ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- “Even the littlest of kids can have big ideas about what’s going on, once they’re given the opportunity to think about those ideas,” said Ashley Seawell, a second-grade teacher at Stony Point Elementary.

"Reframing the Narrative" is a social studies concept that has been in development for several years, which involves teachers from across the Commonwealth and is led by teachers in Albemarle County.  

“It’s supposed to get them thinking critically, it does not have a right or wrong answer,” added Seawell.

The main idea behind this approach is to show that history books often ignored marginalized communities in telling the story of Virginia and the United States.

Students worked collaboratively and did their own research on topics that they were learning about in the classroom.

“My favorite one is the one I have behind us," said Seawell. "Who should we celebrate in October: Christopher Columbus or indigenous people?” 

Schools from across Virginia are adopting this technique, and these Albemarle County students can tell you firsthand the benefits of learning like this.

“We always get to have each other's minds,” said Elisa Bazydlo, a student in Seawell’s class. 

And there are plenty of topics that students can expand their knowledge on.

“I liked learning about the Native Americans and where they lived because I liked how where they lived gave a huge impact on their daily lives,” said Everett Uhl, a student in Seawell’s class. 

Beginning this August, all students in all grade levels will learn social studies from this approach.