The lesson uses a story about crayons learning to accept their differences to teach younger students about diversity and discrimination. Over three days, students will draw with limited and unlimited crayons, watch a video of the story, and discuss how differences among people can be embraced rather than rejected. The goal is for students to understand that differences should not be seen as bad and that people can get along respectfully despite their unique qualities. Comprehension questions ensure students grasp the message of acceptance and inclusion.

2.  Smaller children need something to
relate to and crayons create an analogy
that they can understand.
Discrimination happens at the first grade
level and students need to learn early on
that just because someone is different
does not mean we cannot get along
nicely together.
 Predict and retell and story
› Understanding underlying meaning

3. What can we learn from a
small box of crayons?

4.  Goal #1: Students to understand that just
because someone is different is not a
bad thing.
 Goal #2: Everyone is different and we
should learn to embrace our differences.
 Goal #3: We can live together
harmoniously and we should always be
nice to others.
 Goal #4: Accurately understand and
retell story in their own words.

5.  Students can be cruel to each other at
all grade levels.
 Starting students early will decrease the
amount of discrimination present in
schools.
› Can help improve morale and unify students

6.  Students will understand that there are
students who are different.
 Everyone has a purpose to fulfill.
› Every color crayon has an important job
even though they are different.
 Students will retell the important parts of
the story in relation to diversity.

7.  Several pieces of plain white paper.
 One box of crayons
 YouTube video, The Crayon Box That
Talked by Shane DeRolf.
 Glue
 Pencil
 White board with dry erase marker

8.  Day 1: Give each student two pieces of
plain white paper and a box of crayons.
› Only let the student pick one crayon and
draw and color a picture.
› Then, let the student draw and color another
picture with as many crayons as they want.
 Question the students about the
experiment (see appendix A).

9.  Day 2: Watch The Crayons That Talked.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5
A0AQs3SCI
 Talk about Discussion questions to test
their knowledge of the book and to see
if they understand the underlying
meaning of the book (see appendix B).
 Write the responses on the board.

10.  Day 3: Make a banner from our hands
that outline five reasons why we may be
different from others (Give our class a
hand, 2012).
 Students will present their hand and
differences to the class and we will
mount and hang them in the classroom
together.
 Quiz over book and discrimination from
unit (see appendix C).

11.  Evaluation is a quiz over book and what
the students learned from the unit.
 Answer key will determine the scores
 Students should be able to answer all the
questions without problem.
› Three days to discuss discrimination and
apply it to the classroom will help

12.  Appendix A: Experiment
Questions
› Which picture did you
like the best?
› Why is that?
› Which picture would
you like to hang up in
the classroom?
› See how boring things
would be without
different crayons. Why
do you think this is?
› How can you relate that
to your friends here in
class?
 Appendix B: Discussion
Questions
› What was the story
about?
› What if you heard the
crayons saying they do
not like each other,
what would you say to
them?
› Why did none of the
crayons like orange?
› When the girl got home
what did she do?
› In the end, did all the
crayons like each
other?

13.  Appendix C: Quiz Questions
1. What was the story about
a). A girl buys a puppy
b). Crayons that do not get along
c). Crayons who like to draw
2. What colors did not like red?
a). Blue and green
b). Green and yellow
c). Yellow and orange
3. What did you learn from the story?
a). Never buy crayons from the store
b). Everyone is the same
c). Differences are okay and no one is the same.
4. Why did no one like orange?
a). Because it was too bright
b). Because it talked to much
c). No one knew why
5. What did the crayons figure out?
a). Even though they are different, they can still get along
b). It is not okay to be different
c). Crayons can talk

14.  Lesson will provide younger students with an
association between crayons and peers.
 Students will learn that just because some
are different that we can all still get along.
 Everyone is different and that is a good
thing. Everyone deserves to be treated with
respect.
 Students will be able to sharpen their
reading skills through comprehension and
symbolism.

15.  Bennett, C.I. (2011). Comprehensive
multicultural education: Theory and practice.
Boston, MA: Pearson.
 DeRolf, S. (1997). The crayon box that talked.
New York, NY: Random House.
 Give our class a hand: Celebrate diversity
banner. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.crayola.com/for-educators/lesson-
plans/lesson-plan/give-our-class-a-hand—
celebrate-diversity-banner.aspx
 Wolfe, T.P.(n.d.). Teaching tolerance. Retrieved
from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/what-
can-we-learn-box-crayons