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Emmy Costantino
9/26/13- 10/8/13
Diversity Project
The Diversity, Math and Science Behind Janell Cannons Stellaluna
For my Diversity Project, I did an interactive bulletin board that includes multiple
activities that vary in purpose with the intention of being able to create many different
learning centers for small group use in a first grade classroom. Stellaluna, is a tale by
Janell Cannon about a young bat losing her mother in a fight with an owl, thus being
found and raised for a short time by a family of birds. In this adventure, we experience
the idea of diversity because of the differences in culture and lifestyle of birds and bats
that are so dissimilar, they literally are night and day. Along the lines of the differing
lifestyles, we see science being incorporated as the reader learns the characteristics of
bats and birds ranging from what they eat to when they are most active. In wanting to
continue with fun educational activities I decided to add a counting activity, which
furthers the concept of one to one correspondence. In coming up with these activities my
goal was to utilize as many Pennsylvania Core Curriculum standards as possible making
a productive learning environment for children that keeps with the goals of the school
board and is good practice in future lesson planning for me as well. These activities
encourage group work, which aligns Vygotskys scaffolding and zone of proximal
development ideas where peers help each other reach new learning levels. The lessons
also aim at the Montessorian idea of using social activities to foster respect and mature
social skills.
Before using the bulletin board and beginning the many learning centers I would
read the story of Stellaluna to my class. This would give them the basic knowledge

needed to complete the activities whilst also allowing for the calming transition into work
time. It would also put all the children on similar knowledge levels of bat and bird
species making it fair and possible for every child to complete all of the centers
successfully. My interactive bulletin board has eight different activities each with its own
importance to the first grade student. Through learning about inquiry methods in my
Education 344 classroom with Professor Smolleck, I was very intrigued by the idea of
incorporating the first step of the 5E model discussed in our textbook Inquiry in the
National Science Education Standards, engagement (National Research Council, 2000).
Getting them interested in the beginning is pivotal to learning because if they are excited
the students will be more apt to complete the work to the best of their ability. To engage
them, I have brought a selection of gummy worms and gummy fruits, a pack for each
table. Upon handing them out, I will ask them to affirm which animal eats the type of
gummy snack on their table, bats or birds (birds would be worms, fruits would be bats)
based on what they learned from Stellaluna. I would of course allow them to eat the
candy they are given, but this short pre- interactive display activity allows me to separate
them into two groups, bats and birds, depending on the snack bag they received.
Next, as a class we would do the activity found in the center of the bulletin board
which is a science activity. Using the Velcro pieces in the baggy, we together would
place the foods, time of day, and animal in the setting they enjoy. This is a basic science
activity, which in free time can be done on their own for fun! It also fulfills a
Pennsylvania Education Common Core Standard for English language arts as well,
CC.1.2.1.C which describes the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or
pieces of information in a text (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2000). This is

very important because it is a fun play activity that the children complete not even
realizing they are being taught, and as a teacher it helps the students achieve a level that
they are required to in the primary elementary year.
Once we completed this activity, I would split the class; the bat group beginning
with the diversity learning centers, and the bird group starting with math. The left side
and the coloring activity are the diversity centers. The first is the journal where the
children will write about new experiences their friends or family members encouraged
them to try. In trying these new things they are embracing diversity and the likes and
dislikes of others. In life it is important to branch out and be accepting of everyone,
everything and every experience they have to offer and I wanted to encourage this idea in
my learning centers. It is important to try and understand where others come from and
interesting to learn how their experiences have shaped them, trying new things
encourages this idea of walking in anothers shoes. On the topic of Pennsylvania Core
Curriculum Standards, it also fulfills the English language arts standards for CC.1.2.1.B,
which is ask and answer questions about key details in a text (Pennsylvania
Department of Education, 2000). They are forced to answer a question about the new
experiences they tried just like Stellaluna tried eating crickets and sleeping right-side up.
Not only that, it also fulfills another standard in English language arts CC.1.4.1.B. which
states students must be able to Identify and write about one specific topic
(Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2000), that topic being their experience.
Children also, as we often discuss, love to speak of themselves and tell stories so this is a
perfect outlet for that. Once they are finished I will look over it with them individually in
order to translate their text from kid-print to correct grammar, in order for them to

internalize proper spelling. This is a concept Professor Smolleck discussed in class today.
The next diversity activity for them to complete is a worksheet in which they fill
out the chart about themselves (favorite color, eye color, hair color etc) so that they can
discuss it as a group and see the diversity among their peers. They will see the differences
and similarities among each other and realize that they are all friends even though they
are not the same. This is a concept which Stellaluna explains in the book and my poster
contains the quotation of as well. This activity also uses the Pennsylvania Standards,
incorporating CC. 1.2.1.C- that states they must be able to describe the connection
between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text (Pennsylvania
Department of Education, 2000). This also embraces the diversity in each classroom, a
concept that our textbook Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education discusses on page
40 as well (Morrison, 2010). Lastly, for diversity I desired to achieve the aesthetic
needs of a classroom also discussed in our textbook. Children like to be in classrooms
and homes that are physically attractive and pleasant (Morrison, 2010, p. 79). To
accommodate this, I have a coloring page in which children can decorate bats however
they would like. Since all the bats will be colored differently, they will be able to express
themselves and create diversity among the bats (just as there is diversity among the
students). I will hang them at the end in order to decorate the classroom. This will also
improve their self- esteem because the projects they work so hard on are displayed. This
is a very important concept, which Morrison also explains on page 78 in discussing the
need for recognition and approval which will lead to self-confidence allowing for
success in the future (Morrison, 2010, p.78).
While the bat group finishes up the activities aimed at diversity, the bird group

will be accomplishing the math activities I have created. Though some are simple, I feel
it is important for them to be solid on the basic concepts so that we can be confident in
progressing. As easy as it sounds, I have found a connect the dots activity which requires
them to be able to count to 30. For many students this might be a challenge so knowing
that they must create a bird is a helpful tool for them to use. If it begins to look incorrect
they can self- evaluate to figure that they may have miscounted. Once completed, they
can color this bird as well and bring them home to decorate their own rooms, this gets the
parents involved in the self- esteem building by having them be proud of the childs
work. This builds a feeling of approval and security at home which allows for two safefeeling environments, concepts which are important and frequently discussed in our
Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education textbook as well (Morrison, 2010). The
next is a template assignment that I can remember completing in lower school. The shape
they are creating is a bird, and I will give them shape tiles. This activity asks for them to
be able to understand how shapes go together to create other larger shapes and to see
geometry in many different images. It is like an open ended puzzle! It also is imperative
that they comprehend and have a good understanding of basic geometry for them to be
successful. Lastly, I have a bats/ birds by number activity, in which one to one
correspondence is vital. At this age it is not crazy to think they already may know how to
do this, as it is a concept normally taught in kindergarten, however, with young students
and those who may have not understood or just skipped this grade altogether, it is
exceptionally important to make sure that this concept is fully understood. It also ties into
the Pennsylvania Core Curriculum Standard CC.2.4.K.A.4 which begs them to classify
objects and count the number of objects in each category (Pennsylvania Department of

Education, 2013). In being forced to count for each species and then write down or tally
how many they find, they are practicing the skills of one- to- one correspondence,
classification, and an understanding of numerical representations.
Bringing home their activities upon completion, especially the coloring ones, gets
the parents involved and allows them to help with the self- esteem boosting aspect of
early education. It also gives parents something to discuss with their children and begin
to set a foundation of openness and interest in the lives of their child, especially if the
parents are not often around during the day. It creates a great connection peer to peer with
lots of discussion and group work especially in the diversity activities too. Another
important connection is between the greater state education department and my specific
school because the curriculum standards are highly regarded and implemented in
majority of the activities. The teacher facilitates these activities as well and makes sure
each is running smoothly while in displaying the projects shows her love, support and
appreciation for each students hard work. I truly enjoyed crafting this project and think
that in doing it by myself and not buying all of the materials I encourage imagination, I
use colors to create an aesthetically pleasing environment (Morrison, 2010, p. 79), and
I think my hard work shows how much care and love I put into the work I do. I hope that
this would be felt and noticed by my students in an effort to create a loving, happy
environment.
Resources:
Academic Standards for English Language Arts. (n.d.). PA Common Core Standards.
Retrieved October 8, 2013, from
http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/PACCSS%20ELA%20PreK5%20January%202013.pdf

Academic Standards for Mathematics. (n.d.). PA Common Core Standards. Retrieved

October 8, 2013, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/document
Morrison, G. S. (2010). Fundamentals of early childhood education. (6th edition). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education
standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.