Celebrating Uniqueness

Curriculum Area

English – Level 1 (Aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum)

Big Idea:

Language is a powerful tool for expressing emotions, identity, and personal uniqueness.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Identify and discuss emotions using The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions
• Plan their writing using picture planning and discussion
• Write a short sentence about what makes them unique
• Engage in a creative activity to express their uniqueness

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Day 1 – Picture Planning & Discussion

Duration: 60 minutes

Materials Needed:

• The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
• A3 paper for picture planning
• Coloured pencils, crayons, and markers
• Emotion cards with relatable scenarios
• Whiteboard and markers

Lesson Breakdown:

1. Introduction & Story Time (15 minutes)

• Gather students on the mat for a shared reading of The Color Monster.
• Use expressive storytelling, pausing to discuss how the monster changes colour with different emotions.
• Ask prompting questions:
  • "What do you think the monster is feeling now?"
  • "Have you ever felt like this? When?"

2. Group Discussion – What Makes Us Special? (10 minutes)

• Write on the board: What makes you special?
• Facilitate a discussion where students share things that make them unique.
• Guide the discussion with questions:
  • "What is something only you can do really well?"
  • "What do you love about yourself?"
  • "What makes your family or culture special?"

3. Picture Planning – My Unique Self (20 minutes)

• Hand out A3 paper and ask students to draw a self-portrait surrounded by things they love or that represent them (e.g., favourite colours, favourite animals, special talents, traditions).
• Encourage students to use bright colours and include small details.
• Walk around, prompting deeper thinking:
  • "Why did you choose this colour for your background?"
  • "Tell me about this drawing – what does it represent about you?"

4. Sharing & Reflection (10 minutes)

• Students share their drawings with a partner.
• Volunteers share with the whole class.
• End with a brief reflection: "What did you learn about yourself today?"

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Day 2 – Writing & Creative Activity

Duration: 60 minutes

Materials Needed:

• Picture plans from Day 1
• Lined writing paper with sentence starters
• Small sheets of cellophane in different colours
• Glue sticks & scissors

Lesson Breakdown:

1. Revisiting Our Planning (10 minutes)

• Briefly review The Color Monster and emotions.
• Display a few picture plans from yesterday and discuss unique elements.
• Introduce today’s task: We are going to write about what makes us special!

2. Guided Writing Activity (25 minutes)

• Model sentence writing on the board using a shared example:
  • "I am special because I love to dance and make my friends laugh."
  • Use Think, Say, Write, Check: Encourage students to say their sentence out loud before writing.
• Provide sentence starters for support:
  • "I am special because..."
  • "One thing that makes me unique is..."
• Allow students to write independently with teacher support.

3. Creative Activity – Colour Collage (15 minutes)

• Connect with The Color Monster. Each student selects one colour of cellophane that represents how they feel about being unique.
• Using glue and scissors, they cut and stick their coloured cellophane onto a small rectangle of card to make a Mini-Monster Light Catcher.
• Students briefly present their light catchers and explain their colour choice.

4. Reflection & Sharing (10 minutes)

• Gather on the mat and allow students to share either their writing or their Mini-Monster Light Catcher.
• Finish with a class discussion: "Why is it important to celebrate what makes us unique?"

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Assessment & Next Steps

Assessment Criteria:

✅ Can describe at least one thing that makes them unique
✅ Can write a simple sentence about what makes them special, with support
✅ Participates in discussion and creative activities

Differentiation Strategies:

• Provide sentence starters and word banks for ESOL students.
• Offer verbal storytelling before writing for students struggling with fine motor skills.
• Celebrate student strengths by allowing them to share in diverse ways (drawing, speaking, writing).

Extension Opportunities:

• Create a Class Book of Uniqueness, compiling student drawings and writings.
• Continue the theme by exploring individual strengths through drama or role-play activities.

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Teacher Notes:

This lesson integrates key competencies from The New Zealand Curriculum such as Thinking, Using Language, Symbols, and Texts, and Relating to Others. It encourages students to express themselves creatively while fostering emotional intelligence.