Introduce books books that promote tolerance and acceptance to your students or group. Titles to consider include "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox; "Different Just Like Me" by Lori Mitchell; "Just the Way You Are" by Max Lucado; and "What a Wonderful World" by George Weiss. After reading the books, discuss the common theme. Talk about ways in which people are the same and think of a list of ways that people can treat each other with kindness and acceptance.
Recreate segregation through role playing. Place colored stickers on the hands of groups of students. For example, red stickers on one group and blue stickers on another. Throughout the day, segregate students based on the color of the stickers on their hands. For example, only allow students with red stickers to have extra recess or only allow students with blue stickers to sit at the front of the class. At the end of the day, have a discussion about how it felt to be treated differently because of the color of their stickers. Explain that racism often results in segregation and unfair treatment.
Have children work on an art project that promotes unity. Set out finger paints that represent the colors of the rainbow. Let the children dip their hands in the finger paint and press their prints onto a large piece of light blue butcher paper, forming a large circle. Print and cut out a picture of the earth and glue it in the center of the circle of rainbow handprints. Write a caption, such as "We Are United" or "Colorblind", and attach it to the artwork.
Explain to your students that all people are special and that no one culture is better than another. To drive home this point, assign them to research the contributions of different cultures in shaping the world. Place the students in groups and assign a different world culture to each group. At the end of the research period, have the groups present their findings, thereby illustrating how different people have helped in shaping the world.