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Return to Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood Education
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Hair
Children will learn many math, science, and social studies
concepts as they study hair. Here are just a few things they can do.
- Explore how hair grows.
- Examine how hair gets to be curly or a certain color.
- Examine each other's hair color and texture. A microscope is a
great tool for this activity.
- Compare human hair to animal hair.
- Take a field trip to the styling salon.
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Computer Activities
My Amazing Human Body (DK Interactive Learning)
contains a section on Hair. Activities include:
- Changing hair color.
- Changing hair texture.
- Learning interestings facts about hair. Some of these facts
may lead to activities on measuring hair length, comparing with
others' hair, and figuring out who has the longest and shortest
hair in the classroom.
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HyperStudio (Knowledge Adventure) can be
used to create a stack based on the children's experiences during
this Hair unit.
- Videotape the field trip to a beauty shop, photographs
of classroom activities, children's drawings related to their
hair, and children's comments describing their hair can be added
to the stack.
- A HyperStudio stack can also be created
as a simplified version of the information presented in My
Amazing Human Body. By copying graphics from the computer
screen, a book can be designed which combines factual information
with children's experiences related to hair. This book can be
printed so that children can enjoy it in the reading center as
well as take it home to share with family members.
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Related Activities
Math
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Investigate hair characteristics, such as color, length,
and curliness, which can lead to many graphing activities. Labels
of children's pictures can be made ahead of time for this activity.
A Hair Color chart can be designed with the various colors listed
across the bottom. Children can place their picture label in the appropriate
column.
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Talk about what information the chart gives on hair
color, such as which color has the most pictures, which has the least,
how many children have a specific hair color. Using the software program,
The Graph Club, other types of graphs can be designed around
the same hair theme.
Science
- Examine an individual strand of hair under a microscope. By using
a microscope, such as the one made by Learning Resources, children can
see the hair projected on a large screen. Other types of hair, such
as animal hair, can also be examined.
- Encourage children to explore the differences and similarities in
the hair. Learn about the processes and equipment used to make hair
curly, wavy, and straight.
Social Studies
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- Take a field trip to a hair salon so the children can see
how hair stylists work. With parent's permission the stylist
could trim or style each child's hair so that they have the
added experience of being a customer at the shop.
- Videotape the children's experiences and activities to place
in a HyperStudio stack and revisit at a later date.
- Provide a variety of play beauty salon items in the classroom
for dramatic play, including products used by people of different
groups. Children will enjoy combing dolls' hair and pretending
to make up their faces and do their nails.
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Books
Cisneros, S., & Ybanez, T. (1997). Hairs: Pelitos. New York: Random
House.
Dejoie, P., & Dejie, P. (1997). My hair is beautiful: Because
it's mine.
Inglewood, CA: Black Butterfly Children Books.
Life, K., & Kroll, V. L. (1995). Hats off to hair! Watertown, MA:
Charlesbridge.
Madrigal, A. F., & de Paola, T. (1999). Erandi's braids. New York:
Putnam.
Soto, G., Cepeda, J., & Soto, G. (1998). Big bushy mustache. New
York: Knopf.
Tarpley, N. (1998). I love my hair! New York: Little, Brown.
Yarbrough, C., & Byard, C. (1997). Cornrows. New York: Putnam.
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