Our Stories

In General Studies, students choose an “unsung” American historical figure: one that doesn’t have a monument on the National Mall or is underrecognized in textbooks and other educational narratives on American history. Throughout their yearlong studies of American history, Grade 5 teachers consistently highlight lesser-known narratives and figures, giving students many examples to choose from at the end of the year.

The project formally begins with a trip to the National Mall, where students see for themselves which figures have and have not been honored with monuments while also studying the symbolism and materials used to represent these figures. After reflecting on the trip and selecting their unsung heroes, students complete a research project and design their monuments, ultimately creating physical models in the Design Lab.

At the same time, in Judaic Studies students write a d’var Torah centered around a mishnah (singular teaching) from Pirkei Avot, a compilation of ethical teachings. They discuss how the mishnah applies to sefer Shemot (the book of Exodus), which they study throughout Grade 5, to their unsung heroes, and to their own lives. One student, for example, chose the mishnah “It is not on you to finish the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” She connected this to her unsung hero, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first African American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the United States.

“Rebecca Lee Crumpler started the train of African American women being doctors,” the student said. “It’s like in my mishnah; she started the train, but didn’t finish it. She left it to other people.”

In Hebrew, students study how to describe other people and write biographies,  first through learning about famous historical figures, then writing about personal role models, and finally writing biographies of their unsung heroes. All three of these projects come together at the end of the year, when students present them to their families.

The project is scaffolded throughout the year so students are ready to tackle it when the year ends. For example, early in the year students do a unit on opinion writing and write persuasive speeches about a change they would like to make at school. They use this skill in their Unsung Heroes essay, where they make a case for why their hero should have their own monument.

At the start of the year students also complete a project on symbolism, where they design three dimensional symbols from summer reading books featuring Native American stories. This helps them learn how to depict people, ideas, and narratives through symbols, a skill they also use to design their monuments.

Grade 5 faculty hope the Unsung Heroes project helps students discover the value of their individual voices and perspectives, whether it’s through making a Jewish text their own or shedding light on a new part of history. Learn more about the project in the video below: