the programs constituents and a purposeful alignment to school improvement. Methods for ensuring school counselor and the program accountability are offered. The forms and activities offered in this section are offered as examples only. They should be modified to meet the needs of individual counselors and schools. Section 9: Sample Curriculum Activities offers nine examples of school counseling activities based upon ASCAs National Standards for School Counseling Programs and the New York State Learning Standards. These activities are easily replicated and demonstrate the ease of addressing the standards in a comprehensive school counseling program. ASCA National Standards for Students Standards, Competencies, & Indicators Addressed: Personal/Social Development ASCA National Standards for personal/social development guide school counseling programs to provide the foundation for personal and social growth as students progress through school and into adulthood. Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others. PS:A1 Acquire Self-knowledge PS:A1.1 Develop positive attitudes toward self as a unique and worthy person PS:A1.2 Identify values, attitudes and beliefs PS:A1.5 Identify and express feelings PS:A1.9 Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups PS:A1.10 Identify personal strengths and assets PS:A1.12 Identify and recognize changing family roles PS:A2 Acquire Interpersonal Skills PS:A2.1 Recognize that everyone has rights and responsibilities PS:A2.2 Respect alternative points of view PS:A2.3 Recognize, accept, respect and appreciate individual Differences PS:A2.4 Recognize, accept and appreciate ethnic and cultural diversity PS:A2.5 Recognize and respect differences in various family configurations Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals and take necessary action to achieve goals. PS:B1 Self-knowledge Application

3 PS:B1.7 Demonstrate a respect and appreciation for individual and cultural differences Instructional Development Grade Level(s): Title: Summary: Kindergarten - 2nd grade Differences This lesson is designed to teach students in grades K-2 to recognize and appreciate individual differences. Although students in early elementary school may be keenly aware of the characteristics that make each child or family unique, they may lack an appreciation for the ways in which those differences enrich the school community and our lives. Encouraging students to respect and value the diversity in their environments is a positive step towards cultivating an environment of acceptance. 25-30 minutes 1. Counselors will introduce themselves and the lesson to students. (1 min) 2. On a blank sheet of paper, instruct each student to draw a face using only the color blue and only circles. Counselors will collect and tape each students' pictures to the board. (5 min) 3. Using a new sheet of paper, instruct students to draw a self-portrait using any color and any shapes they prefer. Collect and tape to the board in a separate grouping. (5 min) 4. Gather students on a rug or center area. Facilitate a conversation asking which school they would prefer to attend if given a choice between the blue school or the school with different colors. (3-5 min) Facilitation questions might include: - Why might the colorful school be preferable? - How would it make you feel to be part of the blue school? The colorful school? The class will share similarities and differences such as: - How many of you live with only your mom? Only your dad? Both? - How many people live in a house? An apartment? - How many people know another language? Message: You might have noticed that we are not all the same. These differences make us colorful just like our drawings -- and unique and interesting.

Time Frame: Procedure:

4 5. Read Todd Parr's book, "It's Okay to be Different." (5 min) 6. Engage in summary discussion of both the activity and the storybook reading. Begin by asking students to share their favorite picture or part of the book, and what they liked about it. Inquire about what students learned about differences; write individual responses on the board to encourage participation. (5 min) Evaluation How will mastery of the guidance indicator(s) be evaluated? 1) Students will be able to identify and distinguish between interpersonal similarities and differences. 2) Students will be able to identify and describe individual differences, and why they are valuable. During the summary discussion, counselors will write what students learned on the board to provide qualitative data. Learning Resources Resources needed: Its Okay to be Different book by Todd Parr white paper markers, colored pencils, or crayons tape Optional: board markers or chalk

Citation(s):

American School Counselor Association (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs, 3rd edition. Alexandria, VA. New York School Counselor Association (2005). The New York State Model for Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Programs: Executive Summary. Leicester, NY. Parr, T. (2001). It's Okay to Be Different. Canada: Little, Brown & Company.

Collaborative partners:

School counselors, classroom teacher to aid classroom management.