Rhymes Vs. Racism

Concerned by racial tensions in their schools, high school students researched the effects of racism and bullying. They then prepared PowerPoint presentations to share their findings with fellow students and community organizations.

The teens also worked with younger students to write and illustrate storybooks — many adapting nursery rhymes — to spread the message to elementary school children. Graphic arts students then laid out the books. For one of the most popular books, a twist on Humpty Dumpty, the artists used illustrations of brown and white eggs to tell their story. English language learners helped the project to reach a broader audience by translating the books into their native languages.

Adapted from A Guide to Engaging Students in Service-Learning Projects Addressing Hometown Safety. Published 2006 by Florida Learn & Serve, a program of the Florida Department of Education, Tallahassee.