Social Justice for Little Learners

Grade Level: Grade One

Topic: God’s Plan for Unique You

Book Title: “The Plans I Have For You”

Author: Amy Parker

Link to Purchase: https://a.co/d/1jLPX5s

Link for Online Read-Aloud : https://youtu.be/fbL_Cp8vy-g?si=qU_elmyi8IvXdTUP

Discussion Prompts/Questions:

• “What plans do you have for when you grow up? What problems will you solve? What adventures will you have?”
• “God has plans for you, too. What things do you think are important to him?”
• “How can you figure out what God’s plans for you might be?”
• “Do you think that God’s plans for you change? Or, do we just learn more, and do more, while we figure out what He wants us to do?”

Follow-Up Activity:

• Host a day full of show and tell and dramatic play. Encourage students to dress up and bring/find/create props to represent what they think they want to do when they are grown-ups. Spend the day learning more about each person, each opportunity, and take lots of time to “play community” where each person finds their place while supporting each other’s unique dreams.

BC Core Competency Connections:

Personal and Social

• Personal Awareness & Responsibility
  • I can show a sense of accomplishment and joy, and express some wants, needs, and preferences. I can sometimes recognize my emotions.
• Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
  • I am aware of different aspects of myself. I can describe my family, home, and/or community (people and/or place).
• Social Awareness and Responsibility
  • I am aware that other people can be different from me.
  • In familiar settings, I can interact with others and my surroundings respectfully.

Thinking

• Creative Thinking
  • I get ideas when I use my senses to explore.
• Critical Thinking
  • I can explore with a purpose in mind and use what I learn.

Communication

• Communicating
  • I can understand and share basic information about topics that are important to me.
• Collaborating
  • I contribute during group activities, cooperate with others, and listen respectfully to their ideas.

BC Curricular Connections:

• Understand (Big Ideas):
  • Stories and other texts help us learn about ourselves and our families. (ELA 1)
  • Everyone has a unique story to share. (ELA 1)
  • Curiosity and wonder lead us to new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us. (ELA 1)
  • Healthy communities recognize and respect the diversity of individuals and care for the local environment. (SS 1)
  • Confidence develops through the process of self-discovery. (Career Education 1)
  • Learning about ourselves and others helps us develop a positive attitude and caring behaviours, which helps us build healthy relationships. (Physical and Health Education 1)
  • Engagement in the arts creates opportunities for inquiry through purposeful play. (Arts Education 1)

• Know (Content):
  • Diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives within the local and other communities. (SS 1)
  • Cultural and social awareness, achieved by exploring self-identity, acknowledging cultural differences, honouring indigenous traditions. (Career Education 1)

• Do (Curricular Competency):
  • Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing)
    • Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and community. (ELA 1)
    • Recognize the importance of story in personal, family, and community identity. (ELA 1)
  • Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)
    • Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding. (ELA 1)
    • Create stories and other texts to deepen awareness of self, family, and community. (ELA 1)
  • Identify and appreciate their personal attributes, skills, interests, and accomplishments. (Career Education 1)
  • Share ideas, information, personal feelings, and knowledge with others. (Career Education 1)
  • Identify personal skills, interests, and preferences. (Physical and Health Education 1)

FPPL Link:

• Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
• Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
• Learning involves patience and time.
• Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.
• Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.

BC ELF Link:

• Children are strong, capable in their uniqueness, and full of potential.
• Early years spaces are inclusive.
• Play is integral to well-being and learning.
• Relationships are the context for well-being and learning.

TFT Through-line Link:

• Community Building