Spicewood Elementary School In their Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry, students were inquiring about our Earth’s resources and how access (abundance and/or lack of) affects living things. Within the unit, students learned about different land forms and bodies found on Earth and the natural resources found there. Together they compared and contrasted other countries and discussed the inequalities of resources in those places.
Towards the end of the inquiry, the first grade teachers talked to students about different ways that organizations help people meet their needs and provide resources to them they may be lacking. Some of our first graders asked, “How can WE help people get access to food in our community?”. What a perfectly authentic prompt for teachers to facilitate action on our campus!
With a little bit of research, the teachers and students learned about the Round Rock Empty Bowls Festival that benefits our very own community with food and other resources. Empty Bowls is an “international grassroots effort ti fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group”. This yearly festival brings our community together, donating 100% of the proceeds to fight local hunger.
This learning experience brought an awareness to students that hunger isn’t something only experienced in far off places, it’s right here in our community too. Our teachers are always listening to students’ questions and conversations to help facilitate the learning in the classroom. At Spicewood Elementary we’re proud that our students feel the agency to say HOW they want to learn and take inspired action to make it happen, in turn, making positive impacts on our community and world!
How can YOU take action?
- Donate canned goods to help feed our community (Spicewood has a donation bin located in the front foyer)
- Learn more about Rock Rock’s Empty Bowls history
- Join us at the Empty Bowls Festival Saturday, April 8th!
- Watch how other IB schools around the world take action in their communities