That's Not Fair!
12/9/2017
The second graders have embarked on a new PBL project that entails creating a multimedia presentation for the Martin Luther King assembly in January. Their studies will lead them into large ideas such as fairness and equality, freedom and respect. The project began with a provocative entry event in which I explained that for our next activity, the class had to evenly divide themselves into two groups. We've done this in the past for various other activities so there was nothing new about that. I also added that everyone would need a paper and pencil but that I would hand those out. (This is not the norm as usually everyone is responsible for gathering their own needed supplies.) One group was handed brand new beautifully sharpened pencils with the complete eraser still intact. The other group was given old worn-out pencils, all of which had either a missing eraser, broken lead, stubby length or a combination of above. This led, as you might imagine, to cries of unfairness from the broken pencil group and smiles from the new pencil group. The students quickly launched into a discussion of what fair really means. Afterwards they set off in partnerships, each armed with a good pencil, to discuss different scenarios and decide if they were fair or unfair. Then they presented their thoughts to the class. Soon another important question came to light... Does fair mean equal?After discussing the image below, the kids came to two conclusions... 1. Fair doesn't always mean equal but things sometimes can be fair and equal.
2. We should always try to help make things fair for others, even if we are not getting the same thing. I loved watching them find the courage and sincere thinking to respectfully debate these big ideas and I can't wait to hear more of their thoughts as we continue in our studies of civil rights! Comments are closed.
|
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
March 2021
Categories |