Question Everything: Arts-Integration in Social Studies and Theater

5th grade is learning about the Middle Ages. At first thought, you might think, “What fun! Knights, and castles, and dragons, Oh, my!”, but what’s really happening is as unexpected as it is welcome. What’s happening in these 5th Graders doesn’t usually occur until college. These 10 year-olds are questioning. Everything. 

How do we define a civilization, and what does it mean to be civil?

Do we need a social contract, and who makes the rules? 

Why are there haves and have nots? 

Who invented monarchy, and why are only some people considered royal? 

Did humans invent religion? 

Why was education only for wealthy boys? 

What does it mean to be free?

Have we always lived in a culture of fear? 

Is there some other way to do it, where everybody gets a chance to thrive?

When you study feudal systems in a classroom setting, a lot of questions arise about power structure and hierarchy. 5th graders are experiencing this first-hand. They may feel low on the totem pole because they have parents and teachers making all the rules,  but they are establishing their own societies- microcosms of the “real world”. 

Everyone remembers the politics of the playground and the cafeteria. There are leaders, followers, and those who march to the beat of their own drum.  But there is a social contract and concept of stature at this age. I think this is the perfect time to examine the construct of power - why do we believe we need it? What will we do to get it? How do we feel when we lose it or give it away? Is it better to be feared or loved? If we begin with imagining a world in which everyone has power, let’s discuss what we do with it. 

How do we treat others? 

When we talked about the knights’ concept of a Code of Honor, we were thinking about character traits that are honorable. The students thought of things like “kind, honest, reliable, brave, and responsible”. Then, we created a warmup called a “Knighting Circle”. Students stand in a circle, and think of something they have witnessed another student doing that is honorable. A student will cross the circle, stand in front of another student and say, “I am knighting you for (observed honorable behavior).” The recipient bows to the other student and says “Thank you.”

Committing to the practice of the “Knighting Circle” created a very positive atmosphere in the classroom. Students who previously didn’t notice others were beginning to be aware of the positive traits in their classmates. Students who previously felt unnoticed were being acknowledged by their peers. It’s a simple way to foster empathy and self esteem in a learning environment.

Another important Social-Emotional skill is the recognition and respect of varied points of view. This is an important trait for all citizens, and especially valued in those with power. We decided to pick a character that might have lived in the Middle Ages, and write a monologue about how their chosen character was feeling about their situation at this time.

We got a wide range of perspectives; from a Pope who was against the crusades to a Baroness who wanted to invite her serfs to a banquet. All of the students got to put themselves in another person’s circumstances and imagine a world better than the one in which they found themselves. 

Hopefully, the experience will get them thinking about the past and how to build a just, accessible, and equitable future- all while continuing to question everything.