Grade 10 Students Investigate & Exhibit Solutions to Global Inequalities

An exhibition in the quad of the ICS High School showcased students’ investigations into the United Nation’s goal to reduce inequality.

After researching the apartheid in South Africa, Grade 10 students studied the concepts of cause, impact, and solutions as they chose other inequalities in the world which resonated with or impacted their own lives. On display at the unit’s final exhibition were posters, videos, journal entries, and presentations about gender inequality in Bangladesh, child marriage, and ageism in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).

“Inequalities come in various forms in our world and have huge impacts on the wellbeing of individuals as well as whole communities,” Teacher Catherine Bartram said. “It is important for our students, as global citizens, to understand the causes of these as well as potential solutions as they become adults and leaders in their fields.”

Grade 10 student Malaika G. explored educational disparity in the American public school system. Malaika said she wanted to explore how wealth impacts the quality of public education available to young Americans and what barriers prevent access.

For her exhibition, Malaika wrote two diary entries from the perspective of two fictional high school students from different economic backgrounds.

“I wanted to know why and how wealth impacted the quality of education public school students received in the USA, because the quality of education one receives determines their quality of life in the future,” Malaika said. “I think it is important for students to learn about inequalities so that they can help prevent these inequalities in their communities.”

The project design was inspired by one of Catherine’s professional learning sessions with Julie Stern, a leading expert in conceptual learning who was on campus working with teachers. She intentionally added conceptual exploration and increased the amount of choice students had in the project to make the learning experience more personally relevant and applicable.

“Learning in a conceptual manner allows students to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues,” Catherine said. “Allowing students to choose their area of research has a profound impact on learning and motivation.”

To find out more about learning in the ICS High School, visit our Learn page.