Tolerance - Ages 8-14 - Values Education for Children and Young Adults

Tolerance - Living Values Activities for Children Ages 8-14

Adapted from LVE's Living Values Activities for Children Ages 8-14

A Story

Select one of your favourite stories, or select a story or work from the curriculum on tolerance. You may wish to choose a piece by one of your country's authors. If you decide to read "The Shorties and the Tallies", ask the students to identify the elements that cause strife and discrimination. Ask if they see parallels to a real situation that the class has studied.

THE SHORTIES AND THE TALLIES
Based on a story by John McConnel

There was once a land where all the people were either short and fat or tall and thin. There was no one in between. The "Shorties" and "Tallies," as they were called, did not like each another. Each thought himself to be better than the other. When the Shorties were talking among themselves about the arrogance of the Tallies they would call them "beanpoles" and "lampposts." The Tallies would talk to each other about how stupid the "pigs" and "shrimps" were. The "beanpoles" and "shrimps" were always arguing and fighting and trying to get more than each other, and there was no peace in the land.

The Shorties and the Tallies did not know each other very well as they never tried to be friends. Indeed, they both refused to have anything to do with each other as often as they could. They refused to live next door to one another, used different shops, and their children even went to different schools. Separate businesses and even churches and temples were built to meet the needs of the Shorties and Tallies. Demand grew for the land to be divided in two and there was talk of war as the "beanpoles" blamed the "shrimps" for problems in the land. Each side rushed to buy guns. The ruler of the land did not help - most of the time he was interested only in accumulating more wealth for himself. Sometimes he even blamed the Tallies for the problems of the land. As intolerance increased, the children were told by adults that the other race was not good. The children of the Shorties were told to not make friends with the "beanpoles" and the children of the Tallies were told not to make friends with the "shrimps."

Then one day a strange thing happened. All the people of the land went blind. No one could see anything. Everyone's world was turned upside down, in more ways than one. The people stumbled around, trying to find their way from the shops and the churches and temples. They were bumping into one another and tripping over each other. Little children, teenagers and adults all needed help and so they began to help each other. Adults conversed with anyone they bumped into to see if they could help them find their way. Little children were taken care of by older children, and mothers of both Shorties and Tallies helped each other to find their children.

At first, the Shorties did not know they were sometimes being helped by "beanpoles," and Tallies did not realize they were being helped by "shrimps". They welcomed the understanding voices and the generous help. But as they helped each other with their hands, they began to realize that some of those kind hands were thin and long and other kind hands were short and plump.

"Hmmph," one Shortie named Miriam said to herself, "I bet that's the only nice beanpole out there." But as Miriam tried to find her way to the store to buy food she was again helped by another Tallie!

Ali, one of the Tallies, was also surprised. "Those shrimps aren't all so mean," he thought to himself one day when a Shortie helped him find his little brother.

As one long week and another week passed, each person began to realize that the shape and size of each other's body no longer mattered. They began to judge each person they met by their behaviour instead of the way they looked - whether they were kind and gentle or mean-spirited. They began to appreciate their new friends and understand that a person's character is much more important than their appearance - and that good qualities can be found in everyone.

With this realization, the hearts of the short, fat people, and the tall, thin people began to melt. They were kinder to everyone they met. As they began to grow fond of their new friends, their sight returned just as suddenly as it had disappeared! They laughed with each other in their joy of seeing, and promised never to be deceived by their eyes again.

Discuss the story you have chosen to read in relation to the following Reflection Points:

Tolerance is mutual respect through mutual understanding.
The seeds of intolerance are fear and ignorance.

Discuss: "What would the world be like if everyone had tolerance?"

End with a song about tolerance.

Discrimination

Awareness Activity - Sharing: Ask the students about the lack of tolerance of differences they have noticed at school or in society. Ask the students if they can think of an example of intolerance. If they cannot, then mention, in age-appropriate terms, one that they might be aware of and then discuss:

Are some people tolerated less than others?
Are some discriminated against? On what basis?
Have you ever been discriminated against?
How did it feel?
What attitude would you like everyone to have towards each other?
If someone is really popular, will people be more likely to tolerate that person?
What kinds of things can we say to ourselves so we can have more tolerance of others?

8-9 Activity: Write a few sentences about how people feel when they have been discriminated against and draw a picture. Then write two sentences of advice about how people should act.

10-14 Activity: Write a short personal essay about feeling discriminated against or being treated unfairly. Ask each student to think of his or her advice about how people should treat each other. The teacher may wish to have the students focus their advice, that is, if the students are studying the structure of the government, what would their advice be to the leaders of the country? Or, what would their advice be to other students of the world, parents, teachers or adults? The students could read their advice in small groups and each group could then make a slogan. Draw the slogans on posters or long pieces of paper and place them on the walls.

A Pretend Immigration

Make up a story about immigrating to a pretend country. How do you want to be treated? How do you want your parents to be treated? Illustrate your story with a drawing.

A Song

Make up a song about the world as your family, or the people of the world as a rainbow.

Tolerance Ideas at Home for Parents of Children 8 Years and Older

Excerpts from Living Values Parent Groups: A Facilitator Guide

Speak positively to your children about your own heritage and the heritage of others. Become aware of and frown upon racist jokes or of making fun in subtle ways of other cultures or races. Be aware of the tendency to scapegoat during times when there are perceptions of scarcity. Think about how you wish to react. Not participating is one option. Telling the negative joke teller that you find it offensive is another. A third option is saying you like people of that race -- and stating a few qualities you have found in people of that race. Your children will learn tolerance most rapidly by your example.
Talk positively about the qualities, needs, and desires for a better world that we all share. Talk to your children about the people in the world as ?our family.?
Include all people of the world in your prayers with the children.
Teach tolerance of life?s inconveniences with a light attitude and words of understanding.

Excerpts from Living Values Activities for Children and Young Adults and
Tolerance Ideas at Home for Parents
Young Adults | Ages 3-7

Focusing on the Value of Tolerance