Class 1 students recently embarked on a day-long creative endeavor informed by the three pillars of their social studies curriculum: Sustainability, Equity and Innovation. Through cross-curricular workshops in drama, dance, art and music, students pondered the over-arching question: “How can we build an equitable, creative and sustainable community?” to enrich their knowledge and underscore their responsibilities as citizens of our global community.
Below are some highlights from the day:
DANCE
Inside the LS dance studio, students were enthralled by a slideshow showcasing vibrant playgrounds located all over the world. “What do you notice?” Dance teacher Susan Strong prompted. “Are they equitable?”
“A lot of them have ramps,” one student observed. “Which means that people in wheelchairs can go on the playground too.”
As they watched, students determined that they needed an innovative playground in their “community,” to encourage people of all ages and abilities to stay active and enjoy play time.
In groups of three, students spread out across the studio and, using movement, depicted a creative feature for their playground. “I’m so inspired by the ideas you’re coming up with!” commented Ms. Strong as she surveyed the dancers who intricately turned and molded their bodies to convey designs.
Next, the students used modeling clay to build a real-life example of their chosen structure. They swiftly crafted bridges, tunnels, slides and special pathways, enhancing their creations with colored markers.
DRAMA
As Class 1 stepped into the Black Box Theater, they transformed from students into astronauts. Upon arrival, the space explorers were tasked with an important mission: creating and maintaining life on a new-found planet called “Dars X5.”
Sporting special space badges adorned with the NASA logo, students split into three groups – Food, Water and Shelter – to ponder innovative ways in which to sustain their community and secure vital resources.
Using three large squares of construction paper and markers, students sketched and/or wrote out elaborate plans. “Let’s build a machine to turn salt water into drinking water,” one student remarked.
Another from the food group suggested, “Since we brought a potato from Earth, we can use it to grow more for our community!”
The intuitive first graders also discussed the importance of equity, ensuring that all those living on “Dars X5” would receive proper nutrients and shelter.
MUSIC
Inside the Lower School Music room, students listened to a read-aloud of the story “Ada’s Violin,” an inspiring true tale about an orchestra of young adults whose instruments were made entirely from recycled materials.
Students were thrilled to learn that they, too, would be able to fashion instruments out of recycled objects during today’s lesson. Using toilet paper rolls and one of four fillings (beads, rice, paper clips and gravel), they crafted two unique maracas.
LS Music teacher Megan Himel explained that each would have a different “timbre,” or sound/tone quality. “Listen closely!” she encouraged.
Once the students had their chosen fillings, their teacher assisted with stapling their instrument shut so the materials wouldn’t spill out. Through joyful collaboration, the students made music using their new sustainable instruments.
ART
What is a monument? What are they for?
As Class 1 considered these questions, LS art teacher Lauren McCarty said, “You’ve all seen a monument – whether you know it or not!”
A monument, they discovered, is a public artwork made to celebrate and remember a person, event or idea. The students examined various examples such as The Statue of Liberty in New York City, Martin Luther King Jr.’s monument in Washington, D.C. and “Public Figures” by Do Ho Suh, which was previously located in Brooklyn.
“Unfortunately, monuments haven’t always been fair or equitable,” their teachers explained, stating that in New York City, there are 150 historical male statues with only 5 females. (Of those five, four are white women and one is a black woman.) When asked who or what monuments should be added, the students responded that different people from various backgrounds and ethnicities should be honored.
“What kind of monuments would you want in your community? What message do we want to send?” Ms. McCarty prompted.
Together, the students created a list of people and/or values they wanted to celebrate and represent. Among those listed were Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, honesty, kindness, love, peace, freedom and voice.
With passion and creativity, students began bringing their own monuments to life using markers, colored pencils and other artistic materials.
