Students Honor African American Heroes
Second graders at Westchester Country Day School participated in a research project about important African American heroes.
Through this project, students recognized the great achievements of historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, Bessie Coleman and George Washington Carver, the contributions of Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges, and the accomplishments of modern-day figures such as Dr. Mae Jemison, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali.
For the month of February in commemoration of Black History Month, the second grade classes spent their reading class time researching their selected heroes and gathering facts about their lives from biography books and internet sources. They also made creative posters of their heroes including pictures, a fact sheet and an inspirational quote.
The project culminated in the students sharing what they had learned with their classmates and parents. They each gave a 3-5 minute presentation with props and costumes representing their hero in which they presented their poster and an oral biography of the person's life. They were also encouraged to use costumes and props representing their hero.
By each highlighting a different historical figure, students helped one another learn about many African American heroes throughout the month.
Second grade teacher Ms. Marla Seelig says this is an important project that her classes have been doing for 10 years.
"They all did an amazing job!" Seelig shared with parents. "I was so impressed with the confidence, knowledge and excitement they demonstrated during their presentations."
