Introduction

One of the key aspects of advocacy is empathy. However, we cannot expect empathy to be fully developed in early childhood without helping to establish a sense of self. To begin our advocacy unit, I wanted to connect prior knowledge from our All About Me studies to deepen learning and give students a solid foundation of not only who they are as individuals, but their roles within various communities. We studied characteristics and discussed how these make us unique, but can also facilitate connection. We also examined different emotions we experience and how those can impact our lives and decisions. Most importantly, this unit provided young students with an opportunity to increase cultural pride, form their own opinions, learn communication skills, voice needs, as well as build independence and self-esteem.

Research

Contrary to what many of us were taught, I believe that children should be seen and heard, that their voices are powerful and that they are capable of whatever they put their mind to. Too often we view children as being “receptacles” of information, rather than “facilitators” of their own education (Fletcher, 2018). This lesson promotes students’ confidence and self-efficacy by validating their experiences, exploring new perspectives, and collaborating as a community to learn how to use our voices to stand up to injustice. Fletcher (2015) notes, “when young people stand for their beliefs and understand the impact of their voices, they can represent their families and communities with pride, courage, and ability” (New Roles For Young People). By using inquiry-based, child-centered instruction, students will become facilitators, researchers, advocates, and specialists of their individual paths.

References:

Fletcher, A. (2018, January 7). Cycle of youth engagement: Youth voice. https://freechild.org/cycle-of-youth-voice/

Fletcher, A. (2015, December 11). New roles for young people throughout society. Overblog. http://treasure.over-blog.com/2015/12/new-roles-for-young-people-throughout-society.html

Planning

After thorough research, the lead teachers and I created the above document to hone in on specific learning goals and how those would look differently in each classroom based on cognitive development and student need. Because we are an early education center, each activity and objective must be carefully prepared to ensure content is accessible, stimulating and effective for each classroom. This overview allowed teachers to tailor instruction based on indicators of understanding, developmentally appropriate practice, and school-wide learning objectives. For additional information regarding DC's Early Learning Standards, please view the link below.

Weekly Overview

The above provides a glimpse into how the PreK students are beginning to build their sense of self, practice self-regulation and understand their responsibility to the community. The above experiences provide students with a multidimensional approach to self-discovery, body exploration, and vital social-emotional skills through play-based learning to support advocating for themselves and others.

This weekly plan includes diverse children's books that help students increase cultural pride by connecting with how various characters use personal qualities to navigate difficult situations and use their voices to enact positive change. Students also use the creative arts to examine identity and engage in meaningful discussions with peers. Furthermore, the activities outlined will serve as critical background knowledge as we expand on what it means to be activists and advocates.

A Is For Activist Lesson Plan

Instructional Strategies

The above lesson plan helps children develop opinions and speak about real-world problems. After in-depth examinations of ourselves and communities throughout the week, students engaged in a discussion pertaining to what it means to be an activist by reading the text, A Is For Activist, as well as practicing key skills throughout play. We began by reviewing the goals of the lesson.

1. Children are capable and have the right to express concern regarding issues that affect them/ friends.

2. We will use our voices/actions to stand up for ourselves and others.

My first strategy was to connect this to prior and new knowledge obtained throughout the week. Students reflected on experiences when using their voices resulted in needs being met. One child exclaimed, "I used my voice to tell you that you forgot someone's water bottle". We then introduced what it means to be an activist and learned that an important part of activism is believing in yourself. Our affirmations, as noted in the above plan, aided student understanding by encouraging that, although they are young, they are capable of amazing things. We then engaged in a group discussion of the text and used one another's ideas to broaden horizons, deepen understanding and view alternate perspectives. After formal instruction, students were given an opportunity to practice said concepts through free play at center time. Teachers acted as guides while taking anecdotal observation notes to help students recognize and communicate needs/ desires, and speak up for others/ themselves.

Assessment

After conducting the above lessons, I saw an increase in emotional expression and discussion. Young children are inherently compassionate people, but often lack the skills to express themselves and view situations from multiple perspectives. Thoughtfully developed lessons and activities based on cognitive development provided students a foundational understanding of self, deepening confidence by demonstrating how human connection and advocacy can enrich our lives.

As I continue to develop my own skills of teaching advocacy, I will consider how critical building these neurological connections are for all of early childhood, not just PreK. As I mentioned above, children’s brains are rapidly creating synapses that will impact the trajectory social-emotional awareness and critical thinking for the duration of their lives. Given this information, I will be intentional in seeking out additional information and creating lessons that respond to student need and strengthen higher-level thinking for all of the classrooms in our school.