Unit 9

Skills Building: Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (3-5)

Unit 9 Skills Building

Written by Derrick Barnes

Pre Reading Questions

  1. When you hear the word “confident” what does it mean to you?
  2. What would you do today if you had all the confidence in the world?
  3. Name one positive quality you have and how does this quality make you
    unique?
  4. What are some positive things that others have said about you?

Post Reading Questions

  1. How do you think he felt when he l eft the barbershop?
  2. What helps him feel brave and confident?
  3. What helps you feel confident and appreciative of who you are?
  4. People say that “when you look good, you feel good.” What do you do to take care of yourself that makes you feel good?

Creative Enrichment Activity: Love Yourself! Love Your Hair! (3-5)

Overview: In the books, Bippity Bop Barbershop and Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut the characters celebrate themselves and their confidence. It is important to love yourself for who you are and to celebrate yourself for feeling good! In this activity, you will make a self-portrait out of paper and yarn of beautiful, self-confident, you! You matter and are enough just how you are.

Materials

  • Pack of “multi-cultural construction paper” with various skin tones (can be purchased on amazon, S&S, Lakeshore)
  • Various colors of yarn for hair
  • Beads
  • Ribbons
  • Extra colors of construction paper for the background and for mouth, eyes, accessories, etc.
  • Scissors
  • Glue sticks
  • Index cards
  • Googly eyes (optional)

Duration: 40 minutes (for staff: 5 pre-activity set up, 10-minute prep)

● 5 minutes: Introduce the activity using the book and examples
● 25 minutes: Student makes self out of paper, yarn, beads etc.
● 5 minutes: clean up
● 5 minutes: Reflect

Instructions

  1. Put out material stations so that each student can pick up their desired materials.
  2. Introduce the activity using the book and show the examples. Have a brief conversation about self-confidence and loving yourself. Students should be making a portrait of themselves and celebrating how they look.
  3. Students find the color paper that best matches their skin tone and cuts a circle for their head
  4. Students glue the circle to a piece of construction paper (any color) for the background.
  5. Students use scraps of construction paper to make their eyes/nose/mouth, etc.
  6. Students use the yarn of their choosing to create their hair and glue their hair to their head/the background
  7. Ribbons and beads can be tied or glued to yarn as students choose
  8. Glue the index card to the bottom front of their self-portrait.
  9. Writers: write something that you love
    about yourself and how you look.
  10. Non-writers: staff can help non-writers write one word describing what they like best about themselves.
  11. Clean up the materials.
  12. Reflect.

Reflection Questions

  • Share your self-portrait with the person sitting next to you. How are your portraits similar and different?
  • What do you love most about yourself?
  • How did it feel to create your self-portrait?
  • Why is it important to love yourself for who you are?

Unit 9 Love your hair sample