Grade 5: More Than Meets the Emoji
In Grade 5 English class with Ms. Kimm Lucas, fifth graders studied how people communicate using emojis and then proposed their own emoji designs for submission to the Unicode Consortium, the organization responsible for approving emojis used across devices and platforms.
Students began by discussing how emojis function as a form of communication and how a single symbol can carry multiple meanings depending on context. For example, a thumbs-up emoji might signal approval, agreement, encouragement, or simply “got it.” With this in mind, students were challenged to design an emoji that could communicate clearly while allowing for more than one interpretation.
Each student created a proposal that included the emoji’s name, a detailed written description, and a hand-drawn sketch. Students explained the inspiration behind their emoji, its intended purpose, and the communication gap it could help address, along with the different ways the emoji might be interpreted. Several emoji concepts included a person experiencing cancer treatments, a soda can, eating and hungry emojis, a jealousy emoji, and an emoji wearing a ballcap.
After completing their proposals, students practiced formal writing by drafting letters addressed to the Unicode Consortium and submitting their designs. The project concluded with a gallery walk, where students viewed one another’s emoji designs and left feedback using sticky notes, focusing on compliments, questions, and observations.
Through this project, fifth graders explored communication across digital and written forms while proposing ideas for real-world use.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
