Elementary Lesson Plan Ideas

Affirmation:

  1. Watch Olympic Medalist and Author, Ibtihaj Muhammad read aloud her book, THE PROUDEST BLUE read by Ibtihaj Muhammad.  
  2. Discuss the story with the students using the following:
    • Questions: 
      • What is the hijab? 
      • What did Asiya’s mother say about the first day of wearing hijab? What does it mean?
      • Why does someone laugh at Asiya’s hijab? 
      • What kind of picture does Faizah draw in her class?
      • In this story, a boy yells at Asiya, “I’m going to pull that tablecloth off of your head” 
        • What is the problem with this comment?  
        • If Asiya was our friend, how could we support her if this happened to here infront of us? 
      • What does Asiya’s mama say about hurtful words?
  3. In groups, students will create an affirmation board using a provided prompt. Using large pieces of construction paper, students will be asked to create a picture just like Faizah, Asiya’s younger sister. Ask students to draw a picture of themselves and Asiya together, they could be doing an activity, going on an adventure, or anything they imagine. Have students use the following prompts to imagine what their pictures with Asiya would look like.
    • Prompts:
      • “The brightest blue. The colour of the ocean, if you squint your eyes, and pretend there is no line between the water and the sky.”
      • “I’m walking with a princess, so I pretend I am on too.” 
      • “Her hijab smiles at me the whole way.” 
      • “Asiya’s hijab isn’t a whisper, Asiya’s hijab is like the sky on a sunny day”
      • “Asiya’s hijab isn’t a laugh, Asiya’s hijab is like the ocean waving to the sky. It’s always there, strong and friendly.”
  4.   Have students tape their pictures around the classroom. Invite students to do a gallery walk, reflecting on each “board” and leaving post it notes with what they like about each one.

Allyship:

This mural was painted by the youngest victim who perished in the attack in London, Ontario on June 6th, 2021. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy, as she is remembered by her friends as someone who was an artist, who was brilliant, a good friend, and always there to help others. 

Instructions: 

Ask students to independently reflect on the mural.  

Ask students to notice the colours, words, images and messages. Come together as a class and ask students to share reflections (reminder: ensure classroom guidelines are disused and be mindful that these conversations can impact Muslim students differently).  Note major themes from the discussion on chart paper or a document for all students to access.  

Engage students in conversation about allyship and action. Have students write strategies for allyship on a sticky note and place it in a public space in the hallways or in your classroom with the prompt “ In honour of Our London Family, I commit to…”. Publicly display it for the week.