A Social Justice Curriculum
Challenging Assumptions
Introduction
Part 2 of Challenging Assumptions will take the bulk of the school year. You will continue to teach many of the same lessons you’re already teaching, using whatever standards are mandated in your state. In this section of the curriculum, we break the subjects of English language arts and social studies into broad themes, such as reading and writing and civics and economics, and provide recommended resources from our website along with suggestions from real classroom teachers for you to incorporate into your existing units of study. For example, our debate kits can be used in a writing unit about persuasive arguments or a research unit about evaluating sources.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Reading Standards for Literature in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Reading Standards for Informational Text in grades 9–12. When reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, have students discuss how Douglass speaks at length about the dehumanization inherent in slavery and goes on to compare the treatment of humans with the treatment of animals. The following activity can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Language in grades 9–12.Additional Suggestions
Additional Suggestions
Additional Suggestions
The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Writing in grades 9–12.
The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Writing in grades 9–12. Have students research the origins of a local tradition that harms animals (e.g., “possum drops“) or the problems with a local tourist attraction (e.g., roadside zoos) and write letters to authorities demanding change.Additional Suggestions
The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Speaking & Listening in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Speaking & Listening in grades 9–12.
The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Speaking & Listening in grades 9–12 (i.e., interpret information presented in diverse media). The following activities can be integrated into existing English language arts lessons that address grade-specific Common Core Standards for Speaking & Listening in grades 9–12 (i.e., interpret information presented in diverse media).
SOCIAL SCIENCES
The following activity can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12.Additional Suggestions
The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12.
The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. Have students research and discuss recent legal arguments made for animal personhood. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12.Additional Suggestions
The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. Have students research and present on an accredited animal sanctuary anywhere in the world. Have them define what an accredited sanctuary is and what it is not and determine what is involved in starting and running one. Students may visit their chosen sanctuary in person or virtually. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activities can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activity can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12. The following activity can be integrated into existing social studies lessons that address grade-specific National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies in grades 9–12.Additional Suggestions
Additional Suggestions
Special thanks goes to Alek Abate, Stephanie McLaughlin, Robyn Hicks, Mike Farley, Gail Frydkowski, and Nina Otazo—experienced classroom teachers who contributed their thoughts and ideas to this curriculum.