Celebrating Differences

Year 0-1 | Religious Education | 30 minutes | Class of 20 students

Unit: One Family, Many Faces

Lesson 5 of 20: Celebrating Differences

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Celebrate and appreciate our own background and the diversity of our classmates.
Understand that differences make our class and community special.
Share and respect different perspectives and cultures.

Success Criteria

I can say something special about my own background.
I can listen and respond kindly to others when they share about their backgrounds.
I can recognise and celebrate how we are all different and unique.
I show respect for different stories and cultures in my class.

Curriculum Alignment: New Zealand Curriculum Refresh

Learning Objectives (Religious Education relevant aspects)

Explore belonging and identity: Students learn about themselves and their families as part of different communities, including cultural and family backgrounds.
Appreciate diversity: Develop appreciation for different ways people live and celebrate in families and communities.
Respect and empathy: Develop positive relationships through respect, empathy, and appreciation of diversity.

Key Competencies (NZ Curriculum pages 12-13)

Relating to others: Showing care, empathy, and respect for diversity.
Participating and contributing: Engage respectfully in discussions and shared activities about differences.
Using language, symbols, and texts: Sharing ideas and stories verbally and through creative activities.

Values

Diversity: Encouraging understanding and respect for different cultures and backgrounds.
Community and participation: Valuing each person's contribution to the group.

Lesson Plan

Time	Activity	Details	Teacher Notes	Resources
0-5 mins	Welcome and WALT Introduction	Gather students in a circle. Explain "We are learning to celebrate differences in our class and community."	Use simple language, use examples children relate to (e.g., favourite foods, family traditions). Show visuals (diverse children).	Visual cards/photos of diverse families and children
5-10 mins	Story Time: "All Different, All Special"	Read a short story or show a picture book that celebrates different cultures and family types. Invite children to share if they recognise any similar celebrations or family types.	Choose a story featuring multicultural families or diversity in religions/customs. Pause to ask simple questions like “What do you notice?” or “How are these families like yours or different?”	Picture book or story slides, props (optional)
10-15 mins	Show & Tell: My Family/Background	Each child shares something about their family, culture, or background in 1-2 sentences or with a drawing/photo.	Scaffold with prompts: “Where are you from?”, “What makes your family special?”. Use visual aids (sentence starters).	Family photos (if available), drawing materials
15-20 mins	Group Activity: Celebrate Our Differences Mural	Create a large mural/poster where each child adds a drawing or symbol representing their background or what makes them special.	Encourage positive language, model using words like “different,” “special,” “unique.” Label the elements for literacy connection.	Large paper, art supplies (crayons, markers, stickers)
20-25 mins	Circle Time Discussion: What Did We Learn?	Talk about how every person’s background makes the class a better place. Reinforce respect and kindness. Use questioning like “How can we be kind to people who are different from us?”	Emphasise key vocabulary and values (respect, appreciation). Keep discussion short and simple to suit attention span.	Anchor chart with key vocabulary
25-30 mins	Reflection and Affirmation	Recap the WALT and success criteria. Sing a simple song or say a chant about friendship and diversity together.	Use repeatable, inclusive language with actions. Praise students for participation.	Song lyrics, visual prompts

Assessment

Formative: Observe students during sharing and discussion for participation and respectful listening.
Success Criteria Check: Students express something special about themselves and respond positively to others' sharing.
Teacher Anecdotal Notes: Record examples of respectful listening and vocabulary use related to diversity.

Teaching Strategies & Considerations

Use explicit modelling of respectful listening and sharing.
Support individual needs with sentence frames and visual scaffolds.
Create a safe and inclusive environment where all students feel valued and heard.
Link with English oral language goals by encouraging clear, expressive speaking and listening.
Incorporate Māori concepts of whānau and community when possible to connect with local cultural contexts.

Alignment With The New Zealand Curriculum (Summary)

This lesson supports the curriculum vision of young people confident in their identity and connected to their communities.
Promotes the principles of inclusion and cultural diversity.
Enables development of key competencies: relating to others, participating and contributing, and using language.
Embeds values of diversity and respect which are integral to the refreshed curriculum.
Targets learning outcomes for Religious Education regarding understanding identity, belonging, and respect in diverse communities.

This lesson is designed specifically for Year 0-1 students with age-appropriate active learning, shared storytelling, and opportunities for self-expression that foster appreciation of diversity in their learning community. The structure and success criteria ensure clear, manageable learning in a 30-minute timeframe supporting teachers to engage young learners effectively.

If you would like, I can also provide printable visuals or sentence starters to further support this lesson!

Teaching Instructions