Second graders in Ms. DeRice’s class at Reiche Community School have been participating in a Side x Side program led by teaching artist Nance Parker and integrated with a literacy and social studies unit on the Civil Rights Movement. The program kicked off with Ms. DeRice sharing age-appropriate books that introduced important people from history while discussing the themes of strength and integrity. Using journals to sketch and take notes, students worked with Nance Parker to identify a scene from a historical person’s life that was important to who they were. They then designed and built individual box stages and moveable figures to perform their chosen scene for the class.