With the upcoming holiday, the Haifa class has spent this week talking about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. We are talking about civil rights and what life was like when Sauci was a child, and where we have come from.
The story of Rosa Parks has really captivated the children. They are frequently asking for a retelling of the story, and asking questions about it. Why wouldn't she get up? Why couldn't she stay where she was? What is freedom? Why couldn't black people sit where they wanted?
This has spurred an idea for Sauci and myself. We have decided that we are going to work on a play of the Rosa Parks story. While the play may not be completely accurate (we may have six Rosa Parks and five MLKs, but the more the merrier right??), the children are really starting to remember the story. Today we worked on making signs for our play. After Rosa Parks was arrested, the black people in Montgomery boycotted the buses for over a year. At the art center today, we worked on making these signs that were used during the boycott. Some children were able to write the letters just by copying the words, while others needed help with dots to trace, or have a teacher help hold the marker.
Seeing the children so invested in this story and this project is really wonderful to see. Children who aren't normally interested in art are making their way over to help make signs, and they are getting really excited to perfom the play!
-Alison and Sauci
Nathan is really, really into this. He has been telling me the stories and singing the Dr. King song. Thank you so much for exposing them to this important history!
ReplyDeleteAlison, Steve and I are delighted with how the children have grasped the story of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr and the bus boycott. We are emphasizing that using your words can make things change. This is such a great lesson - if we can only teach this to adults.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing way to have the children using their literacy skills for real, meaningful purposes. They seem to be truly intrigued by this powerful story. I can't wait to see how it continues.
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