Rainbow’s second grade Cheetahs, as part of their thematic unit on community, have been busy designing what they envision as a peaceful town to live in.
After learning about communities they discussed and decided what a peaceful town would look like. Then they partnered up, and with much imagination, compromising and possibly negotiation, drafted their ideas into a large map. Soon after the plans were approved and all permits attained they started construction, building their Peace Towns with cardboard boxes, paper and paint. They then added people and plants and all kinds of extras.
“The project was completely student driven,” says Sheila Mraz, the second grade teacher. Each building needed to be an example of peace. One Peace Town had a grocery store that gave food away and a farm which showed a family having dinner because there is peace in a family. Another town had a non-religious school where no one’s holidays would be more important than anyone else’s.
Today, in honor of International Peace Day, Rainbow’s second grade invited the other classes to come tour their Peace Towns. It was well received and even a fifth grader was overheard to say he would like to make his own Peace Town. Following our second grade Cheetahs, we can all make our town, a more peaceful town.
