5th Grade Students Design Museum Honoring Changemakers

  • Lower School
5th Grade Students Design Museum Honoring Changemakers

St. Paul's 5th grade students recently completed a collaborative project that explored the lives and work of selected influential figures from across the world. After individually choosing the Change Maker they wanted to study, students got to work researching, designing portfolios, writing papers, and developing a large-scale final group exhibit for friends, family, and teachers.

Students created a Hall of Change Makers, organized by the figures' impact. They worked together to create a timeline to display all the significant contributions for all their Change Makers. During their preparation and research phase, students broke into committees to address needs for their final presentation, including developing the posters, timeline, behind-the-scenes work, and the presentation program/script. 

When selecting their Change Makers, students considered this quote from Vashti Harrison's Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World, When we call someone a visionary, it's usually to suggest that they are some type of genius. We celebrate these people as the best of the best. We look to them as leaders, as beacons of inspiration and something to aspire to."

Selected Change Makers included figures from a wide range of backgrounds - world leaders, athletes, scientists, artists, and many more. Among many of the chosen visionaries, students explored Grace Hopper, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Satchel Paige, Frida Kahlo, Buck O'Neill, Billie Jean King, and Marie Curie.

Students presented their final Hall of Change Makers exhibit, and they each gave a 45 second speech on their chosen visionary figure. After individual speeches, families explored the full presentation, including the timeline, world map, and detailed displays on the students' collaborative efforts.

Projects like this inspire students to discover how they can positively impact their world while exploring world and local history. We're so proud of our 5th grade students for all their hard work on this project!

Click here to see more pictures from the Change Makers exhibit.

Students pose in front of their Change Maker map with influential world figures' locations noted.
Students give their group Change Maker presentation for family and teachers.
Students give their group Change Maker presentation for family and teachers.
Students give their group Change Maker presentation for family and teachers.