*Note: You may have children in your class who experienced deep grief and loss throughout the pandemic. Their experience is vastly different. Please be sensitive to those children鈥檚 needs and seek support from experts at your school. Furthermore, some children may have experienced an earlier loss and are also at risk of being triggered by this conversation, as current discussions of loss can often harken back to earlier experiences. It鈥檚 important to be mindful and considerate of these children as well. Do not force a child to talk about a death or a traumatic experience if they don鈥檛 want to. This may be more harmful than helpful .
Elementary (K-5) Mini-Unit
Created by Jody Hagen-Smith and
Dr. Lauren M. Shea
Thank you for thinking about students鈥 emotional learning in the time of the pandemic and in its aftermath. In America: Remember aims to recognize American鈥檚 grief and loss as a result of the pandemic. This lesson, including educational materials and resources, was designed for you to achieve the following goals: 1) to support elementary students鈥 social and emotional development, 2) to strengthen elementary students鈥 connection to U.S. history, and 3) to promote the use of art to participate in our communities. Links to all materials, resources, and alignment to Common Core State Standards are provided below.听You can also download a PDF version of this lesson here.
Elementary Mini-Unit Lesson Plan
Objective
Foster ways for students to interact with and express themselves through In America: Remember, an art exhibition commemorating the lives lost from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials
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- Chart paper
- Markers
- Embedded links听
- Sticky notes (optional)
- by LeUyen Pham (optional)
- Pham, L. (2021). Outside, Inside. Roaring Brook Press: New York.
- Picture supports:听 (optional)
- Printed copies of examples of art (optional)
Use a instructional strategy to activate students鈥 prior knowledge. Show photos or display actual artifacts from the pandemic that could include masks, social distancing signs, the photo of the cells, vaccination cards, etc. () Pose a question and provide time for students to think about their ideas. Then, have students turn to a partner and share their thinking.听
*Note: Listen in while the students talk because it will support your decisions to include the most relevant and appropriate pieces of this lesson.
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- 鈥淲hat are these items?鈥
- 鈥淲hat do they make you think about?鈥
- 鈥淲hat do you know and/or remember about COVID-19 and the pandemic?鈥
After students have had time to share with their partner, ask several pairs to share their thoughts with the whole group. Visually display any new words that students will need to use throughout the lesson.听
Based on students鈥 age, background knowledge, and prior experiences, you might use the infographic or the videos linked below to lead a discussion about origin of the virus; how the virus is spread; and how we can protect ourselves against the virus by masking, social distancing, and handwashing.听
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听- 鈥淲hy is it important to stop the spread of COVID-19?鈥
- 鈥淲hat are some of the ways to stop the spread of Coronavirus?鈥
- 鈥淲hy or how does that way (of stopping the spread) work?鈥
- 鈥淲hat do you think would happen if we all stopped taking these preventative measures?鈥
Tell students that scientists worked quickly to create a vaccine with the goal of protecting people from getting and spreading COVID-19.
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- 鈥淰accines are one way to help stop the spread of a disease. A vaccine helps our bodies create an immunity, or defense, against the disease鈥澨
- 鈥淗ow are vaccines connected to stopping the spread of the Coronavirus?鈥
If student interest leads to discussion on vaccines and how they work, follow their lead. Here are some video resources to share with the students if needed:听
Pose the following question and record student responses. Mark the personal ways with a 鈥淧鈥.听
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- 鈥淲hat are some examples of ways that your life has changed because of the COVID-19 Pandemic?鈥
While writing, ask students to identify which of those personal ways were also community-level impacts (school, masks, etc.) Mark them with a 鈥淐鈥 for community. Then, code the impact on the world with 鈥淲鈥.
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- 鈥淒oes this way also impact the community or the world? If so, how?鈥
Transition the discussion to the impact of the virus more broadly.听
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- 鈥淎s we discussed, there are many ways to stop spreading the virus, however, sadly, many people are still losing their lives due to the virus.鈥澨
If age-appropriate, choose to share one of the to show the from the COVID-19 virus.听
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- 鈥淲hat information does this show us?鈥澨
- 鈥淲hat can you infer from this data?鈥
Share that almost every person on the planet was affected by the pandemic in one way or another. Play interview with Dr. Ashton Verdery, an Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State, who has studied the bereavement burden of COVID-19 in the US. Pose the following questions after watching the video:
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- 鈥淲hat does Dr. Verdery study?鈥
- 鈥淲hat is bereavement? Why is this important?鈥
- 鈥淲hat are some ways that Dr. Verdery suggests supporting those who have lost a friend or family member to COVID-19?鈥
- 鈥淲hy do you think it might be helpful to talk about our feelings with a trusted adult?鈥
You may ask students to write one or more questions they would like to ask an expert about the COVID-19 pandemic on a sticky note. These sticky notes can be collected and used in follow-up lessons or research and writing activities.
Literature Connection: The picture book, Outside, Inside (Pham, 2021), tells how communities came together to face the challenges of the pandemic, while celebrating essential workers.
Read the book aloud or watch the of the author, LeUyen Pham, talking about how and why she wrote her book and reading her book aloud. The read aloud starts at timestamp 6:21 and ends at 10:20.
If using the video or reading the book aloud, it is recommended to stop throughout and ask the students about how they feel and what they are noticing in the illustrations.
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- 鈥淗ow did this book make you feel?鈥澨
- 鈥淚n what ways did this book make you feel thankful for others?鈥
- 鈥淲hat did the illustrations tell us about how people are reacting to the pandemic?鈥澨
- 鈥淲hat examples can you find in the book that show how things changed inside and outside?
鈥淗ow might our lives have been different if front-line workers had stayed home?鈥 - 鈥淲hat does the author mean when she writes, 鈥楤ut on the inside we are all the same鈥?鈥
Return to the chart of student responses to ask questions about how life changed for others. Record student responses.听
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- 鈥淲hat are some ways the lives of others changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic?鈥
Ask students to consider their emotional response to the pandemic. Based on student need, you might display a chart that describes various emotions to support students in describing how they are feeling (). You might want to provide to provide language support, such as 鈥淚 felt ____ because ____.鈥 To encourage thinking about their feelings, refer back to their responses on the chart showing the impacts of the pandemic on their lives.
It is helpful to remember this is a sensitive topic for many, so be sure to provide wait-time for students to think about their response before sharing with a partner.听
*Note: Some children will not be able to recall their emotions from their experience due to age, development, or time passing. It may be helpful to share some of your own feelings at this time.
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- 鈥淲hat were some feelings or emotions you are feeling because of the COVID-19 Pandemic?鈥澨
- 鈥淐an you identify the feelings and what might have caused them?鈥澨
- 鈥淗ow did you feel about not seeing your family members or friends for all that time?鈥
Tell students that feelings are neither right nor wrong. Different people have different feelings. Feelings come and go. It鈥檚 natural to have multiple feelings at the same time.听
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- 鈥淵ou might be scared sometimes, sad sometimes, happy sometimes, maybe all in the same day.鈥
- 鈥淵ou might feel very sad about someone getting COVID-19, happy your family is safe right now, scared someone you love might get sick.鈥
Remind students that almost every person on the whole planet was affected by the pandemic in one way or another. Ask students to put themselves in the place of others and think about how they would feel in certain situations.听
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- 鈥淗ow would you feel if you needed to go to work at the grocery store?鈥
- 鈥淗ow do you think the doctors in the hospital feel? Why might that be true?鈥
Remind students that feeling with others is called 鈥渆mpathy鈥. Provide students with a . Prompt students to select the card that displays the emotion they imagine someone in that situation would feel and share their choice and reasoning with a partner. Include a blank card for students to identify an emotion not listed on the cards. Ask students to explain why they chose the emotion.
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- 鈥淓mpathy is feeling with others.鈥
- 鈥淲hich emotion card do you think best shows how a doctor/grocery store worker/grandparent feels about the pandemic quarantine? Why might they feel that way?鈥
Explain that there are many ways for people to share emotions. Recognizing and sharing feelings is an important part of growing up. Ask students why and how they talk about their feelings.听
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- 鈥淲hy is it important to recognize and talk about our feelings?鈥澨
Even very strong, persistent feelings like grief get easier over time. It鈥檚 helpful to have ways to comfort ourselves or distract ourselves from them. But letting ourselves experience those feelings helps us get better over time. Art is one way to help ourselves feel.
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- 鈥淥ften we talk about how we feel. We can show how we feel with our faces and bodies.鈥澨
- 鈥淎nother way to show how we feel is to create art to show feelings.鈥
Tell the students they will experience a few pieces of art in various forms. Play a short segment of this upbeat to evoke students鈥 feelings. You may want to invite the students to move their bodies in a way that expresses the emotions they feel when listening to the music. You might also play a short clip of this calm . Ask students to describe the emotions they feel while listening. Explain that choreographers, dancers, and musicians are artists who express their emotions through movement and music. Remind the students that LeUyen Pham, the author of Inside, Outside, wrote and illustrated a children鈥檚 book as a way to express her feelings during the pandemic.
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- 鈥淲hat emotions do you feel when you hear this music?鈥
- 鈥淲hat aspects of the music make you feel that way?鈥
- 鈥淗ow can you move to show your feelings to the music?鈥
Using the discussion technique of a , display several examples of art that were created to evoke strong emotion around the classroom (). Assign small groups of students to view one of the art examples. Each group should start at a different station. At each art example, students will discuss and record on the chart paper (1) what they noticed about the art and (2) their emotional reaction to the artwork.听
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- 鈥淲hat do you notice about this art?鈥
- 鈥淲hat emotions do you feel when you experience this piece of art?鈥
- 鈥淲hat aspects of the artwork make you feel that way?鈥
- 鈥淩ecord your feelings on the chart paper next to the art.鈥
Direct the groups to rotate to the next piece of art. If time allows, rotate again. Collectively, discuss the responses to the art.
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- 鈥淲hat feelings did we have in common?鈥
- 鈥淗ow did the artwork prompt this feeling?鈥
- 鈥淗ow would you portray that feeling?鈥
Tell students that there was a feeling that has overwhelmed the whole world, called grief. Ask the students what they know about the concept of grief. Facilitate an interactive discussion about grief. If needed, use Mental Health America鈥檚 for support on facilitating this topic.听
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- 鈥淲hat is grief?听
- 鈥淗ow does grief feel?鈥
- 鈥淲hat are some ways we can take care of ourselves when we experience grief?
- 鈥淗ow do we care for others who are experiencing grief?鈥
- 鈥淗ow does experiencing 鈥渃ollective grief鈥 impact our feelings?鈥
Share with the students that there is an art exhibition in Washington DC to honor and remember the lives lost due to the COVID-19 virus.
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- 鈥淥ne artist wanted to create art that represented the collective grief our nation has felt through the COVID-19 pandemic. Let鈥檚 hear from the artist about what her art is and why she created it.鈥澨
Play to hear about why and how she created this art.
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- 鈥淲hy did Ms. Firstenberg create the flag art installation?鈥
- 鈥淢s. Firstenberg says she鈥檚 a visual artist. What is a visual artist?鈥
- 鈥淲hat does each flag represent?鈥
- 鈥淲hy did Ms. Firstenberg decide to use flags for her art?鈥
- 鈥淲hat is one important message Ms. Firstenberg wants to convey through her art?鈥
Take time to look at the website. Review photos of the Art Exhibit and explore the website鈥檚 features and interactive nature. Show how families can 鈥渄edicate a flag鈥 to memorialize or remember their lost loved one through participation in the exhibit.
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- 鈥淗ow does this art make you feel?鈥澨
- 鈥淗ow does this art help us feel together?鈥澨
- 鈥淲hat does this art mean to you?鈥澨
- 鈥淲hat could you imagine this art feels like to others?鈥澨
- 鈥淗ow does this art help memorialize individuals or communities?鈥
Ask students for their ideas and thoughts. Do they have any other questions?
Remind students they are all artists and can express their emotions through art.听
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- 鈥淗ow can you use art to portray the impact of COVID-19 on you or your community?鈥
- 鈥淗ow can you use art to bring attention to or amplify an important issue?鈥
- 鈥淗ow can you use art to inspire others?鈥
- 鈥淗ow can you use art to change the world?鈥
Offer students an opportunity to participate in , an art project for students to express their emotions, thoughts, and ideas about the pandemic. Invite students to create art to reflect and share diverse ideas and voices in response to the exhibit. Students can create music, poetry, drawings, sculpture, or any other form of art to express feelings. Sharing the art with the class can help create a sense of collective grief, and ultimately healing. We also encourage sharing the art with your community.
Artwork will be showcased, without identifiers, on