CRESTVIEW — Social studies students in Shoal River Middle School’s Mustang Learning Community have learned about the seeds of hatred following a recent assignment.
The "…and justice for all” curriculum allowed students to discuss how prejudice and stereotyping breed adversity, MLC language arts teacher Cathy Clendennin said.
"The students’ goal was to try and end hate through educating others about how it happens and what individuals can do to help stop it," she said.
Whether using PowerPoint presentations or displaying homemade posters throughout the school, each group of students used a different platform to spread their message.
Suyen Vilchez, 12, and four classmates produced a video in which Luke Lindenberger bullies Coby Aguilar. To retaliate, Coby works out and confronts Luke and they fight. However, they both find themselves in the principal's office.
Each group member, including Melea Stokes and Olivia Clendennin, played a role in the production, from writing and performing the skit, to shooting it and editing the video.
"You really shouldn't judge somebody just by their appearance; judge them by their character," Suyen said.
Sixth-graders Julianna Roberts, Kennedy Toolan, Jacob White and Thandie Nzombola created the book, "Please Like Me Tabby,” about the initially tense relationship between a dog, Spot, and a cat, Tabby. In the story, a cat rejects a dog’s attempts to befriend her because she hates dogs, Julianna, 11, said.
She and her group were one of several to share their projects with classes at neighboring Riverside Elementary School.
Vonda Todd, a third-grade Riverside teacher, said she enjoyed the book so much that she requested a copy for her classroom.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shoal River Middle School students teach about bullying