Teacher: Trevor Barton, Melina Aguirre, & Clara Mesaros
Grade & Subject: 3rd Grade
School: High Tech Elementary Explorer

Students explored various forms of power through “The Power Book,” learning to harness these strengths for positive impact. They wrote reflections on their personal strengths, researched inspirational figures, and created fictional narratives where they portrayed themselves as superheroes resolving conflicts with their “superpowers.” This project culminated in a book signing with families and a gallery walk showcasing students’ artwork. Families were invited to engage in writing reflections alongside their children, fostering a deeper connection to the students’ insights and creativity.

Teacher Reflection

We were impressed by our students’ introspection and their capacity to reflect on their personal strengths, recognizing how to leverage these for positive impact. As a team, we valued the collaborative experience of creating a published book, which is now available on Amazon, allowing students to see their work in a real-world context.  In the future, we aim to enhance our focus on editing skills, establish meaningful partnerships, and incorporate additional field trips to further enrich the relevance and connections of our projects.

—Clara Mesaros

Student reflection

One thing that I like is that it was very passionate and you were able to get the meaning of power and how to use it for good. For example, if you have a good power, you don’t brag, you need to use it to make other people feel better and not worse. One power I discovered I am really good is empathy and I use all the time.

—Mason S.

In the power project, I did not think I had any special powers but then I realized everyone has powers after that and it helped me understand what I can actually do to help the world. I found out I had the power of being funny and making people smile. I thought it was just something people did but I realized it was one of my superpowers. I felt very proud when I saw the book.

—Ashwin S.