Rice to the Occasion
Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary heard about the hunger and starvation in Haiti, and they voiced an interest to teachers about the people in Haiti; especially the children. They learned through research. that children in another part of the world where hungry, that there was no “drive thru” where they could get french fries, and that they ate off the streets. Students began to collect rice to help these children and families. The older elementary students then set out to present to the younger students their research findings. They described and demonstrated pictures of children in Haiti eating mudpies in the street because it was their only source of food. They had younger students think about what they eat everyday and to imagine themselves in the situation of children in Haiti. Students collected eight bales of rice and wrote to the mayor who got the rice transported to Haiti. When children forget to focus on their own needs because they realize that those needs are minimal compared to what others may be experiencing, then the question is how can character not develop?