Anti-Bias Activity

By:  Lisa Heath

I chose the “Try it, You’ll Like it” activity on page 218 because I felt it was a great way to introduce kids to new things.  Food is something children can have an enhanced experience from because it appeals to several of the five senses.  Children can see it, touch it, smell it and taste it.  Another reason I chose this activity is because early childhood is a great time to teach children about the benefits of eating healthy foods.  Through this activity, children may develop a desire to add more variety to their diets.  

This multicultural activity is appropriate for children ages three to seven since it focuses on “…things children are interested in and the concepts they are struggling to understand.”  (York, pg. 188)  Children may be hesitant to try new things or engage in new experiences because they simply have not gained a sense of comfort from previous exposure.  Offering the opportunity in a safe, encouraging environment affords them the chance to learn and gain comfort with new things.  Through exploration with the new foods, the children can learn about differences and similarities, and depending on the selection and preparation of the food, children can have first-hand experiences of other cultures.  This is an activity which will easily gain children’s interest since it is based on food.  It also promotes a child’s sensory development since foods often have different textures, tastes, smells and appearances. 

The theme “Try it, You’ll Like it” is an age appropriate one for children three to seven.  It is a theme based on physical science which is nurturing openness to trying new things.  The text lists “Food We Eat” as one of the themes which “…support and provide opportunities to explore multicultural concepts.” (York, pg. 180)  The text lists “culturally relevant and anti-bias approaches to learning about food on page 181.  This activity can be expanded by asking the children some of the questions listed on this page.  For example, “What foods do you eat?” can inspire conversation about the different foods people eat.  Also, “How does food taste, smell, feel, and sound?” can prompt observations about the differences and similarities between the different foods.  “Try it, You’ll Like it” theme can also be applied to more than just tasting new foods.  It can be used for exploring instruments or toys from countries around the world. 

Overall, this theme supports goals for an anti-bias curriculum in that it introduces young children to new cultures, acknowledges differences and similarities, and recognizes and appreciates that everyone is unique.  Foods from various cultures can be introduced to give children a hands-on experience of cultures other than their own.   For example, fruits which are readily available to specific geographic locations may be staples for cultures within the area.  Sapodilla is a favorite fruit in Mexico and many people in Spain as well as South America eat Cherimoyas.  These are considered exotic fruits in America so they are not typically readily available in grocery stores like fruits like apples and bananas are.  However offering children the opportunity to taste, smell, feel and see these exotic fruits gives them the same experience children in other parts of the world are already having when they include them in their own diets.   Children are able to compare the foods by how they look, smell, feel and taste.  In this way they are able to notice similarities and differences.  This topic could be expanded to compare each child’s reaction to the different foods, acknowledging that everyone also has different likes and dislikes.  In addition to helping kids be aware of the differences and similarities in people, this activity can promote mutual respect and appreciation for everyone uniqueness.

In this activity for small children, I would recommend using various fruits and vegetables which are exotic and/or associated with certain cultures.  Here is a list of some I would recommend:

Papaya

Mango

Leek

Anise

Sapodilla

Kiwi Fruit

Cherimoya (do not eat the seeds or skin)

Passion Fruit

Mini Banana

Pomegranate

Tomatillo

Cactus Pad

I’d also recommend adding some which are not considered exotic here in America.  This way the children will have some familiarity and they can also compare and contrast the produce which is new to them with that which is familiar.  It’s possible too; some of these will be new to some of the children as well.  I’d recommend items like:

Banana

Apple

Cherry Tomato

Grape

Lettuce

Cucumber

Squash

Eggplant

Other items you will need are:

Plates

Forks

Knife (for cutting produce)

Cutting board

Napkins

Ensure you have enough produce for every child to sample.  Clean all the produce and set out on the table.  Allow children to see, touch and smell the fruit.  Prompt them to notice differences and similarities by asking questions like, “Do any look similar?”  “What do you notice about this one that is different from the others?”

Introduce the names and common preparations for the produce.  You can also discuss connections the foods have to specific cultures. 

Encourage the children to predict which ones they think will taste sweet or bitter.  Ask the children if any of them have taste or seen any of the items they are looking at. 

You can leave the produce out for the children to explore for the rest of the day if you want.  Then you could prepare the food for them to eat the next day.  You may choose to serve the children immediately after they have spent some time making observations.

Again, clean the produce.  Peel off skins that are not edible, remove seeds and cut up the food into bite size pieces for the children to sample.  Place the food on plates on the table.  Allow the children some time again to look at the produce.  Then, allow each child to pick which foods they’d like to try.  If possible, save a piece of fruit or vegetable which has been skinned so the children can see which item the food came from.  Encourage the children to try the foods two to three times before deciding whether they enjoy it or not.  Prompt them to compare for similarities and differences in texture and flavor.  In addition, suggest they smell each bite before they taste it to heighten the senses. 

When children are done sampling the produce, ask them which were their individual favorites and which ones they did not particularly enjoy (if any).  Acknowledge any similar responses and/or differences between the children.  Ensure the children are respectful to each other’s opinions.

This activity can be varied by using other items from different cultures.  For example, a dress up area can be modified to include clothing which is representative of other cultures, like a kimono, turban or sombrero.  Another variation of this activity is to give children the opportunity to play games that are played in other cultures.  Here are a couple of ideas:

Jai Hee Shim and Cho Hee Yoo from Korea

One player is the wolf and stands with his back turned to the others, about five meters from the others.  The others call out "MuGungHwaggochipiubnida" and the wolf turns to face the others and shouts out. The others have to touch the wolf, but not get caught by him. If the wolf turns his face to the others, then they don’t move.  (This is similar to the game “Red Light, Green Light)

http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-toddlers.htm

La Gallinita Ciega

First, the players choose a player who will be the blind hen (la gallinita ciega).  Then they cover the hen’s eyes with a blindfold and spin him/her around.  The hen has to try to find all the other players, but cannot see them.  The other players make noise and say things like: “Here I am.  You can’t catch me!”  Then they run away from the hen.  When the hen catches a player, he/she takes off the blindfold and puts it on the player that he caught.  That player is the new “blind hen.”  The game continues until the players decide to stop.  (This is sort of like “Marco Polo”)

http://www.topics-mag.com/edition27/mexican_games/la_gallinita_ciega.html

Also, another variation could be providing children an opportunity to play instruments from other cultures.  It may be difficult to find instruments; however there are individuals or organizations in some communities which can be hired to come in with instruments for children to explore.  Here is one such individual in the Sacramento area:

Catherine Mandella

http://www.sambandhaworldmusic.com/band.html

Books related to this activity, encourage appreciation for others or inspire further conversation about similarities and differences are:

 

This activity will help children see that many things in our world are different including people and different is “okay.”  Children will enjoy eating the foods and will be encouraged to keep open minds for trying new things.  There are many variations where the theme “Try it, You’ll Like it” can be applied to broaden the children’s experiences with the world around them.  It’s fun, educational and can inspire a wide range of conversations about things like differences, similarities, cultures and foods.