The National Museum of African American History and Culture

Rationale 

Our first unit exposes students to the Black experience and the resilience that was demonstrated throughout generations. As we get into our unit two we dive into the policies that were created to fight the growth of blacks.  Allowing my students the access to this more in depth and hands on experience of the history and culture of African Americans will deepen their schemas, enhancing their learning experience as we continue to learn more history throughout the year. Wiggins (2005) writes that the learning experience should be fascinating, energizing, along with clear connections, rather than topics taught in isolation from another. 

I  wanted to be intentional in how I taught this objective and wanted to research for the best museum to bring into the classroom.  There are ample museums that teach upon black history. However, I wanted to ensure that the museum had ample first hand accounts for students to explore. I also wanted to ensure resources to share with families that they could access beyond the field trip. Within my research I came upon a list of top 12 Black Museums online. 

Within this extensive list of excellent options of virtual museums to bring to students, one museum stood out first to myself. The Martin Luther King Jr, in Memphis TN, since students were learning about the south, and myself just coming from teaching in Memphis. I had also gone to this museum myself, while I was in Memphis. However, I do believe that The National Museum of African American History and Culture has a better adapted online learning program for students within the classroom. An example of the online learning exhibits found at the museum is below. 

Through my research I concluded that The National Museum of African American History and Culture was the best opportunity to bring to my students in San Jose. The museum offers an online learning lab that allows students to explore aspects of different exhibits and watch videos that are kid friendly. In addition, the museum also has plenty of downloadable resources such as book lists that I could provide to families to allow them access to this learning opportunity beyond the field trip.

In addition, I had given my students a survey to inquire about if students have been exposed to museums before. I quickly learned from providing my students a survey of the reality that 100 percent of my students had not had the access to a museum before. In addition, my students were unaware about the different types of museums.

Looking through the survey results I saw the importance of providing this access opportunity for my students, as zero percent of my students have been to a museum before. In addition, a majority of my students understood museums as only displaying art. 

In this video tudents were able to name that they know Blacks within the USA moved from the South to the North. They are correct, as we were reading Finding Langston, and learning about the experience of a young black boy from Alabama who moves to Chicago. We however, did not discuss Blacks movement to the USA and their movement prior to being enslaved. I speak upon this further within my Culturally Responsive Teaching section, where black history too often starts with slavery doing all student a disservice, in not teaching students black history prior to bondage.

During this video I pose the question to students, “What is Slavery” and allow students to share with the class. Some student responses were “keeping people for yourself to do things for you”, “force people to do your work”, “They are not treated fairly”, and “treated people like they were objects, not like human beings’

Within one of the exhibits we watched a video of the deadly journey across the atlantic. The video shows the shockingly high numbers of African Americans who died on the journey. For example, I pause the video on the ship Badine coming from France in March 1704. On Badine, 714 African people went on the ship, yet only 14 survived. We can hear students' first hand responses being shocked at these numbers. Students ask, did something go wrong, did something happen?  Some student predictions were “other ships came and attacked them”, “big waves and the boat crashed’ and “they were not fed enough”

We also hear students gasping “20 percent” and students engaged to learn the why.

Students also ask, to clarify in disbelief that 12.5 million Africans were stolen. 

Parent Resources for NMAAHC

To bring this access oppournity to parents, I provided a resource that has a list of books for multiple reading levels related to the exhibits within the Museum. This resource has plentiful of book that allows parents and families to engage in African American History and Culture at home. In addition, parents know how to access this resource and other resources that are linked.

Conclusion 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was an excellent access opportunity for my students and their families. Through this virtual field trip, parents and their children were able to experience a Black History museum for the first time. Parents were involved in this opportunity and were able to learn about cultural resources that they could read with students. My students and their families learned valuable information about the history of African Americans and I have been asked from families and students for more resources to learn about other groups of peoples history as well. Overall, this was an impactful field trip that provided my students and their families with an opportunity that they would otherwise not have been able to experience.

As a class, students engaged in dialogue about what they wanted to discuss so that students could successfully navigate connecting with students outside of our regional area. Students were able to generate questions such as does their school have lockers, uniforms, and a cafeteria, and what are your hobbies, what is your favorite thing to do in Memphis.

During this experience, students' minds were expanded to think about the day to day lives of students in Memphis. Students were asked to think what it is like in someone else's shoes in a different region than them.

I wanted the letter writing process to be student lead and for students to come up with that they wanted to include in their letters on their own. Some questions students generated to ask their penpals in Memphis were “are there lockers in Memphis”, “What does your classroom look like”, “ Are they allowed to use phones at school”, “What are your learning in your class”, and “Do you have a cafeteria”

During Pen Pal Program

I also thought that allowing students to meet via zoom would enhance the Pen Pal experience. I reached out to Ms. Grauer to discuss a time for students to zoom! 

Access Conclusion 

This commitment to providing ongoing opportunities to my students is what will ultimately alter their educational trajectory so that they can live choice-filled lives. Students must be exposed to an array or opportunities that open their minds and introduce them to new information and peoples they otherwise would not have access to. The Virtual Trip Field experience has allowed students to learn hands on, while also showing students they have access to a world of virtual field trips online that they can access on their own. The virtual pen pal program allows students to grow their network to a school community in Memphis that can have long lasting benefits.  In addition, this was an excellent opportunity to expose students to different Regions and Cultures as they make friends in Memphis, TN.Students now know how to access other school communities on their own and this is an option for them as they continue in their educational journey.

One of the first actives planned was a Back to School Night. During this event I shared the curriculum with parents and allowed space for input and feedback. There was a robust conversation around the SEL block, as families shared great concern about students confidence. 

Parent facing PowerPoint for Cafecito event. I go over events that coming up, such as Parent Teacher Conferences, and our Halloween Trick and Trunk event.

The artifact below displays the Cafecito exit ticket that I gave at the conclusion of the event.

Within the responses I received from parents, I got comments such as, thank you for providing this space, I didn't want to wait till parent teacher conferences. Parents also expressed how they enjoyed learning more of my teacher style as I presented to them, one parent said "Now I know why my student is always talking Ms.Compere!" 

Los Dichos

Los Dichos is a time for parents to come into the classroom to read with students, and facilitate a conversation. Los Dichos demonstrates parents knowing  their partnership matters in an authentic way, and an example of opportunities for parents to engage with the school beyond traditional ways.

This below artifact displays the Lesson Plan created for parents on Los Dichos that is in English and Spanish.

I want families to feel that there engagement and language matters within their students academics. Research shows that students' motivation and scores increase as the parent  teacher partnership grows.

Los Dichos in Action

The videos below are of parents in the classroom implementing the Los Dichos lesson with the class.

Within our first video we see myself and mom standing in front of the class. The mother is holding the Spanish version of the book and I, the English version. Mom goes first in giving students a preview of the book. Then we read each page taking turns, reading in English and Spanish

Cricket goes for a walk and finds a ladybug searching for one of her spots in the garden, since cricket doesn't have spots he doesn't think it's important. This book is a book that demonstrates putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding how to act when something isn't important to you, but it is for someone else.

Within our Second video we have a Dad and myself taking turns reading the book in Spanish and English to the class. This is the dad of one of my particularly low students. This student demonstrates low interest in reading and regularly struggles to finish their reading assessments. While dad was in the classroom,  I saw this student's posture change immediately from head down to sitting straight up. The student also was a tracking superstar as dad read out loud to the class and was fully engaged in the book. It is the impact that this Los Dichos event had on my students that highlights the importance of authentic parent teacher partnerships within the classroom.

Parent accounts 

Parents shared with me that their parents had never engaged with their teachers this way while they were in school. One parent thanked me for giving her the opportunity she wished her mom had when she was in school. “This was so fun!!” and “Thank you,I felt like a teacher!” 

Another parent at the closing of a Cafecito disclosed a personal struggle that they were enduring at home. The extent to which I partnered with families allowed this mother to disclose the information to me, then allowing me to better meet the needs of that student in class, highlighting the need for authentic relationships with families.

References