Anti-Biased Activity for Pre-Schoolers


I have chosen an activity called "BREADS". I chose this activity for a couple of reasons, but one of the main ones is that I LOVE to cook. Breads are one of the most basic of foods and just about every country in the world has a from of bread that is indigenous to that country or culture. What a perfect way to let children explore other cultures.



Although I would choose to bake all of the breads I was introducing, you may choose to just purchase each of the different breads from a store. This activity is age appropriate for 3-4 year olds as this age group is "naturally curious about the world" and are in their "question asking stage." (York, p.17) The themes (Handout 1) presented by this activity that young children can understand are "People are different" as well as "People are similar". By seeing the different types of bread, children are able to see how different cultures use the same basic ingredients to create (sometimes vastly) different types of breads. In addition, children learn that "It is important to try new experiences." Many children have only had bread from the culture that they have grown up in.



This activity supports anti-biased curriculum goals by introducing children to other cultures, providing children with a positive experience exploring similarities and differences, and encouraging children to respect other cultures (Handout 2).

The activity is simple: 
Plan a bread-tasting party for snack time. Talk with the children about how some people from other cultures eat different kinds of bread. Introduce the different breads. Ask the children if they have eaten any of them before. Give each child a sample to try. Talk about the name of the bread and where it came from. Follow up the activity with stories about bread or baking bread for another snack.

The materials are equally as simple:
Samples of various types of bread. Most common types of bread are available at a local grocery store but you could also visit some ethnic stores and find some unique breads that may not be available elsewhere.

Variations: 

1. Find out what kinds of breads the families from your class eat and use them for exploring different types of breads.
2. Visit an ethnic bakery
3. Set out jars with different grains and flours and talk about the fact that people eat bread that they make from the grains that they grow. People living in different places grow different grains and make different kinds of bread.

The following books would be great for discussion with this activity:

In this memorable story, Frances decides that bread and jam are all she wants to eat, and her understanding parents grant her wish at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snack-time. Can there ever be too much bread and jam?

A rainy-day errand introduces Carrie to many different kinds of bread, including chapatis, challah, and papussah. 

 

“Lotsa Matzah” offers some tempting ways to enjoy the unleavened bread, including “syrup on fried matzah brei. Matzah pizza, cheese piled high.”

Reference list:

York, Stacey. Roots & Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf, 2003. Print.

Handout 1, Multicultural Concepts Children Can Understand, 2015

Handout 2, Goals For Anti-Biased Curriculum, 2015