Fifth Grade Art Exchange with Guatemala

Students in Jane Olsen’s fifth grade history classes participated in the Creative Connections’ Rainforest Artlink program this year, and earlier this month they connected virtually with students and teachers in Guatemala. 

Students drew pictures that represented different aspects of their culture and community, swapped them with students in the rainforest region of Guatemala, and met virtually to talk about their pictures. Students asked questions based on the drawings and shared details about their school and life during the pandemic. 

The St. Luke’s fifth graders connected with three schools from different Guatemala communities, although each community shared a more rural lifestyle than we have here. St. Luke’s students found it interesting how their Guatemalan counterparts were involved in growing food for their families. Some of our students were a bit wistful as they considered the simplicity of a small community where every child gathers at a field behind the school every day to play soccer, with sometimes as many as 20 on a team. Our fifth graders were also surprised to discover that some of the Guatemalan communities are so isolated that they have had no Covid cases, given the little contact they have with people from “outside.” 

Mrs. Olsen shared: “During one session, Guatemalan students gathered at a teacher’s house because the U.S. Military was visiting their school to help with a health clinic, and school was closed for the day. During another session, students connected via conference call (without video), but we saw pictures of the students and their school and a rock in the middle of a field, which was the only spot on campus where there is cell service. We imagined the children and teacher standing on that rock while we talked!”  

It was a great experience for the students to connect with each other and learn about their differences and their shared interests, such as soccer and music.