Where were you during the global pandemic of 2020?
As schools around the country pivoted from in-person to remote instruction, many teachers struggled with how to make their instruction relevant to what was going on in the world. Jennifer Jones at Mount Airy High School decided to have her students use their reading, writing, and storytelling skills to focus on capturing this moment in history.
As Jones framed the project for her students, she wanted them to understand the power of their voice. “I know that right now, it feels like you will never forget what it was like to be a teenager during an historic crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic, but time has a way of playing tricks on our memories. What was once sharp and clear becomes blurry as the days, months, and years pass.,” she told them.
”Some day, someone will want to know your story. Maybe that someone will be a child or grandchild or maybe, it will be you, trying to recall exactly what it was like to live in America during the spring of 2020.”
The students were asked to write 10 journal entries to record their experiences during this time and then combine them into a book they could keep both in ebook form and in print. Students used the website Storyjumper.com to create their memoirs and added personal images illustrating their lives during the pandemic.
Topics addressed included: First Thoughts, Fears, Coping, School, Schedule, Social Distancing, The News (in conjunction with a lesson on fake news and reliable sources), Friends, Family, and Life Changes.
Eighteen of 35 students completed the project and Mount Airy High School covered the cost to have their books bound and printed. Six of the best student books representing a wide demographic of race, ethnicity, gender, and academic range will be sent to the NC State Archives to be part of a collection to preserve and share stories from the COVID-19 era from people all around the state
“The teen experience during the pandemic is unique from all others, and now our Mount Airy High School students will have a voice in the North Carolina story of this time in history,” Jones said.
“When Mrs. Jones shared the details of this project, we knew immediately that we wanted to help. By providing a published copy for our students, they will walk away with a keepsake detailing their perspective of, and experiences during, this unique time,” said Principal Jason Dorsett. “We thank Mrs. Jones for making student voice possible in her classroom.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com