Multicultural Lesson Plan

Elizabeth Moody Edu 280

Lesson Objectives
Subject/Grade Level: Counseling/2nd Grade
Concept: Group Counseling Lesson on Friendship Skills -Accepting Others
Group size: 6-8 students who have been identified by their teachers

1st Objective: (lower - Knowledge)

Students will be able to recognize that good friendships have similarities and differences.
2nd Objective: (upper - Analysis)
Students will be able to compare and contrast their personal characteristics with others in the group.

Multicultural Goal: Develop an educational environment that promotes respect for differences.
Multicultural Objective: Students will be able to explain why differences in friendships is important.

Lesson Materials
See attached at end of the document
1. Pre/Post Screening Tool
2. Bouquet of Flowers (real or fake, but enough for each child in group)
3. Bouquet of Flowers discussion questions
4. Children’s Book: All Are Welcome by Suzanne Kaufman and Alexandra Penfold & discussion
questions
5. Guided practice discussion questions
6. Paper, Markers, Colored Pencils for ‘Personal Flower’ project
7. Counselor to create own ‘Personal Flower’ to demonstrate to students
8. Independent practice discussion questions

Instruction

Do First (5 min): Counselor will introduce new topic, Accepting Others, in Friendship Skills Series.
First, students will complete a pre-screening tool to identify their ability to accept others in their
friendships. Counselor will read each statement and students will circle which smiley face coordinates
with how they feel. See pre-screening tool in Lesson Materials section.
Mini Lesson (15 min): Bouquet of Flowers and Book
Counselor will discuss how different flowers make a beautiful garden. The counselor will pass out a
flower to each child. Each student will then describe his or her own flower and describe what makes that
flower unique. As a group, we will talk about how each flower has differences but also identify the
similarities of the flowers to one another. Teach students that having similarities and differences in
flowers are what make a beautiful flower garden. See discussion questions in Lesson Materials section.

Teach that just like a flower garden, when our friendships have similar qualities and unique differences it
is more beautiful. It is important to have differences in our friendships because we can learn from them,
we will experience new things, and we will be able to handle disagreements better. We want to choose
friends who have similarities through common interests. We also want to choose friends who have unique
differences to us so that we can learn and grow together. Just like the flower garden, when different
qualities of a friendship come together they make something beautiful. Check for understanding (see
question in Lesson Materials section).

The counselor will read the children’s book All Are Welcome by Suzanne Kaufman and Alexandra
Penfold. See discussion questions in Lesson Materials Section.

Guided Practice (10 min): The counselor will model by giving examples of similarities and differences in
his/her own friendships. Counselor will then explain why the differences are important to him/her. Then
each student will give an example of how they are similar to one of their friends, how they are different,
and why being different is important to them. See example and discussion questions in Lesson Materials
section.

Independent Practice (30 min): Personal Flower project

Counselor will describe and model his/her own ‘Personal Flower’ project. The flower represents the
unique characteristics of an individual (2 min).

Each student will then create their own ‘Personal Flower’ using art supplies. The Personal Flower
represents the unique characteristics of themselves. Choose words, colors, and pictures that represent
him/her on this personal flower. Students will independently create their flower using art supplies (8 min).

Pair and Share (10 min, 5 min each partner discussion)

Students will get in pairs to: 1) share their flowers 2) discuss one way that they are similar to one another
and 3) discuss one thing that makes the other person unique and what they want to learn from them.

Students will then change partners again and answer the questions above.

Students will come together to engage in whole group discussion (10 min). See discussion questions in
Lesson Materials Section.

Exit Slip (3 min): Students will complete the post-screening tool to identify their ability to accept others
in their friendships. Counselor will read each statement and students will circle which smiley face
coordinates with how they feel. See post-screening tool in Lesson Materials section.
References

Smiley face feedback rating icons stock illustration (Clip art). (2021). Retrieved July 29, 2022 from:
https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/smiley-face-feedback-rating-icons-gm1326953883-411467499.

Kaufman, S., & Penfold, A. (2018). All are welcome. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Jones, A. (1998). 104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger
Management, Self-Discovery, and Coping Skills. Rec Room Publishing.

Reflection:

What specific subject concepts, skills were taught?

My multicultural lesson activity specifically taught that good friendships have both similarities and
differences. Students were able to recognize unique qualities in themselves, how they are similar to
others, and how they are different to others. In friendships, students learned they need to accept others.

What specific multicultural knowledge, skills were achieved?

Students were taught to respect and appreciate differences in others by identifying the unique differences
between themselves and a peer. They were taught in the mini lesson why it is important to have
differences in our friendships (so that we can grow, learn new experiences, and handle disagreements
better). They were also able to demonstrate why it is important to have differences in our friendships (to
learn from them) and were able to identify at least two things that they want to learn from others who are
different from themselves. Students were also asked to identify why it is important to find traits in each
other that are different and unique.

Evaluate the level of student engagement in the teaching-learning process?

Students were given several opportunities to discuss concepts in whole group and in partners. They were
also able to do an independent and collaborate/partner project to reinforce skills taught.

List the strengths and weaknesses of the plan

Students learned to respect and celebrate differences in their friendships. They learned why it is important
to have differences when choosing friends. This helps to fulfill the multicultural goal. Different strategies
were used to work with different types of learners. Students were able to do a hands-on project, which can
help kinesthetic learners. Students were able to read a book, which can help visual learners. Students were
able to engage in discussions, which can help auditory learners. In addition, students were also able to
engage with one another, promoting friendships within the group as well as learn skills to help with
friendships outside of the group.

Areas of improvement might include more visual aides when teaching the concept about why differences
in friendships are important. In addition, this lesson may need to be broken up into two lessons, as
teachers typically do not like counselors to take their students for 60 minutes. This is a long lesson for a
counseling group. It would also be helpful to provide a picture of a flower so that the students had a
framework to fill in with pictures and words. It would also reduce the amount of time it took to draw their
personal flowers.
 Lesson Plan Materials

Self-assessment pre/post-screening tool

Students will identify their ability to accept others in their friendships.
Instructions: Counselor will read the each statement and students will circle which smiley face
coordinates with how they feel.

My friends need to be exactly like me.

When others are different from me, I can learn from them.

People who are different from me are strange.

It is good to choose friends who have common interests.

It is good to choose friends who are different from me.

Smiley face feedback rating icons stock illustration (Clip art). (2021). Retrieved July 29, 2022 from:
https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/smiley-face-feedback-rating-icons-gm1326953883-411467499.
Mini Lesson – Bouquet of Flowers and Friendship Discussion
Counselor will need to get a real (or fake) bouquet of flowers, enough for each child to have a flower.
Counselor will discuss how different flowers make a beautiful garden. Each student will then describe his
or her own flower and describe what makes that flower unique. As a group, we will talk about how each
flower has differences but also identify the similarities of the flowers to one another. Teach students that
having similarities and differences in flowers are what make a beautiful flower garden.
Discussion questions:
What makes a beautiful flower garden? (Different kinds of flowers)
How are all the flowers the same? (Stem, leaves, petals)
How are the flowers different? (Colors, length of petals, height of flower)
Would you rather have a garden full of the same flower or different flowers? (Having a garden with
different flowers is more beautiful).

Teach that just like a flower garden, when our friendships have similar qualities AND unique differences
it is more beautiful. It is important to have differences in our friendships because we can learn from them,
we will experience new things, and we will be able to handle disagreements better. We want to choose
friends who have similarities through common interests. We also want to choose friends who have unique
differences to us so that we can learn and grow together. Just like the flower garden, when different
qualities of a friendship come together they make something beautiful.

Follow up question:
Why is it important to choose friends that have different qualities than us? (Learn from them, experience
new things, handle disagreements better, grow together, etc.).

Mini Lesson – Book Discussion

Obtain children’s book, All Are Welcome by Suzanne Kaufman and Alexandra Penfold. This book
illustrates how we can accept and appreciate everyone’s unique qualities and backgrounds.

Discussion questions after reading the book:

How would someone feel if he/she were not welcome at school?
Why is it important to include everyone at school?
How can we celebrate each other’s differences?
Why is celebrating each other’s differences important?
Guided Practice Discussion

The counselor will model by give examples of similarities and differences in his/her own friendships.
Counselor will then explain why the differences are important to him/her. Then each student will give an
example of how they are similar to their friend, how they are different, and why being different is
important.

Model:
For example, the counselor could say, “My friend is similar to me because we both like to watch movies.
My friend is different from me because she likes to hike. That difference was important because I
experienced something new and I learned to like hiking too.”

Discussion questions:
What is one way you are similar to your friend? (My friend is similar to me because…)
What is one way you are different from your friend and why was that important? What did you learn
from them? (My friend is different from me because…) (That is important to me because…) (I learned…)

Independent Practice Materials & Discussion

Counselor will need to create his or her own ‘Personal Flower’ project before lesson.
The flower represents the unique characteristics of an individual. Choose words, colors, and pictures that
represent him/her on this personal flower. Counselor will describe and model his/her flower (2 min).

Need art supplies: paper, markers, colored pencils.

Each student will then create their own ‘Personal Flower’ using art supplies. The Personal Flower should
include unique characteristics about themselves.

Pair and Share (10 min, 5 min each partner discussion (meet with two different peers)
Students will get in pairs to 1) share their flowers, 2) discuss one way that they are similar to one another
and 3) discuss one thing that make the other person unique and what they want to learn from them.

Whole group discussion questions (10 min).

*What did you learn was unique about yourself as result from this activity?
What is one thing you found was similar to another person?
*What did you learn about others as a result of this activity?
What is one thing that was unique to someone else and that you want to learn from him/her?
*Why is it important to find traits in each other that are different and unique?
What is good about being different from our peers?

*Some questions derived from various activities listed in Jones, A. (1998). 104 Activities That Build: Self-
Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, and Coping Skills. Rec Room
Publishing.