Inspiring Diversity Activities: Teaching K-2 Students About Diverse Role Models

BY MELISSA GLENN, CERTIFIED EDUCATOR AND READING SPECIALIST

Inside: Discover effective diversity activities for teaching about role models in your K-2 classroom. This guide offers practical strategies and activities for teaching diversity in the classroom, helping you inspire your students with diverse figures they can relate to.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

I stood in front of my class, a picture of Ben Franklin displayed on our SmartBoard screen.

“Who can tell me something about this famous American?” I asked, hoping for at least one raised hand.

Instead, I got a sea of blank stares and one kid picking his nose. Great.

Just as I was about to launch into my carefully prepared spiel about Franklin’s inventions (because that’s totally what 6-year-olds care about), little Brielle* piped up from the back. “Mrs. Glenn, why do we only learn about old white guys?”

I started to open my mouth to respond and then just stopped.

Out of the mouths of babes, right?

As I tried to figure out the best way to respond, I realized it was about time to diversify our role model roster. But where to start? And how to make these figures actually relatable to a bunch of first graders? They think anything that happened before YouTube is ancient history.

We know how important it is to introduce our young students to diverse role models. When kids see people who look like them or come from similar backgrounds achieving great things, it opens up a world of possibilities. But teaching diversity in the classroom can feel tricky. How do we make these big concepts accessible and engaging for such young learners?

In this post, we’ll explore practical diversity activities and strategies for teaching about role models in your K-2 classroom. You’ll find ideas you can start using right away to broaden your students’ perspectives and inspire them to dream big.

The Impact of Diverse Role Models

Before we get into specific activities for teaching diversity, let’s talk about why this matters so much. Especially for our youngest students.

When kids see themselves represented in the stories of successful people, it shows them what’s possible. A child who’s never met a scientist might not imagine that career path for themselves. But introduce them to a diverse array of scientists through books and activities, and suddenly that door opens.

Exposing students to diverse role models also helps build empathy and understanding. As they learn about people with different experiences than their own, students start to see the world from new perspectives. This lays an important foundation for creating a more inclusive society.

Selecting Appropriate Role Models for K-2 Students

When choosing role models to highlight in your classroom, keep these tips in mind:

1. Pick age-appropriate choices: Focus on people and concepts your young students can relate to. A kindergartener might not get the significance of a Supreme Court justice, but they can understand a teacher who fought for students’ rights.
2. Represent various backgrounds: Include role models from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as people with disabilities, immigrants, and other underrepresented groups. For example, you might study figures like Mae Jemison, Frida Kahlo, or Temple Grandin.
3. Connect to student interests: If you have a class full of sports fans, highlight athletes who’ve made a difference on and off the field. Music lovers? Introduce them to influential musicians from diverse backgrounds.

Practical Diversity Activities for Teaching About Role Models

Now let’s get into some hands-on diversity activities you can use in your K-2 classroom:

Reading and Discussing Biographies

One of the easiest ways to introduce diverse role models is through picture book biographies. Here are some great activities to try:

Mini Book Reports: After reading a biography together, have students create a simple “book report” by drawing a picture of the person and writing (or dictating to you) one important fact they learned.

Character Trait Discussions: Talk about the qualities that helped the person succeed. Was it determination? Kindness? Creativity? This allows students to connect the story to their own lives. Have students pinpoint specific actions of individuals that demonstrate these traits. For example, “Mae Jemison showed perseverance when she kept studying hard even though some people said girls couldn’t be astronauts.”

Here’s a list of suggested picture book biographies to check out:

1. I am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer
2. Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
3. The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter
4. Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
5. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
6. Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown
7. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
8. Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan
9. Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker
10. The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks by Cynthia Levinson

Writing Diversity Activities

Journal Entries: Have students respond to prompts about the diverse role models they’re learning about. Here are 15 prompts for K-2 students to help you get started.

1. If I could meet [role model], I would say…
2. [Role model] is brave because…
3. I think [role model] is important because…
4. [Role model] reminds me of…
5. If I could give [role model] a gift, it would be…
6. [Role model] makes me feel…
7. I want to be like [role model] because…
8. If [role model] visited our class, I would show them…
9. [Role model]’s favorite thing might be…
10. I think [role model] would be good at…
11. If [role model] had a superpower, it might be…
12. [Role model] probably likes to eat…
13. I would like to thank [role model] for…
14. If [role model] came to my birthday party, we would…
15. [Role model] makes me want to learn more about…

Research Reports on Influential People: This is where my Diversity Research Reports Bundle is very helpful (but more on that later!). Even young students can do simple research projects on diverse role models. Here’s how to make this activity successful:

1. Provide Access to Information: Stock your classroom library with age-appropriate biographies and non-fiction books about diverse role models. Older students should be taught how to use kid-friendly search engines like KidzSearch or Kiddle to find information safely online.
2. Use Kid-Friendly Resources: Websites like Ducksters or Brittanica Kids offer simple, age-appropriate information on many historical figures and contemporary role models.
3. Involve Families: Send home a note explaining the project and asking families to help their child find information about their chosen role model. This is a great way to extend learning beyond the classroom and involve families in discussions about diversity.
4. Simplify the Process: The Diversity Research Reports Bundle makes this project much easier to plan and implement. It includes differentiated research pages for various learning levels, ensuring every student can participate meaningfully. The step-by-step instructions make it simple for you to guide students through the research process.
5. Create a Showcase: Use the completed reports to create a “Wall of Inspiration” in your classroom or hallway. This ongoing display celebrates diversity and reminds students of the amazing achievements of people from all backgrounds.

Adapting Diversity Activities for Different Grade Levels

While these activities work well across K-2, you may need to adjust them slightly for different grade levels:

– Kindergarten: You’ll want to focus more on discussions and drawing activities. Use simple sentence frames for writing tasks.

– First Grade: You can introduce more independent writing but will still need to offer support (think sentence starters, word banks, etc). Be prepared to provide a lot of scaffolding at first!

– Second Grade: You can encourage more detailed research and writing. Challenging students to find multiple facts about their chosen role model.

By using these diversity activities, you’re going beyond just teaching about role models. You’re helping your students see themselves as potential future leaders and change-makers. 🎉 Your goal is to make these lessons engaging, accessible, and meaningful for your little learners!

Incorporating Role Model Activities into Daily Instruction

You don’t need to set aside huge chunks of time to teach about diverse role models. There are many ways to weave these lessons into your everyday teaching:

Morning Meeting Share Time: Once a week, highlight a new role model during your morning meeting. Share a quick fact and let students ask questions.

Science Experiments Inspired by Diverse Scientists: When doing simple science activities, connect them to diverse scientists who made discoveries in that field. For example, when learning about plants, you can talk about George Washington Carver’s work with peanuts.

Going Deeper into Social Studies: When studying historical events or time periods, make a point to discuss diverse figures from that era. This helps students see that history was shaped by people from all backgrounds.

Addressing Challenges and Sensitive Topics

As you introduce diverse role models, you may encounter some challenges:

– Student questions about difficult topics: Be prepared to address sensitive issues in an age-appropriate way. Focus on the positive contributions of role models while acknowledging that some faced unfair treatment.

– Resistance from families: Communicate clearly with parents about the importance of diverse representation. Emphasize that you’re teaching about achievements and positive contributions to society.

– Your own knowledge gaps: It’s okay not to know everything! Use these moments as opportunities to model lifelong learning for your students.

Building an Inclusive Classroom Environment

Teaching about diverse role models goes beyond individual lessons. This is about creating a classroom culture that celebrates diversity every day. Here are two key ways to do that:

Creating a Diverse Classroom Library: Make sure your bookshelves include stories featuring characters from various backgrounds. This doesn’t just mean books specifically about diversity – look for picture books, early readers, and chapter books that include diverse characters.

Encouraging Respectful Discussions: When talking about differences, focus on respect and appreciation. Guide students to ask thoughtful questions and listen to others’ experiences.

Using the Diversity Research Reports Bundle

If you’re looking for a ready-to-use resource for teaching about diverse role models, my Diversity Research Reports Bundle is great for K-2 classrooms. Here’s how it can help:

Overview of the Resource:

• Includes report templates for over 300 influential people from various backgrounds
• Covers Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• Differentiated research pages to support all learners
• Both printable and digital (Google Slides) versions included

How it Supports Teaching About Diverse Role Models:

• Provides a consistent format for students to learn about different role models.
• Allows for easy differentiation – use the simpler templates for younger students or struggling writers, and more advanced options for those ready for a challenge.
• Creates an eye-catching bulletin board display to reinforce learning all year long. (I always got many compliments on the displays I created with the pennants from this bundle!)

Teachers who’ve used this resource love how it engages students. One teacher shared: “This resource was a game-changer for my classroom! It engaged my students in a way that exceeded my expectations and the step-by-step instructions included with this resource made it so user-friendly.” LOVE that!

Want to Try It Out?

I’ve got a free sample of the Diversity Research Reports Bundle for you. This way, you can see if it’s a good fit for your classroom. This sample includes report templates for a few diverse role models, giving you a chance to test it out with your students before committing to the full bundle. 🙌

Bringing it All Together

Don’t make this complicated. Use age-appropriate books, simple writing activities, and everyday discussions to broaden your students’ perspectives and inspire them to dream big. A few things to keep in mind…

• Choose role models your students can relate to.
• Use picture books and simple biographies to introduce new figures.
• Connect learning about diverse role models to your existing curriculum.
• Create a classroom environment that celebrates diversity every day.

And maybe the next time you hold up a picture of a famous figure, instead of blank stares, you’ll get a chorus of excited voices sharing what they know. From just “old white guys” to a variety of diverse role models, you’re helping your students see the amazing possibilities that exist for all of them.

Ready to take your teaching about diverse role models to the next level? Download your free sample of the Diversity Research Reports Bundle now. It’s an easy way to start incorporating more diversity activities into your K-2 classroom right away.