Lesson 1: Humans of New York and Teacher Portrait
25-35 minutes
Introduce the lesson (5 minutes)
Prepare students by saying something like this: “I’m excited to start a new project with you today. Over the next few weeks we are going to engage in a series of activities that will push us to connect with each other and our school community. We will get to know our community by telling stories and listening to each other, and in the process, we will grow to be more empathetic.”
Ask for a few student volunteers to share their definitions of empathy. Then provide the following definition of empathy and check for understanding:
Empathy: Empathy is the way we relate to others by trying to understand and feel what they are going through, especially those who are different from us.
Prompt students to reflect and share about how they use empathy in their lives in and out of school, and why empathy is important. It may be helpful to provide one minute of individual journaling time before asking students to share aloud.
MCC Tip: You may want to print out the definition of empathy to post on a board, include it in an easily accessible place on your class website or Learning Management System, or write it on an anchor chart, so it’s easy for students to read and refer to throughout the rest of the school year.
Small-Group Discussion (10-15 minutes)
Introduce the “Humans of New York'' (HONY) series. Tell students the following: “With this definition in mind, we are now going to look at ‘Humans of New York.’” Ask the class if they have seen or heard of HONY, and ask what kinds of posts they remember. Tell students Humans of New York is a series of portraits that showcase regular people on the streets of New York through photos and short excerpts of their stories. Spend a few minutes exploring the Humans of New York website together so students get a sense of the combination of imagery and text involved in each narrative. (Website: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/).
Have students break into small groups to study other Humans of New York portraits online or through printed portraits. Have students discuss the following questions in small groups and be prepared to share out with the whole class:
Is there a post that really moved you or that you can empathize with? Why or why not?
Though each post is unique, what do the different posts have in common?
What do you notice about the narrative captions and how they are written?
What do you notice about the photographs?
Why do you think these posts have become so popular?
MCC Tip: Based on your class and group dynamics, consider assigning group member roles such as note taker, reporter, time keeper, and process checker.
Bring the class together for a five-minute debrief on the discussion questions above. Have each group’s reporter share their main observations and notes.
Consider this: Incorporate a quick movement break or game before the next section to refocus and energize your class.
Discuss an example (5-10 minutes)
Provide students an exemplary portrait from the website you’d like them to explore together in greater detail. If you have time and prepared one in advance, you can present your own “Humans of Your School” self-portrait. In creating this self-portrait, choose an image or draw a picture of yourself. Below it, draft a brief narrative caption that shares something about your life. Use the first person (“I”) as if you were responding to a question or telling a story. Use the Humans of New York posts as models.
First, introduce the exemplary image (i.e. from the website or your own). Then, introduce the accompanying narrative, and ask students to respond to this portrait as a whole. You might ask the following, prioritizing the bolded question:
Why do you think I chose this image with these words for us to explore more closely?
Are you surprised by anything in the text?
Was there anything that you thought you knew about me that the text calls into question (for those who chose to create their own model portrait)?
How does this post make you feel? Why?
Open the floor and encourage students to ask questions about what makes the model portrait a strong example. Guide students to identify elements of the portrait that stand out to them.
Student self-portraits (5 minutes)
Let students know that they will be creating their own Humans of New York-style self-portraits. This project will consist of a picture of themselves (see options below) and a narrative caption, which they will write during the next lesson. Once the class completes their portraits and narrative captions, they will present their work to the class.
For the picture portion of the project, choose an option from the list below that fits your context:
Ask students to find or take a photo of themselves outside of class time and bring it in
Give students the option to either acquire a photo or draw a picture of themselves outside of class time and bring it in
Allow students to work on self-portraits during non-instructional times (such as homeroom or break times)
Give students time to draw self-portraits at the beginning of Lesson 3
Use the beginning of Lesson 3 to let students stage and take their photos using a cell phone or camera, and print out pictures before students present their projects
MCC Tip: Start thinking about how to support students who may feel anxious or uncomfortable sharing a story and image about themselves. For example, brainstorm things they can share about their lives that are authentic but feel safe. Consider providing students an opportunity to share their work through a gallery walk rather than a presentation.
Keep in mind that the connection between the picture and the narrative caption is an important part of the Humans of New York series, so students should think carefully about how to accomplish this connection in their projects. Like the actual series, their captions should offer an authentic glimpse into their lived experience. Some are funny and surprising, while others are more serious. It might be helpful for them to think about what to write about, so we suggest giving them an opportunity to journal and brainstorm if there is time.
Wrap up by telling students when the next lesson will occur and what they need to prepare.
Content developed by Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
