"What does peace look like to me?"
That was the question asked and answered by Grade 2 students from Richard Bulpitt Elementary recently, after teaming up with older students from R.E. Mountain Secondary to create a colorful children's book called, Peace Is
The book, which was created in the style of popular American children's author Todd Parr's The Peace Book, includes one page from each Grade 2 student, who finished the sentence, "Peace is " with their idea of a peaceful moment.
The submissions from the young students were then passed along to a group of R.E. Mountain art students, who, with help from teacher April Parchoma, created artwork digitally to go with each page.
Before students made their choice, however, the class, having read Parr's book as a group, discussed the concept of peace, and students shared what it meant to them.
"The primary goal of the lesson was to allow every student to share their unique perspective and personal story," said Bulpitt ELL teacher Jaimie Li.
Pages include "Peace is snuggling with my dogs in my bed", "Peace is a beautiful sunrise on the beach" and "Peace is reading my favourite book from the library" with accompanying bright coloured images to match the words.
One goal of the project was to get the two groups of students collaborating. Li said that working with the secondary students was "invaluable" to the Grade 2s.
"The diverse art styles and detailed and unique digital art images served as inspiration," for the younger students, said Li. "The older students, acting as mentors, set high standards, showcasing how we can use art to share emotions and cultures and tell personal stories."
"The second-grade students were very impressed by the talents showcased by their older peers. This student collaboration not only produced a visually appealing book but also provided younger students with valuable insights into collaboration and creative thinking," she added.
In addition to learning about teamwork, the students also learned through the book project about diversity and inclusion. They learned that individual people each bring their own experiences, thoughts and ideas, all of which should be acknowledged and respected.
"The overarching lesson was the recognition of each individual's unique story and the importance of amplifying every voice," Li said.
