Ideas and Implications for the Project
Global education is a broad topic to tackle. Projects like "Children Map Their World" is a great way for students to display their understanding about the world, culture, community, and global issues. It also gives the viewer insight into what perceptions students have or misconceptions as well. These misconceptions, or displays of knowledge and ideas, can drive the teacher into research or inquiry opportunities that expand students' thinking and push them to become active global citizens. Also, students are given the opportunity to see other childrens' ideas and how they may be similar or different, which builds multiple perspectives. This project allows for creativity and encompasses many different facets of global education. For the children, it is relevant because it is asking them to draw their world as they see it. Students have to possess a variety of knowledge pieces in order to produce a final product. For example, students must understand the history, culture, resources, challenges, and politics of the countries they are drawing to show how they are connected through globalization. They must understand their role in the world, as well as the diversity that surrounds them.
Lesson Idea for First Graders
In keeping with the theme of this project, I was thinking about the concept of community. First grade students are constantly talking about community, their role in a community, problems within a community, and differences in communities around the world. My objective for this lesson would be to build understanding and awareness about local issues, and have students understand that some of the issues are world issues as well. Trade books, websites, videos, interviews, and pictures would be utilized throughout the unit to help build understanding.
1. Initially, I would teach my students about their own community. We would explore their roles within their own community, and identify some local issues that are within that community. Students would learn about and research local problems within the community and think about possible solutions. They could do this individually or in teams through interviews with people in the school or in their neighborhood. I would develop a list of three interview questions for them to ask community members. For example:
1- What is your role in our community?
2- What are some strengths about our community?
3- What is a problem in our community?
2. Students would analyze and discuss their findings in teams and with me. We would talk as a class about why these problems exist and make a list of possible solutions. During this time, I would ask students what their role should be to solve some of these problems. They could share their ideas in teams. Then students could be asked to draw a picture of what represents community.
3. Students would then present their drawings to the class. We would talk about similarities and differences among the drawings. Then I would show students the "Children Map Their World" website. I would have ten or so pictures picked out ahead of time that represent community and also show some of the perceived problems (environmental, political, and/or cultural) that other children drew from around the world.
4. As a final wrap up, I would ask the students to choose one map from the website that shows community. I would ask them to compare and contrast their picture of community with the one they chose in a Venn Diagram. To assess if students understood the objective (which was to build understanding and awareness about local issues, and have students understand that some of the issues are world issues as well) I would have a checklist that assessed the following (no-somewhat-yes):
1- Understanding of their role in the community. No-Somewhat-Yes
2- Understanding of local issues. No-Somewhat-Yes
3- Contributed to possible solutions for community issues. No-Somewhat-Yes
4- Drawing represented aspects of community. No-Somewhat-Yes
5- Awareness that some issues are global. (Venn Diagram) No-Somewhat-Yes
6- Built connection to their role in a global community. No-Somewhat-Yes
My hope is that the students would understand that they are part of a local community as well as a global one. Additionally, they would understand their roles in these communities, problems and challenges, and possible solutions. Finally, by having students research, collaborate, communicate, and problem solve, they would be building their skills as global citizens.
1. Initially, I would teach my students about their own community. We would explore their roles within their own community, and identify some local issues that are within that community. Students would learn about and research local problems within the community and think about possible solutions. They could do this individually or in teams through interviews with people in the school or in their neighborhood. I would develop a list of three interview questions for them to ask community members. For example:
1- What is your role in our community?
2- What are some strengths about our community?
3- What is a problem in our community?
2. Students would analyze and discuss their findings in teams and with me. We would talk as a class about why these problems exist and make a list of possible solutions. During this time, I would ask students what their role should be to solve some of these problems. They could share their ideas in teams. Then students could be asked to draw a picture of what represents community.
3. Students would then present their drawings to the class. We would talk about similarities and differences among the drawings. Then I would show students the "Children Map Their World" website. I would have ten or so pictures picked out ahead of time that represent community and also show some of the perceived problems (environmental, political, and/or cultural) that other children drew from around the world.
4. As a final wrap up, I would ask the students to choose one map from the website that shows community. I would ask them to compare and contrast their picture of community with the one they chose in a Venn Diagram. To assess if students understood the objective (which was to build understanding and awareness about local issues, and have students understand that some of the issues are world issues as well) I would have a checklist that assessed the following (no-somewhat-yes):
1- Understanding of their role in the community. No-Somewhat-Yes
2- Understanding of local issues. No-Somewhat-Yes
3- Contributed to possible solutions for community issues. No-Somewhat-Yes
4- Drawing represented aspects of community. No-Somewhat-Yes
5- Awareness that some issues are global. (Venn Diagram) No-Somewhat-Yes
6- Built connection to their role in a global community. No-Somewhat-Yes
My hope is that the students would understand that they are part of a local community as well as a global one. Additionally, they would understand their roles in these communities, problems and challenges, and possible solutions. Finally, by having students research, collaborate, communicate, and problem solve, they would be building their skills as global citizens.