T.I.M.M.-E. Program InformationLesson- "We may be different on the outside..."

Lesson Objectives:

Materials- We Are All The Same Inside® book, pre sewn linen, scissors, permanent markers, inside stickers, white glue, water, brushes, fabric paints and/or markers, pencils, corrugated card board, newspaper, yarn., wide-eyed / kid safe needles, rags for stuffing, assorted felt squares, sketch paper, fun fur, pom-poms, evaluation form, etc.


  1. Explain to children they will be hearing a story entitled We Are All The Same Inside ®.
  2. Read the story. 
  3. Show the children the "Sage" dolls

Discussion Questions

What does "tolerance" mean? Ponder a bit ...

Acceptance of other people that are different from you. 

If you lived in a planet where people had no skin, what would you do and say if you came to earth? What would your planet look like?

NOTE: Jot down students' responses for use in the next activity.

  1. Have the children either sit in a circle or lie on the floor with their eyes closed. (Eyes should remain shut for the rest of the exercise.) Explain to them that they are about to go on a journey to a universe or land where they have no skin and they are all kin (family). Describe how they get there (by ship, flying, walking); what will they do (play all day, eat, make friends); and what will they see, smell, hear, touch, and taste based on the answers to the discussion questions. Be as specific as possible. Note: If there is a cat in the skin less land where Sage is from, ask them if it is very friendly, ask them what color it is and is it like our cats on earth?
  2. At the end of the above exercise, ask the children to slowly open their eyes and stand up. Tell them that they have just arrived in Sage's home town where everyone has no skin and all are kin (family). How would they feel being different on the outside ? How would they try to show Sage's kin that they are just the same under the skin?
  3. Begin Doll-making Workshop: Pass out the "Sage" doll- making materials to the children. Demonstrate and then have them cut out the insides from the "Sage" sticker detail (heart, brains, stomach, lungs, etc.). Add veins and eyes with a black permanent marker. Once all inside organs are in place have children cover with white glue to seal the stickers to the doll. Note: Make sure students have corrugated cardboard inside the pre sewn blue linen doll; so that the glue/ paint does not bleed through.
  4. Once the blue inside part is dried by either itself or by a hair dryer; the children may stuff the doll and sew the bottom part.
  5. Have the children ponder a bit about what is the largest organ in our body? Our skin is an organ like our hearts, brains, but it is on our outside; and oddly we are judged by it or treated differently because of its color or shade. Have the children create their outside skin shade. For older children, try to have them investigate an ethnicity or identity other than their own. Have the students then paint over the outside skin linen with the entire shade they mixed. Demonstrate first..
  6. Have students plan or design their character on sketch paper; drawing the facial features, clothing, etc. Demonstrate. The students will then pencil in their designs over the painted outside skin linen and then outline it with black permanent marker. Have students paint in the details of the outside doll. Let the doll dry.
  7. Have children sew or glue in the hair, choosing any one color or several colors.
  8. Have children evaluate what they have learned. Have the children write, in complete sentences if possible, three things that they learned through this "Sage" experience.
  9. Have students do an impromptu puppet theater based on the story, We Are All The Same Inside®

or click the link below to download your
Free Sage Paper Doll Patterns
Sage Paper Doll Patterns