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We Are All Special: Alike and Different

Students discover that people are alike in some ways and different in others — and that our differences make the world colorful, while kindness helps everyone feel that they belong.

KindergartenCommunity30 minutes1 class periodC3 InquiryExplicit teaching4 StandardsC3 + CCSS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓See ways people are alike.
  • ✓See ways people are different.
  • ✓Know differences are good.
  • ✓Help everyone feel they belong.
Essential Question

Everyone in our class is a little different — and that’s a good thing! How are we alike, how are we different, and how can we all belong?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Investigate · Interactive

Alike & Different

Project this and tap each part. Talk about how we are alike and different — and how being kind helps everyone belong.

🤝 Explore how we’re alike and different — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · C3 Inquiry Arc (Question · Investigate · Conclude)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Big Question — Same or Different?

5 min

Are we all exactly the same, or a little different?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Notice ways the class is alike/different.
  • Ask if that’s good.
  • Set the goal: we are all special.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Notice likenesses.
  • Notice differences.
  • Predict the idea.
2

Investigate — Alike & Different

8 min

Students investigate.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Alike & Different.
  • Explore each part.
  • Name a like and a difference.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each part.
  • Name a likeness.
  • Name a difference.
3

Explore More — Differences Are Good

9 min

Explore more.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show differences make life fun.
  • Note we all have feelings and belong.
  • Kindness helps everyone.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain the good.
  • Say we all belong.
  • Explain kindness.
4

Think It Through — Think It Through

8 min

Think it through.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Find something they share with a friend.
  • Find something different.
  • Practice kind words.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Find a likeness.
  • Find a difference.
  • Say kind words.
5

Share & Act — Share & Act

5 min

Students take action.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a friend a kind compliment.
  • Celebrate a difference.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Give a compliment.
  • Celebrate a difference.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies and Common Core literacy in social studies.

C3
D2.Civ.10.K-2

Compare their own point of view with others’ perspectives.

C3
D2.Civ.7.K-2

Apply civic virtues when participating in school settings.

C3
D2.Geo.6.K-2

Identify some cultural and environmental characteristics of places.

CCSS
SL.K.1

Participate in collaborative conversations.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Picture cards showing diversity.
  • Sentence frame: “We both like ___. I like ___, you like ___.”
  • Practice kind words.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Find one thing alike, one different.
  • Use picture support.
  • Practice one kind word.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Learn a greeting in another language.
  • Make a “we all belong” poster.
  • Explain why differences are good.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Journals
  • 💻Alike & Different
  • 🖼️Diverse picture cards
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

alikethe same in some waysdifferentnot the samespecialone of a kindbelongto be part of the groupkindcaring and nicerespecttreating others wellfriendsomeone you care abouttogetherwith each other
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one way people can be different.
Sample: hair, eyes, skin, families, favorite things, or languages.
QUESTION 2
Are differences between people good or bad?
Good — they make the world colorful and interesting.
QUESTION 3
How can you help everyone feel like they belong?
By being kind, sharing, and including everyone.

Going deeper? A “we all belong” poster.

Have the class make a poster showing all the different, wonderful people who belong in their room. A printable poster template is in the Social Studies library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 We Are All SpecialFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 We Are All SpecialQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ We Are All SpecialPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: alike, belong, different, friend, kind, respect, special, together
  1. someone you care about
  2. to be part of the group
  3. treating others well
  4. caring and nice
  5. the same in some ways
  6. one of a kind
  7. not the same
  8. with each other

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one way people can be different.
  2. Are differences between people good or bad?
  3. How can you help everyone feel like they belong?
Answer key — Part A: 1) friend · 2) belong · 3) respect · 4) kind · 5) alike · 6) special · 7) different · 8) together
Part B: 1) Sample: hair, eyes, skin, families, favorite things, or languages. 2) Good — they make the world colorful and interesting. 3) By being kind, sharing, and including everyone.