Power of Words

Essential Question

How do we connect in meaningful ways with people who are different from us?
What is the relationship between diversity and inequality?

Texts

Multimedia

The Power of Words

This short film portrays a man in need, seated on the edge of a busy street with a sign reading: "I'm blind. Please help." When a woman stops to rewrite the message on his sign, she shifts the perception of passersby.

Purplefeather

Grade Level

3-5 6-8 9-12

Subject

Civics

Economics

Topic

Ability Class

May 19, 2014

Informational

An Ex-Slaveholder's View of the Negro Question in the South

Written in 1900, this text presents the views of a former enslaver about the value of slavery for those enslaved.

Colonel Robert Bingham

Grade Level

9-12

Subject

History

Topic

Slavery

December 14, 2017

Toolkit for “Straight Talk About the N-word”

As Neal A. Lester reminds us in “ Straight Talk About the N-word,” the term is one of the most loaded words in the English language. Is there ever a place for the n-word?

August 30, 2011

Straight Talk About the N-Word

Sean Price's interview with Arizona State University Professor Neal A. Lester. Lester has twice taught courses on the n-word—and found there’s plenty to talk about.

Issue 40, Fall 2011

Teaching Strategies

Close and Critical Reading

Annolighting

“Annolighting” (annotating and highlighting) shows students how to identify critical information in a text during close reading. Students learn to annotate text, highlight important facts and summarize what they have read to capture main ideas, concepts and details.

Grade Level

3-5

CCSS

RL.3-5.2, RI.3-5.2, RL.3-5.4, RI.3-5.4, RL.3.5, RI.3.5, L.3-5.4

July 19, 2014

Close and Critical Reading

Challenge the Text

Challenge the Text helps students ask and answer their own text-dependent questions by taking multiple perspectives and uncovering assumptions and biases within the text.

Grade Level

6-8 9-12

CCSS

RL.6-12.1, RL.6-12.2, RL.6-12.3, RL.6-12.6, RI.6-12.1, RI.6-12.2, RI.6-12.3, RI.6-12.6

July 19, 2014

Close and Critical Reading

Shared Reading

Shared reading combines aspects of guided reading and read-aloud strategies. During shared reading, a teacher or proficient student reads the text aloud, pausing at pre-selected moments to discuss content and analyze the text. This strategy facilitates close reading of a complex text in small or whole group settings.

Grade Level

6-8 9-12

CCSS

RL.6-12.1, RI.6-12.1

July 19, 2014

Close and Critical Reading

Text-Dependent Questions

Readers must refer back to the central text to answer text-dependent questions and provide evidence from the reading to support their answers. Students provide accurate, relevant and complete evidence. To do this well, students will often need to re-read the text several times. This approach privileges the text over prior knowledge, personal experience and pre-reading activities.

Grade Level

6-8 9-12

CCSS

RL.6-12.1, RL.6-12.2, RL.6-12.4, RL.6-12.5, RL.6-12.6, RI.6-12.1, RI.6-12.2, RI.6-12.3, RI.6-12.4, RI.6-12.6

July 19, 2014

Student Tasks

Write to the Source

So What?

So What? asks students to demonstrate their explanatory and informative skills when writing to gain the understanding of others.

Grade Level

6-8 9-12

CCSS

W.6-12.2, W.6-12.4, W.6-12.9

July 19, 2014

Write to the Source

A Two-Sided Coin

A Two-Sided Coin asks students to demonstrate their explanatory and comparative writing skills.

Grade Level

6-8 9-12

CCSS

W.6-12.2, W.6-12.4, W.6-12.9

July 19, 2014

Plan Built By

gustergiant

Power of Words

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