Human Rights Day

Saturday is Human Rights Day! From Human Rights Day 2022 | OHCHR, “Every year on 10 December, the world celebrates Human Rights Day, the very day when, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).”

While you won’t be at school on Saturday, you can still have your students learn about Human Rights Day. I would start by asking my students what they know about human rights. Let students reflect and share out, and then share this definition (or modify it to make it work best for your students): 

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. 

I’ve paraphrased for students that human rights are the things that every human being is entitled to have.

Next, I would ask students what rights they think are the most important. 

They can make lists in small groups and compile a list of the 5 most important rights. Expect a lot of discussion and negotiation - it is hard to choose just 5! Once they have agreed upon a list, they can share out to the whole class and/or post their list somewhere in the classroom.

Next, use a read aloud or watch, listen, or read about the UDHR more here.

Two picture books that I’d recommend are: 

We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures (image above)

I Have the Right to Be a Child

After learning more about the UDHR, ask students if they would change their list or if there are any rights they are thinking about now that they didn’t consider earlier.

Then, give students an opportunity to share their learning or act! Remember that human rights are applicable to so many situations and can provide a helpful lens for students to think about injustice or action. Some ideas for further learning or actions are:

• Make your own zine and see ARTE’s UDHR & UPR zine here! ARTE is a great organization and resource, in general, but especially on Human Rights Day.

• Human Rights Education - Amnesty International

• Human Rights Text Set on Newsela

• 13 Teaching Ideas on Human Rights - Facing History & Ourselves

• ABC: Teaching Human Rights – Practical activities for primary and secondary schools - Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Happy Human Rights Day!

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Teaching about Elections

Happy Election Day Eve! I know many of us are feeling a lot about the election, and waiting for the results will make for an anxiety ridden late night. I often end up staying up too late for inconclusive results, so I have learned to turn off the TV, put my phone down, and go to bed! 

Two years ago, when we were all waiting for the presidential election to take place, addressing the topic on everyone’s mind and Teaching the History of Voting Rights in the USA actually gave me some relief and channeled some of all of our nervous energy into learning about participating in democracy and civil rights. Also, students were excited to share the way many of their family members voted (by mail, early voting, etc). We read Granddaddy’s Turn, A Journey to the Ballot Box for that lesson, but another great picture book to use to start the lesson is Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Teaching is inherently political as you are always choosing what to teach, how to teach, whose voices to include, and more, but depending on your school situation and whatever is best for you and your students, you can also just teach about the process and answer student questions instead of leaning into the political discussion. Remember children pick up on the anxiety adults are feeling around them and they hear, see, and notice EVERYTHING. So giving them time to talk and process and put words to the feelings going on around them and for them is always helpful. 

Also, in case election results are rough, here is a reminder from an incredibly hard day in the past: Post-Election in 5th Grade.

Newsela has some great resources too. This article: What's at stake in midterm elections? Here's what to watch before Election Day could also be a great starting place as a way to give students background information, or this text set: Midterm Elections 2022: Introduction  would work for a more in-depth exploration.

Two books that I haven’t yet gotten the chance to read, but look intriguing and potentially good fits for an election related lesson are The President of the Jungle and Equality’s Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America. For younger students, Grace for President or Duck for President have both worked well for me in the past.

One other thing to consider is talking to students about local elections, as the national elections often occupy most of the news coverage, but local issues might resonate with students more and give them more of an opportunity to relate to the lesson and see how things work in their community.

Some other useful election resources are below. The first link is a video I have not yet had the opportunity to share with students, but think it has potential for a lot of learning, discussing, and more. Some students might be very familiar with disenfranchisement of specific populations, while others will be shocked to know it takes place today.

Should People Convicted of a Crime Be Allowed to Vote?

2022 Election Teaching Resources for Midterms

The Election Collection | PBS LearningMedia

Teaching Resources for the US Elections - Facing History

Voting and Elections | Resources for a Civil Classroom

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Talking to students about Ukraine

If your household is anything like mine, the news has been on A LOT lately. Or you’ve been reading on your phone. Or both. I have a toddler so I try to watch the news when he is asleep and he can’t read what I’m looking at on my phone (and doesn’t let me look at my phone when he is around!), but I imagine it’s harder with older kids. One thing I’ve learned from teaching elementary school is that kids are aware of much more than we think and pick up everything we are thinking and feeling. So they know something is happening in Ukraine and it’s something that adults have been talking about a lot. They might come to school with facts to share, unanswered questions, misconceptions or incomplete information, or a combination of all of these. It’s hard to know where to begin and how to approach such a complex topic especially with younger students.

It’s pretty much always a good idea to start with a read aloud. Ask students what connections they can make to the story. Can they make text to self connections? Model by thinking of a time you yourself were homesick or scared or missed someone. What about text to world connections? How does the story connect to events happening in the world today?

I had a hard time finding read alouds about Ukraine or set in Ukraine (although The Mitten by Jan Brett is set in Ukraine!). There are some very compelling picture books about war here. You can also learn more about Ukraine with your class here.

The Journey by Francesca Sanna is about a family who must leave their home and country to escape war and hopefully find safety. After you read it (warning, it is emotional!), talk about what the word “refugee” means. You can find more ideas for relevant picture books here. Naturally, there are many more out there- please comment below with your suggestions!

Discussion Ideas

Make sure you start with a map (or multiple maps!) so students know where you are discussing. The example above might help students with clear reference points, but I would start with a world map and go from there. Then, talk about the news. I like to start with an image and a table for responses with two columns: "I think"and "I wonder." You can do this on a large whiteboard or piece of chart paper, or individually (or in small groups) with handouts. It helps less confident students feel ready to share their thoughts and provides you with a way to find out what misconceptions versus accurate information students have and understand. The "I wonder" column also gives you a better sense of where to go to answer all of their questions and prompts them to ASK questions, which is always an excellent place to begin. You know best what image might be most impactful and appropriate for your students, but here is one of a teacher and her students (something kids can relate to on some level) or here is an article with images from protests around the world (including one in New York City). Students often respond well to images of other children.

Newsela articles are also a great way to give students a chance to learn more about a situation on their own time and inclination. This way, they can read and re-read, underline, ask questions, or just take time to process without having to hear it from you. It’s also an excellent way for students to practice media literacy and read an article to understand a situation in the world better. I’ve offered articles as an option and had most students choose to read them or given one to each student with choices to read in small groups, pairs, or independently, and come together again for questions or share at the end.

Remember, vocabulary instruction is (always) key! Make sure you define any words students might be unfamiliar with or have heard but not completely understand.

*If you are worried about backlash or concern from families: 

My go to response to parents who worry that topics are too “scary” is, “We totally agree this is a complex topic that must be addressed thoughtfully and with intention. Here is a resource to help you as we work together to keep answering your child/student’s questions. Thanks for your partnership in this important work!” I also note how rigorous asking and answering critical questions about the world is and how students are practicing media literacy.

However, I have the backing of my administration and I teach at a school with a social justice mission. I also have an amazing co-teacher so I am not facing these confrontations alone. Many teachers are in very different positions and may have students who do not wish to discuss the war in Ukraine for a variety of reasons. Do what feels right for you and your students. You always know best. If you decide to go ahead with these discussions and do receive pushback, try to make it about the students when you respond. Go back to the questions and concerns they had and how you were trying to answer them (which is your job, after all). The news was and is scary, but ignoring it won’t make it go away or reassure your students.

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Talking to Students About Afghanistan

As we watched the tragic scenes in Kabul unfold this past week, we thought about how to broach the topic with students in the classroom. Many students might have questions or a vague idea that something is happening based on overhearing adult conversations or catching snippets of the news. Where to start?

One place to start that usually works well for us is with a read aloud. Sadly, we don’t have a lot of books set in Afghanistan, and the ones we could find (list of picture books here) are all about war, refugees, or women and girls being denied rights and education. These are unquestionably important stories, but we want to avoid presenting a single narrative about Afghanistan. It’s also hard to find picture books written by Afghan or Afghan-American authors, but we will keep looking now that we are aware of the deficit in our libraries!

One book that many of my (older elementary) students enjoyed is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. There is a graphic novel version as well. Two picture books that I hope to check out soon are Brave with Beauty: A Story of Afghanistan by Maxine Rose Schur and The Stranger's Farewell: English-Pashto Edition by Palwasha Bazger Salam. Neither of these books is about war and both are set in the past.

If you chose to start with a read aloud, have students respond to the story by making text to self (have they ever felt like the main character? What connections can they make with teh story?) and then text to world (how does this story resonate with something happening in the world today?) connections. 

Another way to start could be to look at one image or several photos. Have a table for responses with two columns: "I think/I notice" and "I wonder." You can do this on a large whiteboard or piece of chart paper, or individually (or in small groups) with handouts. It helps less confident students feel ready to share their thoughts and provides you with a way to find out what misconceptions versus accurate information students have and understand. The "I wonder" column also gives you a better sense of where to go to answer all of their questions and prompts them to ASK questions, which is an excellent place to start. Students also respond well to stories about individuals as they make the situation less abstract and are more humanizing.

And of course, look at a map! Always a great place to start - where are we talking about? What do we notice about the location? Look at a world map, regional map, and country specific map of Afghanistan.

Make sure you talk about what was happening 20 years ago when we started the war in Afghanistan (11-12 years before most of my students were born, I was in school etc.). This is helpful as younger students don’t have a clear conception of time or the past and anything before their lifetime (or even when they were a baby) is “a long time ago.” Or use a timeline! Great way to practice this tool, make the time before they were born tangible, and integrate math! 

Share Newsela articles for students who have more questions or want to know more. What’s helpful is that Newsela will have articles about the latest news, but will also have human interest stories about Afghanistan in general, so students can learn more about the country in different, humanizing ways.

Also, share basic information about Afghanistan. We also like to think of some ways to help kids talk about the place and people we are learning about. This includes considering what are likely mistakes (for example, with anything Africa related we know we ALWAYS have to review country vs. continent) and what would empower students to accurately and respectfully talk about people. In this way we might consider:

• helpful location/map cues like the bordering countries listed above, or also regional terms like South Asia and Central Asia.

• We’d also consider things like languages (Pashto, Dari, maybe not going into the full list of all represented languages in a country for over saturation purposes, but explaining how many languages are common; in Afghanistan there are about 8?), 

• religion (Islam, we’d definitely expect mistakes about this so we would want to think about how deep we’d want/need to cover students understandings of Islam and aligned vocab, ie Muslim etc). 

• Finally! There are other words that we might consider that are heavy but have multiple uses like displacement, patriarchy, corruption...which we might choose. However, we are careful to think about how if this is the one and only time a teacher chooses to discuss/teach this topic what will be the takeaways of the place? In this way, without minimizing the tragedy and failure of what is happening right now in Afghanistan and the US’s responsibility within it, we also consider images that show aspects we can all connect on. We typically turn to a country's flag (always so cool!), food, and art. Pottery in Afghanistan, for example, could be a great way to integrate with an art teacher and be in awe of the millennia (!!!) long creations of pottery. Even just an image or two or another class connection can support rounding out a perspective and reminding us of the multitudes that we could go on to learn more about even if the focus of the lesson is on heavier pieces. 

There are resources for talking about refugees here. If you are worried about backlash or concern from families, helpful language is available here.

Vocabulary 

We like the vocabulary highlighting you can do through Newsela. Vocabulary instruction is frequently something teachers (ourselves included!!) miss in instruction and that miss impacts our students who need it the most. We won’t go into the numbers but the research is there if you care to know how important it is that we provide access to our instruction through vocabulary in as many ways and with as many routines and frequency as we can. 

When we think about vocabulary instruction for difficult topics like this we try to keep it minimal knowing that the content (and emotional weight) is already heavy, while still giving students ways to access and talk about this new idea. 

We aim for general good vocabulary practices like: providing the word in context, student friendly definitions, multiple examples of use, trying to choose target words that we know we can integrate into other social studies lessons or tough world conversations so they will have repeated exposures and opportunities to practice them, and then of course like we mentioned before, lots of visuals. Visuals for examples/non-examples is one of our go to ways to gear towards a word’s definition and assess if students have a sense of where it lands (ie more positive or negative?). Variations of a Freyer model in a writer's notebook and a vocabulary wall are also great tools to support students in utilizing the language to let them engage in these conversations! 

Some vocabulary options for this content that could be considered: 

• Capital (capital city, we would use this in other conversations and other map conversations. A good way to introduce Kabul) 

• Decade (talk about how it has been 2 decades, helpful vocab for math and SS) 

• Civilians 

• Taliban 

• War/ war-torn

• Invasion 

• Billion, Trillion (when we talk about the cost of the 20 year war, we would also use this in math, or in our Econ conversations) 

• Afghanistan (of course), could consider a few countries bordering (ie Pakistan, Iran etc, point out China to the northeast which might be a big recognizable location that you’ve discussed previously for when they situate themselves on a map as the lesson(s) continue). 

• Government 

• Fear / terrified/ distraught (we like to choose a social emotional vocabulary word or two to give us the space to grow our vocabulary and skills in this realm too. It also supports clarifying the range of that word (ie livid is at a different level of intensity than mad) and the emotions we might feel within it, as well as reminding us of how we connect to other humans all over the world). 

We try to keep vocabulary lists to 10 or less, and they can definitely be less and still be very valuable (oftentimes more valuable because students will actually be able to... learn the words!!) so think about your crew and choose accordingly for them to be successful.

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Teaching the History of Voting Rights in the USA

Before the election, we wanted to focus on something other than the actual candidates as many students (and teachers, including me) were feeling so stressed about the outcome. So we learned about the history of voting rights in the United States of America. We started, as we so often do, by reading a picture book to the students. We read Granddaddy’s Turn, A Journey to the Ballot Box and talked about what we knew and what we could infer about Grandaddy and the narrator. 

In this excellent book by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein, a young boy goes with his grandfather to vote shortly after the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. It appears that they are in the rural South. The narrator’s grandfather is dressed up and has waited a long time to be able to vote. However, they are turned away and disrespected. Granddaddy is told he needs to read a complex text, and when he cannot, his ballot is taken away and ripped up. His grandson (the narrator) is shocked and devastated to witness this and see tears in his grandfather’s eyes. Later, when the narrator is older, he votes for the first time, and takes a picture of his grandfather with him.

Our students were so upset about what happened to Grandaddy and felt both happy and sad when the narrator was able to vote and did so with a picture of his granddaddy with him. They also had questions about if it was still like this for some Black people when they vote. To answer this question and provide some historical background, we used this history of voting rights titled Who Got the Right to Vote When? from Aljazeera. It has images and a useful list on the left side titled “Able to Vote” (in 1776, only “white property owners” are listed in green). 

Our students are in 3rd grade, so we could not use every listing on the timeline as it would be too lengthy and overwhelming, but instead focused on some important dates and images. As 3rd graders are very concrete and don’t always understand relative units of time (10 years ago and 50 years ago don’t always feel that different to them without any context), we tried to give context by saying this might have been in your parents/grandparents lifetimes. I used my parents, who immigrated from India in1975 and are now US citizens, as examples as well, especially as we talked about how who could become or was considered a citizen tied into voting rights as well. 

The literacy test Granddaddy encountered was one example of disenfranchisement tactics, and we also told students about poll taxes, voter ID laws, intimidation, and decreased access to polls (closing polling places or limiting the number of polling places in certain counties). We also talked about voting by mail and early voting as those are two ways many people in our community voted this past year due to the pandemic (DC and Maryland both have early voting and DC sent mail in ballots to all registered voters). 

Some questions to talk about with students: 

Why do we vote?

Who should have the right to vote?

Who has always had the right to vote? How does that compare to voting rights today? 

How do people vote?

How can the US government make voting more accessible for everyone? What could we do to help?

What barriers still exist to voting today?

After the horrendous attack on our democracy last week, as we get ready to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and as we lead up to Inauguration Day on January 20th, critically examining voting rights through America’s history and today feels more relevant than ever. It’s also something tangible that students can relate to as who doesn’t want to have their voice heard? Children also can understand what it is like to feel silenced or without a say. 

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Resources for Teachers for the Insurrection at the US Capital

Here is a list of resources that I found helpful after last Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol. Please comment below if you have more to add. As always, sending support to all of the teachers out there who are holding it together and holding it down for their students.

• Beyond the Stoplight: Resources for teachers on the days after the attack on the US Capital

  • This post has a really important reminder that teachers do NOT have to “teach” about this horrific event, but if you are going to talk about or give your students space to talk about it, do so “with intention, care, and an explicit commitment to justice and equity.” 

• Twitter thread by the Zinn Education Project: “Teach About the Coup AND the Georgia Victory. They are connected. Now more than ever, students need lessons and inspiration from organizing in the face of white supremacy.” (Thanks to Teaching for Change for spotlighting this for me.)

• From the Zinn Education Project: Teach the Roots of the 2020 Rebellion 

  • Lessons and resources on white supremacy and resistance in the United States

• Teaching Tolerance: Leading Conversations After the Insurrection in Washington D.C.

• We shared this Newsela article with our students on Thursday - it can be adjusted for multiple reading levels, starting at 3rd grade.

• Facing History and Ourselves: Responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol 

• PBS: Classroom resource: Three ways to teach the insurrection at the US Capitol

• New York Times: Teaching Resources for the Storming of the U.S. Capitol by Pro-Trump Extremists

• NPR Article: How To Talk To Kids About The Riots At The U.S. Capitol

  • This has resources and could be helpful to share with parents if they have concerns or want to continue the discussion at home 

If you are worried about backlash or concern from families: 

My go to response to parents who worry that topics are too “scary” is, “We totally agree this is a complex topic that must be addressed thoughtfully and with intention. Here is a resource to help you as we work together to keep answering your child/student’s questions. Thanks for your partnership in this important work!” I also note how rigorous asking and answering critical questions about the world is and how we are tying history into events unfolding around us. 

However, I have the backing of my administration and I teach at a school with a social justice mission. I also have an amazing co-teacher so I am not facing these confrontations alone. Many teachers are in very different positions. Do what feels right for you and your students. You always know best. If you decide to go ahead with these discussions and do receive pushback, try to make it about the students when you respond. Go back to the questions and concerns they had and how you were trying to answer them (which is your job, after all!). The news was and is scary, but ignoring it won’t make it go away or reassure your students. 

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Using SPLC's 10 Ways to Fight Hate in the Classroom

My first day of school (with students present) is in a little over a week. My co-teacher and I are moving from 5th grade to 3rd grade, and although our students will be younger and more concrete, we will continue to talk about current events. We don’t have a choice. This work is too important to stop because it is scary, uncomfortable, or difficult.

You know your students and what will work best for them, but here are some ideas of how to adapt and use the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)’s 10 Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide in your classroom. The 10 steps below are from their guide’s new edition.

A few reminders: if you are afraid that something is “too scary,” stop and think about students (and their families) who are already scared before they come to school. If you are afraid to be “too political,” remember that teaching is a political act. Everything you say - or don’t say - sends a message to your students about who (and what) really matters. Choosing to ignore hate is prioritizing the comfort of certain students over the safety of others. Tell yourself (and others if necessary): I am doing my best to make sure all students in my classroom feel safe, heard, and valued.

1. Act

We have had students write poems and persuasive essays, draw pictures, create posters, and empower us to sign petitions on behalf of our class (they are too young to take online action on their own). Ask your students what children can do to help and develop a “ways to fight hate” guide for your school, other children, your community - even very young students can think about and take productive action.

2. Join Forces

Ask students how can we join forces with others to fight hate.

This can be done as a class, school, or individual. Students can call on groups they belong to (religious, community, extra-curricular) and join forces with family members. You can also ask local groups that responded to hate event to visit the school/your classroom and help brainstorm how we as a class can act.

3. Support the Victims

A close friend of mine who is also a teacher alerted me to the #DearYoungPerson campaign to “send words of love and encouragement to the youth of Charlottesville through postcards.” In the past, we have had our students make cards, write letters, and create art in support of others.

Again, ask your students - how can we support the victims of hate? They have better ideas than we ever will.

Important reminder here: while there are clear and unequivocal victims of hate, prejudice and discrimination are dehumanizing and hurt all of us. I explain dehumanizing to students as not recognizing someone as a human being or seeing someone as less than a person. They understand.

4. Speak Up

Teach your students critical literacy. Teach your students to be active and discerning consumers of the media. We teach nonfiction critical literacy and how to detect author’s bias. Important questions: whose voice is heard? Who is quoted or legitimized as an expert? Who is producing and publishing the article? How might their perspective be biased? We also analyze language use: which words are repeated? Which words are left out? And of course, if we find a trend we always ask ‘Why?’

Students are not too young to write to the media. Write letters to the editor. Write letters to politicians. Ask to publish something in your school newspaper or newsletter. Create a class podcast. Even very young students can write a class letter or book, create a video, make posters, or more.

5. Educate Yourself

Ask your students what they would still like to know. Encourage them to think about what they know, what they are confused about, what they have questions about, and what they want to learn more about. Learn new vocabulary and practice explaining it to others. As best you can, enjoy the discomfort! There are always incredible humans, events, and movements of resistance to learn about.

One tool we love using as part of this process is a silent conversation. You can use it as described in the linked post, or with quotes or definitions for students to respond to and communicate about.

6. Create An Alternative

Ask your students: how can we create an alternative? Having a photo from an event or moment on the board and having them respond to it with thoughts and questions is an engaging and more tangible way to get the conversation started.  Hold a unity rally or assembly for your school and invite community members and family members to attend. Organize an event with nearby schools.

Listen to your students. They will have ideas about how they want to counter hate. Asking them to brainstorm, plan, and organize is providing practice and opportunities to develop lifelong crucial skills.

7. Pressure Leaders

Ask students to brainstorm a list of leaders you can contact. Start with school leaders, and then continue on to community leaders. If students feel that their leaders acted appropriately, they can write them thank you letters and provide ideas for where to go next. Starting a relationship and opening communication will provide more opportunities for collaboration in the future.

8. Stay Engaged

Ask students: how can we stay engaged? How can we move out of our comfort zone? What networks (or what kinds of networks) can we reach out to or help create?

Starting a network (virtual or on paper or in person) with another school could be a good place to begin. But as always, ask your students and follow their lead.

9. Teach Acceptance

This is something schools and educators should try to do everyday. Don’t have a separate “social justice” or “diversity” day, lesson, class period, or assembly. Incorporate anti-bias education and social justice work into your instruction. Some resources are available below, but there are many more. Remember, other teachers are your best resources (apart from your students and their families). Communicate. Collaborate.

For teachers with less autonomy over their curriculum, critically examine the things you do control. Who is pictured on your walls? Whose voice is heard in your classroom? Whose books do you read? Who is depicted in those books? Even if you are required to use a certain textbook or specific literature, try and counteract biased narratives with quotes, images, video clips, and information.

10. Dig Deeper

We use various simulations to aid our students in confronting their own internal biases and internalized stereotypes. Our students are far more open to this work than most adults. Remember that identifying internalized biases and stereotypes is only the beginning. Next, you need to ask yourself: how did I internalize these messages? Where are they perpetuated and communicated?

Ask students: what do we need to learn about to help us counteract our own intolerance? They will have questions, ideas, and motivation to learn. Start with language in your school community. What hurtful, stereotypical, or dehumanizing words do we use? What else can we do to help our school community be more open and accepting of everyone? How can we practice “image replacement” in our classroom and community to counteract negative stereotypes about groups of people?

Children are much more flexible than adults. Keep their developmental levels in mind, of course, but remember that they can do this. By inviting them to share in finding actions and brainstorming ways to help, we empower them and show them that silence is not an option.

Resources

ILA’s Picks of #CharlottesvilleCurriculum Resources

Teaching for Change Social Justice booklists (helpful for younger students especially!)

Citizenship and Social Justice: Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism

Washington Post article summarizing best educator resources

ASCD Inservice: Resources for Addressing Racism and Hatred in the Classroom

Facing History: Facing Today Blog

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Ideas and Resources to Address the Muslim and Refugee Ban in the Classroom

Coming off a weekend of protesting, I find myself thinking hard about what to say to my students tomorrow when they ask me about the news. We saw some of our students at the rally at the White House today. They will want to share observations from their experience tomorrow. Students will also have questions about checks and balances since we recently concluded a unit on US Government. They will have overheard conversations between adults and understood only snippets of what was going on in the media. Where do we start?

Our planned read aloud for tomorrow!

Start with a read aloud. Ask students what connections they can make to the story. Can they make text to self connections? Model by thinking of a time you yourself were homesick or scared or missed someone. What about text to world connections? How does the story connect to events happening in the world today?

The Journey by Francesca Sanna is about a family who must leave their home and country to escape war and hopefully find safety. After you read it, talk about what the word “refugee” means. This is the book we will read aloud tomorrow. You can find more ideas for relevant picture books here. Naturally, there are many more out there- please comment below with your suggestions!

Discussion Ideas

Talk about the news. I like to start with an image (works well with my concrete 5th graders) for sign in and a table for responses with two columns: "I think" and "I wonder." You can do this on a large whiteboard or piece of chart paper, or individually (or in small groups) with handouts. It helps less confident students feel ready to share their thoughts and provides you with a way to find out what misconceptions versus accurate information students have and understand. The "I wonder" column also gives you a better sense of where to go to answer all of their questions and prompts them to ASK questions, which is always an excellent place to begin.

You can find images of the protests at airports here. You could also talk about the executive order and find the affected countries (and cities protesting) on a map. Here is an article describing the current situation in the seven affected countries (with a map highlighting their locations).

Here is a New York Times article with stories of some of the humans banned from the U.S. The article also includes a short video of protests at JFK airport. My students usually like to hear stories of individual people or families as it aids their comprehension by making the situation less abstract.

Other Useful Resources

UNHCR Teaching Resources and Toolkit for Teaching About Refugees

Brainpop video about religion (requires a Brainpop login; Brainpop also has informational videos about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Citizenship).

A People’s History of Muslims in the United States (from Zinn Ed Project)

The First Amendment and Freedom of Religion lesson from Teaching Tolerance

8 educational resources to better understand the refugee crisis from Amnesty International

Naturally, there are SO many directions you could go and topics to cover. These are only some suggestions for ways to get started. You know your students (and school, and families, and administration) best. If you do try out one of these ideas or have other suggestions, please comment below! We’d love to hear how tomorrow goes in your classroom.

 

 

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How do we START? Setting up a community that talks about current events!

Is it only Wednesday? There's so much happening this week!

The world keeps spinning! In our classroom especially there is a buzz about the upcoming election (especially the debates) and protests on protests on protests. One realm of protests our students have some background on in different capacities are the Black Lives Matter protests, largely the sports related ones. Another area of protest news that we have had energy around is water protectors against the DAPL (largely from us, because that protest has had a severe LACK of coverage).

All of this is to say, while we have been working hard in 5th grade to tackle routines and settle in for the school year-- the world continues on! Finding the time and space to be informed about these news stories and issues can seem daunting and frustrating.

Meet… the current event case studies block!

We created this block using only one hour of instructional time to give our students the time to get 'briefed' on multiple different news issues. We do what many people call a jigsaw.

How it works:

• Students vote for issues they are excited and interested about.

• They get assigned a work group in which they study a topic (Immigration to the US, Campaign 2016, BLM, Water Protection.. etc)

• They are given a document with a list of resources. One resource is a 'Must read' and is an overview of their topic. We also provided some "Must watch" resources for some groups.

• Once they have completed the mandatory reading, they had choices of reading anything from the second list of resources. We love to find places for choice!

• Then they had time to talk with their group and take notes: What did they learn? What is going on around their issue? What are they still wondering about?

• They prep to share for a collective 2 minutes (in an informal way). They need to be ready to brief the class so we can all be filled in on the topic.

The benefits:

• They are excited about reading the news and the world around them

• They practice research skills without feeling like it is tied to a big project (it has been a great spot to observe how our students approach research at the beginning of the year)

• Independent time and group time give them multiple ways to process tough information and build on their ideas

• They have some ownership to be in front of the classroom with the responsibility of filling the rest of us in on what they have learned

• It is dynamic (and fun!)  

• It gives us a great starting point and a basic foundation about these issues for every single student

• It sets us up as educators to be responsive and to continue to have conversations and bring in different news stories as the year progresses

We love current event case studies as a way to get the year started and as an accessible way to progress with integrating world events into our curriculum. We highly recommend it! How do you all get started talking about the news with your students? Colleagues?

More soon! 

Nina + Gabby 

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