Cultivating Life and Well-being: An Exploration of Peace in a Social Studies Classroom

Stephanie Watson, 8th Grade, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

Synopsis

How do I promote peace? It is a big question, but one that bears exploration. In this curriculum unit, students will walk through a series of questions to enable them to propose answers on how they can promote peace for themselves, where they live, and within the context of immigration in America. The series of supporting questions will include: What is peace? How do I promote peace within myself? How do I promote peace where I live? How do I promote peace amongst others? Only after the supporting questions are answered can students turn back to the larger question, how do I promote peace? The goal is for students to be empowered to live lives of peace while promoting it in the world around them. Students should walk away from the unit with the tools to cultivate life and well-being on a personal and local level and then extend those tools to societal challenges we face today, specifically within the topic of immigration in America. Prior to the teaching of this unit, students will have explored the history of immigration in America. Many students will also bring unique perspectives and knowledge from personal immigration experiences. As the number of people born outside of the United States grows in Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, seeking to promote peace within the topic of immigration is an increasingly relevant topic and one that should be explored.