Overview
Inspired by the “Humans of New York” series, this strategy helps students learn about the power of portraits and the importance of expressing vulnerability when sharing about oneself and learning about others. Humans of Your School provides students with opportunities to learn interviewing skills, connect with those different from them, understand varying perspectives, and appreciate differences while finding commonalities.
Recommended time
20-40 mins per lesson (Use the pacing suggestions or timestamps to adjust, depending on time available.)
Five lessons in total, one lesson per week
Materials and advance prep
Anchor chart paper and markers
Student journal
Test technology in advance
Lesson 1: Humans of New York portraits (printed in advance, if possible), teacher portrait (optional)
Lesson 4: Decide when and where interviews will take place and how students will provide pictures
Lesson 4: Supplies such as poster paper, tape, glue, and scissors
Read through all five lessons and try to set a timeline. Lessons may require minor preparation in order to implement with fidelity and ease.
Objectives
Define empathy and use it to better understand others in the class and school.
Develop interviewing skills, including asking thoughtful and pointed questions to learn more about peers and deepen relationships.
Build classroom community, peer connection, and sense of belonging
Why this matters
Students can develop empathy by learning to appreciate other people’s stories. By engaging with peers in a structured way and shaping narratives that capture snippets of others’ lives, students will develop insight into the nuances of others’ lived experiences, values, and perspectives. By interviewing others, especially those who may be different from them, students will practice vulnerability and develop trust, which in turn strengthens the school community.
Other considerations
Because this strategy rests heavily on peer discussion and interviewing, class norms are especially important. We suggest that you first review those norms. If you haven’t yet set class norms, see Appendix 1 for ideas on how to do so.
Extending this strategy
Using the Humans of New York stories, choose a story or two to read and discuss as a group each week, or have students rotate to select and present a story each week.
Create time in class for students to continue to interview and create Humans of New York style portraits of members of their community, in and out of school. Invite school members to join during presentations or gallery walks. You may also consider pairing your class with other classrooms, subjects, grades, or neighborhood schools.
Play one or more of the following Making Caring Common games: Say it with an Emoji, Whip-Arounds, A Cold Wind Blows, Cheers, or Echoing a Friend. The games are a great way to transition in or out of a strategy lesson or increase the number of positive interactions in your class.
Content developed by Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
