The Dress

The dress pictured above nearly broke the Internet. People argued day and night to decide what color it is. Blue and black? Gold and white? Orange and blue? Turns out there is a scientific explanation to our differences in visual perception, that is related to context. Our eyes are trained to filter things in or out, due to backgrounds and lighting. So, what we see is very much a product of the environment we find ourselves in at any point in time, and what our experiences have been in the past. Turns out this dress is kind of a metaphor for our perceptions of life in general. How we view the world is a sum of all of our experiences combined with our current environment.

Reading instruction can be a platform for helping our kids understand the points of view of others. These second grade students are comparing and contrasting a story told in the context of two different cultures. Very simple questioning allows them to discover the similarities and differences of the stories. This is the beginning of cultural understanding. Don't get too excited, though. It won't help you convince anyone of the color of the dress.