"That's Not Fair"

Kids have an innate sense of injustice, especially if they sense that they are less than a sibling. Authors and teachers Ann Pelo and Fran Davidson argue that this moral compass can be a fabulous basis for social activism among preschoolers. In their book That's Not Fair they make a case for including activism as part of the pre-school curriculum.

The book uses case studies and reflective writing to describe how and why to engage in activism with young children. It is not a curriculum but does walk teachers through both the process and some of the challenges of engaging very young children with social change work.

The authors contend that kids need 5 traits as activists :

-- accepting differences
-- Collaborating with others
-- paying attention to other people's feelings, ideas, and needs
-- speaking out about fairness and unfairness
-- taking responsibility for problem solving

One of the strongest chapters addresses strategies for building these traits among parents and in helping adults see the utility of taking children's ability to name injustices seriously.

I did not find the book to be a great resource for digging in, but enjoyed the contemplative tone.

The book is 1/2 price from the publisher (see above link) right now.

Lyrics and MP3s from the book are at SisterChoice