Discover What Makes Every Person Special and Unique

You are special and unique! Every person around you is different in their own wonderful way. You will learn about the many differences among people and discover why these differences make our world more interesting and beautiful.

When you look around your classroom, neighborhood, or family, you will notice that people are different from each other. Some people have similarities, but everyone also has things that make them unique and special.

You will notice that people look different from each other in many ways. Some people have curly hair while others have straight hair. Some people are tall and others are shorter.

People have different colored skin, eyes, and hair. You might see friends with brown eyes, blue eyes, or green eyes. Some people have dark skin, light skin, or skin that is in between. These differences make each person beautiful and special.

You will learn that looking different is normal and wonderful. Just like flowers in a garden come in many colors, people come in many different ways too.

You will discover that people use different tools to help them do things. Some people wear glasses to help them see better. Others might use a wheelchair to help them move around.

Some people use a cane to help them walk. Others might wear a hearing aid to help them hear sounds. These tools help people do the same things you do, just in different ways.

You will understand that needing different tools is okay. Everyone needs help with different things, and that makes each person special.

You will see that families eat different kinds of food. Some families eat rice with chopsticks. Other families eat sandwiches or other foods.

People celebrate different holidays and have cultural traditions that are special to their families. You will learn about these differences when you study family traditions.

These different foods and traditions make our community more interesting. You can learn about new foods and celebrations from your friends.

Different: Not the same as something else. You and your friends are different because you look and act in your own special ways.

Wheelchair: A chair with wheels that helps people move around when they cannot walk or have trouble walking.

Glasses: Special clear pieces that people wear on their eyes to help them see better.

Hearing Aid: A small tool that people wear in or on their ear to help them hear sounds better.

Cane: A long stick that people hold to help them walk and keep their balance.

Chopsticks: Two thin sticks that some people use to pick up and eat their food.

Curly Hair: Hair that grows in circles and loops instead of straight down.

Straight Hair: Hair that grows down without curves or loops.

Skin Color: The color of the outside of your body, which can be many different beautiful shades.

You can be a good friend by treating everyone with fair treatment and respect. When you meet someone who looks different or does things differently, you can smile and be kind.

You can practice being a good classmate by helping others and making friends with people who are different from you.

You will learn about working together and listening to others to build a happy classroom community.

You already know about your own family members and roles. Now you will use that knowledge to understand how other families might be different from yours.

You will build on this learning to become a good citizen who respects and celebrates differences in your community.

This topic connects to many other important ideas you will learn. You will study similarities among people to understand how people can be both similar and different at the same time.

You will explore diverse communities and learn about cultural contributions that different people bring to our world. You will also discover cultural celebrations and family customs that make each family special.

Learning about differences helps you with sharing ideas and solving conflicts when people have different opinions or ways of doing things.