Apple Pie 4th of July Craft Lesson

Resource:
Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie 4th of July. Illus. Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Orlando FL: Voyager Books/Harcourt, Inc., 2002.

All children are aware that there are differences among their classmates such as gender, hair color, eye color and skin color. However, eventually questions are going to come across their minds as to why some are more obviously different than others. Apple Pie 4Th of July is a great example of introducing the explanation of these differences. After reading the book to the class, I would openly have a discussion about the different cultural backgrounds there are in the class. I would have the children share stories about their family background and other traditions besides Independence Day.
For the craft, I would get those big sheets of paper usually found in the teacher's lounge for posters and have the kids trace each other while lying down. I would set out every kind of paint and help the kids mix the different paint colors to find which one matched their skin. This would explain that no one is completely "white" or "black" or "brown" or whatever! Different colors have to be mixed to make a darker beige or lighter brown and so forth. Then, the kids and I would cut out each child tracing and hang them up side by side along the hallways like they were holding hands. This would show a sense of unity among the classmates and show that they all accept each others' differences.
I think this activity could be for any age group. The younger ones would need more supervision, obviously, but it is definitely doable.