1st Graders in Charge

Once the students gained an understanding of fairness, I put them in charge. I read the poem, "If I Were in Charge of the World" by Judith Viorst. Then I asked the students, "If you were the boss of the playground, what would you do to make it a better place?" For homework, I positioned the question in the context of their neighborhood. The students received worksheets with the questions and two prompts: I would like _____ to stop and I think _____ should change. The goal of the worksheets was for the students to identify things that they would change to make their playground and neighborhood better places for them. I received a range of answers from practical to extravagant, particularly for the worksheet they completed in class: If you were the boss of your neighborhood, what would you do to make it a better place?

Practical answer

1. I would like the playground to stop.

The playground looking like the street.

2. I think the playground should change.

I want sli(d)es in the playground.

Extravagant answer

1. I would like rocks to stop.

I would like a pool fill of hammerhead shark. I will not get in I will jest (just) love to see them grow.

2. I think park should change.

I will like the park to change because I don't like the rochs (rocks).

In reflection, the wording of the question and prompts were complicated. I could have use more specific language in the questions such as, "What don't you like about your playground/neighborhood or what is unfair about your playground/ neighborhood?" These questions would have provided the link between unfairness and the students' environments. This activity led us off track because adding a water slide or shark tank to our playground is enticing, but is not a social justice issue. However, Ms. Liza and I reframed the questioning for our next lesson to guide the students' thinking about issues that can affect their quality of life.