From Baby to Now

Suggested Activities

In this challenge, students examine photographs of themselves (or others)–as babies and at their current age–to decide how much they have changed. Either ask each student to bring from home a baby photograph and a current photograph, or provide each student with matching pairs of photographs of an infant and kindergarten-aged child. Independently, create a display of several pictures of babies. (A search of Google^TM Image Search for “baby pictures” will produce hundreds of colour prints.) Discuss as a class the babies' physical features (e.g., body size, hair, eyes, number of teeth) and list these general features on chart paper (using simple stick drawings). If relevant, ask student to identify the time (of day or year) when these photographs were taken. Invite students to examine their own (or supplied) baby picture to note their features. You may want to provide students with magnifying glasses or paper tubes (e.g., paper towel tubes) to focus their observations.

In a subsequent lesson, next to the display of baby pictures, post pictures of kindergarten-aged students. Returning to the previously-developed list of physical features, compare the two sets of pictures, looking for similarities and differences in the physical features. Initially, invite students simply to recognize whether or not there are any changes. Ask students to compare their own baby and current photographs and to notice similarities and differences. Ask students to point to the pictures that were taken long ago and those that were taken recently.

In a subsequent lesson, encourage students to consider varying degrees of change for each feature: almost no change, some change or a big change. Model the procedure for assessing the degree of change for each feature using a baby and current picture of someone not in the class. You may wish to adapt the chart and strategies for Comparing Differences (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity. Finally ask students to consider, overall, how much they have changed from when they were a baby. Arrange for students to show their two pictures to the class and to indicate the extent to which they have changed since they were a baby. As an extension, invite students to explore nonphysical changes (e.g., different skills, talents, interests) since they were infants.