Polaris 5th & 6th graders are pARTicipating in change, learning about history through art and literature in their expedition focused on the Civil Rights movement.
Photographs brought to life what it was like for African-Americans living down south in the 1940s-60s. Honing in on the murder of Emmett Till, students learned about the historical context of the 1950s, exploring the choices people made in the face of injustice and examining what made his murder such a pivotal moment in civil rights history.
Timuel Black, professor of American History and historian, visited Polaris to share his experiences as an activist in and beyond the Civil Rights Movement.
In the third trimester, students will embrace the history of Humboldt Park through the murals that are found in the community. Build an understanding of the relationship between a community and its public art, students will focus our attention on art as a form of social activism.