This unit was created by the Exploring Common Roots team as part of the 2023 cohort of The 1619 Project Education Network. It is designed for facilitation across approximately four sessions with optional virtual sessions.
Objectives
Educators will…
- Explore and understand the legacy of slavery’s impact on the sense of belonging for African Americans.
- Participate in reflective experiences that allow them to better understand their own American origin story and how it intersects with that of descendants of enslaved Americans.
- Use children’s literature to create opportunities for adults and children in the early learning settings to come to a deeper understanding of their identities and an increased sense of belonging.
- Define next steps to create more inclusive and welcoming learning environments that engage texts exploring the lasting legacy of slavery
- Curate a list of classroom resources to support learning by educators and by the children.
- Be encouraged to confront personal limitations that inhibit their ability to have hard conversations with children and with families about identity and belonging, and create an action plan for taking the next brave step to engage with those conversations.
Unit Overview
Students will explore the concept of belonging in early childhood. They will be scaffolded to develop a greater understanding of the connection to an individual's American origin story. The diversity of the children and families in their early learning settings will be celebrated and common themes and narratives around identity will be highlighted.
Students will practice using children’s literature to highlight the many U.S. identity origin stories possibly represented in their early learning environment. They will also practice research and reflective practices that allow them to develop an understanding of their own sense of belonging and the intersections with those whose roots in the U.S. reach back to the institution of slavery.
Finally educators will practice strategies to initiate and implement tough conversations with families who might state preferences to steer away from the topics highlighted in this unit. They will also develop language and practices for communicating the importance of the themes and texts in this unit for creating welcome spaces for all children and families.
Performance Task:
- Visual representation (collage) of the American origin stories for students’ families, along with reflective statements on recognized connections/differences to the origin stories of students in their early learning environments and colleagues.
- Completed in Session 3: Summary of Lesson Themes- Using Children’s Literature as “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors”
- Action Plan detailing how students will support young children’s sense of belonging in the classroom. Plan will also identify additional learning needs and resources needed in their early learning environment. The plan will also define next steps to prepare for future “hard conversations” with families.
- Completed in Session 4: Summary of Lesson Themes- Having Tough Conversations with Families
Project descriptions and evaluation rubrics for both summative projects are available here: Exploring Common Roots: Culminating Projects - Google Docs. [.pdf][.docx]
Assessment/Evaluation:
Educators will be asked to reflect and apply their learning experiences to their awareness of how they show up in the classroom and how they see and experience the children and families in their learning environments. Facilitators will review and provide feedback on those reflective statements.
Educators will be tasked to create a visual representation that demonstrates an understanding of their American origin story and how it connects to the stories of the learners in their early learning settings. These representations will be shared with classmates who will be scaffolded to provide peer reviews of the efforts.
Project descriptions and evaluation rubrics for both summative projects are available here: Exploring Common Roots: Culminating Projects - Google Docs. [.pdf][.docx]
Four lessons implemented over four sessions and asynchronous discussion boards that include pacing, texts, teaching materials, and multimedia resources. Download below, or scroll down to review key resources included in the unit plan.
Unit Resources
Virginia Early Learning and Development Standards
SED1. Positive Self-Concept
SED1.1. Developing self-awareness
CD2. Social Science: People, Community, and Culture
CD2.3. Learning about differences
CLLD2. Foundations of Reading
CLLD2.2. Understanding ideas, vocabulary, and
information in stories and texts
NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation
- STANDARD 4 Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices (4c)
- STANDARD 6 Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator (6a)
The following examples capture reflections by students from Northern Virginia Community College who engaged with this unit in 2023.
1. At the start of the unit, students reflect on their identities as Americans and what they know about how their own families arrived in the United States and have lived in the United States. They also reflect on their experiences with children's books that they related to personally.
2. As part of one of the mini-lessons embedded in this unit for early childhood educators, participants respond in a digital discussion platform to the following prompts:
- What do I know/ need to know about the identities of the children and families in my early learning program?"
- How is my identity similar and different from others in my setting?
- How can children’s literature support the sense of belonging for the children and their families?
- What can I do in my early learning environment to increase the sense of belonging of all learners?
As a teacher of young children I need to know about the children’s cultures, languages, and traditions. Then, I should prepare my lesson plan based on their traditions, cultures, and languages because it is important for teachers in early learning programs to strive hard to create supportive and inclusive environments where children and families feel valued, respected, and understood. By recognizing and appreciating the diverse identities of the children and families they work with, teachers can foster a sense of belonging and promote positive learning experiences for all.
Early Childhood Educator from Northern Virginia Community College as part of the closing reflection from this unit in fall 2023
Children's literature plays a vital role in promoting a sense of belonging for children and their families. By featuring diverse characters and exploring various cultural backgrounds, it allows children to see themselves, their experiences, and their families represented in the stories they read. This helps children develop a positive sense of self and validates their identities, leading to a greater sense of belonging.
Educator from Northern Virginia Community College as part of the closing reflection from this unit in fall 2023
There are certainly many things I can do to increase the sense of belonging in my students. I can add more diverse literature, facilitate more discussions about the cultures represented in my class, continue to connect with my students and share food, clothing, traditions at a Multi-cultural Night Event. One thing I do in my class that the student's love is to send home a page at the beginning of the year asking for them to draw or attach pictures of all of their favorite things. Pictures of their families, pets and sports are all attached to their special page. I laminate it and put it in the class library. This is one of their favorite things to look at and talk about with each other. It has helped us all connect, discuss and relate to each other.
Educator from Northern Virginia Community College as part of the closing reflection from this unit in fall 2023
As a teacher in the early childhood field we have an opportunity to provide an intentional learning experience in our classroom. It starts by being aware of each of our students' family histories and experiences. If we create an open and welcoming atmosphere in our classroom we can learn about each other and make our world so much richer. At the same time, reflect on your own experience growing up. What were you exposed to? How did you learn about different cultures? As you reflect, ask yourself this question: Am I assuming something about these cultures or do I really understand them? Then ask questions, read books, learn about the amazing cultures all around us.
Educator from Northern Virginia Community College as part of the closing reflection from this unit in fall 2023
Consider your own identity, recognize any biases, and value the diversity in your community. My identity is vastly different then many of my students who are typically from a Spanish-speaking background and are learning English as a second language. It is particularly important for me to learn more about their cultures and their families’ backgrounds. It is essential to include children's literature featuring diverse characters and cultural backgrounds as it plays a vital role in making them feel recognized and nurturing a sense of belonging.
To implement these ideas:
1. Create a diverse library with various authors and stories.
2. Use teaching practices that respect each child's cultural background.
3. Display visuals celebrating cultural diversity.
4. Encourage open discussions about different identities.
5. Involve families in sharing their traditions.
Educator from Northern Virginia Community College as part of the closing reflection from this unit in fall 2023
The Exploring Common Roots Team has been celebrated by their school community for the meaningful work they engaged with during this project. This video, compiled by the Northern Virginia Community College DEI and Communications Teams captures the true impact of the project on the individual students and their work in the larger community.