Because You Were
K-12
Big Idea
Feels like a divided world right now. There’s a beautiful African saying ‘ubuntu’ which is the idea ‘I am because you are’. Who we are to each other helps shape all of us. So, who are you today because of who someone was for you yesterday? Tell that story! And then, let’s be who we needed when we were young for someone today.
Directions
1. Watch the video.
2. Pass out the "Because You Were" handout (in the link below).
3. Have your students fill it out.
4. Share it as a class. Share it in Flipgrid, Seesaw, on Twitter. The possibilities are endless! You can even share it with the person who helped change your life.
When To Use . . .
This relationship-building strategy can be used at any time as your working with students to build on classroom environment. It can be incorporated into daily instruction and can be done more that one time.
https://youtu.be/LtjZE2YrQ6Y
Example
Strategy Variations
1. You can differentiation this challenge as students create it. For examples, my students created a paper example, uploaded into Seesaw, added Emojis, and recorded their "Because You Were" writing.
2. You could do this several times throughout the year. Students could do this the first time for anyone. Then you could have them do it for an adult or student at school.