“It is a true belief of the Cobb Performance Learning Center that the education of each student should be a combination of the GPS in addition to lifelong lessons that will assist the students in becoming great citizens. Many times, history is taught in isolation from students’ day-to-day lives. We understand the importance of teaching the “whole” student which means that there must be a connection between what is being learned from the textbook to what the student deals with daily.

The Power of Peace lesson recently conducted in Melissa Campbell’s U.S. History class was an excellent example of our core belief and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The purpose was to get students to closely analyze the actions of previous leaders so that they could better understand how to deal with trials and tribulations that they encounter on a daily basis. The students were able to choose any historical figure from our current GPS. They also had choice of which NCSS Theme the focus would be placed on. All of the students did an excellent job but one product stood out to me the most.

Student Jake McKool decided to create a short but powerful story of the Power of Peace by using technology and the MovieMaker software. His focus was on the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s role. The thematic standard that he chose was “Individuals, Groups & Institutions.” He divided the story into three sections which include the struggle of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement, the peaceful strategies taken by African-Americans and the ultimate gain due to peaceful protests. Jake used photos along with colors, for both the photos and narrative, to change the mood and focus throughout the video. In the end, he was able to understand the relevance of history as it impacts his life. Perhaps more importantly, the assignment has helped him make different choices that are more conducive to him having a fulfilling life.”

Submitted by Elaine Bush, Cobb Performance Learning Center