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These short films highlight the extraordinary work of three New York City elementary school teachers as they broach topics of social urgency in hopes of cultivating a more aware and compassionate citizenry of young children. For those intimidated by external control of and sanctions over classroom curriculum, these vignettes hope to alleviate a looming sense of fear and constraint expressed by public school teachers and encourage all to consider the wondrous possibilities of engaging important social issues with elementary-age students.
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In this film, Callie, a fifth grade teacher, facilitates a discussion on how immigration policies have targeted different ethnic groups throughout American history. She uses a conceptual map to first enter the discussion, then divides the students into expert groups where they collaboratively draw upon text and media to then present details of their specific immigration policy, event, or consequence. These include the recent Arizona Senate Bill 1070, anti-Italian sentiment in New Orleans, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and one family’s tribulation with deportation.
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In this film, Paula and her first grade students review months of research on how and where their stuffed animals were manufactured. Using an array of resources, the students created a global map of factory locations, dissected their stuffed animals to learn about its content, researched into the conditions of factory work, interviewed labor union delegates, and discussed the possible reasons and consequences for outsourcing certain types of work. As a culmination, they wrote and performed a play to an audience of school administrators and parents.
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In this film, Juliette, a second grade teacher, explores with her students the concept of beauty in hopes of nurturing a more caring and less discriminatory classroom. She begins her lesson my asking students to use their literacy skills in listing adjectives to describe famous athletes. She facilitates a conversation that asks students to open their minds to a variety of body shapes and sizes. In the end, students create a comic strip where they portray someone intervening on behalf of a person being bullied for their appearance.
