Grade 8: Reflections From a Journey Through History
Earlier this month, eighth graders returned from their Civil Rights Trip to the American South, where they road tripped from Atlanta to Memphis, stopping in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham along the way. After returning from the trip, eighth graders have been taking time to reflect on the people, places, and stories they encountered. Guided by a driving question they selected before traveling, from themes like nonviolence and youth activism to the power of community storytelling, students have been using their trip journals and additional research to create a culminating reflection project.
Over the past several weeks in the Grade 8 MESH classrooms, students revisited moments from their visits to sites such as the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Edmund Pettus Bridge. They also drew on earlier learning from Denver-area field experiences at Blair-Caldwell, History Colorado, Lincoln Hills, the Denver Graffiti Tour, and New Hope Baptist Church. Together, these experiences helped students think more broadly about civil rights history and its ongoing relevance.
During the culminating gallery walk in the Grade 8 MESH classrooms, students stood alongside their projects and spoke with teachers and peers about the ideas that shaped their work and the moments from the trip that stood out most to them. They shared their learning in a variety of formats, including visual art, graphic novels, video share-outs, and research presentations. Each piece offered a thoughtful look at how their experiences on the trip connected to the driving question they selected earlier in the year.
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.
