Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Pigeons, Community Diversity, Film Club

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Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Pigeons, Community Diversity, Film Club

Each Wednesday we shine a spotlight on five student activities that support a broad range of learners. In this week’s roundup of accessible activities, we invite students to learn about city pigeons, think about diversity in their community, watch a film about noticing the world around you, make observations about a photograph and imagine your own Little Free Library.

Note: To learn more about this new weekly feature, read our introductory post. Please share your thoughts in the comments section or by emailing us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.


1. Learn about pigeons.

This Lesson of the Day teaches students about the history, behaviors and genetics of pigeons. After reading an illustrated article, students will first research, and then conduct a citizen science project, about birds in their region.

2. Reflect on community diversity.

In this Student Opinion, students will consider moments when they see community members interact with people of different races, nationalities, religions and abilities. And they will consider: How welcoming is your community to people of different backgrounds and identities? They can share their reflections with their classmates or read what other students have to say in the comments section.

3. Explore big ideas through short documentaries.

This week’s Film Club is a five-minute film about a lone piano standing curbside in New York City and the interactions of passers-by. Students reflect on the message of the film and think about how often they stop to observe the world around them.

You can also check out our new guide for teachers that offers eight ways to use our weekly Film Club to teach close reading and practice critical thinking skills. Looking for more? You can watch our on-demand webinar that further discusses ways to use Film Club in the classroom.

4. Make inferences about an image.

In this What’s Going On in This Picture, students will look at an image from The New York Times, without its caption, and try to interpret what is happening. Students can share their observations, read what other students had to see and see moderator comments in the comments section.

5. Design your own Little Free Library.

This Picture Prompt is from an illustrated article about Little Free Libraries. Students will learn about the purpose of these miniature lending libraries and how their use changed during the pandemic. Then students can imagine their own Little Free Library and consider what it would look like and what they would gift.