Social Justice for Little Learners

Grade Level: Grade Two

Topic: Refugees/Immigration

Book Title: “The Blue Scarf”

Author: Mohamed Danawi

Link to Purchase: https://a.co/d/gY0rmVU

Link for Online Read-Aloud : *no link available yet. Stay tuned!

Discussion Prompts/Questions:

• Before Reading
  • “This story is fiction, but it was written to remind us of real things that happen to real people. As we read it, think about how Layla’s world is changing, and tell why you think it might be changing in these ways.”
• During/After Reading
  • “The storm is a symbol for something hard that is happening in Layla’s life and her country. She is having to leave her home to go somewhere else.”
  • “Each country that Layla tried to enter sent her to a different place instead. Have you ever experienced something like that? Sometimes, even at school, we might feel like no one wants to include us in an activity, or no one thinks we belong. How can we help this to change? What can we do to include others?”
  • “The author of this book was a refugee who had to leave his country because of a war. He came to Canada, and then moved to the United States. Both of these places have people from all over the world living in them, but both countries also have to work hard to make sure that everyone feels welcome. What can we do about this?”

Follow-Up Activity:

• Have students create a retelling of the story, or create their own story about moving to find belonging.
• Create a hallway art mural showing a “rainbow” world where everyone is included.

BC Core Competency Connections:

Personal and Social

• Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
  • I am aware of myself as different from others.
• 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.
  • I can identify when something is unfair to me or to others.

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
  • In familiar settings, I communicate with peers and adults.
  • I can understand and share basic information about topics that are important to me.
• Collaborating
  • In 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 2)
  • Everyone has a unique story to share. (ELA 2)
  • Through listening and speaking, we connect with others and share our world. (ELA 2)
  • Local actions have global consequences, and global actions have local consequences. (SS 2)
  • Individuals have rights and responsibilities as global citizens, (SS 2)
• Know (Content):
  • Diverse characteristics of communities and cultures in Canada and around the world. (SS 2)
  • Rights and responsibilities of individuals regionally and globally. (SS 2)
  • Cultural and social awareness, achieved by exploring self-identity, acknowledging cultural differences, honouring indigenous traditions. (Career Education 2)
• 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 2)
    • Demonstrate awareness of the role that story plays in personal, family, and community identity. (ELA 2)
    • Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to stories and other texts to make meaning. (ELA 2)
  • Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)
    • Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding. (ELA 2)
  • Recognize causes and consequences of events, decisions, or developments in their lives. (SS 2)
  • Explain why people’s beliefs, values, worldviews, experiences, and roles give them different perspectives on people, places, issues, or events. (SS 2)
  • Make value judgements about events, decisions, or actions, and suggest lessons that can be learned. (SS 2)
  • Share ideas, information, personal feelings, and knowledge with others. (Career Education 2)
  • Develop and demonstrate respectful behaviour when participating in activities with others. (Physical and Health Education 2)

FPPL Link:

• Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
• Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions.
• Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
• Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.

BC ELF Link:

• Early years spaces are inclusive.
• Play is integral to well-being and learning.
• Relationships are the context for well-being and learning.
• Learning is holistic.

TFT Through-line Link:

• Justice Seeking
• Community Building