Dear Families,
As fifth grade teachers, we are trying to make sure that students are prepared, not only for the academic rigors and social challenges that our children will face in their future as middle and high schoolers, but also for their civic duty as responsible citizens in our democratic society. We hope that our social emotional learning emphasis will promote self-awareness, self-regulation, relationship skills, and social awareness. In addition, we hope that students will leave us as critical thinkers, asking many questions, and seeking ways to create a more just society.
Our next project, The Myths and Realities of the American Dream, will enable students to dig into the rich history of our country. In this project, we will look at how America’s history has been shaped by the American Dream of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We will examine the theme of power, ethical issues, multiple perspectives, contributions, and parallels throughout the different eras we study. In the process, students will look at how history contains a myriad of experiences, and that these experiences are not always equitable.
Our historical journey will take us through many eras. We plan to learn about colonization, the revolution and independence, slavery and The Civil War, Westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, women’s suffrage and rights, WWI and WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, and the 1980s. We will then look at various communities today, and explore the ways that certain groups may or may not have access to the American Dream.
By looking at first person accounts, historical texts, music, and video, we hope students will understand the complexity of the American experience, and be able to help students to express their own opinions and worldviews. We hope that this allows our class to engage in open discussions about race, class, gender, religion, and many other topics that have created and continue to create inequality in our society. We also hope that you, the families, will engage in open dialogue with your children about the topics we may be talking about at school. Their exposure to multiple perspectives will deepen their ability to think about issues and to make informed decisions about their opinions.
As you might guess, there will be a lot of social emotional work ahead of us, so that each person in our class feels safe in sharing their ideas, so that each person feels like they belong in our community, and so that each person feels heard. We will help students navigate having conflicting views with other students, and will promote respectful disagreements. We know this will bring our class even closer together, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to dig deeply into this learning, and perhaps awaken the students’ social consciousness.
We welcome any questions or wonderings in open communication. If you would like to contribute anything to this project (ideas about places to go, people to talk to, your own experiences, etc.), please let us know.
As fifth grade teachers, we are trying to make sure that students are prepared, not only for the academic rigors and social challenges that our children will face in their future as middle and high schoolers, but also for their civic duty as responsible citizens in our democratic society. We hope that our social emotional learning emphasis will promote self-awareness, self-regulation, relationship skills, and social awareness. In addition, we hope that students will leave us as critical thinkers, asking many questions, and seeking ways to create a more just society.
Our next project, The Myths and Realities of the American Dream, will enable students to dig into the rich history of our country. In this project, we will look at how America’s history has been shaped by the American Dream of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We will examine the theme of power, ethical issues, multiple perspectives, contributions, and parallels throughout the different eras we study. In the process, students will look at how history contains a myriad of experiences, and that these experiences are not always equitable.
Our historical journey will take us through many eras. We plan to learn about colonization, the revolution and independence, slavery and The Civil War, Westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, women’s suffrage and rights, WWI and WWII, the Civil Rights Movement, and the 1980s. We will then look at various communities today, and explore the ways that certain groups may or may not have access to the American Dream.
By looking at first person accounts, historical texts, music, and video, we hope students will understand the complexity of the American experience, and be able to help students to express their own opinions and worldviews. We hope that this allows our class to engage in open discussions about race, class, gender, religion, and many other topics that have created and continue to create inequality in our society. We also hope that you, the families, will engage in open dialogue with your children about the topics we may be talking about at school. Their exposure to multiple perspectives will deepen their ability to think about issues and to make informed decisions about their opinions.
As you might guess, there will be a lot of social emotional work ahead of us, so that each person in our class feels safe in sharing their ideas, so that each person feels like they belong in our community, and so that each person feels heard. We will help students navigate having conflicting views with other students, and will promote respectful disagreements. We know this will bring our class even closer together, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to dig deeply into this learning, and perhaps awaken the students’ social consciousness.
We welcome any questions or wonderings in open communication. If you would like to contribute anything to this project (ideas about places to go, people to talk to, your own experiences, etc.), please let us know.