In Social Studies and Science, we have been zooming out and looking at the history of our universe. In contrast, in Social Studies and Language Arts, we have been zooming in on our family history. Since September, we have been creating scrapbooks that document our family tree, aspects about our culture, family artifacts/recipes, an interview of a family member, a family timeline, a Venn diagram comparing oneself to a relative, a poem or immigration story about our families, and a family mission statement that captures our family’s values and beliefs. My initial hope was that through this project, students could get to know one another more deeply and build connections with their families through conversation about their family’s history, culture, and beliefs. Additionally, another goal of this project was to help students gain a better understanding of their own identities through an exploration of their personal histories.

During the process of working on our projects, students shared incredible, fascinating stories that they discovered about family members through their research. We shared many laughs and gained a deeper understanding of one another through the process.

After completing our projects, we had a little class party to celebrate our learning and share our projects. As we drank hot chocolate and ate cookies, some students shared poems, timelines, family recipes, and anecdotes about their families. Afterwards, we walked around the room and had some time to freely explore one another’s work. This project was a beautiful way to get to know one another on a deeper, more meaningful level. It was an honour and pleasure to delve into each student’s background; the heart and soul that students poured into this project is commendable.