I believe that people who have more than enough in their lives should support others.
~ words from Pak Paryono that keep us thinking and wondering ~
Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
Notice what you notice. Wonder what you wonder. There is no quiz, no right way. Read until something stays.
this film has no words. notice what you notice. notice what you wonder. wonder out loud. and don't forget to notice what you feel, too.
Growing Goals
In one of our dances, the formation takes the shape of the triangle below– can you identify this type of triangle based on its angle?
If we later dance in formations of the shapes below, can you tell me which one is a quadrilateral? How can you tell?
Do you have any guesses about what I want to do when I’m 55 years of age? What do you imagine doing in your life when you’re that old? I’d like to learn about your goals, too.
Do you think that people have only one purpose in life, or many? Or does it depend on the person and their goals?
Where do you struggle to manage your time and energy? Can you share some of your priorities in life?
I believe that people who have more than enough in their lives should support others. Can you tell me about a time when you shared with others? What motivated you to do so? Do you go out of your way to share, or only when it is convenient for you? When has it been difficult for you to share?
Speaking of containers of water… let’s say I have a bucket that holds 10 liters of liquid. If I converted that to milliliters, what would that measurement be?
I know that it will still take a few more years before I will be ready to reach my goal, but I am not going to give up hope. When you are looking forward to something that might occur but it will still be a long time before it happens, what do you do so that you are not discouraged? Can you help me think of some ways to be patient while still staying focused on my goal?
What type of questions will you ask yourself before deciding what job you want to do? We all need to earn money, of course. So, will you choose a career based on which job will earn you the most money? Or will you base your decision on something else? How about you make a list of what you want your top 5 priorities to be when deciding on a job. If you keep this list, when you are ready for a career you can look back on it and see if your priorities have changed or have remained the same.
If the carpenter turned the wood I sold him into a table that was 2 meters long, what would the length be if converted to millimeters?
Want to help students visualize where this lesson’s story takes place? Ask students to find Indonesia on a map or globe.
“What are some of your goals in life, and how did you decide them?” You can begin by making a 2-column list on the board or a large piece of paper with one side labeled “goals” and the other “reasons”.
When a student shares their goal with the class (it can be something short-term or long-term), encourage them to explain why they are choosing to accomplish it. This is an insightful way to see if any students share goals but different reasons why it is their aim, or if they have similar motivations but the outcome of the goals vary. You can also add a few of your own personal goals and explain why they are important to you and how they were formed. You can explore with students, “Have these always been your goals, or have they changed over time? Do you ever have goals that are conflicting (either with your other goals, or the goals of someone else)? If so, what do you do?”
With your students, watch the Learning Journey video “I am Pak Paryono” to explore the difference between goals that can be expressed through external actions and internal motivations.
After watching the video, ask students, “Based on what you saw, what do you think are some of Pak Paryono’s goals in life?” Once students share their ideas, you can explain that sometimes goals can be externally expressed, while other times they are more of an internal sentiment that is not reflected in a person’s actions. “Do you think we know all of Pak Paryono’s goals simply by observing him? Why or why not? What are some goals you hold that are not necessarily reflected in your day-to-day actions?” You can then read the Learning Journey story “I am Pak Paryono” to learn about more of his goals. To practice reading comprehension, you can ask students to list some of Pak Paryono’s goals and reasons why he wants to achieve them, and then add the goals/ reasons to the list you developed at the beginning of the lesson. You can discuss how goals can be achieved through teamwork by prompting, “Do you think any of Pak Paryono’s goals might overlap with the goals of other people within his community? If so, what are some ways that they could work together to accomplish them?”
Let’s explore some ways of how to prepare to reach a goal, and apply them to the target of figuring out math examples. First, ask students for ways they make a plan to achieve a goal once they have it in mind.
Some examples include: to write down a list of potential action steps, ask others for advice and listen to their feedback, look at past examples of successes and things that could be improved, or think of creative ways to approach it that haven’t been done before. Once you have a list of suggestions, decide on a few ways to use these when approaching the math concepts of classifying triangles (page 1), classifying geometric shapes (page 2), converting units of volume (page 3), and converting units of length (page 4). You can also develop some fun ways to share the successes of your math-related goals. This can include coming up with a short, silly dance to do as a class for each correct answer, or students can swap seats when an example is completed, or students can read the next example in a funny voice. Ask your students to share some ideas of how to celebrate your triumphs!
After you apply some ways of working toward goals, you can lead a discussion about what it means to have a ‘realistic’ goal in the first place.
Some reflection prompts could include: “What are some ways you can tell if a goal is realistic or unrealistic? Can it ever be good to have unrealistic goals? Why or why not? Can you share an example of how to turn an unrealistic goal into a realistic one?”
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Fair Is Fair
Can you share with me a time where you were an entrepreneur? It can be an example of a business idea (like mine), or any time you started and were invested in your own project. I’m excited to learn about it!
Before we had enough funds to pay the farmers’ their full pay, for one week (7 days) we paid them each ½ their salary. If this is written as the below equation, can you please complete it?
½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ = ___ x ½
Have you ever worked with someone who is from a different community or country than you? Did that impact how you worked together? If so, in what ways? Were you able to learn from each other, since you had different experiences?
To get inside the meeting room, I first tried opening the door at an angle of 20 ° … but when I tried to walk through, I didn’t fit! I opened it another 60°, and then fit through easily. Tell me, what was the combined angle once I went through the door?
If the resulting angle looks like the one below, is that angle acute, obtuse, right, or straight?
Think of a product that is grown or created locally where you live. Do you know if that product is then used by people in your community, or sent somewhere else in the world, or a mix of both? Can you think of some factors that might influence where the product is used?
By helping farmers, I am enabling them to increase their income through their own work. Do you think that it is more beneficial to someone to directly give them money, or to help them make their own, or a mix of both? Do you think that one way is always better than the other? Or do you think it depends on the person or the situation? What other factors could influence your decision?
Want to create a calm and focused space to start the conversation? You can start the lesson with 2 minutes of collective silence and deep breathing.)
“What does the term ‘fair trade’ mean, and what does it look like in practice?” If available, share photos or bring in fair trade certified products to show your class.
Ask students to find the marker on the package that signals fair trade certification. You can ask, “Have you noticed these labels on products before? What do you think the term ‘fair trade’ means?” If students aren’t familiar with the term, you can encourage them to make educated guesses using the words ‘fair’ and ‘trade’ as clues. Once your students have shared ideas, you can tell them that the World Fair Trade Organization defines fair trade as: A trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, that seeks greater equality in international trade. You can work with students to unpack some of those underlined terms and brainstorm ways they can impact a business.
Read the Learning Journey story “Pak Paryono Runs a Business” to learn about someone who engages in a fair trade model of work.
To practice reading comprehension, ask students to describe the vision and mission that Pak Paryono shares with his business partner Pak Ben (hint: you can point students to the second paragraph on page 2). Encourage students to use context clues to answer, “Why do you think the two business partners decided to use a fair trade model for their business? What do you think are some of the benefits? What about some of the challenges?” You can also ask your class to reflect on, “When something is labeled as ‘fair trade’, to whom do you think it is fair?” Encourage students to consider all the people involved in a business transaction– including the person who produces the product, the person who helps finance the business (such as an investor), the person who runs and/or owns the business, the person who buys the good directly from the business to resell (such as a store owner), and the person who purchases the product. See if you class can come up with even more people who are impacted by the fair trade business model. You can also watch the Learning Journey video “I am Pak Paryono” and then ask students, “How do you think Pak Paryono’s family (shown in the beginning of the video) is impacted by his business? What about those who help transport the goods? Or the people with whom he meets during the community discussion? How might his business model inspire the younger generation (shown toward the end of the video)?”
Let’s practice solving math concepts based on the fair trade values of dialogue, transparency, and respect. First, explore with your class what these values could look like when applied to math.
Some examples could be discussing as a group how to best approach the math concept (dialogue), listening to different ideas before putting them into practice (respect), and showing your work and the steps to solve the example (transparency). Then, have students implement these values while practicing multiplying unit fractions and whole numbers (page 2) and determining angle types and decomposing angles (page 3) in the Empathy Story “Pak Paryono Runs a Business”. You can then encourage students to reflect on the experience by asking, “What were some of the benefits of using the fair trade values when solving math examples? What are some other situations in your life where you think using these values could be helpful to both you and others in your community?”
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Classroom Cooperative
First, we will drive 10 miles south, and then we will turn 90° right (clockwise) and drive another 25 miles to get to the meeting space. What direction will we end up facing when we arrive?
How do people greet each other where you live? Do you greet your friends differently than elders? Is it different between boys and girls? What do you think are some of the reasons greetings differ in various places around the world?
Even though we are receiving the seeds now, it will take many years before we can begin to see the benefits of their growth. What are some ways that you can remain patient, when it will take some time to see the results of your work?
Here, we are collaborating with the government to develop organic farming in the village. How has the government influenced farming in the community where you live? Can you tell me some of the policies that impact the development of agriculture?
If I want to create a farming plot that is in the shape of a parallelogram to then cover in manure, which of the below shapes could I use? How can you tell?
Why do you think corruption exists? How does corruption affect other people, even those not directly involved? Have you experienced corruption? Are there measures to stop corruption where you live that you can share with me?
When handing out the money, the government official ( A ) stands 3 feet away from the meeting host (B), who is 6 feet away from the rest of the people watching ( C ). The crowd is also 6 feet away from the government official. If this transaction is represented by the triangle below, is the triangle equilateral, isosceles, or scalene? How do you know?
Want to set up an inclusive, comfortable space that encourages discussion? Arrange your chairs in a circle for this lesson!
“What is it like to be a part of a cooperative and make decisions as a group?” Begin the lesson by asking your class what they think it means to work as a cooperative.
After you hear some ideas, you can share that a cooperative is an organization (sometimes a farm or business) that is owned by the members of the group, who all contribute and share the profits equally. You can then ask students, “What do you think our classroom would be like if we worked as a cooperative? How is it already similar to one? What would change?” Encourage students to think of how it would affect aspects such as test taking, or the use of classroom supplies, or the relationship between the teacher and students. “What could be some of the benefits of learning as a cooperative? What challenges might arise?”
To learn from an example of someone who works in a cooperative, read the Learning Journey story “Pak Paryono Goes to a Meeting” with your class.
To practice reading comprehension, ask students what the main purpose of the meeting is (to discuss how to allocate the coconut seeds given by the government), and what else Pak Paryono wants to address (how to obtain better manure). You can discuss with your students: “What are some ways that planning for the future of a group is different from planning for the future of an individual? Can you tell me some of the factors that you consider when making plans, whether for many people or for one person?” You can also watch the Learning Journey video “I am Pak Paryono” and have students point out other times during Pak Paryono’s day where he works as part of a group.
Let’s practice working as a cooperative to solve math concepts. First, review some guiding principles for cooperatives (https://www.willystreet.coop/seven-cooperative-principles).
Discuss which principles could apply to your classroom, and agree on which ones to adhere to during this math activity. Then, have students split into groups and take a look at the math examples in the Learning Journey story “Pak Paryono Goes to a Meeting”. Have students work together to decide how they will approach solving the math questions, and remind them that there is an emphasis on equality within a cooperative (some ideas could be to solve each one through a group discussion, or have each group member be responsible for one question, or to vote on what they think is the correct answer). After students agree on their collective approach, they can work on determining angles in circles (page 1), classifying geometric shapes (page 3), and classifying triangles (page 4).
Ask students to journal about their experience working as part of a cooperative. Some prompts could be: “How did it make you feel to solve the math equations as a cooperative?
Were there any times where you thought you had the right answer, but then your group as a whole decided on a different answer that ended up being wrong? If so, how did that make you feel? Do you think it was fair to be held accountable as a group for your decisions, rather than as an individual? Why or why not? What did you like about the experience, and what do you think could be improved?” If students wish, they can also share their reflections with the class.
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
If a moment stayed, follow it. If a question rose up, hold it. The quiet teaching is still teaching.
Three or four real stories woven into one lesson, your topic, your time. Pak Paryono is one. The weaver finds the others, threads the math, the literacy, the values, the reflection.
Open the weaver →