School Bells – current affairs – Grade 1 – week four
Building Walls
This will be the 4th week that I have met with my seven-year-old adopted niece’s first grade class for a discussion of current issues. The first time we met I asked all the children to name one issue in the news which concerned them. Sofia, whose family was born in Mexico, was worried about a wall being built between the United States and Mexico. She was afraid that her family and her grandparents would not be able to travel back and forth to visit. I asked the children to talk to their families about how we can learn to work with other countries and think how about even first graders can make a difference in how we get along with people in other countries.
Me: Good morning class. How is everyone?
Class (in unison): Good morning Mr. Jim.
Suddenly they are waving sheets of paper and I recall I had sent home a permission slip for a family member of each of the children to tell me whether it was okay to bring in chocolate chip cookies with nuts.
Me: You brought your slips. Great. Sue would you roll around (she uses a wheelchair) and collect the slips? Thanks.
Sue does as I have asked and brings me the slips. I quickly look at them and discover that one of the children cannot have nuts.
Me: Great. Since one of you is allergic to nuts, I can bring cookies but without nuts. So, I will bring some in next week.
All the children clap.
Me: Okay. That is great. Does everyone remember the assignment? Yes? Raise your hands.
All hands go up.
Me: Wonderful. Does anyone want to share what family members said about the possible wall and how even first graders can help us get along better with neighbors?
Sue: My mother said that a wall will never be built. She says Mr. Trump is the main one who wants to build it. He even wants Mexico to pay for it.
Sam: The president of Mexico says he will never pay for a wall.
Ahmes: My older sister and I looked it up and there are more Mexicans going back to Mexico than are coming to the United States.
Tommy: My Uncle says that is not true. The whew or dew or
Me: The Pew organization?
Tommy: That’s it Mr. Jim. He said the Pew organization made that up.
Sofia: My dad said that a lot of companies from United States moved their place to Mexico to pay cheap wages.
Tara: My mother says that it is also cheaper to exp… Espor
Me: Export. That means selling to someone in another country. Here let me draw it on the board.
Tara: Anyway they save money.
Me: Do they use the extra money to pay the workers more? What happens to that money?
Steve: My brother says that the big people make more money and build big homes. The big houses hire some people but not a lot.
Me: By big people you mean the big bosses Steve?
Steve: The people who are not like us.
Me: Goodness, it sounds as if there are a lot of issues. Would a wall solve any of them?
Sam: It would keep us out of Mexico. If Mexico paid for it then they could decide who stays out of Mexico and who stayed out of the United States.
Me: That makes sense Sam. What is the real problem here? Why do we have difficulty getting along with our neighbors?
Susie: We have a lot of kids from different countries and we get along.
Me: That is true. This school has worked hard to make sure we get to know about each other. We also live in the same neighborhoods.
Sam: Our house is like a bunch of countries.
Me: Yes, it is a very international house. International means what.
Ahmes: A lot of different countries?
Me: Yes. Very good Ahmes. Do you think that if we learn to respect each other as children we will still be friends when we grow up?
Tara: Why wouldn’t we still be friends Mr. Jim?
Susie: What if we are like the trees and the other plants? What if we need each other to live?
Me: Wow. What if that is true class?
Steve: That means we have to learn to be nice to each other.
Sofia: I am confused Mr. Jim. If there are so many reasons for us to get along, why would be build a wall or be mean to each other?
Me: Very good Sofia. Once again I am so proud of you and your families for helping us learn from and with each other. It sounds as if our job as first graders is to get to know each other and stay friends as we grow up. It also sounds as if we cannot solve problems if we do not get along. What else have we learned today? Shout it out and I will write on the board.
1. Not everything we read or hear is the truth.
2. Some rich people want to pay others very little.
3. Selling to other countries is cheaper in Mexico.
4. Mexico will not pay for a wall.
5. If we work and play together we becomes friends.
6. We have a lot to learn.
Wow. That is very good. We do have a lot to learn about how we are going to live and work together. It sounds like the most important thing is to learn about and from each other. We cannot solve problems together if we do not like each other.
Sam: Are we having cookies next week Uncle Jim?
Me: I promise. I will bring lots of chocolate chip cookies without nuts next week.
All the children clap and shout out YEY!
Me: How about between now and next week you talk to your families about Steve’s concern about making it safe for those riding bicycles? I have written it down so each of you can take the assignment home to your families. Steve will you pass them out.
Steve: Okay Mr. Jim.
Steve passes out the assignment.
Ring, ring, ring!
Me: Have a wonderful week. Thanks for helping me learn.
Written August 30, 2016
Building Walls
This will be the 4th week that I have met with my seven-year-old adopted niece’s first grade class for a discussion of current issues. The first time we met I asked all the children to name one issue in the news which concerned them. Sofia, whose family was born in Mexico, was worried about a wall being built between the United States and Mexico. She was afraid that her family and her grandparents would not be able to travel back and forth to visit. I asked the children to talk to their families about how we can learn to work with other countries and think how about even first graders can make a difference in how we get along with people in other countries.
Me: Good morning class. How is everyone?
Class (in unison): Good morning Mr. Jim.
Suddenly they are waving sheets of paper and I recall I had sent home a permission slip for a family member of each of the children to tell me whether it was okay to bring in chocolate chip cookies with nuts.
Me: You brought your slips. Great. Sue would you roll around (she uses a wheelchair) and collect the slips? Thanks.
Sue does as I have asked and brings me the slips. I quickly look at them and discover that one of the children cannot have nuts.
Me: Great. Since one of you is allergic to nuts, I can bring cookies but without nuts. So, I will bring some in next week.
All the children clap.
Me: Okay. That is great. Does everyone remember the assignment? Yes? Raise your hands.
All hands go up.
Me: Wonderful. Does anyone want to share what family members said about the possible wall and how even first graders can help us get along better with neighbors?
Sue: My mother said that a wall will never be built. She says Mr. Trump is the main one who wants to build it. He even wants Mexico to pay for it.
Sam: The president of Mexico says he will never pay for a wall.
Ahmes: My older sister and I looked it up and there are more Mexicans going back to Mexico than are coming to the United States.
Tommy: My Uncle says that is not true. The whew or dew or
Me: The Pew organization?
Tommy: That’s it Mr. Jim. He said the Pew organization made that up.
Sofia: My dad said that a lot of companies from United States moved their place to Mexico to pay cheap wages.
Tara: My mother says that it is also cheaper to exp… Espor
Me: Export. That means selling to someone in another country. Here let me draw it on the board.
Tara: Anyway they save money.
Me: Do they use the extra money to pay the workers more? What happens to that money?
Steve: My brother says that the big people make more money and build big homes. The big houses hire some people but not a lot.
Me: By big people you mean the big bosses Steve?
Steve: The people who are not like us.
Me: Goodness, it sounds as if there are a lot of issues. Would a wall solve any of them?
Sam: It would keep us out of Mexico. If Mexico paid for it then they could decide who stays out of Mexico and who stayed out of the United States.
Me: That makes sense Sam. What is the real problem here? Why do we have difficulty getting along with our neighbors?
Susie: We have a lot of kids from different countries and we get along.
Me: That is true. This school has worked hard to make sure we get to know about each other. We also live in the same neighborhoods.
Sam: Our house is like a bunch of countries.
Me: Yes, it is a very international house. International means what.
Ahmes: A lot of different countries?
Me: Yes. Very good Ahmes. Do you think that if we learn to respect each other as children we will still be friends when we grow up?
Tara: Why wouldn’t we still be friends Mr. Jim?
Susie: What if we are like the trees and the other plants? What if we need each other to live?
Me: Wow. What if that is true class?
Steve: That means we have to learn to be nice to each other.
Sofia: I am confused Mr. Jim. If there are so many reasons for us to get along, why would be build a wall or be mean to each other?
Me: Very good Sofia. Once again I am so proud of you and your families for helping us learn from and with each other. It sounds as if our job as first graders is to get to know each other and stay friends as we grow up. It also sounds as if we cannot solve problems if we do not get along. What else have we learned today? Shout it out and I will write on the board.
1. Not everything we read or hear is the truth.
2. Some rich people want to pay others very little.
3. Selling to other countries is cheaper in Mexico.
4. Mexico will not pay for a wall.
5. If we work and play together we becomes friends.
6. We have a lot to learn.
Wow. That is very good. We do have a lot to learn about how we are going to live and work together. It sounds like the most important thing is to learn about and from each other. We cannot solve problems together if we do not like each other.
Sam: Are we having cookies next week Uncle Jim?
Me: I promise. I will bring lots of chocolate chip cookies without nuts next week.
All the children clap and shout out YEY!
Me: How about between now and next week you talk to your families about Steve’s concern about making it safe for those riding bicycles? I have written it down so each of you can take the assignment home to your families. Steve will you pass them out.
Steve: Okay Mr. Jim.
Steve passes out the assignment.
Ring, ring, ring!
Me: Have a wonderful week. Thanks for helping me learn.
Written August 30, 2016
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