Social Justice Lessons

Six Things Anti-Racist Educators Want Grown-ups ​to Know ​about ​Teaching and Raising Kids
The assignments that have activities are in red.
​Identity How do I identify myself?
Diversity How do I look at and relate to other groups?

​Justice How often do I identify unfair situations?
​Action  How often do I think: Either I am part of the problem or part of the solution?
2. Personal Reflection:
​After you watch the video, Choose a topic and apply the three questions.
Click image to watch video 12:38
Three questions to ask yourself . 
1. What do I want?
2. Why do I want it?
​3. And how do I get it?

​
What is Implicit Bias? 
​Take a quiz.
Click on the book for 7 min. video
“We choose what to pay attention to based on the ideas that we already have in our heads.”
- Jennifer L. Eberhardt
Writing Prompt: Write about the first time you realized racism exists. Write about it in detail, the situation, your age who was involved and how you felt and what you thought you learned then.  ​If you feel comfortable share this experience with a partner or the class.
​What does being racist mean?
​What does being anti-racist mean?
​What is systemic racism? ​

Click on the book for a
​2 min video.
Duty to Protest
  • A brief study of the Declaration of Independence.
  • A Ted Talk by Eric Liu and taking Civic Action. 
  • ​Worksheet and Video (17:19)
5C. Forms of Protest
 Poems from the book, Sirens in Her Belly relate to the topics of systemic racism and uprisings. Each poem has an article or podcast to further explore the topic in the poem. 
How to Turn Protest
Into Powerful Change
Eric Liu Ted Talk (4:56)
Take notes so that you are able to discuss the three core strategies.
​Three Core Strategies
1. Expand the frame of the possible
2. Choose the defining fight
3. Find an early win 
From assignments in this unit and additional resources student should be able to: Discuss a variety of topics using philosophical chairs: instructions the Freedom of Speech topic below, or socratic seminar. Information on two topics is provided, but there are several others that students can brainstorm, research and discuss. 
  1. ​Should Freedom of Speech be limited?
  2. Performative vs. Substative Activism
Click on image
for 3 minute video review
​of Freedom of Speech
Photos credit: Weebly stock photo. Free man with a megaphone, Bartek Ambrozik.
Siren's Lessons
Content in Sirens Lessons is free and for educational purposes. Lessons may be used to compliment poetry books by Romaine Washington or as stand alone lessons or with other writing.
© 2023 Romaine Washington
Photo used under Creative Commons from Phil Roeder