Let Our Children Lead: Intro to Racism & Black Lives Matter Movement

This course is for middle school students to gain insights on historical racial issues such as racial profiling and racism and how these social issues prompted the current Black Lives Matter movement. Students will learn what it means to be an ally and promote equity and fairness in their personal lives and their communities. 

I am an arts educator who prides myself on providing a safe, supportive space for students to engage in a hands on learning environment. I use a facilitation learning approach to my classroom where students take more control of their learning process. I serve as a guide to help students arrive at their own conclusions on discussion topics. Every student learns at their own pace with constant encouraging and constructive feedback that allows them to work on areas in which they can improve. 

The following topics will be covered in this course:

1. Racial Profiling
2. Racism
3. History of Protests in the US and Black Lives Matter movement 
4. Being an Agent of Change 

The class will interact with the teacher and each other through activities, presentations and class discussions.

No prior experience or knowledge is needed for learners. 

Week 1: 
Objectives:

Students will be able to describe their various group identities.
Students will be able to analyze how people’s identities are represented in books.
Students will be able to write a book review evaluating how characters’ identities are similar to and different from their own.

Enduring Understandings:
Everyone has multiple identities.
Peoples’ identities are similar in some ways and different in others.
It is important to see my identities as well as the identities of others in the stories I read.

Essential Questions
What makes me who I am?
How are other people similar to and different from me?
What do stories teach us about identity?

Week 2:
Objectives:

i. Students will explore the communities in which they belong to
ii. Students will explore the diversity in the class and why it’s important 
Who are we? What communication do we belong to? Explore the idea of communication?
Who are we as a class? 
Aim- find out what they have in common with their group and form a shared identity. 

Essential Questions:
How and where do you feel you belong within this local community? (e.g. your school and where you live)
Who are we as a class? 
Which identities encompass our class? 
Why is it important to acknowledge our differences? Similarities?

Week 3:
Objectives:

i. Students will be introduced to the importance of diversity 

ii. Students will explore how diversity shapes their own personal lives and the community in which they belong to

iii. Students will learn insights on what it means to be an agent of change by learning about a middle school student who is taking social action to push for fairness in her school and community 

Vocabulary covered in this lesson:
Ability
Culture
Ethnic
Gender
Identity
Precocious
Stereotype
Race

Week 4: Privilege Walk

Objectives: upon the completion of this lesson, students should be able to:
i. define the concept of privilege 
ii. identify and express examples of privilege in their lives and the world in which they live 

Essential Questions:
What is privilege?
What is the historical concept of privilege?
What are some advantages/disadvantages of privilege? 

Week 5: Students 

Objectives:
Activities will help students:
Analyze the time period of a photograph to gain a greater understanding of history
Explore issues of racism, stereotypes and bias 
Explore how photographs can expose racism 

Essential Questions:
How can photographs capture a moment in history? 
What significance do historical photographs play in the present?
Why is it important to understand the context of a photograph?

Week 6:
Objectives:

“Racial Profiling” is designed to help students:
i. define racial profiling; identify instances of racial profiling; explain why racial profiling matters, and present their understanding in an informative manner.

Essential Questions:
How is racism manifested? 
What is racial profiling? Why does it matter?
How do you explain racial profiling to someone who doesn’t know about it?

Week 7: History of Black Lives Matter 
Objectives:

i. Students will:
Review a timeline of Black activism in the United States from the 1950s to today
Identify core themes of the Civil Rights, Racial Justice, and Black Lives Matter movements
Recognize patterns within and across different decades of activism
Collaborate to consider accomplishments of civil rights activists and the enduring obstacles to racial equality in the United States.
Evaluate different platforms for activism and the role of social media in protests

Essential Questions:
What impact do students believe the Black Lives Matter movement has had on American society?
 Do students think that street protests have been or will be effective? 
What makes protest effective?
What changes do you think need to be made for police brutality to stop?

Week 8:
Objectives:

i. Students will understand the concept of being an ally 
ii. Students will learn example of allies across different identity groups
iii. Students will learn how Juliette Hampton Morgan used her voice to challenge racism in society and among her peers 

Essential Questions:
What dimension does an ally bring to the discussion? Why might some people listen to an ally's voice more than other voices?

Enduring Understandings:
Allies use their voices to support people who face discrimination and expose social injustices to those unwilling to listen or accept the points of views of people different from themselves.

Vocabulary:
ally [a-lī, ə-lī] (noun) someone who supports and stands up for the rights and dignity of individuals and identity groups other than their own

solidarity [sä-lə-da-rə-tē] (noun) a feeling of unity between people who have the same interests, goals, etc.