Elsie Johnson 2nd graders presented to the Board of Education at last night's meeting about a project they took on with their teachers and Instructional Coach that called upon them to embrace their own identities to fuel them to inspire change by answering the question, "How can we be the change that we want to see in the world?"
After reading the books
Being the Change
by Sara K. Ahmed and
This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World
, students examined what makes them who they are by focusing on their identities, likes, dislikes, needs, wants, strengths, and challenges. They looked closer at what they like best about themselves, studied the origins of their own names, and were challenged to create an identity web to delve deeper into their personal strengths and how they can use them to impact the world around them.
By investigating who they are, the students became better equipped to understand themselves and make sense of the world with the ultimate goal of being empowered to use their own voice and perspective to more clearly comprehend, consider, articulate, and find solutions for social issues that matter to them.
The students' engagement and enthusiasm for the project, which met several Illinois State Board of Education Social/Emotional Learning Standards, was apparent throughout their presentation.
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