Coming together through stories
Coming Together Through Stories is a four-part unit aimed at helping students cope with the social and emotional aspects of this current moment- in particular, the continued fight against anti-Black racism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Students across the country are grappling with both the devastation and the resilience they are witnessing in their communities as a result of these two interconnected, historic events. The Public Good developed this unit in order to support teachers as they work to make their curriculum more culturally responsive and sustaining while engaging their students in timely discussions. Rooted in oral history, this unit is built around a project that asks students to interview an elder relative they live with or can connect with remotely about other challenges they have faced in their lives—be they natural disasters, racial injustices, or the loss of a job—and how they coped and persevered.
This website is designed as a resource for educators wishing to implement this unit with their students. Lesson plans and downloadable resources for each lesson can be found by navigating to the relevant page in the menu bar. Below is additional information about the unit, including a unit overview and a master list of social justice, ELA, and social studies learning standards the unit addresses divided by grade level.
While this unit was designed for upper elementary grades, many of the activities and worksheets can be modified for younger or older students.
Spanish-language translations of the student-facing documents for use with ELL students and for distribution to Spanish-speaking families who are supporting students at home are available under the Translations page.
Finally, for educators who wish to use a shortened version of the full unit to engage their students in processing current events this school year, we have designed a shortened 4-lesson version of the unit that is currently available under the Mini-Unit page.
Purpose
The mini-lessons and assignments in this unit aim to:
1. Foster important life skills such as listening, writing and analyzing.
2. Allow students to share cultural differences as well as develop a deeper understanding of their own families.
3. Help students learn from each other while developing a sense of empathy and understanding.
4. Promote appreciation of the wisdom of our elders during this moment in history.
Unit Map
UNIT STandards
Contact Us
For inquiries and feedback related to the Coming Together Through Stories Unit, please email The Public Good at thepublicgood@tc.columbia.edu and include the unit title in the subject line.