Queer Studies Club: LGBTQ+ History, Culture, and Social Hour (14-18)

By the end of this course, I hope that students will have obtained a better understanding of how the Queer community has come to be represented in this explosive age of pop culture, as well as that week's topic.
At the end of the day, if someone feels more comfortable with themselves and other people, I would consider the class a success.

For me, history is the most inspirational subject, filled with people who overcame their pain or circumstances to make something great of themselves. Getting kids to connect to these stories has been one of the most effective tools I have found in helping them heal, and to do so I have had to take the process into my own hands. 
I have been teaching LGBTQ+ history for the last nine years and each assignment I create involves my students finding a way to connect both to the work and each other.
I use writing, theater, and research to craft history in a way that is both approachable and interactive. By allowing them to put a part of themselves into their work, my student are much more receptive to what it is they need to learn and retain the lessons later on.
The LGBTQ+ puts great value on its historical figures and often transforms them into powerful icons of change for their community. The power of that connection to the heroes of the community is something I try to have all my students form with those that they choose to study. These methods have helped history come alive for my students, which makes all the difference, to both them and me.

50 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.