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(Book 1 of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action program presents "All Are Welcome" By Alexandra Penfold; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman, for a series of stories on Race & Diversity. "All are welcome at this school where diversity is celebrated and songs, stories, talents, and traditions are shared." See a beautiful story unfold before your eyes then join Mrs. Hott for "Let's Talk About It" discussion questions suitable for all ages, at home and in the classroom too. For more on Positive Actions, health, and community wellness, follow the Daily Dose at positiveactionsmcp.blogspot.com; Instagram @positiveactions.mcp; youtube.com/user/hottfamily6; and get the free mobile APP from AppleStore and GooglePlay. #JoinMCPapp From PBS: Apply in the Classroom Start the school year off right when you welcome students and families with books and reading fun! When you share All Are Welcome, you deliver the important message that school is the place where every child is welcome. Follow the example in this book and host a community-building, back-to-school event that opens opportunities for talking about diversity, how we can learn from each other, and how we can have fun together even if we are different. Include a reading aloud of All Are Welcome at a back-to-school potluck picnic along with: students and parents making welcome banners to decorate your school a photo booth with props that say “welcome” in all the major languages spoken in your community an opportunity for families to sign up for a public library card.

(Book 2 of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action program presents "Whose Knees Are These" By Jabari Asim; illustrated by LeUyen Pham, for a series of stories on Race & Diversity. "This interactive and multicultural board book is a fun way to embrace diversity through a baby’s dimpled knees! Great for babies and toddlers. "Lilting language and bold shapes in flat colors encourage response as the narration asks who do these knees belong to? And in another book by Asim, your child will discover Whose Toes Are Those? The author's background as a poet is evident in the simple and evocative writing." "I love all my books but Whose Knees Are These? is my favorite. It reminds me of when I was little and my mom would tickle my knees when she read this to me.” -Sam, Age 9 --from PBS.org See a beautiful story unfold before your eyes then join Mrs. Hott for "Let's Talk About It" discussion questions suitable for all ages, at home and in the classroom too. For more on Positive Actions, health, and community wellness, follow the Daily Dose at positiveactionsmcp.blogspot.com; Instagram @positiveactions.mcp; youtube.com/user/hottfamily6; and get the free mobile APP from AppleStore and GooglePlay. #JoinMCPapp From MCP: Apply in the Classroom: Pause for "Let's Talk About It" Questions! Discuss that knees are all unique and wonderfully made. What is alike? What is different? Then, draw knees of people they know. Finally, what about animals....they have knees too! Have a fun discussion about the purpose of knees for our bodies, how they work; then, explore how our knees are quite alike! Next, "Sulwe"

(Book 3 of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action program presents "Sulwe" by Lupita Nyong'o. "This Coretta Scott King award-winning picture book is about self-esteem and beauty within. It’s a whimsical and heartwarming story about a little girl who learns to embrace her unique self." “[My daughter] likes that [Sulwe] was brave when people were not nice to her.” -Alexandra, Parent of 4-year-old "Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty." See a beautiful story unfold before your eyes then join Mrs. Hott for "Let's Talk About It" discussion questions suitable for all ages, at home and in the classroom too. For more on Positive Actions, health, and community wellness, follow the Daily Dose at positiveactionsmcp.blogspot.com; Instagram @positiveactions.mcp; youtube.com/user/hottfamily6; and get the free mobile APP from AppleStore and GooglePlay. #JoinMCPapp From MCP: Apply in the Classroom: Pause for "Let's Talk About It" Questions! This week, we consider how to resp ond when faced with prejudice. Teachers: For printable lesson activities, go to: https://www.adl.org/media/14005/download Next, "I Am Enough"byGrace Byers

(Book 4 of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action program presents "I Am Enough" by Grace Byers. "Like time, I’m here to be, and be everything I can.” The little girl in this story shines like the sun. She sings, soars, and stands like the mountains. “Like the winner, I’m here to win, and if I don’t, get up again.” She is strong and smart and loving and kind, but most importantly, she is herself, and that will always be enough." With illustrations by Keturah A. Bobo, this beautiful book explores fun activities enjoyed by children of all colors and celebrates each child's unique qualities. See a beautiful story unfold before your eyes then join Mrs. Hott for "Let's Talk About It" discussion questions suitable for all ages, at home and in the classroom too. For more on Positive Actions, health, and community wellness, follow the Daily Dose at positiveactionsmcp.blogspot.com; Instagram @positiveactions.mcp; youtube.com/user/hottfamily6; and get the free mobile APP from AppleStore and GooglePlay. #JoinMCPapp From MCP: Apply in the Classroom: Read the first three pages. What language pattern do you notice? What does the author mean by, “Like the sun, I’m here to shine”? What does the author mean by, “Like time, I’m here to be, and be everything I can”? Read the pages, “Like the champ, I’m here to fight” and “Like the heart, I’m here to love.” How is it possible to do both? What activities do the children enjoy in this story? What does it mean to be, “Like a ladder, here to climb, and like the air, to rise above”? Read the page, “I’m not meant to be like you; you’re not meant to be like me.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Explain what the author means after reading the page, “And in the end, we are right here to live a life of love, not fear…” What do the children mean at the end of the story when they declare, “I am enough”? Extension Activities Body Language. Provide each student with a large piece of mural paper. Have the students work in pairs. While one student lies down on the paper, the other student uses a pencil to trace around the partner’s body. Students should cut out their body and color the paper, adding hair, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet, and clothing. Display the cutouts on the wall to show how different and special all the students are. Me Mobile. Ask the students to recall some of the activities that the children enjoyed doing in this story, and then ask them to think about activities that they enjoy doing themselves. Tell the students that they will create a “Me Mobile” to highlight their favorite activities. Give each student 4–6 pieces of poster board and have them draw on each piece an activity that they enjoy doing. Punch a hole in the top of each piece and tie a piece of yarn to it. Use different lengths and colors of yarn. Then tie each piece to a hanger. Display the “Me Mobiles” in the classroom. Mirror Image. Reread aloud the page, “I know that we don’t look the same: our skin, our eyes, our hair, our frame.” Bring in some mirrors for the students to use. Have them look carefully at themselves in the mirror and then make a self-portrait by first sketching their face and then adding color. Like Me. Ask the students to recall the similes in this story and list them on a chart. Examples include “Like the sun, I’m here to shine,” “Like the voice, I’m here to sing,” and “Like the bird, I’m here to fly.” Have the students compose a poem using this language pattern to describe themselves (e.g. “like the wind, I race up a hill”). Students should illustrate their poem, and then the poems can be collated into a class book. #JoinMCPapp for the next PBS book picks on Race and Diversity, "The Day You Begin" by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

(Book 5 of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action program presents "The Day You Begin" by Jacquline Woodson, illustrations by Rafael López "Summary: National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpre Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone. There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you. There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it." See a beautiful story unfold before your eyes then join Mrs. Hott for "Let's Talk About It" discussion questions suitable for all ages, at home and in the classroom too. For more on Positive Actions, health, and community wellness, follow the Daily Dose at positiveactionsmcp.blogspot.com; Instagram @positiveactions.mcp; youtube.com/user/hottfamily6; and get the free mobile APP from AppleStore and GooglePlay. #JoinMCPapp Coming up next: SHE PERSISTED by Chelsea Clinton FOR FAMILIES/CLASSROOM TEACHERS, HERE ARE STUDENT ACTIVITIES/DISCUSSION PROMPTS: Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Building classroom community around kindness and empathy is essential in building a safe, trusting environment for our students, and this text will be a perfect addition to any text set you have that focuses on these topics. In addition to these social-emotional impacts, the text allows for talks of theme, mood, and author’s intent. Discussion Questions: What is one way that you feel very different than most people around you? How could people support you? How could you support others who feel different? What examples of people’s differences did Woodson highlight in the story? What was the mood for the first large portion of the text? What is the theme of the book? Why do you think the author felt compelled to write this book? Why are differences important in our community? Nation? Classroom? *This study guide is provided by UNLEASHING READERS: Helping Readers of all ages navigate the world of books! For more resources, see: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=16957#:~:text=Discussion%20Questions%3A,Woodson%20highlight%20in%20the%20story%3F

(Book 6of 13). The Morgan County Partnership's Positive Action SEL and Wellness Program presents "Hair Love" by Academy Award-winnnig creator Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison. "Hair Love is a heartwarming tale about a girl, her dad, and some awesome hair that is uniquely hers." "Parents need to know that Hair Love, by former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison, is a lovingly depicted tale of a young African American girl's celebration of her hair and the special relationship she has with her father. Zuri is young and spirited, precocious and creative, and with the help of her dad is able to wrangle her kinky, coily hair into a style worthy of an extra special day. There are positive messages about patience and hard work, and Zuri has a keen awareness of her father's workload and all he does for her, especially when her mother is out of town. Harrison's rich, stylish, vivid illustrations amplify the story, which is based on Cherry's short animated film of the same name." Coming up next: SHE PERSISTED by Chelsea Clinton FOR FAMILIES/CLASSROOM TEACHERS, HERE ARE STUDENT ACTIVITIES/DISCUSSION PROMPTS: Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Discussion Questions: Context and Connections: • Traditions are important in families, and in this film, one of the traditions is that the mother does the hair of her daughter. In your home who is in charge of helping kids with their daily routines? Why do you think that the job is done by that person? What are some struggles or challenges that you remember while getting ready in the morning? • Beauty equals acceptance in our culture much of the time, but is that why you think it is so important for Zuri to be able to walk out the door feeling beautiful in the morning? Characters, Setting and Story: • Take note of the beginning of the film. What is the setting? What things do you observe in the setting that are important to Zuri? • Is the date an important one for her? How do you know from her behavior? • Who is Zuri’s “fashion consultant” on her hairstyle? • Have you ever watched a video to help you learn something? If so, what was it? Was it as easy as the video showed? Why or why not? • How does Zuri’s Dad feel about trying to get her hair to look like she wants? How do you know this is how he feels, even though there is no dialogue? • In the “battle” scene, why do you think Zuri’s hair becomes a character? If you were going to name the character and give it some dialogue, what would its name be, and what would it say to Dad? What would Dad say back to it? • When you find out about Mom, what present does Zuri have that is important? Describe what she brings with her, and why it might be such an important gift. For more resources, see: More Discussion Questions, see: https://sffilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SFFILM_EDU_StudyGuide_Hair-Love.pdf The Story Behind the Film: https://sffilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SFFILM_EDU_StudyGuide_Hair-Love.pdf https://shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3470#m43985 For online printables: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hair-Love-Differentiated-Book-Study-Activities-4635128