One Classroom, Many Voices: Learning About Community and Individuality 

By Justine Gouraud and Taylor Boccaccio - Grade 2 Teachers
In second grade, we worked on a bilingual activity centered around Only One You (Il n’y en a pas deux comme toi) by Linda Kranz. Only One You tells the story of a young fish named Adri who learns important lessons about being unique and finding one's place in the world. Through this engaging book exploration, students learned about individuality and community while expressing themselves creatively in both languages. 
We began the unit by reading the story in both French and English to the whole class followed by small group discussions emphasizing the beauty of individuality while keeping in mind that we are all part of a larger community. 
 
These discussions were followed by an art project decorating pebbles with paint makers. Each student had the opportunity to design their pebble to reflect their unique traits and personality. Once the pebbles were decorated, all students shared their creations to explain what their pebbles represented. This sharing not only reinforced our students’ understanding of individuality but also strengthened the sense of community within the classroom. 
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