Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy

The overall experiences of working through the steps in this project were overwhelmingly positive. First, as a justice oriented teacher, to focus on such an important issue as the right to vote, especially considering current legislation that seeks to restrict voter access, fits perfectly with the philosophy of creating critically thinking, active citizens. Next, too often people take for granted rights and privileges that others fought and sacrificed to achieve, and the more time that passes, the more likely societal amnesia sets in. So, for students to learn how society was not, and is still not, fair for everyone, and how some used their power to oppress others, allows them to appreciate the rights they have today, and helps develop their critical lens to analyze the current world in which they live to identify systemic and structural bias and policies that seek to disadvantage certain groups in favor of maintaining the hegemony of the powerful.

Finally, the most impactful part of the project was reading the student interviews. More than any learning that took place, this, I believe, was the most impactful for students. To hear the diverse stories of their families will stick with me a long time, and going forward, I plan to create more assignments where students interview people in their family about their experiences with topics that are being covered. It is clear to anyone when reading the interview stories and reflections, that students gained new and varied perspectives about their own histories that help them contextualize their importance through space and time.