Share A Memory & Imagine A Different Future

Content:

The organization, Teachers Without Borders, specifically based in Nigeria, released a curated memorial peace education program, in honor of the late Dr. Joseph Hungwa. The lesson presented in this blog post, has been extrapolated from the program’s course highlighting the varying methods, in a four step process. The process allows for students, to reflect, create, and design their version of a peaceful world. To which, have been adapted and amended by fellow peace activists, such as Elise Boulding and Warren Ziegler, turning it into a six step process.

    Context:

    Educational Setting: This resource is best utilized, in the follow spaces, both of which can be formal and informal.

    • Subject matter:
      • Literature, History, Arts, and Media and Design (Graphic Design).
    • Age Level:
      • Grades
        • K-12

    This particular lesson, has been curated, as a stimulating and creative activity, to which, allows for the flexibility of educators to design a lesson catered to their student’s age ranges and subject matters. Hence, different tools may or may not be used to facilitate this lesson. The activity may be amended to allow for minimal tools during facilitation, as well.

    Implementation:

    The educator, may incorporate this resource, when discussions of narratives, empathy, creativity, and design are present.

    • Time: 45-60 minutes

    Lesson Plan: Logistics

    1. Begin with a warm-up: Childhood Memory
      • Ask the students to hold an image, in their imagination, then, take that image and engage with it. The engagement portion is brought on by, expanding the image itself. This can be done by, asking them to interact with the memory, through leading questions
        • What was happening?
        • Who all was there?
        • Activating the five senses: Touch, Smell, Taste, Hear, See
          • What can you touch? What did it feel like? Could you taste anything? What sounds were present in your memory? What else can you notice?
      • This should allow for the student, to in a warmed up phase, thus allowing for the imagination of planning the future to begin. Pause here, for a small break, if needed.
    2. Wish List
      • the student may be asked to identify, what they most hope to see in their preferred vision of the future, through the guidance of imagination.
    3. Stepping into the future
      • The facilitator will enter the guided visualization portion of this lesson. To which, they will help guide, the students to “see”, their future, through imagination. Allowing for independent work time to curate the ideal version of their futures.
    4. Sharing images
      • The images can be shared, in both a large or small group setting, once they have been finished creating their futures.
        • The individuals, can do a walkthrough in large groups
          • assigning their future a “base”, within the particular space they are working in, so that other individuals may walk around the space freely and engage and “enter” with their peers’ futures.
        • Or, they can do a pass around, within small groups, through the computers/laptops or pieces of paper they were working on.
    5. World Construction
      • Allowing for their futures to come together, through sharing between the peers. Either, large or small groups, can partake in a discussion, in which they attempt to link, all the ideal futures presented to them, and allow for one unified ideal/preferred future.
    6. Action Planning
      • Have the peers outline the specific steps, they would need to curate towards the future provided.

    Materials:

    • This activity can be done vocally or with physical materials. Does not need to be accomplished within a formal classroom setting. Informal settings, are just as appropriate.

    Physical materials, based on age group:

    • Ages: 5-12
      • Pencil
      • Markers/Crayons
      • Paper
    • Ages 12-18
      • Computer/laptops
      • Digital Software (Powerpoint, Canva, Adobe…etc)
      • Pencil
      • Paper
      • Pens/Markers
    • Optional: Non-tangible materials
      • Narrative design process
        • guided discussion, through group verbal communication and independent work and reflection periods.

    Goal:

    The varying types of peace education, that is most supported by and used to strengthen this resource is,

    • Social and Emotional pedagogy
      • Self-awareness, social awareness, and establish & maintain relationships
    • Culturally Responsive pedagogy
      • Awareness, for diversity, as represented in the various forms of expression, such as, cultural, religious, socioeconomic status, race, gender, and more.
    • Transformative pedagogy
      • Allowing for peers, to look beyond themselves, while also examining their interpersonal beliefs and truths. Hence, curating space for diversity.

    Development of skills and attitudes, while engaging with this source, includes:

    • Critical thinking, self autonomy, world view appreciation, and ways of defining peace.
      • The journey and the outcome, may vary for all individuals, but the core concept remains, which highlights, the inherent need for believing better results are possible. There are no limitations onto the establishment of curating ones ideal future. Through, the critical thinking phase and recognizing that individuals have self autonomy within their respective worlds, they are able to assemble social and emotional awareness and appreciation for the world, as whole. Thus, leading them onto the journey of, how one defines peace and how that differs from the individual within their proximity.

    Audience

    1. Title 1, elementary and middle schools within the Fairfax County Public School district.
    2. High School teachers, as well as, those specifically teaching graphic design courses, within the Fairfax County Public School district.

    Resources:

    https://teacherswithoutborders.org/peace

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