What does respecting differences mean?
Although some people may look the same or do the same things, we all have differences too.
Respecting differences is about showing kindness to all people, no matter how different they are from you.
Watch - Explore differences
Watch the Community Club friends learn more about respecting differences while painting a rainbow.
Ariana: Hey, let's paint a rainbow.
All: Yes!
Ariana: Cool, Mo you start.
Mo: Okay, I want to use the glittery blue paint.
Lucy: Oh, it looks so good!
Harry: It doesn't look much like a rainbow.
Ariana: It's not as magical.
Lucy: Yeah, it's boring when it all looks the same.
Nejah: You see, what makes a rainbow special is having all the different colours together. Differences make things more interesting. Take people for example, everyone looks different or people can have different religions or beliefs.
Becky: I'm Jewish.
Ariana: And I'm Christian.
Nejah: Some people don't have any particular religion. Can you think of any other differences people have?
Harry: My neighbour uses a wheelchair and moving around can be difficult.
Nejah: Great example. Certain people have disabilities, some that you can see and some you can't.
This can make doing certain things harder for them at times. People have different types of families too.
Different people in the community are equally important and all have the right to be respected.
As responsible citizens in the community, we have to remember to treat everyone the same, and to celebrate our differences as well as our similarities.
Harry: I have a great idea, let's paint another rainbow!
Ariana: Wow, very nice.
Harry: Yeah, I like how bright and different all the colours are.
Lucy: And how they all go together!
Mo: That's true, a bit like the people of the world.
Why are differences important?
Our differences make us special.
Differences allow people to express themselves in their own way and have their own identity.
If everyone in the world was the same, then it would be a boring place to live in!
What makes people different from me?
People might be different from you in lots of ways.
They might look or sound different, or like and dislike different things!
Look at other important ways people can be different in the slideshow below.
Image caption, Our appearance
People can have different body shapes or have a different skin, hair and eye colour.
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How do differences benefit us?
There are lots of benefits to people having lots of differences.
Time to discuss
Choose a friend or family member to speak to.
Talk to them about how you are different from one another and why that is a good thing.
Think about the things the other person tells you. Have you learnt something about them that you didn’t know before?
Activity
Drawing differences
- Draw all of the differences between you and your friend, and then colour them in.
What is your friend's face or hair like? Do they wear a special type of clothing?
- You can use the template below if you need help getting started.
Quiz
Test your knowledge of respecting differences by having a go at this quiz.
Can you spot all the differences in the pictures?
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