Mix It Up

This year at Seth Johnson Elementary, in Montgomery, Ala., the fourth- and fifth-grade students will participate in the National Mix It Up Lunch Day on November 10th. In preparation of this day, we challenged fifth-graders to think about how they matter to the people around them – and to write essays titled “We All Matter.”

Students are involved in many school teams, groups and organizations. These school-sanctioned groups help students find identity, increase academic commitment to school and give students friendships throughout their school experience. Still, these groups and teams often stay to themselves instead of reaching out to others. This activity asks students to consider ways they might “crosspollinate” in order to make their school experience more fruitful.

Students always have passionate opinions about controversial social topics. They also often become friends with others who reinforce their ideology. And students don’t often possess the skills to disagree gracefully. This activity invites students to cross their ideological boundaries and become friends with others who think differently than they do.

Shakespeare’s classic play is a must-read for all high school students. Might the tragic end of Romeo & Juliet have been different if the Montagues and the Capulets had crossed their social boundaries?

Classroom climate dramatically affects students’ lives on a daily basis. We know that a teacher can set the mood of the classroom, but so can students, through the ways they interact with each other. This sociogram helps students see their patterns of interaction and offers them opportunities to mix it up.

Students are used to put-downs, but what about put-ups? This activity helps students see the positive things that their schoolmates are doing and gives them skills to affirm each other across social boundaries.

Everyone has a bad day once in a while. This activity helps students be sensitive to schoolmates who might be having a bad day and gives them a way to cross boundaries and bring cheer to others.

Many schools observe Women's History Month as a way to highlight contributions women have made in the past. This month, Mix It Up encourages you to help students explore the positive impact of girls and women on their own lives and communities today.

This shortest month of the year is typically filled with history reports, pageants, guest speakers, cultural fairs and the like. Seldom a day goes by that we don't hear the names of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Madame C.J. Walker, George Washington Carver, and so on.

This activity will remind students that no one deserves to be bullied and that everyone has a responsibility to report unkind acts.