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The History of 2020
Ms. Maggiotto’s sixth-grade English students recently tried their hands at writing textbooks in the year 2050. They were tasked with creating textbooks for students 30 years from now to teach middle school students about 2020. Each student chose one element of of this unprecedented year to focus on.
The inspiration for the project came from class discussions about the book Journey to Jo’Burg, which takes place in South Africa during Apartheid. The main character, a 12-year-old named Naledi, learns about protests in which black students were frustrated with what they were being taught in school: how to apply for jobs as maids, how to cook, and how to clean. Ms. Maggiotto’s students discussed different ways that history can be taught, as well as what students should be learning in school. They collectively decided that, while creativity and problem-solving are important, we must also understand history in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes. After a student wondered what textbooks in segregated schools looked like for black students during Apartheid, they did some research and found primary source documents that provided a better perspective.
Scroll through the slideshow to see a sample of some of the textbooks created by Ms. Maggiotto's students!
