Creator: Brandon Stanton | visit site
Grade Range: 6 - 11
Humans of New York was supposed to be a photography project; then it evolved into a vibrant blog featuring the individual stories and portraits of people around the world. Browse through the site to read stories of people from every walk of life in the United States. Choose the countries link to read featured stories from over 20 countries around the world. Don’t forget to visit the "series" link to find poignant stories based on themes like pediatric cancer and refugee stories.
In the Classroom
Each story included on this site is only about a paragraph long, perfect to use with reluctant readers or as a short introduction to lessons on a variety of social issues. Help students identify the key concepts found in each story by creating a word cloud using Wordsift, <a href="/single.cfm?id=12844">reviewed here</a>. Use the keywords found in your word cloud as a starting point for students to begin researching the topic further - examples might be research into refugees, drug abuse, or childhood illness. As students become familiar with the site, use it as an example to create your own site as a class related to your curriculum. For science create a Humans of Chemistry, in social studies create a Humans of the American Revolution, or in language arts create a Humans of Shakespeare. At the beginning of the year use Humans of New York in a self identity and "getting to know you" lesson(s). In small groups or as a class analyze several of the stories and have stidents use the key concepts to create their own interview questions. Then have students interview each other or others on campus (adults included). Use a presentation tool like Sway, <a href="/single.cfm?id=16373">reviewed here</a>, to share finished projects that include student writing, photographs or drawings, videos, and other multimedia. Use Sway for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Have students work together to compare and contrast their findings as part of a discussion within ongoing podcasts. Anchor, <a href="/single.cfm?id=17930">reviewed here</a>, is an augmentation tool offering free podcasting creation and sharing and many features for both new and experienced podcasting teams.
At Home
Humans of New York provides an excellent way to look at and discuss many different facets of humanity with your student. Browse through the site together to learn more about New Yorkers and others around the world and the adversity they face.
Tags
cross cultural understanding, new york, identity,
Subjects
Character Education, Current Events, Social Studies, Social Studies,