The impetus for this unit came during a Monday morning meeting on our classroom rug where I was asking students about their weekend. Tell me about your day. What did you see? Where did you go? I asked my students this and some of their responses were: “I don’t know. I didn’t see anything or do much”, “we had dinner and then I played with my cousins”, “I went with my family to pray and then we went to the park.” Other times I have asked my students to tell me about where they live and about their community. Again, some student responses were: “I live in America”, “I live with my parents and brother, but we are from Afghanistan. This isn’t our country.” “I live in a house with my family. We are from Connecticut.” “I live in New Haven, but I think my family came here a while ago.”
Listening to many of these responses, I came to realize that my students had more of an understanding about standard learning content than they had about the community from which they were emerging. Furthermore, I noted that they lacked background knowledge relating to the New Haven community and thought about the importance of discussing how communities emerge. It was disquieting to see how students seemed to exist within their own divisions; meaning- students saw school as a place to learn the core subjects, and life outside of school to be separate. Taking a step further, many of the students stated that they didn’t feel connected to their community, or at least, didn’t have the background understanding to make connections to their community. For many of my immigrant students, they didn’t regard the community as their home, but rather a safe space. Therefore, it is my intent to present a taste of historically and culturally relevant content that acknowledges both living and “past” history, in an effort to allow students to begin seeing themselves and their counterparts as important members of the community and world. Their footsteps in society are actively carving out history in the making. Thus, when students have a sense of belonging, the community becomes much stronger and united.
The student demographics in my classroom are very diverse. Many students recently immigrated to the United States while others have lived in New Haven for generations. At either end of the classroom demographic spectrum, students have little understanding of their community, how it was developed, and how they, as active members of New Haven, are making footprints in history. It is never too early to begin seeing oneself in society and realize how we are all truly equal as human beings. Based on our school community at Barnard Environmental Science and Technology Magnet School, this unit aims to individually uplift students and create a sense of unity among peers in their community.
While this unit includes content for teachers who are based in the New Haven area, it may be repurposed for teachers who wish to use it in other locations. Where information that is specific to New Haven is used, teachers may develop a similar content background for their respective communities. Learning objectives may remain the same as the unit itself targets the importance of identity while recognizing others in their respective communities. The three subcategories listed below may be viewed as branches of the same unit that connect like a tree fork. Each branch: New Haven History, Community Development, We Are Together, is enveloped in the four bulleted objectives, which intertwine throughout the unit. For teachers who adapt the unit to best meet their respective communities, it is encouraged to consider the three branches of the unit in connection to the learning objectives.