Teachers: Gabrielle Gastelo, Tavin Perry & Tatyana Gray
Grade & Subject: 4th Grade
School: High Tech Elementary Explorer
The heart of this project was activism through craft. Students learned about [issues] and chose a specific cause for their activism. In order to do this, they [talk about crafts], and wrote an opinion piece for a TED talk. They also sought to understand peaceful protesting practices. We aimed to foster empathy, critical thinking, and civic engagement by connecting the art of crafting with social awareness. By creating craft art pieces that take a stance on important topics, our students learned to express themselves while gaining a deeper understanding of the world around them. This project aligns with our broader educational objectives, promoting creativity, collaboration, and social responsibility.
Teacher Reflection
What makes our students special is their enthusiasm, curiosity, and resilience. Despite their young age, they were eager to engage with the world and make a positive impact. Crafting Change provided a unique platform for them to channel their energy into meaningful projects that contribute to their personal growth and the community. I saw our students not only develop as individuals but also become advocates for positive change in society, making a lasting impact through their creative expressions. Watching students become fully engaged with research was exhilarating. Students were able to choose their own “social issue topic” to research such as LGBTQ rights, homelessness, gun violence, police brutality, climate change, etc. Students were able to have the autonomy to research a topic that they can relate to, have a strong opinion on, and/or one they want to know more about. This project sparked some debate, as some colleagues believed students shouldn’t research mature topics like gun violence and police brutality. Our team worked diligently to provide accessible articles that match students’ academic and maturity levels. By prioritizing scaffolding for their needs, we saw increased student engagement.
—Gabrielle Gastelo
Student reflection
I studied war and I made a very detailed keychain. The keychain said “what have we done” it had a picture of the earth blowing up. I thought this was going to get a lot of attention. I learned that many activists have gone to the extent such as vandalizing and technically breaking the law to try to stop things like war. I learned that activism comes in many forms, speeches, graffiti, social media. Crafting was my favorite part of the project because I got to change things and do multiple drafts and get a lot of feedback and then I created the best version of my craft.
—Liam B
Teachers: Gabrielle Gastelo, Tavin Perry & Tatyana Gray
Grade & Subject: 4th Grade
School: High Tech Elementary Explorer
The heart of this project was activism through craft. Students learned about [issues] and chose a specific cause for their activism. In order to do this, they [talk about crafts], and wrote an opinion piece for a TED talk. They also sought to understand peaceful protesting practices. We aimed to foster empathy, critical thinking, and civic engagement by connecting the art of crafting with social awareness. By creating craft art pieces that take a stance on important topics, our students learned to express themselves while gaining a deeper understanding of the world around them. This project aligns with our broader educational objectives, promoting creativity, collaboration, and social responsibility.
Teacher Reflection
What makes our students special is their enthusiasm, curiosity, and resilience. Despite their young age, they were eager to engage with the world and make a positive impact. Crafting Change provided a unique platform for them to channel their energy into meaningful projects that contribute to their personal growth and the community. I saw our students not only develop as individuals but also become advocates for positive change in society, making a lasting impact through their creative expressions. Watching students become fully engaged with research was exhilarating. Students were able to choose their own “social issue topic” to research such as LGBTQ rights, homelessness, gun violence, police brutality, climate change, etc. Students were able to have the autonomy to research a topic that they can relate to, have a strong opinion on, and/or one they want to know more about. This project sparked some debate, as some colleagues believed students shouldn’t research mature topics like gun violence and police brutality. Our team worked diligently to provide accessible articles that match students’ academic and maturity levels. By prioritizing scaffolding for their needs, we saw increased student engagement.
—Gabrielle Gastelo
Student reflection
I studied war and I made a very detailed keychain. The keychain said “what have we done” it had a picture of the earth blowing up. I thought this was going to get a lot of attention. I learned that many activists have gone to the extent such as vandalizing and technically breaking the law to try to stop things like war. I learned that activism comes in many forms, speeches, graffiti, social media. Crafting was my favorite part of the project because I got to change things and do multiple drafts and get a lot of feedback and then I created the best version of my craft.
—Liam B
