4th Grade  Project 2 weeks

SELebration: Minds & Hearts in Harmony

LEOPOLDO G
Self Directed Learning
Effective Communication
Collaboration
Academic Mindset
Content Expertise
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Purpose

This project enables 4th-grade students to explore the intricacies of emotions and social interactions through dynamic, hands-on activities. It fosters self-awareness, empathy, and communication skills by encouraging students to actively engage in understanding emotional responses and their impacts on relationships and stress management. Through collaborative projects, exhibitions, and reflective practices, students deepen their social-emotional learning, enhance their academic mindset, and build essential competencies for personal growth and community involvement.

Learning goals

The learning goals for this experience focus on developing students' emotional intelligence through active participation and reflection. Students will explore how their emotions affect interactions and learn strategies to manage them effectively, promoting self-awareness and self-regulation. They will engage in activities that reinforce empathy, enhance communication skills, and strengthen collaborative abilities. The project also aims to cultivate a positive academic mindset by allowing students to reflect on their emotional challenges and successes, fostering a sense of identity and belonging within their community.
Competencies
  • Self Directed Learning - Students use teacher and peer feedback and self-reflection to monitor and direct their own learning while building self knowledge both in and out of the classroom.
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.

Products

Students will collaboratively develop a 'Mood Mosaic,' creating individual emotion-themed tiles that combine to form a collective exhibit, which will be unveiled at a community event. They will also plan and perform in an 'Emotion Exploration Theater,' presenting skits that illustrate social-emotional challenges and solutions, welcoming family and teachers to discuss the learned skills. Additionally, students will create individual 'Feelings Flipbook Showcases,' illustrating personal stories of emotional growth and resilience, which will be displayed during an exhibition night for dialogue with attendees.

Launch

To launch the project, engage students in a collaborative 'Mood Mural' creation, where they paint a large collective artwork symbolizing common emotions and strategies to navigate them. Through teamwork, students will open discussions about how emotions are felt and expressed in various settings. This hands-on activity fosters immediate connections among peers, setting the stage for deeper exploration of social-emotional learning throughout the project.

Exhibition

Students will host an 'Emotion Carnival,' featuring interactive booths that explore essential questions about emotions. They will design activities that engage parents and community members, showcasing their understanding and coping strategies in a lively, festival-like atmosphere. This exhibition event allows students to demonstrate their social-emotional learning while fostering connections with the community through hands-on experiences.