By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Third-grade social studies students at Union City Elementary have truly experienced “distance learning.”
As part of a project that steered those in Randi Lynn McBride’s and Julie Morgan’s classes to identify continents and major oceans on a map, students delved even deeper into African culture.
In addition to focusing on topography, climate and location, they were assigned true homework to create African masks and shields while then explaining why those objects are used in that continent’s culture.
The project was truly special to McBride – who recently married and is now Randi Lynn Moore – as she served as a missionary in Africa before becoming a full-time teacher.
“It was really fun for me to relay so many real-life examples of the culture there — through photos, videos and stories — to my classes,” she said. “I think it brought a lot of what we learned to life. Kids no longer think about these and other places and continents as far-off places, but real places they could visit one day.”
Moore said both she and Morgan were “blown away” by the enthusiasm and effort of the students who tackled the project of making masks and shields at home with joy and specific attention to detail.
Having learned that masks are used in some African cultures for things such as acting, dancing, funerals and celebrations, and that shields were part of the heritage during war and celebrations, students were allowed to choose which of the two they created.
They were graded on various specifics, including geometric shapes and patterns, African colors and features, as well as symmetrical creativity and craftsmanship.
“They did an incredible job of showing real African culture and expectations,” Moore claimed. “Parents were even reaching out, telling me how excited and involved their child had been in the project. I had one student tell me he wanted to travel the world and when I asked him why, he said: ‘I want to learn about other cultures and languages that are different from my own.
“My hope is that they continue to learn about various continents and they’ll recognize they can do great things – even being from a small area like ours – anywhere they want to in the entire world.”