Exploring race and ethnic relations in the classroom

Essential Question

What are group identities and how do they describe me? Others?
How can I be proud of who I am and celebrate others?
How do I benefit from my identities?
How do I change because I’m part of different groups?
What privileges do I have that others don’t?
How can I ask people about their lives and experiences in a respectful, kind and understanding way?
How can I live, work and play with others when we have differences?
Why is history important? Does it affect how people live today?
How are we members of groups but also individuals?

Texts

Literature

The Skin I'm In (Chapter 3)

Maleeka gets made fun of at school about her clothes, her grades, even the color of her skin. In this chapter, she talks about getting teased on a school trip and how even her friend Char was ashamed to be seen with her because of her clothes.

Sharon Flake

Grade Level

3-5 6-8

July 3, 2014

Literature

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

Mari and her family have been sent to an internment camp in Utah. She does not understand what they have done to deserve their internment and longs for her backyard in California where she used to grow sunflowers.

Amy Lee-Tai and Felicia Hoshino (illustrator)

Grade Level

3-5

Subject

History

April 7, 2016

Teaching Strategies

Close and Critical Reading

Agree/Disagree Statements

Agree/disagree statements challenge students to think critically about their knowledge of a topic, theme or text. The strategy exposes students to the major ideas in a text before reading—engaging their thinking and motivating them to learn more. It also requires them to reconsider their original thinking after reading the text and to use textual evidence to support and explain their thinking.

Grade Level

3-5

CCSS

RF.3-5.4, RL.3-5.1, RI.3-5.1, RL.3-5.2, RI.3-5.2

July 19, 2014

Student Tasks

Write to the Source

Fact or Opinion

Fact or Opinion asks students to demonstrate their explanatory and analytical writing skills.

Grade Level

3-5

CCSS

W.3.2, W.4.2, W.5.2, W.3.4, W.4.4, W.5.4, W.4.9, W.5.9

July 19, 2014

Do Something

Artistic Expression Showcase

Students produce original art (visual art, music, drama or poetry) that conveys an anti-bias or social justice message. Students then plan a public showcase of their work.

Grade Level

3-5

July 13, 2014

Plan Built By

Scooby5

Exploring race and ethnic relations in the classroom

The Skin I'm In (Chapter 3)

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

Agree/Disagree Statements

Fact or Opinion

Artistic Expression Showcase

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