Students reflect on injustice through Justice Bell project

In social studies class, Colonial Middle School (CMS) eighth graders learned about the Justice Bell in their unit on the Women’s Right to Vote and then had a month to create a project that related to injustice in a creative way.

“The hardest part was finding a topic to work with, because there are so many possibilities with so much injustice in the world,” said Zane Al-Saleem, a CMS eighth grader.

The students used the design process that included: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Reflect. The final projects included bookmarks, postcards, paintings, sculptures, websites, social media accounts and other work that highlighted injustices, historical figures who worked for justice, and solutions to make the world more just.

Zane Al-Saleem worked with fellow eighth grader Ben Moldovsky to make a model of a Justice Bell using a 3-D printer.

“There were some twists to it,” said Ben. “It’s like part of a bell, and that represents the justice. There are also parts that are missing that represents the injustice. We’re making progress within the world, but there’s not total justice.”

Jaclyn Porter worked with Tori Pettine, a friend from another eighth grade class.

“We made a website about how women should be considered for the draft during another war, because we feel that, if we want equality, we have to get all of it, even the bad,” said Jaclyn. “It’s important to study injustice so we’re aware of what’s around us and so we can stand up for ourselves, so we can be equal.”

The Justice Bell project ties into the eighth grade social studies curriculum, as well as the books they read in eighth grade English Language Arts, including The Diary of Anne Frank.