Social skills are best established at the beginning of the school year in kindergarten. In this unit, children take a close look at proper behavior in the classroom, on the playground, and in other settings.

What Primary Sources Can Tell Us about Learning to Work Together 
Models for proper conduct are all around us. 

• Written Forms – Rules clarifying how to act in the classroom, on the playground, and in the cafeteria provide guidelines to help people get along. Stories and songs offer good examples of right and wrong behaviors.
• Physical artifacts - Toys and games are some of the things that children learn to share.
• Images – Photographs and drawings often reflect things to do, and not do, when trying to work and play with others.  

 Primary Sources 

Photo of a boy squeezing a clown’s nose (circa 1945)

A boy squeezing a clown’s nose (circa 1945)

Boy reading in a library

For thousands of years, entertainment in most cultures has included clowns. Court jesters, for example, trace their origins back to ancient Egypt. England’s Philip Astley created what is considered to be the first circus clown act in 1768. His clown performed pratfalls still used by clowns today, such as falling off a horse. When we think of how clowns look, however, our stereotype is usually that of the Auguste clown; a type characterized by exaggerated make-up and movements. In the twentieth century one of the most famous and influential of the Auguste clowns was Russian-born Albert Fratellini. Among other things, he introduced the use of the red nose that we now often associate with clowning.

Harry Rhoads, who took the photographs shown here, was a Pennsylvania-born newspaper photographer. His best-known shots are of celebrities, political leaders, socialites, criminals, and disaster scenes of his day. As with many of his photos, these images show how he often brought a sense of humor to his work.

Children playing on a jungle gym

 

 Background Information 

The Kindergarten of Etiquette 

Emily Post’s 1922 book, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home contains a chapter titled “The Kindergarten of Etiquette.” In it she states that “Any child can be taught to be beautifully behaved with no effort greater than quiet patience and perseverance, whereas to break bad habits once they are acquired is a Herculean task.” Though some of the advice given in that book may now be seen as dated (such as bowing or curtsying when attending a party, or her warning to never allow children “to come to table in the dining-room until they have learned at least the elements of good manners”), on most matters her suggestions are still wise. For example, when it comes to fair play, she states, “Nothing appeals to children more than justice, and they should be taught in the nursery to ‘play fair’ in games, to respect each other’s property and rights, to give credit to others, and not to take too much credit to themselves.” Children today still relate to fair play and learn fairness.

 

 Classroom Activity 

Play a Picture Game: Which Rule Belongs Where?

1. Show children the picture of the boy squeezing the clown nose. Then ask:

• What do you see happening in the picture?
• Do you think that the clown’s nose hurts when it is squeezed? Why or why not?
• Do you think that what the boy is doing is funny or mean?
• What if the boy squeezed the nose of the girl next to him, or someone else in the audience? Would that hurt? Do you think that would be funny or mean? Why is that?
• What is the different between squeezing a clown’s nose and that of another person? Which one is not usually a polite thing to do? Why do you think that is?

2. Be sure children understand that the big nose on the clown is a fake and it does not hurt when it is squeezed, but that it is considered rude to do something similar or uninvited in other cases. Ask children if they can think of other things that are okay to do in one situation and not in another. Solicit any ideas children have. Then tell children that you are going to give them a few more examples.

3. Tell the class that you are going to read three rules to them.
These are:

• Stay seated
• Be quiet
• Raise your hand before you speak

Discuss with children places where each of the rules should be followed. Should the rule “Stay seated” be followed in a movie or at an amusement park? Should the rule “Be quiet” be followed in a library, or at a baseball game? Should the rule “Raise your hand before you speak” be followed in the classroom or at a birthday party? Discuss why each of the rules you mentioned usually applies to one of the locations you gave them, and not to the other.

4. Label three sheets of drawing paper for each child with “Stay seated” “Be quiet” and “Raise your hand.” Distribute art supplies (crayons, markers) to each child.  Tell them that you want them to draw the place (between the choices just given) they think each of the rules should be followed. Allow children time to draw each of the three pictures.

5. After children have had a chance to draw all three pictures, go over their drawings as a class. If you like, post the children’s completed drawings on a classroom bulletin board. You might also challenge children to come up with their own “Which Rule Belongs Where?” questions that they can use to challenge classmates.