Student Engagement:

Chinese Studies

The China Institute visited classrooms in mid-January. In this interactive workshop children learned about the largest wooden architectural structure and largest enclosed palace in the world: the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Through additional games, movement activities, discussion, and an animated video, children will learn not only how nature influenced and inspires Chinese culture and the building of the Forbidden City, but also how nature can inspire and nurture us in our daily lives.

Black History Month:

First Grade

Celebrating Black History Month gives us a chance to not only celebrate and recognize the contributions of well known civil rights activists such as MLK Jr. and Rosa Parks, but to go beyond and expose our students to African American musicians, poets, dancers, actors, authors, etc. so that every child can connect to and learn from the amazing contributions of the African American community. For example, we are implementing diverse books in our library and read alouds, playing music (i.e.jazz, hip hop), reading poetry by African American authors, and continuing to find ideas to revise our practice for equity and diversity.

Second Grade

In 2nd grade, we have been looking at history through a social justice lens. As we study how New York City has changed over time, we have been looking at multiple perspectives of what life was like long ago and how those perspectives have created our rich and diverse communities of today. To support this, we have included field trips such as the Tenement Museum and Weeksville Heritage Center as a way to introduce our students to multiple narratives of the New York experience. Our read alouds also tell stories from different communities and time periods in New York City, including a look at Chinatown, Harlem, the Lower East Side.

Third Grade

During the Black Lives Matter Week of Action, third graders will be exploring readings featuring important figures in history that have helped fight for freedom and equality of African Americans, such as Nelson Mandala, Ruby Bridges, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King Jr. Students will then work with each other to connect these readings to the Black Lives Matter principles, such as empathy, restorative justice, diversity, etc.

The third grade curriculum complements these principles directly through our Social Studies work. Throughout the school year, students study the culture and geography of different countries around world. Highlighting different religions, traditions and holidays gives students the chance to see the world through a new lens. This is especially thanks to in-class programming and field trips, which brings the learning to life and allows third graders to experience food and traditions of other cultures first hand.

Additionally, in Writing Workshop, third graders are currently writing their own fairy tale adaptations to breathe new life into traditional tales. Students first studied the traditional European tales and noticed stereotypes that exist within the texts, including gender roles and the general lack of diversity depicted through the characters. Next, students read and studied a few authentic fairy tales and folktales from other continents which truly brought many of these stereotypes to light. Students are encouraged to not only keep these lessons in mind and to push back against these stereotypes as they adapt a tale of their own, but also as they move forward into their everyday lives.

Fourth Grade

During the month of February, fourth grade studies the achievements and tribulations of Colonial America. As a grade, we spend a great amount of time teaching and exposing students to colonization- what it is and the effects of it on existing lands and people. We have class discussions and pose essential questions that challenge students to think critically and analytically about power.

This year, we invited our fourth-grade students to challenge the master narrative often found in curriculums that teach the history of white colonists only. We are exposing children to and celebrating the tremendous efforts in the role of Africans in the establishments of the British colonies (later, America). We are using this social studies unit as a way to build the reading and writing work of students too.

In Reading Workshop, students are reading historical fiction books as book clubs. Students have a chance to research a time period (Ex: Civil Rights - 1920s-1960s) as they read a shared text in a small group. Clubs come prepared to read and discuss, growing new insights about the characters and the world around them. In writing, fourth graders are writing historical fiction journals where they take on a character who lives in a time period that relates to the time period their book club is reading about. Students are challenging themselves as critical thinkers as they write stories as an individual from the past whose voice/story has not been shared or heard fairly. Some ideas include writing as an African slave working in Jamestown, VA and an African American student who is part of a school integration in Little Rock, Arkansas.

We are excited to dive into this work with our students and show them the importance of some key Black Lives Matter principles: globalism, intergenerational and collective value.

Fifth Grade

To strengthen student connections with Black History and the Black Lives Matter movement, fifth grade will use comprehensive, relevant read alouds and articles to spark discussions during Black History month and the BLM week of action. We will highlight important, contemporary Black artists, mathematicians and activists with the intention of helping the students think more critically about history. Additionally, students will work to create connections between current events and history during our weekly residency with the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Tolerance and Respect. We aim to foster student thinking about the role privilege plays in society, and help our school community evaluate how we can have an impact as allies, upstanders or bystanders in our daily lives.

Specialties

Specialty teachers foster empathy and appreciation of other cultures and peoples. We incorporate diversity and equity through discussion, music, read aloud, posters and videos.