Overall, we received positive reactions from students and staff at the school.
Our first comments came from a student’s nurse. She watched as the students put up the bulletin board commented on how interesting this work was. A third grade teacher took one of the Facts Sheets and taught her class using it. The school security guard popped into the classroom to tell students she was so proud and interested in their research. The other 2nd grade teachers approached me and said they really enjoyed the work my students had done. They remarked about how they wished they could do this with their students and how it was such an interesting perspective on the topic.
My students were receiving compliments from their peers as well. They would come back from lunch giddy with the knowledge that other students were reading their work and enjoying their bulletin board.
This unit really helped set up the culture of my classroom. My students now regularly question things they read and every holiday have questions about why we celebrate it. The class feels very comfortable asking any questions and are more than willing to put in the extra work and research to find out the answers to their inquiries.
Tags: 2nd Grade, ASL, Christopher Columbus, Education, Sign Language, Social Justice
