Social Studies: Uncovering Community Stories

Here is an introduction to lessons at CGK Afterschool.

CGK's two-month-long project works will be based on the main “Driving Question”.

Here are the Driving Questions for this "Social Study" lesson.

"How can we uncover and share stories about our communities?"

The lesson theme was "Community history."

We followed this theme and question with fun lessons each week that drew the student's interest.

Here are the comments of Mr. Bobby, the teacher who was in charge of the lessons.

Week 1

Students learned about perspective and how that can shape people’s views. Students were broken into groups and given a piece of a picture of a frog. They were then told to draw what they think the complete picture is.

Week 2

Continuing with perspective the students read the story about seven blind mice and how perspective works. Students discussed the story and what they learned about perspective. Students researched different animals and thought about their perspective.

Week 3

Students finished their research on an animals perspective and presented it.

Week 4

Students read the story about the fish and the frog and created a diagram about perspective. Using what they learned they talked about each animals perspective.

Week 5

Students introduced to final project. Students went over the questions as a class helped to think about new questions. Students were given their interview packets and thought about who they will interview.

Week 6

Students worked on their interviews and discussed perspective.

Week 7, 8

Students finalized and translated their interviews from Japanese to English. Students then spent time to create draw their images for their translations and practiced what to say.

In their presentation, they talked about the history of the city, which they learned by interviewing their own family members.

They found that many vehicles and stores have changed compared to the town when their grandmothers, grandfathers, and parents were small children.

This familiar history of their own families, their own cities, etc., also helped them learn more about themselves, and triggered a familiar interest in their own life.

There were many things that they take for granted now that were unthinkable a long time ago.

I hope that by learning about these different perspectives, the students will feel that there are different ways of thinking and seeing things.