The Junior Kindergarten & Kindergarten Changemakers Unit
If it isn’t fair, let’s fix it. At Hillbrook, even our youngest students know they can be the change they wish to see.
Civil Rights Changemakers
A favorite tradition of our kindergarten is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks Reach Beyond Unit. Our students take an age-appropriate deep-dive into the social impact of these changemakers, the power of peaceful protest, and the importance of taking a stand. Students hear from a special guest speaker, who was involved in the Civil Rights movement and marched with Dr. King. They recreate important pieces of the Civil Rights story, from the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to surrender her seat on a bus to a white passenger to the Montgomery Bus Boycott which followed. Their explorations extend across these disciplines:
History: Learning how a boycott is organized in order to change laws
Language Arts: Making signs of protest
Fine Arts: Imagining how the busses looked before and after the boycott
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Role-playing the various people involved in the demonstrations
Their take away at the end of the day–if we think something isn’t fair, we can work together to change it.