Project Based Learning: Hope in Times of Crisis
Background
Let’s flashback to June 2020. Teachers and students across the country are struggling with distance learning. It is the last month of a challenging school year for my 21 kindergarten students and me. In addition, our country is in the midst of a painful moment of reckoning regarding state-sanctioned violence against Black Americans. Images of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd flood news channels. I am an African American woman and the vast majority of my students are Black American. My students and I also live in under-resourced communities where systemic racism is evident in the lack of nutritious food options, lack of school resources, housing conditions, and more. The Black Lives Matter movement is crucial to the health of our nation; however, the constant media coverage of violence against Black people can be traumatizing, especially for those of us who feel the weight systemic racism throughout our daily lives.
One day, I get a message from one of the parents in my class. She sends me a picture of her 6-year-old daughter standing on the sidewalk of one of the busiest streets in our community. Her daughter is holding a sign that says “Black people, We love you!” The parent explains that she and her daughter wanted to do some type of display of positivity; she reports that many people who drove or walked past her daughter holding the sign felt encouraged. I feel encouraged too. My student and her mom remind me of the importance of spreading hope even in the most difficult of times. This sparks an idea to end our virtual school year with a virtual field trip to a Black Lives Matter protest and a social activism Project Based Learning unit. I’m suddenly determined to remind my students and myself that we can make it through even the most difficult times with hope and action.
Driving Question
The driving question for our social activism Project Based Learning unit was How can we use our voice to make a difference for a cause that we care about?
Some might say that this driving question is too mature for kindergarten students; I beg to differ. One is never too young to make a difference. In fact, children often have the ability to make the greatest impact for social causes.
I knew that my students could grasp this driving question if provided the necessary background and context so I created a video with kid-friendly explanations of key terms like social justice, a cause, making a difference, and ally. In the video, I explain why Black Lives Matter is a cause that is close to my heart, and I encourage students to think of a cause that is close to their hearts. The overarching message of the video is turning sadness and anger about unfairness into hope for a better future and actions towards making a change. See the full video here:
Student Choice
One of the most important facets of Project Based Learning is student choice, and I wanted my students to feel a personal connection to this project. As such, the first step of the project was for each student to pick their own cause. Some students chose animal rights. Others chose anti-bullying or taking care of the planet. Some chose Black Lives Matter. The second step was for students to choose a way to use their voice. Before students could choose a way to advocate for their chosen cause, I needed to introduce them to different ways to speak up for a cause.
On June 7, 2020, I took my students on a “virtual field trip” to a Black Lives Matter protest in Hollywood, California. It was a historic protest with a record number of protestors flooding the streets of Hollywood. I narrated the protest for my students and used live pictures and videos to show them how people use their voice at a protest.
In further presentations, I shared a variety of additional ways to use your voice with my students. I provided ideas like creating artwork, writing a letter to a local elected official, or asking an adult to help you create a post for social media. Students were allowed to choose whichever method they desired to advocate for their chosen cause.
The final step of this Project Based Learning unit was for students to share their work with others. One student shared her drawing about caring for animals with her grandmother. Another student shared a video through her parent’s social media account. Some students wrote letters to politicians or created their own protest chants and posted it for other students to see.
Sharing the Public Product
I was proud of the work that my students’ produced - however, in Project Based Learning, the end result is rarely the most important factor. With this PBL unit, I really wanted my students to come away with a sense of agency and hope. I wanted them to know that, even in difficult times, they can make a difference if they keep hope and take action. As for myself, I can say that taking part in this project helped to reignite my faith in my community, my students, and myself. As for my students, my desire is that this project will have a lasting impact. One of the most difficult aspects of being an early childhood educator is that we often never find out the true impact we’ve had on our students. And still, my wish for their future is that one day, when my students encounter a seemingly hopeless situation, something deep inside of them will encourage them to hope anyway.
Megan Ravare is an early childhood special education teacher at 52nd Street Elementary School in Los Angeles Unified School District, and she is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Special Education at California State University Dominguez Hills. Megan has a passion for the intersection between education and social justice activism, and in her free time, she loves to read and enjoy nature. She lives in South Central Los Angeles with her husband, Tim and dog, Oreo. You can connect with Megan on Instagram @_meggg.
