Objectives
In first grade history, I am mandated by the Virginia Standards of Learning to teach about the lives of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington Carver. Unfortunately, these Americans are not always given the attention they deserve in the first grade classroom. More often than not, the surface of these lives is barely skimmed, touching mainly on their illustrious accomplishments. Rarely do we see beneath the patina of their deeds. We pay little or no attention to the humanity of these prominent individuals. I want to breathe life into these important Americans by not only recognizing them as the great figures they became, but also seeing them as the children they once were.
By doing so, I hope to avoid the "disconnect" between the children and these important American icons that I have observed in years past. Their lives are far removed, not just by centuries, but also a perceived lack of common experience. I want to give my children a means with which to reach back to the past and find a connection to engage with these Americans and join me in the search to find that common experience joining them across the generations. I want my students to be filled with curiosity and seek answers to questions we will formulate together about how these people lived as children, how they came to be literate, and how literacy changed their lives. I will also encourage critical thinking by asking the children to speculate on how these lives would have been different had they never learned to read.
My task will be to guide them in the process of seeking answers by utilizing the rich literary genre of biography. In addition to reading and researching the biographies of many figures, not just those mandated by the state, I also hope to engender a love for the genre by sharing my own story.
Comments: