Grade 5 Project Comes to Life in Words and Paintings

African Literature and Storytelling Project

 

As part of the 5th Grade curriculum at Cambridge Friends School, students get a chance to take a deep dive into African literature, art, and storytelling. Emily Lyons – a 5th Grade teacher here at Cambridge Friends School – guides students through a multi-step project where they explore African stories and art styles and then use their own reading and writing to analyze the stories. Using the literature and art as their inspiration, they have the opportunity to write their own personal versions of the stories that inspired them in some way, changing the stories to fit their own perspectives.

 

This year, the 5th graders spent several weeks patiently reading, writing, and discussing. Emily was impressed  with the amount of patience that the children had in their work. They often wrote multiple iterations of their stories, eventually drafting and compiling personally written books.

 

At times in the process, Emily saw that the students working in non-linear fashion, but each child had a vision in their mind of where the book was going. In the end, many books included beautifully decorated art to accompany the pages of the story, and the final projects are full of beautiful color and personality. Vibrant, multi-layered drawings and paintings adorn the pages.

 

    

 

After completing their books, the students individually reflected on their work and wrote about the reasoning behind their choices in writing and art. This deep dive into African creative story telling is a multi-faceted learning approach. The children, at many points, process the meanings of the stories and reflect on how elements of the stories are shared with their own lives. Emily indicated that this step was important in weaving the literature and the learning into the students lives and experience.

 

Open minded learning, self-reflection, deep connection to the subject, freedom of creativity and expression are all goals of this approach, and teaches the important skills of close-reading and writing.

 

This deep approach teaches more than just the basics of education – It creates a global connection between the students and the material that will be carried with them in years to come. It’s this deep learning and engagement that makes Cambridge Friends School a unique school.