On Friday, November 10th, the UTES fifth graders presented their Civil Rights Timelines covering everything from the Civil Rights Movement to the Chicano Movement.
Fifth grade language arts and social studies teacher Erin Green says the unit began more than a month ago when students learned how to identify primary and secondary sources and from there how to properly observe sources.
“They learned to spend 10 minutes looking at one photograph and pulling out all of those details and what do they notice and what is the context and from there making inferences on why it is important and why does it matter and what can we learn about it,” she says.
Green said what she enjoys most is exposing her students to the counter narratives and challenging her students to uncover content that many adults are unaware of.
“Teaching is an act of social justice,” she says. “I want to give them access to the power they already have inside themselves and help them to see themselves in the curriculum and to see themselves as agents of change in the world around them.”
Check out more photos of the timeline presentations.
Below are three students from Ms. Green’s class presenting their Civil Rights Timelines:
Gahmoto Malangalila – Malcolm X
What he enjoyed most: Doing all the research and learning that Malcolm X had red hair and was a member of the Nation of Islam.
Jaila Cofield and Reigna Guerrero – The Mendez Family
What they found most interesting: That Sylvia Mendez was the first peson who thought about integrating schools for Mexicans (JC) and that Sylvia’s cousin was able to attend school because she was lighter skinned and had an Italian last name (RG).
Luis Fernandez and Angel Quintero – Emmett Till
What they enjoyed most: Searching for background materials and learning what happened during the Civil Rights Movement (LF) and searching for and finding all of the pictures (AQ).
