My first graders are fantastic! We live in a farming community filled with open spaces, wooded areas and lots of farms. There is one elementary school in our district, along with one middle school and one high school, so students go to school with each other for 12 years. The bonds are tight and the connections are real. Our elementary school is Prek-4, with about 400 students.
My first graders are just beginning to learn about themselves and the world around them.
They want very much to become kind and caring adults, who accept others and show empathy for those around them.
My Project
Books are an important way to start conversations with younger students. These books give a starting point for conversations about the importance of being responsible, how to show empathy, being fair and accepting differences. Books such as "Big Red Lollipop" help students to understand the fair is not always equal. The "Children in Our World" series touches on the topics of refugees, poverty and racial intolerance.
Today, more than ever, it is important to start teaching our youngest students how to care about others, accept what makes them unique and show compassion for those around us.
These books will be the focus of discussions about a variety of character education topics. They will help us create anchor charts showing what we have learned and give us ideas for how we can use these lessons in our own lives.
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