In June, 7th graders presented their literary and artistic works, poetry, film, created games, and podcasts for The Power Project, a year-long study of revolutions with focus on the Haitian Revolution, the Indian independence movement and partition, and the Iranian Revolution, along with new areas of study that include African independence movements, Indigenous peoples perspectives, and Cold War communism belief systems.
Aligned closely with GDS’s mission and core values, The Power Project works at developing global citizenship and historical empathy in students.
Asked to pull a thread on several 7th grade history units for the project, the students focus on specific thematic questions regarding revolutions including “What does injustice look like on a societal scale;” “What role does a person’s individual identity play when advocating for social change;” What does dismantling oppression look like, and what do we replace it with;” “What kinds of government allow people to make change as their society evolves, and which do not,” and “How can we draw on the revolutionary movements of the past to build a better future?”
Exhibited in classrooms and common areas of the Lower/Middle School, 7th graders shared what they had learned in creative presentations to families, faculty, and fellow students. Seventh grade history teacher Toussaint Lacoste said that the new additions of games and podcasts this year were proving quite popular with both students and audience.