Giselle Umana, a fifth grade student at Clayton Huey Elementary School in Center Moriches, has a passion for history and took the steps to share it with her classmates. Last year, Giselle brought up the idea of starting a history group and this year put her plans into action. Giselle worked with the school psychologist, Katharine Cunningham, to share her idea with other fifth graders. The pair went into fifth grade classrooms to share information about the group and ended up recruiting a total of 12 students to join.
During the course of six weeks, the history group met to discuss different historical events and time periods including the Great Depression, Ancient Rome and the American Revolution. They also learned about historical figures such as King Tut and Julius Caesar. The experience has allowed students to share and expand their knowledge of history outside of the typical classroom setting.
Additionally, the group aligns with Clayton Huey Elementary School’s IB Primary Years Programme.
“This group strongly ties into ‘student agency,’ which is when our students take ownership of their own learning and action that comes from learning,” said Ms. Cunningham. “Agency helps students to become more active participants in their educational experiences.”
Date Added: 4/19/2023