Anti-Bias Activity

Smelling Jars

     I decided to do the activity called “Smelling Jars” which is to help children use their senses and to introduce different smells from different cultures. This could be ingredients of what other cultures use to cook their foods with. For example, soy sauce, hot peppers, etc. I liked this activity because I think that it is a great and fun way to let the children explore and work together to figure out the smells they smell. It is also a great way to teach them about different cultures and how they may be using different ingredients in their everyday life and their foods that they eat.

     Materials needed:

              -small containers (baby food jars)

              -variety of spices or ingredients

     This activity is done by putting a different ingredient/smell in each container and having the children try to guess what they are and where they may come from. Be sure to involve all the children in these questions and in the discussion. You can then discuss what they children think this smell may be used to make and with what food. You could also ask which smell they liked the best. To take this further you can see if children can describe the smells and see if any are similar or very different.  

     This activity meets some of the anti-bias goals. First, it introduces children to other cultures which is one of the goals. The way this is done is by providing scents from other cultures and then discussing where these scents come from. By smelling and talking about which smells are similar and different, we are able to meet the goal of “providing children with a positive experience exploring similarities and differences”. And lastly, the goal to “recognize, appreciate, and respect the uniqueness, beauty, value and contribution of each child” is met when I ask each child for their input and idea of what the smell might be. I will be sure to get all the children’s opinions and be sure to acknowledge each one.

Books that can go along with this activity:

          -“Sniff, Sniff: A Book About Smell” by Dana Meachen Rau

                            

          -“What Food is This?” by Rosemarie Hausherr

                                     

Extension activities include:

          -Make two sets of smelling jars to see if children can match any of                  the smells. This can be done by individual children or you can have them get in small groups to compare and contrast the smells and to see which they think match and which do not.

          -You can then use some of the ingredients to do a cooking project following this activity. This can be done after the discussion about each smell. Then you can use the smells the children like in order to create a delicious treat that shows them how it is used in the cooking process.

Questions:

1.     This activity is best suited for children around the age of 5. I think this age group is best considering “by age 5 or 6, most children are able to speak clearly and accurately” (page 84). So if this activity is done with children around age 5, they are better able to use more vocabulary and describe what they are smelling. By this age they have smelled quite a few scents that may be used.

2.    This theme is appropriate since their senses are being used and it is a hands-on activity for children to learn smells and foods used from other cultures. Not only are they able to test their noses but they are able to work together and learn a little about different cultures and how they use these ingredients.

3.    This activity helps children learn that everyone has feelings, everyone is important, and it is important to try new experiences. The first two concepts can be taught through the discussion of asking children for their opinions on what they think the smell is. All children will get to have an input and the others need to be sure to treat those inputs with respect.

In conclusion, I hope that when we are finished with this activity, the children learn about their senses, scents from other cultures, and even cooking with these items. I also hope that it is a great learning experience that they are able to recall later on. I plan to follow up with this activity throughout the semester so that it is not just a one time topic.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Critique

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937

I noticed quite a few interesting things throughout the movie. First I noticed that at the beginning of the movie you could not tell that she was a princess since she was dressed in raggedy clothes that were torn. Plus she was cleaning outside which you may not expect a princess to be doing. To me this was not how a princess should or would dress or act. She appeared to be of low income or in poverty based on how she looked or dressed. I know this is an assumption but what do you think the children were thinking. They may be thinking that poor people have to do the cleaning and housework.

I also found it interesting that it seemed to portray that if you are beautiful then people dislike you and may want to cause harm to you. This is a little scary for young children to think like. First the evil queen wants to be the prettiest and since she is not she wants to kill whoever is even though it is her daughter. Little girls may start to think that you want to be pretty but never the prettiest. That to me is a mixed message. Little girls should not be worrying about the looks period, let alone at such a young age.

I did notice some gender stereotyping for the princess and for the dwarfs. For Snow White, she seemed to be the motherly figure and the one that cleaned up after the dwarf’s (men). While she cleaned all day, the men were at work doing manual labor. This is a typical stereotype portrayed in many movies and stories. This may make little children believe that women stay home all day and clean while the men do all the hard work outside the house. Women are supposed to be the nurturing and motherly figure where men need to be tough and able to get a little dirty. But not always is this true. Now a days we have many women in the workforce along side men. This is where children start to think that boys are the only ones allowed to work and women are only allowed to clean.

The last thing I noticed was how she was easily manipulated into eating the poisonous apple and could only be saved by a handsome man who was the prince. This to me was showing that women can be easily talked into doing things they should know not to. But I do not think that the children watching this will get the same thing out of it. The last part that scares me is the fact that the handsome man (prince) is the only way that Snow White can be saved. This makes our young girls think that they only way to be happy, loved and saved is by a man saving her. In turn this would mean to live happily ever after. We do not need to teach our young girls to rely on boys to be happy.

When I was younger and watched this movie, I do not remember noticing any of these stereotypes other than maybe women are responsible for housework. All I can remember is how much the Queen/witch scared me every time she came on.

Now when I researched the movie, I came across many sources discussing what I noticed. But I was able to find a few more additional interesting things. The first site (www.bodiesdontmatterhere.wordpress.com) was that from a feminist perspective. The site was showing how they felt that the characters were portrayed. They said Snow White was “innocent, beautiful, passive, domestic, nurturing, ideal feminine. She was rewarded with a man.” I agree with this portion because I saw it as being the same as they did. As far as what they saw the Queen to be was, “wicked, grotesque, selfish, narcissism, power hungry, dominating, and monstrous.” At first I never really took many notes about the Queen but I would also agree with these descriptions. She is the evil witch with bad intentions to harm her own daughter for her own selfish reasons. As for the dwarfs, they are characterized as, “childlike, clumsy, unclean, and unlearned.” I do agree that they are seen as childlike and not as clean or smart. They are being taken care of by Snow White. Grumpy even stated, “All women are poison”. That was an interesting point made by the website. This can be very misleading and stereotypical for children to be hearing.

            Another site that I found was www.dailycampus.com. This site said that, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs sends the strongest message about gender roles. She cleans the whole house and takes on the motherly role. This image was accepted in this time period.” I discussed this in my analysis portion but the part that got my attention was the last sentence which said, “now little girls continue to watch and assume her submissive role with a smile.” This was well put and in my opinion true. The girls may not understand it at first but later on they may.

Book Analysis

Amelia Bedelia

                                                                    By Peggy Parish
                                                          Illustrations by Fritz Siebel
                                                             Original Copyright 1963
                                                             Copyright Renewal 1991

            The story was talking about how Amelia had got a new job as somewhat of a housekeeper for an older couple. They left her with just a note of what needed to be done. Amelia did everything but she did it in the literal way rather than they way they wanted and expected. So when the couple got home everything was done wrong and they were upset but once Amelia gave them the special pie she made, they forgot how mad they were and loved the pie.

Analysis:

            When it comes to stereotypes, I do see a lot of this. For instance the first example that popped out to me was the fact that a female is doing the house work and even dressed like a maid that we would see. This is a typical stereotype that women do all the housework. I also thought the illustrations showed a nice house inside and out and the way that the couple was dressed was far different from how Amelia was dressed. This led me to believe they were wealthier than Amelia. Then it actually quoted Amelia with the same idea, “Such a grand house. These must be rich folks.” So based on what they had it was stereotyping that they had money.

            The couple was upset at first when they came home and they thought that everything was done wrong. When in fact everything was done but in the way that Amelia interpreted it do be done. So they reacted negatively for this behavior but when they tasted her pie they didn’t care how things were done they just loved her cooking.

            The fact that the couple had hired Amelia, made it seem like the older couple had more power and wealth over Amelia who was illustrated as being a younger woman. I did not find this book too offensive or anything like that so yes I would suggest this book to others. It does have a good story line about the fact that people do things different from how you may do things or want them done.

Who am I

                               Hello my name is Brianna. Other than speaking English I have taken two years of ASL. I was born in San Jose, CA but moved shortly to Rocklin, CA and I have lived in this area for most of my life. I am Caucasian and have been raised in a middle-class American home. I would say it is a typical home but I do not think anything is typical. We were raised to respect our elders, be responsible, and give back to our community.

The absolute most important thing to me is my family. Without them and their love and support I wouldn’t be who I am today. When it comes to what is important for teachers to provide children, I believe that they need to provide a good role model for all children. They need to not only be a good role model while in the class but also outside the class. It is important to follow what they try to teach the children so that they know it is the right thing to do. If the children look up to this teacher, they learn to respect this person and realize that what this teacher is doing is what they should do as well.

I am a strong and independent woman. I define myself by how I feel about myself and by my personality traits. I have been over a few speed bumps in life but I have made it over them and have gained strength and experience from each one. I was born in raised in Northern California all my life and I love it. My parents have taught me most of what I know and I thank them for that. I have learned how to be successful and what is acceptable and what is not. I am not really sure what me and my ancestors share as in experiences other than learning from our past and experiences.

I do not have any children right now but I hope to in the near future. I live at home with my parents and my sister and brother. I am the oldest child in the house. We all have a great relationship with each other and I have been blessed with such a great, loving, and supportive family. They always have my back and offer me a shoulder to cry when I need it.

I do currently work with children, I am working in a before/after school program. I love being involved in children’s growth experience and being able to contribute to their learning process. I try to be the best role model possible for those children and I try to build a trusting relationship, which I think is important.

Getting more education about culture and diversity through this class, will help me better understand how to relate and teach about the topic. Once I learn about it, I can then discuss it with children when needed.

In my extra time I like to be outdoors most of all. I enjoy being on the lake, hiking around, fishing, camping, and riding my dirt bike. I also love my job and being able to work with children and contribute to there learning and development. It is a great feeling knowing that you are able to help them grow into who they will become when they are older. I also love listening to music, singing, and dancing along with it and I do not care who is watching! Country music is my favorite.