Everybody, You, Me, & Us
Suggested Group(s): Preschool/Young/Middle
Purpose: To facilitate group building through sharing, and identifying similarities.
Task/need: Group building, acknowledging the reality of the death
Everybody! You, Me & Us by Elise Gravel
Everybody! is a touching and funny exploration of empathy and unity. Everybody is unique and different. But we are all more similar than we think. Just like you: Everybody has fears. Everybody has moments of joy… and moments of sadness. Young readers will enjoy all the different sizes, shapes, and colors of the monsters in Everybody!, and realize that, in the end, we are all the same.
Materials:
- Everybody! You, Me & Us by Elise Gravel
- Large piece of paper
- Markers
- Tape measure
Activity Description:
The purpose of this activity is to facilitate group building through sharing, asking questions, and learning more about one another. Prior to your meeting, create a chart on a large piece of paper. Begin by writing the questions you will be asking the kids across the top of the chart.
Example questions are below.
- How old are you?
- How many pets do you have?
- How many people are in your family?
- How tall is our group in inches?
- How many different states have you traveled to?
- How many years of school have you had/What is your grade?
- How many movies have you seen this year?
- How many pieces of pizza have you eaten this year?
- How many minutes does it take you to get to school?
- Kids choice question! Let the kids decide what they would like to know about their group.
Read the story Everybody! You, Me & Us. Have a discussion with the kids about what they learned about the characters. Some questions could include:
- What were some of the things the characters shared in the story?
- How were the characters unique and different?
- What are some ways you are all different?
- What are some things that you all have in common?
Invite the kids to write their names in the boxes on the left side of the prepared chart. Have group members take turns answering each question and recording their answers on the chart. Allow for discussion among group members as they answer each question and get to know one another. When all the questions are answered, tally the answers in the bottom row to show your group’s totals. Ask the kids what sticks out the most to them about their group. What did they notice with the totals? Help to point out any characteristics you notice about the group, including one way they are all the same — they have all had someone important to them die.
