North Lincoln Hill Elementary to hold
its own "Inaugural Ball" with student documentaries, activities
{Students Teach} The 317 students who attend North Lincoln Hill Elementary couldn't make it to
Washington for Inauguration Day, but they did bring the look, feel and pride
of the real national event with them to their school.
From 9 to 11
a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, students participated in their own "Inaugural Ball," complete with decorations, music, ball attire and activities.
The event was also meant to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the day
before on Jan. 19.
Classes from
each grade level -- kindergarten through sixth -- participated in the "Ball"
in some fashion, with activities appropriate
for their age level. One pair of sixth
grade students interviewed teachers, asking them what freedom means to them and
captured {Students Teach} their responses on film. Another class made
their own "documentary," depicting African Americans' struggles throughout
time.
Dr. Barbara
Farmer, a retired principal at State College, served as the keynote
speaker. Farmer herself attended a Martin Luther King Jr. speech when she was
in high school and is recognized on "The History Makers" website: www.thehistorymakers.com
The idea to
hold an Inaugural Ball actually emerged as a result of student-led inspiration.
Last month, sixth graders in Jill Reed's classroom read Roll of Thunder, Hear
My Cry, which enlightened them to some of the unfair struggles of African
Americans in our nation's history. The students went to the library on their
own to find books about slavery and the civil rights movement.
Librarian
Erika Richardson saw this as an opportunity to become involved, and she began
organizing the ball. More teachers started to collaborate.
Art
teacher Karen King encouraged students work on decorations, for example, and organized Farmer's presence as a guest speaker. Greg Barnyak's sixth grade class created lessons on
freedom, and his students taught those lessons to their younger peers.
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In the photos above, sixth grade students stopped by Melanie Jarrett's kindergarten classroom on Jan. 15 to teach a lesson about Martin Luther King Jr.
"Good job!" the students told their younger peers whenever they'd answer a question correctly. "And for those who didn't get the answer right, that was a nice try."
