Preparing for a Conversation about Policing and Racial Injustice
This mini-lesson prepares students to engage in conversations about policing and racial injustice by inviting them to co-create class norms and reflect on the emotions and experiences they and their classmates bring.
The Importance of a Free Press
Students review the First Amendment, understand the importance of a free press, and consider how that freedom can conflict with other societal needs through journalists’ experiences in Ferguson.
Citizen Watchdogs and the News
Students identify the responsibilities of citizen watchdogs, summarize strategies for combatting confirmation bias and responsibly consuming and sharing news and information, and complete a culminating essay.
Confirmation and Other Biases
Students define explicit, implicit, and confirmation bias, and examine why people sometimes maintain their beliefs in the face of contradictory information.
Hands Up, Don't Shoot!
Students review the US Department of Justice report, revisit how confirmation bias impacts our understanding of events, and consider how to bridge the gap in understanding that often surrounds events like Ferguson.
How Journalists Minimize Bias
Students experience the challenges to reporting objectively by writing a news piece and watching a video about how journalists counteract bias in the newsroom.
Reexamining History: How Can We Engage with the Stories We’re Told?
This lesson prepares young people to be critical consumers of stories they are told about the UK’s past and encourages them to consider how unpicking historical narratives can be an act of justice and a catalyst for action.
Supporting Question 4: Memory of the Founding
Students explore the supporting question "How should we remember the nation’s founding?"
Confronting Chicago’s History of Racial Violence: A Conversation with Dr. Eve L. Ewing
On-Demand
Virtual
Listen to Dr. Eve L. Ewing discuss the history and legacy of The Red Summer in Chicago. Known as the “Red Summer,” the summer of 1919 saw hundreds of African Americans murdered at the hands of mobs in small towns and big cities across the country. The racial violence of 1919 and its legacies are essential to confront in developing an understanding of the systemic racial injustice we witness today.
Engaging in Antiracism Work: During Black History Month and Beyond
On-Demand
Virtual
Black History Month is too often approached as a once-a-year opportunity to highlight the contributions of African Americans to American industry, life, and culture. Join us in this webinar where we explore the importance of taking a more antiracist approach to celebrating Black achievement throughout the year. Taking a more antiracist approach means committing to confronting present-day inequities in schools and rejecting deficit approaches to educating Black students. Black joy can truly be expressed when students feel socially and emotionally safe and valued in school.
Summative Performance Task & Taking Informed Action
Students culminate their arc of inquiry into the US founding by completing a C3-aligned Summative Performance Task and Taking Informed Action.