Empowering Global Citizens

Activity K.1.2
My Favorite Things: What Is My Favorite Color? What
Are My Favorite Things?

— The students review colors by singing songs about them and look—
ing for items in the room with specific colors.

— Students then cut out pictures from magazines (from different
countries) with items that have that color. They can also learn how
to say the names of colors in different languages (e.g., Chinese or
Spanish).

— At the end, the students ask one another, “What is your favorite
color?” They then tell one another their favorite color, make finger—
prints in their favorite color, look at one another’s prints, and talk
about how those prints are similar and different.

~ They review counting by counting how many of their classmates
like a certain color. (This simple survey of the class can be repeated
throughout the year with other questions as a way for the children
to begin thinking about patterns and data gathering.)

~— An optional activity would be to begin to teach them about how
different colors mean different things in different cultures (e.g., red
can mean “danger,” be a warning, or signify luck, and white and
black are colors of mourning in different cultures).

— This activity can be extended such that children can list and ask one
another about other “favorite things” like foods, animals, and activi—
ties (as a way to extend their vocabulary). To add a global connection,
the teacher can give examples from different parts of the world for
each of these categories (e.g., foods from different cultures or ani~
mals on different continents). At the end, the classroom walls can be
covered with each child’s picture and name and a web of his or her
favorite things.

— The class can partner with another kindergarten classroom from
another part of the world, and children can share their similar and