Anti-Bias Activity

"Thumbprints"

The anti-bias activity I chose to do is called Thumbprints. 

This activity as actually really simple. In order to do this you will only need four items: white paper, black ink pads, pens, and magnifying glasses. Make sure that each child gets one of all four materials, or have them pair up or get into groups so you won't need so many materials. Start having the children make prints of their thumbs by pressing them onto the ink pad and then onto the paper. Now you, as the teacher, can either go around with a pen and write each child's name underneath their thumbprint or you can have them write it themselves. At group time or circle time, show the children all their prints. Now would be the time to discuss how everyone has patterns of lines on their fingers and these patterns are all very unique. Talk to the children about how everyone has their own special pattern that's unlike anyone else's. Let them know a person's finger print can never be replicated. After circle time, you can set them different prints out with the magnifying glasses and let the children explore the differences and possible similarities of the prints. A variation to this activity would be to have the children make two sets of their prints. When they are done, mix them up and see if the kid's can match them together.

A couple of books that can go along with this fingerprint activity are both by Ed Emberley. One is called "The Great Thumbprint Drawing Book" and the other is called, "Fingerprint Drawing Book". Both of these books show different ways children can decorate their fingerprints in order to make something out of them. Some ideas are to turn fingerprints and thumbprints into people, animals, flowers, and even cars! These books would be good to have because when the children are able to decorate and customize their finger and thumbprints, it help stress the point that their fingerprints really are unique and only they have them. What better way to teach a child that than to let them make theirs a little person? 

Another book I found to go along with this activity would be "Thumbprint Circus" by Rodney Peppe. This picture book, about a little clown who wants to join the circus, is completely illustrated with fingerprints. After reading this to your students and showing them the different images, you can create a new activity. The children can now use their different fingerprints to tell a story of their own.

The reason I chose to write about this specific activity is because I love the message that children can learn from it. Finger prints are something about every person that is different from those who surround them. Not one of them are the same. I think this gives a child the sense of importance and allows them to feel special because they have something unique about themselves.

An appropriate age group for this activity would be ages three to six. Between the ages of three and four, "Preschoolers get even better at noticing differences among people." (York pg. 17) Distinguishing physical appearances amongst their peers is something that they'll start to be able to do very well. This activity also works for children five and six years old because, "They continue to be interested in physical differences and can easily describe themselves in terms of their own appearance." (York pg. 18) This Thumbprint activity teaches children that people are different because no fingerprint matches another. It allows them to respect the uniqueness of themselves and other students because they're coming to terms with the differences and accepting them as a part of who they are as a person rather than shying away and denying their different out of fear of being rejected. It also provides children with a positive experience explore similarities and differences between them and their peers. (Goals for Anti-bias Curriculum)

 

References:
York, Stacey. Roots & Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf, 2003.
Goals for Anti-bias Curriculum handout