Students at Hillandale Elementary School are responding to a literal wall of questions this month, all centered on honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history.
To explore the lives of important leaders during Black History Month, ESL Teacher Lisa DeWitt is bringing to life the walls outside of her classroom with a series of challenging questions for her students to ponder:
Who is called the Moses of Her People?
Who is called the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement?
Who was the first African American to explore the Arctic?
The wall is lined with pictures and biographies of African Americans noted for stellar achievements in science, exploration, business, education, music, and government.
Students are asked to select a question from one section of the wall and then connect it to the famous person’s biography. But to do so, they have to look for and read several of the biographies before they find the answer to their question, since the keywords are buried in the bios. When they find the right match, they connect their question to the biography with the help of a little Velcro.
Some of the biographies are short and simple while others are 2-3 paragraphs. That way, says Ms. DeWitt, the whole school can participate.
“Learning is more effective when it is an active process,” DeWitt said, describing why she chose this particular style of learning exercise for her students. “And by asking questions, it leads to deeper learning, problem-solving, and wondering ‘how’ and ‘why.’”
Many students pass through and linger in the halls, going to and from classes, lunch, or waiting at the end of the day for their ride home. DeWitt asks, “What can they do to learn while they are there to inspire more learning about Black History?”
Simply check out the Wall of Fame!
