Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. promoted peaceful action as the way to achieve positive change. He encouraged each of us to use our voices and not violence to achieve peace. In the book The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, crayons used their voices to let Duncan know how they felt about the way in which he was using each of them in his drawings. Life in the crayon box is often very hectic. Some crayons feel they are over-used, while others feel they have been ignored for much too long. As you listen to The Day the Crayons Quit, think about how you would feel if you were in the position of each of these crayon colors. Then think how you might use your voice and your plan for peaceful action to make a positive change in your world!
Step 1: Read or *listen to The Day the Crayons Quit. (*Check YouTube for read-alouds of this book.)
Step 2: To Think About:
Like most of us, Duncan has a box of crayons. Many of the crayons in his box are not happy about how Duncan is judging them. Each crayon that feels like it does not matter has chosen to write to Duncan about that feeling.
1. Have you ever felt like the beige crayon felt? The beige crayon writes that it always feels like it is in second place, never first to be chosen. Be ready to share your answer.
2. Have you ever felt like the red crayon who shares that it is always having to work harder than the other crayons in order to be noticed?
3. Have you ever felt like the pink crayon who feels unused because it is considered just a girl’s color?
4. The crayons decided to write to Duncan about their concerns over life in the crayon box. None of them fought with each other. None of them decided to leave the crayon box. Neither fight nor flight would have likely led to a peaceful solution. Think of a time you argued with a friend. Now read the scene below and write a resolution line that you think would lead to a WIN/WIN resolution.
Role-Play
Characters: You
A classmate
Setting: The playground during recess. You and your classmate both run to get on a swing at recess. Your classmate gets to the swing first.
Curtain Up
Classmate: Hey, I want that swing.
You: Too bad…I got here first.
Classmate: There isn’t another swing for me.
You: So? I guess you are out of luck.
Classmate: I am going to tell the teacher.
You: And I will tell her that I got here first!
Classmate: You are not very nice.
You: That is a mean thing to say. I am a nice person.
Classmate: You are nice. What can we do so we are both happy?
You: (* What can you say that would make both you and your classmate happy?)