Tuesday, November 9, 2010

We All Sing with the Same Voice

        We All Sing with the Same Voice is written by J. Philip Miller and Sheppard M. Greene and illustrated by Paul Miesel.  It is written for primary elementary grades, ranging from kindergarten to 2nd grade.  I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
        This book describes the similarities that children across the world have while still having their differences.  Different hair color, eye color, home country, hobbies, and lifestyles are described, but the repetition of “my name is you” reaffirms the idea that we live in a global community in which a lot of the members are similar while maintaining their individual identities.  The authors also repeat “we all sing with the same voice, the same song, the same voice.  We all sing with the same voice, and we sing in harmony”.  This phrase suggests that we all bring things to the world and we work together in harmony to create what world exists for everyone. 
        This kind of harmonious community can also be created in the classroom.  It will not be hard for students of any age to find differences between hair color, skin color, eye color, ability levels, socioeconomic status, or other contributing factors to a community if they look hard within their classmates.  The things that divide a community are the things that bring it together and strengthen it.
        A diverse classroom is one that has a lot to learn, even from just the students within the walls of the community.  If a teacher does not have to bring diversity into the classroom for the students to learn what it is, they can connect more with the idea and see the theory of a community being acted out right in front of them.  This book is a great way to introduce diversity to children in a way that still is fun and friendly for them.  If a book addresses such a deep topic with a serious tone, children can apply a negative connotation to the idea and not realize that diversity is the spice of their lives. 
        This book can bring rich depth to lessons in the classroom and can provide students with a lot of opportunities to connect with their classmates on a deeper level.  Students could write a collaborative book about the things that they believe make up their own personal identities and then compile the writings to form a classroom book about the community.  Children will feel like they are a vital part to the environment in which they learn, which will also allow them to be more comfortable with sharing their ideas in general. 

Here is a great lesson plan using this book to promote and describe diversity in the classroom. 

1 comment:

  1. Dear Alex, do you have an updated link for the lesson plan? I would love to use it to gain some ideas for teaching with this book. Thank you!

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