Social Awareness and Responsibility

Context

Students frequently interact with books and materials during class. One day, a child is inspired to use material to create a new book that will be suitable for “babies.”

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Learning Story

A enjoys reading and listening to books. One day, she asked for the story, Where is Tippy Toes?  After she listened to the story, she went off to play. 

Approximately ten minutes later, A was reading Where is Tippy Toes? to her friend. When finished, she asked the teacher for some white ribbon. She then started to work independently at the art table. After 30 minutes, the teacher walked over and asked her what she was making. 

A said: “I am making my own book. The other book has too many words for the babies. My book has less words.”

Activity Photos

Context

The Teacher’s Voice

After initially asking my students to conduct an in-person interview of an elder from the community, I realized I needed to make some adjustments to ensure that every student was successful. I decided to expand the project to include “older adults from the community” as it was difficult to connect an elder with all 28 of my students.

Several students also asked me if they could interview their grandparents or great-grandparents (often overseas) via a telephone call or video chat, and I instantly realized that I could never say no. We need to meet our students where they are, especially in ways they are enthusiastic for. If they were in a space or place in their lives where they are seeking to build stronger connections with elders in their own families, I wanted to encourage that. 

The First Peoples Principles of Learning were intuitively embedded in this lesson. For example:

• Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
• Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities.
• Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.

Student feedback on this assignment was very positive, and they noted that the interviews were very special and valuable to them. There was a strong sense of personal awareness, and their post-interview reflections proved to be an invaluable and integral part of the process.

Note: Interview questions work best when collaboratively created by students, alongside teacher guidance. An additional source of interview questions:

https://legacyproject.org/guides/lifeintquestions.pdf

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Student Reflection

When this project was first introduced, I did not immediately have someone in mind to interview. I felt insecure about not having any blood relatives here in Canada. I use the word blood relative because in creating this video, my understanding of the word family was more so crystallized.

For eleven years, my family lived in the house next door to Sandra. Growing up, my interactions with Sandra and her late husband, James, felt familiar and an ordinary part of everyday life. Walking home from school, James would be mowing both our front lawns and Sandra would be out front calling out for their cat. She would always be so kind and inquisitive about where I was in life and how I was doing in school.

When I asked to interview her for this project, she was more than eager in inviting me to her home and indulging me in her life’s journey. Interviewing Sandra turned into this amazing conversation where I learned so much about someone experiencing a completely different stage of her life, as well as someone who had grown up in a time unrecognizable to me, both socially and culturally. And yet, as Sandra told me about her thoughts from when she was a youth, I recognized similar thoughts in myself. I began to understand that there can exist common worries between people of different generations.

Sandra expresses in the video, that she is still unaware of her purpose in life; a feeling that I myself am familiar with. In interviewing Sandra and finding understanding and compassion within myself, I recognized the values of social responsibility and diverse relationships. I distinctly remember one afternoon arriving home from school, I was alarmed at the sound of my mom crying. I walked to the door to find Sandra crying in her arms. I remember always feeling so angry about James’ passing; how such a terrible thing could happen to two beautiful people. Hearing Sandra express her outlook on the intensity of losing a loved one, allowed me to appreciate a different perspective of life. 

One of the questions that I asked was what advice Sandra would give her young self. I resonated greatly with her response, that she would reassure herself that she is stronger and better than she feels. I felt this echo within me, as if Sandra’s growth and experience was a familiarity in my own struggles with identity. I realized from this project, that all those years of casual interaction and everyday conversation with Sandra was what built this familial comfort that I feel today. I feel a sense of warmth when I think about how people of different generations and different cultures can discover a sense of family and home from each other. 

There are a number of core competencies that I feel like I grew within, as a result of this assignment. For example, personal awareness and responsibility, as well as the impact of social responsibility (building relationships and valuing diversity). Another competency I found familiarity with through this project is building and sustaining relationships with diverse people, including people from different generations.

Activity Video

Context

The Teacher’s Voice

Students in my classroom are often asked to consider social issues, particularly with reference to valuing diversity. This lesson was designed to prompt students to question what they hear, read and view, and to consider ways to overcome phobias, including homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.

Students investigated a specific phobia (e.g., arachnophobia; ophiophobia), researched physical and emotional reactions, and created a caricature. After sharing their representations of phobias, they discussed and reflected on reactions to SOGI. They considered:

• Key understandings they developed
• What they would like others to understand
• How their learning connected to Social Awareness and Responsibility

A detailed lesson plan, Inquiry Lesson: Exploring Phobias, is available at the website below as part of a collection of SOGI resources.

http://www.lostboysconsulting.ca/sd-41/

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Student Work Sample

• Phobia (PDF)

Student Reflection

• Reflection (PDF)

 

Context

The Teacher’s Voice

Students in my classroom are often asked to consider social issues, particularly with reference to valuing diversity. This lesson was developed to prompt students to understand that design can be responsive to identified needs, in this case, the need for access to universal washrooms.

To design logos for a universal washroom, students:

• Analyzed design features for logos
• Developed understanding about Universal Washrooms
• Considered who needs access to Universal Washrooms
• Worked in design teams to create a logo for a universal washroom
• Shared their designs; offered and received feedback
• Pitched their design to the class

A detailed lesson plan can be found at the following website as part of a collection of SOGI resources.

http://www.lostboysconsulting.ca/sd-41/

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Student Work Samples

Students recorded the iterations of their design process:

• Design process (PDF)

Students then presented their final logo design:

• Logo (PDF)

Student Reflection

• Reflection (PDF)

Context

The Teacher’s Voice:

For this activity, students measured, communicated, read, problem solved, collaborated, and persevered as they created unique dough (mud dough, sand dough, hair conditioner dough, oatmeal dough & coffee dough). Each small group was given a recipe, measuring tools, ingredients, and challenged to work together to create the dough. Before we began, we shared strategies, discussed various ways to problem solve, and talked about how we could rely on our group to help us through any difficulties we may encounter.

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Activity Photo

Teacher Reflection

This challenge reminded the students of how we have practiced communicating, being resourceful, being imaginative, and being as kind as we can be as we work together. Working through the many obstacles of creating a dough together, our focus was on the group dynamics and how each member was contributing positively to a common goal. This was such a playful and creative way to collaborate. The students were helping one another and working to make sure everyone had a role. They were problem solving to figure out the consistency of their dough and using measuring terminology as they poured and counted. What a beautiful reminder of our co-operative community of young learners!

Student Reflection

Student Reflections on the prompt: How did you contribute to your group? How did your group help one another make dough?

• “We helped each other build the dough. I mixed it up.”
• “In the group when we made it.  It was so delicious it makes me happy. We were careful and nice and gentle.”
• “We all had a turn and that is joyful.”
• “We helped each other share turns and then we are happy.”
• “We all took turns pouring the things in and that feels good.”
• “I told them to rub their hands to get some dough and we all took turns.”
• “We listened to each other and we can make something cool.”
• “I helped by helping get the dough off of everyone’s hands so they can get a bigger ball of dough.”
• “We mix the bowl up and all got turn and that makes you happy and feels good.”
• “We made something awesome! First it was slime and then playdoh. When you work together you make something else.”
• “We shared tools and be kind to my partners.”
• “We helped with all the team work. We were fighting about some things but we solved it and made something cool together.”
• “We took turns and that makes people happy and shows kindness.” 
• “I was listening to my group and then they have to do something like hold the box.”
• “When I helped my group, we could make something with better smells.”
• “We are a team and I feel good when you work as a team.”
• “I am being very kind to others when I am letting everyone help.”

Context

During nature walks in their community, a teacher observes and records student actions, as well as the interactions they have with each other and with the natural environment. During the walks, children are encouraged to ask their own questions, follow their own inquiries, and respond to questions posed by others.

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Learning Story 1

We began going on our walk.

• E: We are going on an adventure!
• K: What is an adventure?
• E: It’s exploring from one place to another.
• E: Look! The clouds are white!

When we arrived at the park we got together under two trees that were side by side and that had a canopy on the top. It was a quiet fall morning you could hear the birds. The morning unfolded with children connecting with nature. E noticed that the tree colours were green, red and yellow. He gathered leaves in both his hands and threw them up in the air with his head tilted backwards.

E saw a long branch on the ground it seemed like it was connected to the trunk of the tree he started to walk towards it and began dragging it and it moved. Soon his friends joined him they lined up in a row carrying the branch and lifting it above their heads.  One the children commented, “Look we are flying!”

They carried the branch to the other side of the park and put it down on the grass. They noticed puddles on the far end of the gravel and went running. E stared to splash in the puddles again and again and watched the water make ripples. You could see the joy of happiness on his facial expressions.

While splashing in the puddle E noticed a leaf and picked it up saying, “Oh poor leaf! It’s so mucky and wet!” He brought it over to the  other puddle and washed it: “I am going to wash it with mud shampoo. There all clean!” After E cleaned the leaf he tossed it back on the grass.

It was time to go and we started to walk back to our meeting spot. While walking I noticed E looking at the branch that they had left on the grass. He walked over to the branch and dragged one end of it and called for help.

• E: A, help me pick up the branch.
• K: What is your plan?
• E: I need to take it back to where I found it. I  will show you were I am going to put it.

They placed it back where they found it.

We all went back to the two trees.

• K: What should we call our spot today?
• E: Our leaf forest.
• E: Now I am going to change my boots somewhere because I have boot puddles.It was so fun!

Learning Story 2

Today we walked to the park and the morning unfolded with children taking a picture of something beautiful. E ran with the camera and captured a picture of the puddles and ice. He  clicked the camera and captured a few more photos before passing it to a friend. E went into the puddle and started to pick up ice pieces and took the ice with him and looked through it and said to Z , “You look really wonky.”

• A: Let’s use these to decorate the world.
• E: The world is over there!

The world makes it beautiful itself.

E was drawn to the tree that had green stuff growing on it and said “because it is green.”  He took pictures of the tree and noticed tiny bugs in the tree. He went over to the back pack looking for his journal and started drawing.

• E: I am putting it in my book:  moss.

We can’t take moss because otherwise the world won’t look beautiful.

• A: I got you a lot of moss.
• E: I don’t need that I am going to make moss.

He continued drawing moss using a green crayon.

• K: What is moss?
• E: Its green stuff it grows on trees.
• A: We can take moss because the tree doesn’t say any words so it doesn’t hurt the tree.
• E: I think it hurts the tree ?.
• K: How do you know that?
• E: because I already know that.
• A: If we can take some of it and it will still look beautiful because there is lots of green inside the tree and it will grow the green out so we can take some.

All of a sudden a crow started to make sounds.

• A: It’s telling us has to pick the moss!
• E: Why didn’t I think of that!

Context

The Teacher’s Voice

As a class, we read the book “You Hold Me Up” by Monique Gray Smith. The story shares a journey of how the main character feels supported by those around them. As a class, we reflected on our own caring classroom and brainstormed the different ways that we support one another.

To visually represent our caring classroom community, students worked in pairs to take photos of each other. They then digitally edited the photo to include words representing the many positive traits each student brings with them into our community. The photos were displayed on a bulletin board so that if someone in our class needed encouragement, they could look at their photo and be ‘held up’ by a classmate’s kind words. The bulletin board display helped remind us that we were a caring and supportive community and that we could all make a difference in someone’s day by supporting them. We also added the photos to our FreshGrade so that we had a reminder that every individual is an important part of our classroom community.

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Student Work Samples

Teacher Reflection

I noticed my classroom community strengthen and my class become a tighter knit community. Students built and strengthened relationships with classmates, and through the process of creation they learned more about one another. Students showed responsibility, care, kindness, and respect for one another with this task. They truly wanted each photo to motivate and support their peers. They showed empathy through their desire to add words on their peers’ photographs so that their peers had something to make them smile when they were having a tough day. Each student was thoughtful in their word choices for their peers. As a class we were reflective of the diversity in our classroom and of all the unique gifts we bring to our class each day. We shared this learning activity with parents during student-led conferences and parents echoed the sentiments and support that were written for their children.

Context

Four boys started school not knowing each other and quickly became inseparable friends. One of the boys emerged as the “leader” of the group and the others began to call him “The Boss.” The relationship quickly turned to a leader/follower relationship with the leader sometimes leading the boys in unkind directions.

The followers were soon tattling on each other for using inappropriate language and behavior. The boys could not answer a question in class without first looking to “The Boss” to tell them how to answer. They would always follow each other at free choice time. If one on the boys tried to make choices independent of the group, he would be told that he wasn’t allowed to play with other kids and that they wouldn’t be his friend anymore if he did. They would then proceed to chase the boy all recess, so he couldn’t play with anyone else.

Evidence of their growing personal and social competence is provided through teacher reflection and interviews with the four students.

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Teacher Reflection

Through a lot of talk about positive friendships, appropriate boundaries and making good choices, the boys have started to understand what it means to have someone support you in positive ways. They are beginning to separate into groups of two and play at different activities. The families have started to arrange playdates on weekends to further facilitate healthy friendships outside of school.

The biggest difference has been an ongoing conversation about what it means to be brave. How do we show bravery in friendships? Why is it important to be brave and tell others what you need in friendships? How does being brave make you feel about yourself?

For example: When asked where he was going to play during centres, one student looked around for “The Boss” and when he saw him at the House Centre, he said that he wanted to go there. When the teacher asked where he wanted to play, he responded, “Well, I want to go to Lego, but I have to go to house.” The teacher told him to go where he wanted to go and to do what was right for his own learning. The boy decided to play at the Lego Centre. In the following days, the boys began to split off and play at other centres. Another one of the boys said, “I am going to be brave and do what is right for me.”

Slowly, the boys are starting to think for themselves. When asked which students in the class are positive learning partners for them, none of the boys said each other. They described each other as good playground friends but chose other friends to play with in the classroom. Progress!

Student Interviews

Interview with K

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

K: We knew ourselves before kindergarten.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

K: They support me.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

K: Trying to make good choices. That means to play with different friends sometimes because sometimes they run away from me and that makes me feel sad.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

K: Because you can change your plan. If your plan was to play with T and K and if they said, “no”, then I say, “Okay, could we play at lunch or at recess?”

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

K: I say, “Don’t talk to me. Maybe later.” I say that when they are talking to me at the carpet and I am trying to listen.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

K: Because I make good choices.

 

Interview with J

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

J: My friendship with T is him coming to my house and having moving night. T said that me met K first and then me and then E and that’s how he got a group but when we are split up into groups of two, we be nice.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

J: We like to spend time together outside in the grass field. If we have a jacket, we just relax on the jacket and we hold our hands together.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

J: We work on E and my book. We are working on being nice. To say good things to people.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

J: By working together to fight animals that try and attack us. We know that friends shouldn’t make another guy say things.

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

J: I had to tell them that I needed support. I needed support to help me to make good choices.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

J: I am proud of myself because I make good choices.

 

Interview with E

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

E: We like to play at recess. We like to play on the gravel field and also, we like go on top of the hill at the gravel field. We just run down and roll down the hill.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

E: They always do fun things and I don’t want to miss out on it.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

E: We want to smile at each other.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

E: Um, because you have to do that to have good friends. Like to play nicely with your friends. You need to be brave because if they are being mean to somebody, you can tell a supervisor. That is hard sometimes.

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

E: Actually, at none parts of the day I need be brave. I just like to do what they like to do. If they are doing something I don’t like then you can just get a new friend.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

E: because, um, you can be a really good friend or a really bad friend. I am a good friend because I like to play with them and support them.

 

Interview with T

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

T: I like to play with them outside and be together and I like to have fun with them.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

T: Sometimes I play with them and sometimes I play with other people. Like I make with new friends with B and R.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

T: Listening. We are working on being better learning partners and listening to the teacher when we are together.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

T: Um, to make good choices for me.

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

T: I am brave to, if somebody is doing something bad then I can tell them to stop.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

T: I am proud because I treat people respectfully. I think I did something on accident before to hurt someone’s feelings but then I say sorry.

Context

M entered school not knowing anyone in the class. She was shy, quiet, and had tantrums when something didn’t go her way. She struggled to understand that she needed to share the space with the rest of the class and would often start sentences with, “I want…”. M would leave the room without telling anyone and would interrupt the teacher anytime she wanted something. She did not enjoy the first few months of school because she wasn’t able to do what she wanted, when she wanted. The students struggled to play nicely with her and she was struggling to understand how to change that dynamic.

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Teacher Reflection

After months of practicing positive communication, M learned to use her words to communicate her thoughts and feelings. She learned that when she uses kind words, she makes others feel good about themselves, their work and their friendship with her. In turn, M began to gain a better sense of self and how she wanted to present herself to others. Although she sometimes still makes mistakes, she is now able to fix her mistakes with less support and she recognizes how it feels to be kind.

Student Interview

Teacher: Tell me about school. What do you like about school?

M: I like about it people being nice to me. I like it because I didn’t know my friends when I went to it. It feels really very good to have friends.

Teacher: What is one important thing that you have learned about friendships in school?

M: To treat people nicely and to be nice back to them. It feel really good when people are kind to me and I like that.

Teacher: What is one important thing that you have learned about using materials?

M: Do not drop them on the ground and do not, like, throw them because they will break into pieces and I won’t like it and my heart will be sad. More kids will be sad too. We cannot throw materials because they will get very hurt and they will have to go to the hospital.

Teacher: What does it mean to be a good friend?

M: Play with people when they say they want to play with me. You say kind words and say, “I like you. You are a good friend.” I learned that in kindergarten and I like to learn things from my teacher.

Teacher: What does it mean to make a mistake?

M: You just, like, clean it up and say, “sorry”. That’s how you fix the problem. Last time I threw a felt at my friend and I thought “I shouldn’t have done that because I would hurt him and he wouldn’t like it.”

Teacher: How can you fix a mistake?

M: I can tell the truth.

Teacher: How do you want to make other people feel?

M: Happy and respectful and respect the materials.

Teacher: What type of person do you want to show the world?

M: A good girl. Like do not throw materials and be nice. I want to show them I’m a good artist. I make art for my mommy and daddy. I want to sell art when I am older.

Context

The Teacher’s Voice

This student was given the opportunity to represent his school at a community Wreath Laying Ceremony on Remembrance Day. At the event, he met local veterans and heard their stories. This led him to develop an appreciation for Veterans and inspired him to bring their message to other students.

He brought other students together and formed a group called “Hold High the Torch” that works to connect veterans and students, as well as to provide opportunities to show appreciation for all the contributions veterans have made to society.

I am very impressed with the ingenuity and dedication of this student, especially considering this is not a topic that most high school students feel they connect with in such an intense level.

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Activity Description

The group has organized a Veterans Appreciation Lunch, a Valentine’s for Veterans event, and a Community Dialogue Town Hall.

Their vision is well-articulated on their website. They also maintain a Facebook group, and have ambitions for developing into a non-profit.

• Our Vision (DOCX)

Student Reflection

The student who started the group reflects on the process of getting it off the ground, and issues of leadership and collaboration within the group.

• Student reflection (DOCX)