During collaboration blocks intermediate and primary students are engaged in a project called "One of a Kind" based of the book by Chris Gorman,  who captures the thrill and challenges of marching to your own beat.

Students have been thinking about how they are different, how they express themselves and how this makes them unique.  Our cumulating project will be a school-wide art project displayed in our front foyer.  

 The positive personal and cultural identity competency involves the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of all the facets that contribute to a healthy sense of oneself. It includes awareness and understanding of one’s family background, heritage(s), language(s), beliefs, and perspectives in a pluralistic society. Celebrating diversity is one way to have students think about themselves as individuals:

• I can identify my individual characteristics.
• I am aware of myself as different from others.
• I can describe/express my attributes, characteristics, and skills.

To support their thinking, we also read: 

Giraffes Can't Dance 

by Giles Andreae

Giraffes Can't Dance is a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it's harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend.
 

and 

Exclamation Mark 

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

He stood out here. 
He stood out there. 
He tried everything to be more like them.

It's not easy being seen. Especially when you're NOT like everyone else. Especially when what sets you apart is YOU. 

Sometimes we squish ourselves to fit in. We shrink. Twist. Bend. Until - ! - a friend shows the way to endless possibilities. 

In this bold and highly visual book, an emphatic but misplaced exclamation point learns that being different can be very exciting! Period.