Black History Month in The Experiential School
Source/Author: Adriana Hollenbeck, Head of The Experiential School of Tampa Bay
February 24, 2023
Throughout the 2022-2023 school year thus far, ES Studio teacher and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator for The Experiential School, Ms. Trayer, has integrated DEI into countless experiences.
In Studio with Ms. Trayer, the youngest Chargers learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When she projected his photo on the wall, some students recognized him. Interestingly, the youngsters had recently investigated how microphones are used, and they noticed the microphone in the photo of Dr. King. This led to a conversation about what it means to give a speech.
We firmly believe that children are never too young to learn about the beauty of humanity, and Black History Month gives us new opportunities to teach important concepts.
As a school we understand the importance of the ABCs and 123s, but we also believe that social behaviors like empathy and noticing and celebrating differences need to be taught in the early childhood classroom.
Last month we joined the Lower School in the Janet Root Theatre to watch third graders perform "Be The Change", a program in which children share their thoughts and their voices in a moving musical experience.
In Studio with Ms. Trayer, the youngest Chargers learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When she projected his photo on the wall, some students recognized him. Interestingly, the youngsters had recently investigated how microphones are used, and they noticed the microphone in the photo of Dr. King. This led to a conversation about what it means to give a speech.
“We also talked about peace, and how it could mean everyone getting along,” Ms. Trayer, the ES DEI Coordinator, shared. “We thought about being kind to everyone because we can all imagine what hurt feelings feel like, almost like how it would feel to lose our stuffy/lovey or to fall down and get hurt.”
The Alpha and Junior Kindergarten students were introduced to the djembe drum and talked about where it was from. They listened to songs featuring African drumming and had a drum circle with hand drums. Then they used Google Maps to find Africa and see how far away from Florida it is.
Throughout the month of February ES continued exploring Black History Month mostly through storytelling, taking advantage of the great book titles available in our library.
Throughout the month of February ES continued exploring Black History Month mostly through storytelling, taking advantage of the great book titles available in our library.
![JK on the Run [Photos]](/Images/1px.png?command_1=url&url_1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shorecrest.org/userfiles/shpsv2mvc/images/news-images/JKontherun.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "JK on the Run [Photos]")
