Developing Expectations (K-5)

Diversity Beans - Developing Expectations Lesson Plan (K-5) 

Objective: Expose students to the concept of developing expectations.

Materials Required: Approx. 1.5 oz of Diversity Beans per student and assorted fruits.

Procedure:

A. Have the students count their beans and divide them up into piles of the same color.

B. Divide the students up into six groups and assign each group one of the colors of the beans.

C. Have the students list objects that they know have the same color as their group's color.

D. Next have the students look around the classroom and find objects that are the same color as their group's color.

E. Lead the class in a discussion of color as it relates to objects. If a student has on a shirt that matches the group's color, ask the students if all shirts are expected to have that color, or all balloons, or all hats, etc.

F. Explain the concept of expectations and have the students explore the different ways that expectations are established, i.e. by color or smell or touch, etc.

G. Ask the students what their favorite flavor of jelly is and discuss what their expectation would be if they have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with purple jelly.

H. Have some pieces of fruit (banana, orange, apple, lemon, etc.) available in the classroom and have the children close their eyes and feel a piece of fruit and try to identify the fruit, have them develop an expectation of what they are feeling.

I. Divide the Diversity Beans up by color and hand them out to each group. Ask the students what their expectations are of each colored bean.

J. Have each group agree on what flavor they expect to taste based on the color of bean they have.

K. Ask the students if they could close their eyes and develop an expectation of taste based just on feel, or smell.

L. Have a bowl of mixed beans available and have a few students close their eyes and pick out a bean and describe it using just their sense of touch.

M. Tell the students you are now going to conduct an experiment on meeting expectations.

N. Ask each group what their expected flavor is.

O. Have all of the students take a bean of their assigned color and have them all taste it at the same time.

P. Ask which students tasted the flavor they expected. Record the results.

Q. Ask the students what their new expectations are and why.

R. Have the students take another bean and taste it, ask how many students tasted the flavor they expected and record the results.

S. Give the students the chance to select any color bean to taste and ask them what their expectations are.

T. Have them taste the color of their choice and ask them if their expectations were met. Record the results.

U. Review with the students why they had expectations of taste based on color.

V. Discuss with the students expectations based on appearance for people.

W. Ask them what they would expect from people dressed in various outfits (suit, police uniform, nurses uniform, ripped t-shirt, barefoot, stained clothes, etc.).

X. Ask them if bad people always dress in a certain way (this can lead to a discussion on avoiding strangers).

Y. Lead them into a discussion of judging people and developing expectations based on appearance. Explain the importance of judging people not on their appearance but on their attitudes and behaviors.

Z. Define diversity and relate the concept of diversity to the concept of not setting expectations or judging people based on outward physical appearance.

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Lesson plan for: kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade.