Why do symbols, landmarks, and art within a community represent and reflect a community’s beliefs?
Ms Jennee's Independent Study Program, a class of 1st and 2nd graders, is drilling deeply into this driving question. To break down this concept, the students first asked themselves: What is a symbol? Working with a map of the United States blanketing their class wall, students explored individual states and defined symbols that represent history, architecture, art, anything iconic that immediately conjures up each state. Their definition of symbol evolved into: something that can hold powerful meanings within communities of people.
Next, Ms. Jennee began an exploration of symbols within our own community and led discussions on their significance to us as community members. The children helped deepen the exploration. They wondered why these symbols meant so much to people. They asked themselves what symbols represented them, their passions and goals.
To personalize the project, Ms. Jennee helped guide the students towards a person, place, animal or landmark they felt passionate about. Next up, they begin their investigation and discovery. Some of the student choices included Jackie Robinson, Grizzly Bears, the Seattle Space Needle, Fenway Park in Boston, and many more.
Ms. Jennee has enhanced the project by engaging the students with both fiction and non-fiction books that illustrate each state. From P is for Potato: an Idaho Alphabet to South Dakota's Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore. The selected literature helps students make connections with each state and its identity.
Another way Ms. Jennee has enhanced the project is ensuring students experience these landmarks themselves, online and in person. One way they are doing that is a field trip to the Watts Tower in Los Angeles.
"We will learn about the towers and take a tour of the towers to learn how they were created," explains Ms. Jennee. "We will use the towers as a way of discussing and connecting symbols and public art to values and beliefs within a community.The visit to the towers will culminate in creating our own prototype installations and deciding what they would mean to the community where it would be installed." The field trip is scheduled for early November.
And as if that wasn't enough, every student has mailed a Flat Stanley all over the United States. His journey to relatives and friends of the students will be documented in pictures showing Flat Stanley against a recognizable symbol from the state he's visiting. He is returned to Aveson with notes and often such as banners from local teams or stickers for each student. Stanley has been to over 15 states so far, and his journey should continue throughout the semester.
Ms. Jennee's US Map continues to grow as the students develop their prototypes and informational writing pieces. Their independent projects are investigations that envelop traditional lessons in US History, Geography, Art, Social Studies, and Literacy. These projects do so in a deep and meaningful way. It's what Aveson's Personalized Mastery Learning is about.
Take a peek in any of our classrooms and you will find exciting teaching and learning like this, happening each and every day!
