From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based

Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

Rationale

Introduction

Our curriculum is based around three primary ideas: the complexity of identity, cultural

wealth, and Dewey’s ideas of the whole child.

Identity

We learned that the development of a child’s identity is necessary to determine who

they are as a person and where they fit in the world. Tatum argues: “The salience of

particular aspects of our identify varies at different moments in our lives. The process of

integrating the component parts of our self-definition is indeed a lifelong journey,”

(Tatum, 1997). Because of this, we have centered our curriculum around 6 underlying

themes that will be addressed every year in order for our students to continue learning

about themselves in their journey. Two of these themes focus on the student and their

identity, two focus on the student as a member of their class and school, and the final

two focus on their local community and the connected global community. It is much

more difficult to serve others in the world without first knowing a bit about the self. Every

year, the students will be diving a little deeper into each of the themes so they can

discover more about themselves and the world they live in as they grow and mature.

Complexity of Community and Cultural Wealth

We have learned that it is absolutely crucial to keep the “whole child” in context when

educating, and this involves including their racial, cultural, and familial identities in the

curriculum. Cooper, Nava, and Huh argue that “although there is a general acceptance

that family involvement enhances student academic performance, Latino families are

thought of as not having the social and cultural capital to be influential in this process.”
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

(Cooper, Nava, & Huh, 2010). While our project goes beyond just Latino families, we

wanted our students to use the experiences they have in their families to develop their

own identity and serve the communities that they live in through a hands on service

project. Each class will be responsible for selecting a need in the community that they

want to address and will work all year to develop a service project to address this need,

using what they have learned about themselves and the world. Through this, they learn

that they do indeed have social capital and worth, which is often lost in the typical

curriculum implemented by most schools. We hope to get the families of these students

involved as well so that they know that they also serve a central role in the education of

their children. We realize that not all support from families looks the same due to jobs

and other commitments, but any support is valuable and wanted.

John Dewey and the “Whole Child”

The child is more than just a person inside a classroom, they have a life and have

learned things outside of the room as well. “Dewey maintained that education was for

the whole child and must focus on the child’s own experience and life in the

contemporary world,” (Samuel & Suh, 2012). Because of this, Samuel and Suh argue

that “teachers need to nurture children’s desires to learn and provide them with

motivating experiences.” (Samuel & Suh, 2012). If the children can’t see themselves

represented in the curriculum, they will not be motivated to work hard. What is the point

of education if students are not learning skills that offer real world applicability? Why

should students care about what they are learning if they can’t see their own culture

represented in the past and the present? We believe that the schooling years are not

just a time for students to learn these skills but also an opportunity for them to have a
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

positive change in the community right where they are. This is why we find it essential to

have them working directly in the community as well as in the classroom because

learning can and must occur in both environments. These are necessary to the

development and formation of a child to live in a world where they can act as caring and

aware adults.
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

Description

Introduction:

Our school is built on the idea that each child is a valuable member of the community.

We use the metaphor of growth to describe each child’s journey in school, and building

upon Bronfenbrenner’s Systems Theory, we recognize the child as the foundation that

the classroom, school, and community are built upon. Students build on these concepts

in their school experiences through an interactive community-based project.

Overall Goal/purpose:

For all students to know and understand their purpose and impact in the community.

Bronfenbrenner:

We were inspired by Bronfenbrenner’s

Ecological Systems Theory when

brainstorming our curriculum.

Bronfenbrenner’s theory focuses on “how

the inherent qualities of a child and his

environment interact to influence how he will

grow and develop” (Psychology Notes HQ,

2013). The theory is broken down into five

different systems: microsystem (pieces of the environment that directly affect the child),

mesosystem (connections between different microsystems), exosystem (pieces of the

environment that indirectly affect the child), macrosystem (social and cultural values),

and chronosystem (cultural and world changes over time). The main idea to keep in
 From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

mind is how all of these systems ultimately “interact with and influence each other in

every aspect of the child’s life” (Psychology Notes HQ, 2013).

Themes:

Our curriculum is explored by the student through six different themes. The student will

explore the themes throughout each year in a spiralized curriculum; each theme is

explored each year, but each year students go more into depth and there is a “focus

theme” each year where the class will spend more time on a certain theme. However,

progression through the themes is up to each class (student and teacher) on where

their interest takes them and how long they wish to focus on each theme.

 Theme 1: Me, Myself, and I {this is the focus theme for grade 4}:

Students will explore their own identity as a person and a learner through the lenses of

diversity, values, and interests.

 Theme 2: My Family, My Heritage (3+) [this is a sub-genre of theme 1 in grades k-1

and transitional in grade 2; it is it’s own theme beginning in grade 3] {this is the focus

theme for grade 3}:

Student will develop their identity as a member of their family and heritage through the

lenses of culture, diversity, and values.

 Theme 3: Hand in Hand, Together We Can {this is the focus theme for grades K -1):

Students will contemplate how their their identity fits as a member of the classroom

community through the lenses of diversity, shared values, and collaboration.

 Theme 4: Our School, Our Heart {this is the focus theme for grade 2}:

Students will use what they have learned to develop their identity as an active member

of their school community through diversity, social justice, and activism.

 From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

 Theme 5: Community Makes Unity {this is the focus theme for grade 2):

Students will use their previous experiences as a catalyst for change in their community

by exploring activism and advocacy, diversity, and social justice.

 Theme 6: Our Community Lends a Hand (2+) [this theme is focusing on the world and

history in a broader sense and is introduced in grade 2) {this is the focus theme for

grade 5}:

Students will gather knowledge of current and past events on a world-wide scale to

discover how they can be a positive impact on the future through diversity, activism, and

social justice.

Spiral Curriculum:

Spiral curriculums were created in part by theorist, Jerome

Bruner. The key features of curriculum can be defined as “(1)

The student revisits a topic, theme or subject several times

throughout their school career; (2) The complexity of the topic

or theme increases with each revisit; and (3) New learning

has a relationship with old learning and is put in context with

the old information” (Johnston, 2012). We decided to

structure our six themes in the format of a spiral curriculum to best communicate

instruction to students. As a child grows and develops, their identity changes, causing

certain themes to be more relevant than others. We hope by using a spiral curriculum,

all children will be able to explore the different aspects of the community through their

entire school experience.

Application of Bronfenbrenner:
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

We were inspired by Bronfenbrenner's layers of community that surround the child

throughout development and incorporated that into our six themes. Similar to

Bronfenbrenner’s concentric circles, we started with the child as the center and

branched out to include the different communities and how they built on each other. Our

curriculum is centered around the child’s identity and how various outside forces and

environments intersect to impact the child.

From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

Concept Map

The Child in the Garden

Our model for the curriculum is inspired by

this image that we created to bring our

ideas into focus. The flower represents the

growth of the child in their different

communities. The child is at the center of

the plant: where the roots and the stem

meet. The roots are the family because

this remains relatively consistent

throughout the child’s entire life and the

family keeps them “rooted”. The stem is

the school and the leaves are the

classrooms. The child is only a part of one

classroom, but the different classrooms make up the school. The flower is then the

community. All of the communities work together and impact the child and in turn the

child impacts each of the communities. The flower affects the roots and the roots affect

the flower. Everything is a reciprocal relationship. The idea is that all people have their

own flowers, but are involved in both the same and different communities. Everyone is a

productive and important piece to the garden.

From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

The Themes - Building on Community:

Our curriculum is based on six themes that

were inspired by the different systems of

community from Bronfenbrenner's Ecological

Theory. All of these themes build on each other

- each new theme keeps in mind what the child

has learned in the previous themes. This also

works with the spiral curriculum because the

student revisits the themes throughout their

years at school. The child discovers the

different places that they are a part of and how

those places impact their identity: family, classroom, school, neighborhood community,

and the current and historical world around them. The child discovers the complexity of

their identity through their communities and in project based learning.

From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

Theme Plan

This is an example of pages you would find out of a “curriculum guide” for teachers

explaining how to run each theme.

Theme 1: Me, Myself, and I

Students will explore their own identity as a person and a learner through the lenses of

diversity, values, and interests.

Process:

Teachers can use resources such as interest inventories, surveys, multiple intelligences

assessments, and when appropriate, personal assessments. Teachers will also focus

on identities of the child and ensure that each child is represented in the classroom. The

teacher will guide the students on their journey to self-discovery. Teachers will begin to

discuss their community project.

Theme 2: My Family, My Heritage

Student will develop their identity as a member of their family and heritage through the

lenses of culture, diversity, and values.

Process:

Students will conduct interviews, find primary and secondary sources, and do research

on their family heritage. They will also discuss their role in the family and how that
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

affects them (emotionally, mentally, and developmentally). They will also focus on family

and cultural values.

Theme 3: Hand in Hand, Together We Can

Students will contemplate how their their identity fits as a member of the classroom

community through the lenses of diversity, shared values, and collaboration.

Process:

Developing a classroom community will begin on day one with promoting democracy

and make sure that every child feels valued. This theme is focused on how the child

interacts in the classroom and how they interact with the other people in the classroom.

The child will also take what they have learned in the previous two themes to help them

understand how they interact with others. The teacher promotes mindfulness and

methods for the children to use when they feel angry, overwhelmed, or frustrated.

Respect should be incorporated in the foundation of the classroom.

Theme 4: Our School, Our Heart

Students will use what they have learned to develop their identity as an active member

of their school community through diversity, social justice, and activism.

Process:

Students will take what they have learned in theme 3 and transfer it to their larger

school community. The school is run by the idea of mutual respect. It is the students’ job

to respect others, the school, their classroom, etc. Students are encouraged to

advocate for others within the school walls. They are taught that they have a voice and

that their voice is important.

From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

Theme 5: Community Makes Unity

Students will use their previous experiences as a catalyst for change in their community

by exploring activism and advocacy, diversity, and social justice.

Brainstorming:

Option 1- If students show interest in a certain aspect in their community, go straight

into choosing topics

Option 2- If students do not have a specific interest in a few aspects in their community,

teacher can present ideas of things that are in their community (show videos, pictures,

flyers, articles, etc. of different places in their community i.e. non-profits, assisted living,

parks, animal shelters, soup kitchens, etc.)

Choosing a Topic:

The class will narrow the projects down into 3-4 options and have small groups

research each project. Each group will give a mini project proposal on their project.

Students will then have a discussion on why they should do each project. The class will

then conduct a vote to decide on their project.

Research and Problem Solving:

The class will research their project by contacting affiliated parties and seeing what

problems exist. Students will then create an action plan to solve the problems that arose

in the conversation. If multiple problems are proposed that are not connected, the class

will then vote on which problem to focus on (i.e. for the animal shelter two connected

problems would be that they need towels and they need volunteers, these problems are

connected and smaller, so they could both be done; for the park two non-connected
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

problems would be that there is a lot of litter and the equipment is outdated or unsafe,

these problems not as connected and larger, so the class would need to pick one of

these projects).

Outreach:

The students will work in small groups to create different forms of outreach to the

community to get their project off the ground. For example, a group could work on

advertising either in print or digital and another group could work on outreach for

volunteers and another group could work on political activism (for example a petition).

The goal of this part is to get the word out about the project and to include the

community in their efforts to begin this project.

Implementation:

The students and teacher will work together to find a few days where they can spend

time at their project location. They will be working on implementing their project and

leading as an example to the community. They will spend the day volunteering at their

location and implementing their plan in the community.

Theme 6: Our Community Lends a Hand

Students will gather knowledge of current and past events on a world-wide scale to

discover how they can be a positive impact on the future through diversity, activism, and

social justice.

Process:
From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

This theme begins with history. Students discover activism and advocacy throughout

time. They, then transition to the present. The begin to go beyond their local community

and talk about how they can advocate for social change on a large scale. This will

include study of current and former activists with a focus on peaceful conflict resolution

and promoting social change.

Assessment of Student Progress

K-11

In K-11, the students will be working on smaller formative projects that chronicle what

they’ve learned and what they’ve done that particular year in school with an overview of

what they’ve done to satisfy each of the themes. These formative projects can be done

at the individual teacher and student’s discretion and will be developmentally

appropriate (i.e. collage, paper, presentation). These will be saved in a portfolio that

moves with the students throughout their education.

12 Grade

In the 12th year, the student will generate their own summative service project, with an

organization of their choosing, that they will implement. Afterwards, they will take what

they’ve learned and documented in their portfolio throughout their past 13 years and

develop a final reflective capstone project presentation that showcases how they have

grown. Their presentation will highlight their 12th year project as well as offer an

overview of what they’ve done throughout their 13 year journey and how they have

grown into the person they are today.

From Seed to Community: Understanding the Complexity of Identity through Community Based
Learning
EDL 318 Annie Frazee, Nicole Geygan, Lianna McDonald and Rachel Murray

They will present this project in an open or closed panel to a group. The students will

have to invite at least 3 people to attend this presentation and assess their project,

however students have the option to have their presentation be open to anyone (large

setting) or a smaller setting to a select few people that they only choose to invite. One of

the people they invite has to be the primary teacher in the capstone project, the second

person has to be someone in administration, and the third person can be any former

teacher. Beyond that, they can invite anyone else of their choosing connected to the

project (parents, siblings, friends, other family members, etc.). Since this project is a

requirement for graduation, the panelists will offer their feedback on this presentation,

and this will be used to determine the student’s final grade and their ability to graduate.