Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1214508
Even our youngest learners are taught that looking back provides us with important lessons for moving ahead. "My students are often surprised by history. It can make them laugh and cringe. It can also be very inspiring," says Dyana Hassoun, Grade 1 teacher at the West Campus. Assemblies play an important role in transferring lessons of the past to students. For instance, at last year's Remembrance Day assembly at the West Campus, students were silent and mesmerized as they listened to stories from a war veteran. Students keenly paid attention to his reflections on peace, war and freedom, described through a historical lens. "Our students heard first-hand about who was here before them, and the sacrifices they made. In the special environment of an assembly, you can bring lessons of history alive in a way that will sit with students for years," notes Mme Hassoun. In addition to assemblies, history is woven into the curriculum, and even includes students understanding their family's past journeys. As part of a unit of inquiry focused on space and time, Grade 1 students were asked to share historical elements from their country of origin. Some students ENTRE NOUS 20 brought in precious plates that have been passed from one generation to another. Others brought in their traditional family dress, or recipes to share that have long been cherished. Teaching history can also be a creative endeavour. Mirna Hafez, Principal of La p'tite école, shares, "Our approach to rooting young students in history is quite unique. There are not a lot of resources out there, so we are creating them LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD from scratch." Last year, Junior and Senior Kindergarten students were invited to travel back in time through art. Students looked at paintings by Seurat and talked about not only the style of art, but also the painter himself and the impact he had. They were also encouraged to look at the paintings and reflect on what has changed since they were first painted. This exercise continued this year with students noticing universal elements such as a child consoling another child, such as in Geoffroy's painting, featured on the right. To make the experience even more powerful, during music class, Grade 1 students were asked to listen to a piece of music by Debussy and then choose a painting that best matched the music. Students as young as six commented on how the "quietness of the music matched the sky" and "as the music got faster, it matched the trees growing in the paintings." Mme Hafez notes, "Whether it is science, math or art, everything has a beginning. We want our students to recognize the positive impact that humans have had on our society and to ask themselves: what do I know, what already exists that inspires me and what do I still need to learn?" "Our students were so proud to present tokens from their family's past. They were also intrigued by the variety and richness of their classmates' cultures and stories. These experiences spark a wonderful curiosity to look to the past." Dyana Hassoun, Grade 1 teacher Teaching a sense of history, across all subjects and to all ages, is one of the many unique elements of the TFS program. It provides students with a deep understanding of those who have come before us, the decisions, sacrifices and investments they collectively made, and how this history frames today , s realities. Wrien by: Amy Morin