Giving that sparks ACTION

Julie Barber
Fourth Grade Teacher and Lower School Department Chair

"Fourth grade students have an ever-growing understanding of the larger world extending far beyond the classroom. During Fourth Grade, each student chooses an issue they care about and crafts a persuasive essay for change.

To start, we read Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America, and learn about the ways people have peacefully made a difference. Students research their issue, including the cause of the problem, how experts are addressing it, and what everyday people can do to help. Students send their writing to one person who they think would listen to their ideas and take action. This past year, one student wrote about the high cost of insulin prices. Another wrote about why companies should stop testing products on animals. Several students wrote about the homelessness crisis in Seattle. Still another wrote about family separation at the southern border. This project would not have been possible without the generous support of our community through the Annual Fund. Students’ access to high quality news outlets, computers to conduct research, and a well-stocked library full of inspiring books about advocacy all contributed to students’ knowledge and agency as change makers."