My fourth graders had become increasingly passionate about the social issue of racism throughout the year. It was the last week in April. The long sprint to the end was just beginning. The crazy testing schedule was just beginning. All the end of the year field trips were right around the corner. The last month was going to be absolutely crazy.
Our reading lesson was in the afternoon because something had taken up our normal morning slot. We were learning the strategy of comparing and analyzing two different accounts of the same events. I was using a non-fiction text which described the March on Washington.
It wasn't long before my students were heated and passionate about the inequality. One student called out, "Why do we call them black and white people, aren't we all just people?" Other similar statements were stated about how horrible racism is. Another said, "I wish we could do something to stop racism, but we're just kids." They wanted to do something but felt like they couldn't be cause of their age. I didn't want to let this moment pass, so I chose to step in.
I told them that it didn't matter that they were kids, they too could help. In our writing, we had been studying social issues and the students were currently working on action plans in regards to a specific social issue. They could take what they had learned and put it into action right now.
We sat their brainstorming different ideas of how they could help. The students wanted to raise money to give to President Obama which he could use to stop racism. I suggested that the money should probably go to a specific organization and not just be sent to the President. We spent the last 15 minutes looking online to see what we could do and gathering fundraising ideas in a document as a class. All the student groaned when I told them we were out of time and had to head to physical education!
I spent my prep time talking to the principal and getting approval for our fundraising and searching for an organization where we could send our money too. I wanted to be prepared when the students came back. I wanted their idea and passion to be able to come to fruition.
After snack and read-aloud, we discussed the Ruby Bridges Foundation as a possibility to send our money too. Then we discussed how we were going to fund-raise--Penny Drive and selling items at lunch and recess. The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing signs, writing an informational letter to parents about our Penny Drive, deciding what items we would sell, and preparing items to sell. At the end of the day, I stopped them and told them to look at the clock. I said, "You had an idea at 12:30. It is now 2:45, and we have a plan to raise money and a foundation we are going to donate it to which will help to stop racism. Please don't tell me you as kids can't do something if you want too."
I was incredibly shook up by the end of the day. My students wanted to help. They saw so clearly that racism was wrong and had to stop. I hadn't forced them into this; they came up with the idea and made it their own. They took their ideas and were ready to start and help as much as they could. I was in complete awe.
By the end of our selling time and Penny Drive, our school had raised over $700 for the Ruby Bridges Foundation. I have never been more proud of my students than in those moments of them taking action instead of being bystanders.
