We do this by first exploring the word peace. We read a variety of literature- children's words from around the world, stories, how-to books, and informational books- about peace. We think deeply about what peace means and how it feels. Children use developing speaking and listening skills to reflect with turn and talk partners. Our conversations connect to essential social and emotional learning as well as literacy; speaking and listening, language acquisition, writing and representation.
On Friday the children represented what peace looks like on a sticky note, using the prompt from our book. We will continue to interact with our morning message during the next few days, inviting children to transfer their writing skills into their representations of peace.
PEACE 1-2-20
SW- Peace is kindness and cozy fires with hot chocolate.
SP- Peace is love and bringing love to our community.
NF- Peace is love.
RD- Peace is loving your mom and dad.
CS- Peace is snowy trees.
CM- Peace is spending time with your sister or brother.
BP- Peace is happiness.
IBW- Peace is loving my dad.
MW- Peace is love.
AW- Peace is all of us in the green zone, sitting in a circle.
CB- Peace is quiet and calm.
ZM- Peace is being nice to your community.
IA- Peace is loving everyone you know.
OH- Peace is friends and family and time together.
LJ- Peace is the way my heart feels in a room of children listening to a story.
BC- Peace is quiet.
MR- Peace is welcoming everyone.
What does PEACE look like?
Peace looks like...
a flower, my baby brother Rhett, hearts, us in the green zone in a circle, trees and people and animals sharing love.
What does PEACE sound like?
1-7-20
After reading A little PEACE, how can you spread peace in our community?
I can spread peace by . . .
Making green zone choices
Helping friends
Saying Good Morning!
Using kind words
Listening
Giving a hug if someone needs one
Being kind, I just want the whole world to be happy
Writing kind notes
Working together
Using a kind voice
Respecting all living things, even the animals in the woods and their homes
Being in the green zone
Helping people up when they fall down
Being in the green zone
Helping everyone, always
What does PEACE smell like?
Making connections
Our conversations, reflections, and representations of PEACE have connected to all of our community work. Many of the children feel peace is being kind, welcoming people in, and taking care of one another. We have talked about the power in sharing feelings of peace within our classroom and how those feelings and actions will grow.
On Friday we welcomed Sam Drazin into our school. Sam shared his story and through his story we can build our awareness of differences- visible and not visible. We can learn about ourselves and how we can be more inclusive through learning about Sam and his experiences, differences, tools, and many strengths.
After hearing Sam's story we had a community reflection and I invited the children to represent their feelings, making connections to our work around cultivating peace in our community. Those representations developed into notes for Sam.
Later in the day Sam visited our classroom and we shared our feelings, notes for him, and had the opportunity to explore the tools he uses to help him hear. It was a powerful day full of rich and important connections.
Sam, thank you for helping us to better understand how we can spread feelings of PEACE through an inclusive community.
After hearing Sam's story, how are you feeling?
I'm feeling...
love- lots of feelings of love
thankful, thankful for being able to hear Sam's story
a little sad, because of the surgeries Sam had, but also happy- I'm happy
surprised
glad that Sam shared about everyday kindness, like sitting next to someone at lunch
proud
scared, at first, but now I feel happy
happy, I wasn't sure at the beginning, but Sam was brave
impressed, Sam was so brave
funny and sad, because some of his stories were sad, but then he had funny stories, too!
happy
empowered by Sam's story
happy, because I really liked his story
impressed
loved, I'm feeling really loved here and for Sam!
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