Annual Children's Museum Explores Lives of Children Around the World

For the fourth consecutive year, fifth-grade students from West Boulevard Elementary School looked a little deeper into history. This year, students put together a project called "Hope and Heartbreak: The Many Faces of Childhood," exploring children's roles in poverty and war, the rights of a child and the humanitarian efforts currently in place to aid them.

To better understand the life of a child in poverty, visitors to West Boulevard Elementary School on April 1 simply listened to other children—fifth graders at the school, to be exact.

“Hope and Heartbreak: The Many Faces of Childhood” was West Boulevard’s fourth annual Children’s Museum, an event designed to teach both children and the community about an area of the world or a piece of history not previously understood.

Upon entrance, visitors to the school were led down the hallway by fifth-graders-turned-tour-guides, each of whom walked visitors through visual presentations defining humanity and poverty, the effects of colonization on the world, and the rights of children.

Fifth-grade teacher Joanette Ford has facilitated the event for the past four years. Ford says she thought of the idea after realizing that her students missed certain angles of history when they learned.

“For me, it’s all about perspective,” Ford says. “I wanted the kids to know that their existence was not the only one.”

After starting the project in late January, fifth-grade students were split into teams that each focused on particular themes. They used kid-friendly resources and curriculum to explore areas such as the United Nations, children at work and war and the stories of humanitarians around the world. In their teams, student also explored religion, health and education rights for children.

Ford says the more her students learned during the unit, the more they wanted to know.

“I picked this topic because the kids seemed very interested in knowing how other children their age lived,” Ford says. “They were especially surprised when they heard that some children are still sold in to slavery or trafficking, as well as how many kids don’t have access to clean water.”

While working on the project, fifth graders constructed interlocking wood cutouts detailing rights of the children, put together timelines and compiled various facts and information about the lives of children in developing nations.

Many MU College of Education students visited the event, which was supported and advertised by faculty throughout the college. Eryca Neville, assistant professor in education school and counseling psychology, is Ford’s sister.

Natalie Whitmore, an early childhood education major who visited the event, says the level of research and presentations done by the students was impressive.

“I was trying to think back to when I was in fifth grade,” Whitmore says. “I don’t think I learned about this kind of thing, or even knew that these kind of things happened at that age.”

Elementary education major Elizabeth Jackson agreed, saying she was glad to see that the students were able to learn more about the world in a way that wasn’t overwhelming or frightening.

“I have two sisters that age, and I know they haven’t learned anything like this,” Jackson says. “There is a fine line that can be walked in telling kids too much, but this was done in a way that they both learned the material and were able to handle everything they’d seen.”

As her students continued to lead parents to each exhibit, Ford said she hopes the unit has planted something in the back of each fifth grader’s mind.

“Even if they don’t take anything away from this or think about it now,” Ford says. “At least it’s been put there so that one day, they remember everything that they were taught and are able to use it for their own benefit and the benefit of others.”