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Artist Unidentified |
Social Studies Lesson
Teacher Reflections by David Millard
This project was not a single lesson, but a large unit on immigration. There were many lessons over many months, with many writing drafts and revisions. I used the Gerrish Family portrait to launch our study of immigration. As the classroom teacher, I sat in on the initial art lesson where the students observed and discussed the artwork. Using the portrait and that conversation as a kick-off, I assigned weekly homework, asking for parents and family members’ help and support. Together, students and their families began to “fill in the blanks” of the past in search of each family’s “path to Portland.” To give the unit a bigger theme, I asked students to consider what their families try to teach them. I asked students, “What are the important values or lessons that your parents want you to know about living a good life? What ideas would they want you to pass on to your children in the future?”
The textbooks discuss broader historical trends of U.S. immigration, focusing on Irish, Italian, and Chinese immigration in the 19th century. Many of my students have newer immigration stories from Somalia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Sudan. In order to get at these stories, we relied on family research and knowledge. Many of the stories the children uncovered during this project were completely new to them! Every day the children returned with a homework assignment, they were telling each other the stories they heard at home. The enthusiasm I was overhearing was contagious. I brought in my own family photos of people from long ago to share my stories, which further motivated their own quests. As the stories continued, I was amazed by the details of past lives: of uncles rescued from the sea, grandfathers shot at in wars, mothers and fathers separated by bureaucratic tangles, armies marching into small villages and forever changing the lives of many families.
Studying the Joseph Marriner Gerrish Family portrait gave students a chance to think about the idea of family, and who they might include in a portrait of their family today. Students asked themselves: Who do I include? Who do I leave out? Why? What is important to my family and how do I show that in my artwork and writing? This project forced students to go deeper in their research than they are used to. They would come back with more information every week, without my prodding. They wanted to learn!
For summative assessment of student writing assignments, I used our school district’s writing rubrics. I also looked for their understanding of the four essential questions throughout their writing. The peer reviews were invaluable for students’ growth and understanding. In the future, I will do more written peer review, earlier and more often. The students listen to each other and learn from each other differently than they do from the teacher.
Teaching about family ancestry and roots has always been a tough and touchy task. I, and many teachers, have shied away from it, as many families are reluctant to talk about unknown parents, mischievous uncles, or the horrors of running from war and poverty. They would rather not talk about the past, or pass those horrors on to their children. This unit, together with the art component, has helped the children learn so much about their families that I will no longer avoid this rich area of learning. It brought students together with grandparents and uncles and aunts and lost brothers still living in far-away homelands. Assessments were almost unnecessary, as each student became the keeper of his/her family history.