Star Teacher

Teach your students about inner beauty with this fun story.

<img class="alignleft alignnone size-full" style="margin: 10px; float: left;" title="No Lipstick for Mother" src="http://www.starteacher.ph/wp-

content/images/2011/02/no-lipstick-for-mother.jpg” alt=”No Lipstick for Mother” width=”180″ height=”232″ />A young girl named Mayang recalls a time when her mother used to wear lipstick—a time when her mother stayed home to tend the house and look after Mayang’s needs while her father plied the roads all day as a hardworking tricycle driver. Back then, her mother was like all the other mothers in their community—she wore colorful dasters and she wore lipstick. But an unfortunate accident takes her father’s life, and to continue Mayang’s education, her mother decides to become a tricycle driver, much to Mayang’s chagrin. She is now ashamed by her mother’s rough and darkened skin, dirty work clothes, stringy hair, and no lipstick. In her young eyes, Mayang worries about what other people will think about her and her tricycle-driving mother. This changes when she finds out that her mother played a key role in keeping a young child from being kidnapped. It took this incident for Mayang to recognize her mother’s true beauty, heroism, and dedication to give Mayang a better life.

Beauty in a Tube

A tube of lipstick is one of the simplest and cheapest cosmetics a woman can use to “feel pretty.” There is a huge range of colors available, from bubble gum pink to earthier tones like brown and plum. For

the more daring, there are shades of blue, black, and bright red. The options don’t stop at color. You can also choose different looks and textures, such as matte, glossy, and shimmery. But what exactly goes into these tubes of prettiness?

Today’s lipsticks are made from a combination of wax, oil, antioxidants, and a coloring agent. The wax and oils give the lipstick its shape, the antioxidants keep it from becoming rancid, and the pigments used give it color. Different cosmetic companies may have different methods of making their versions of lipstick, but these are the essential components.

Here’s how lipsticks are made:

• The components are first melted and heated in separate containers.
• The solvents and oils are combined and pigment is added to the mixture. In order to smooth out the pigment-and-oil mix, it is run through a roller, crushing out any large pieces and removing any grainy bits.
• Once the pigment has been added, this new mixture is combined with the wax. After much mixing and agitation (to remove air bubbles) this final mixture is ready to be poured into molds.
• Lipstick is poured into molds “upside down,” with the tip you would touch to your lips being at bottom of the mold; any excess is scraped off.
• It is then cooled, removed from the molds, passed through a flame to remove any markings from the mold, and then visually inspected for imperfections.
• Finally, the sticks are retracted, capped, and ready to be packaged and labeled!

Walking (or Riding) on the Wild Side­—Let’s Not!

When it comes to road safety, it is never too early to stress its importance both as a pedestrian and as a passenger. Here are some basic guidelines:

When Walking

1. As pedestrians, we should always walk on the sidewalk.
2. In areas where the sidewalk has been taken over by vendors or parked vehicles, or when there isn’t any sidewalk to speak of, walk on the street but stay as close to the side as possible and walk in the direction of incoming traffic.
3. When crossing the street, use the crosswalk or pedestrian lane. Wait for cars to pass, look both ways, and walk briskly across.
4. When crossing busy intersections, use pedestrian walkways. When those aren’t available, cross the street with caution.
5. Do not play on the street or at intersections.

When Riding a Vehicle

1. Wear your seatbelt, especially if you are sitting in front, whether as a passenger or driver. This is mandated by Philippine law (Republic Act No.
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   8750).

2. Also stated in the law, no children under the age of six should be allowed to sit in the front seat.
3. Do not distract the driver.
4. Do not text or call while driving!

Skin Deep

This book is an excellent jump off point for discussing with students the qualities that make people beautiful. It is very easy to focus on a person’s physical beauty (or lack of it). On the other hand, it can be difficult to go beyond the physical to see one’s inner qualities.

1. You can start off by having them think of one person they think is beautiful on the outside (it would be helpful if this person is somebody they know personally). Provide your own example and illustrate the exercise on the board: a smaller circle inside one bigger circle. On the outer circle, make a list of the physical characteristics that make this person beautiful. In the inner circle, write down those qualities you appreciate (honest, good natured, kind, generous, etc).
2. Next, have your students think of somebody they don’t find attractive and do the exercise again. Gently remind them that this exercise is not meant to hurt others by targeting plain or unattractive individuals, but to help them focus on other (better) qualities that make an individual stand out.
3. Finally, do the exercise a third time but this time have them focus on themselves. There is a danger that young children get too caught up on outer beauty, thinking only of themselves as pretty or ugly and neglect to recognize the other qualities that make them special and wonderful individuals.
4. To end the exercise, have them create two cards—one for each of the individuals they focused on. Have them fill in the blank in this sentence: “I think you are beautiful because _________.” Have them list down only the inner qualities. Then with the list they made of their own qualities, they can create a poster. In the middle is the statement, “I am beautiful because ________.” Here they can list both the outer and inner qualities. It is always good to have your own reminder of what makes you beautiful. And you’re never too young to learn to seek the good in everyone!