The Sixth Grade Country Study: A 20-Year Focus on Social Justice and Activism
Every year the Sixth Grade Uppers embark into the depths of world geography, world culture, and a general study of cartography. It’s an exciting unit for the kids, they look forward to it every year, and we always hit the ground running with enthusiasm and joy for getting to know the map of the world, choosing a continent to study, and eventually choosing a country to study.
This month, Sixth Graders have begun the Country Study, a 20-year tradition. I distinctly remember sitting down with Rebecca Golden, Jane Stephenson, Alison Ryan, Jobi Dansy and other brilliant Center School teachers to co=create what has become known as the Country Study. The unit has changed a lot over the years, and will continue to evolve as our pedagogy evolves. In fact, when we began dreaming of this Integrated Curriculum, we barely had the Internet as a tool. No surprisingly,, students have found and enjoyed many facets of the World Wide Web that contribute to their understanding of geography and countries. Below are a few links you can check out. Trust me, they are fun and intriguing for kids and adults alike!
National Geographic, a kid-friendly resource for up-to-date information
All Countries Song, a map animation that lists all the countries in a cool way
Google Earth, my favorite thing on Planet Earth.
True Size Of Map Tool. Drag the map of Chile next to the east coast and get ready to be shocked.
Antipodes Map - This surprises me every time.
WORLD - LE (we do it without the map outline) and COUNTRYLE, our favorite map games to do in our choice time.
Sixth graders participate in an in-depth study of World Geography and a long-term research project. The goal of this extensive study is for students to focus on one topic, their chosen country, in an in-depth, cross-curricular way in order to continue their inherent curiosity about the world.
The first phase of the country study asks students to explore their chosen country by reading and taking notes using online research sites and a nonfiction book from the Cultures of the World series. The class researches basic political facts, cultural elements, climate, geography, history, activism, the people and their lifestyles. Recently, students were excited to discover that they can listen to music from their country’s radio stations while they work on their research! Here is the Radio Garden link if you would like to listen to songs from South Africa, Chile, Ukraine, or Libya! It’s so fun!
Alongside the research phase, students are asked to produce documents that apply to the final presentation, including:
Extensive, organized notes taken while reading reference sources
A written description of places to visit, including details of each place, what one would do there, and why one would be interested in visiting each place
A written and visual representation of a social or ecological justice issue
A written and visual representation of an activist working for change in their country
A written and visual representation of an historical site and the details surrounding the historical significance of that place.
As mentioned above, a particular focus of this Country Study is the Justice Project and the Activist Study, assignments designed to be integrated with the Center School’s social justice mission. Students are asked to uncover a current social or environmental justice issue in their country of focus, and an activist working for change. Once they choose an issue and an activist, each student creates a written and a visual representation of the issue. The written pieces explain the issue, cite the work being done to solve the problem, explain all sides of the issue, and propose a solution to the problem. The visual piece challenges students to represent and demonstrate the issue in another mode.
Throughout this unit, students read nonfiction resources to determine the central ideas of a text and summarize the main points. Students use critical thinking skills to analyze history and distinguish fact from opinion and propaganda. They also integrate visual information such as photographs, maps, and charts. Their final project, a digital slideshow presentation, focuses on extended project planning skills. It requires students to fine-tune research skills, such as analyzing sources, summarizing without plagiarizing, and determining main points. In addition to research, this final project develops technological skills such as how to use the proper online application to create a presentation, include succinct and relevant information, and choose appropriate imagery.
The entire unit of learning and researching coalesces into the creation of a digital slideshow presentation, a comprehensive exhibition of all of the Country Study work, compiled and organized into beautiful displays. Students are given a checklist of criteria required for the presentation, including written and visual content. Coaching is provided in the use of Google Slides, and students learn to independently navigate the presentation software.
The project culminates in a 20-30 minute oral presentation in front of an audience of peers and teachers. The slideshow included 20-30 informative and interactive slides, with oral narration on topics including:
Geography
Population
Location
Flag design and meaning
Historical and cultural places
Social or Ecological Justice Issues
Activists working for change
Language
Clothing and Food
Religion and Celebrations
Below are some examples of slideshows from former students.
This year’s sixth graders are listed below, with the name of their chosen country.
NOTE: We are looking for a few people who would be willing to share about other countries. If you or someone you know has lived extensively in any countries outside of our United States, and would like to give a short slideshow presentation to our class about experiences in that country, please contact Chris Sanborn at c.sanborn@centerschool.net. Thank you!