Teaching about Race and Racism Across the Disciplines

Teaching Strategies:

This unit is structured as a modern-day Freedom School, or in this case Freedom class. There was a swift exodus from old models of teaching to student-led teaching during Freedom Schools. Within this unit, the primary focus is student-led learning as they grow their critical thinking skills. As the teacher, my primary focus is to question in order to activate critical thinking, teach the fundamentals of annotations and standards, and to guide the engaging activities. With this structure, students will be able to notice the dominant narratives in order to present counter-narratives.

The beginning of class will be history and philosophy of Freedom Schools, artistry, readings and reviews of Johnathon (analysis) where will dissect the text during this time. With the artistry, I want the students to start noticing the common theme, community and unity. The second half of class will be an extracurricular activity (application). This unit is to cultivate critical thinking by ways of questions, reading and writing.

We will utilize Visual Thinking Questions to evoke a critical response and connections.

1. What’s going on in this picture?
2. What do you see that makes you say that?
3. What more can you find?⁴¹
4. What would be a common, dominant narrative? What would be a counter narrative?
5. How do you believe they view/think about themselves?
6. Who’s a part of their family?
7. Who else do you believe is a part of their support system?

Strategy 1: Annotations through inference, characterization, context clues and figurative language. The students will use annotations to determine the meaning of the text. The students will identify inferences and context clues, character traits and development, figurative language and questioning. The standards that support this strategy are:

Vocabulary 5.4 a) Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases, b) Use context and sentence structure to determine meanings and differentiate among multiple meanings of words, and d) Identify an author’s use of figurative language.

Comprehension of Literary Fictional Text 5.5 c)  Describe character development, j)Draw conclusions and make inferences with support from the text, and m) Use reading strategies throughout the reading process to monitor comprehension.

Strategy 2: Picture views and visual thinking strategies will be used as a primary source and build important background information about ecological environment, colorblindness, and Freedom Schools. Throughout the weeks, the students will be given various pictures, by various artist, and then answer visual thinking questions daily pertaining to the pictures. It is here that students will directly be taught about an Ecologcial system, colorblindness and Freedom Schools are.

1. Ecological system is a model that shows how self-perception, family and parental involvement, and school and/or environmental influence (teacher, coach, pastor, etc.) a person.
2. Colorblindness saying that one doesn’t see color and sees everyone as equal. It negates the fact that we are all different and our differences should be noticed, accepted, learned and taught, yet not discriminated against. Colorblindness does not embrace difference, rather it dismisses it.
3. Freedom Schools of 1964 are schools that push for critical thinking and student led education, highlights the need for students of color to be able to express themselves, learn how to function and learn in the world politically and socially.
4. Dominant narrative is the colorblind outlook of a story. For example, Mrs. Harris is the savior versus a key person who assist Johnathon. Counter-narrative is the equitable and true outlook of a story. That example would be Mrs. Harris assisting Johnathon versus being his savior.

The standards that support this strategy are: Comprehension of Literary Fictional Text 5.5 c) Describe character development, j)Draw conclusions and make inferences with support from the text, and m) Use reading strategies throughout the reading process to monitor comprehension.

Strategy 3: Journaling will daily write in their personal journals/notebooks. This will allow the students to practice their writing skills and gain a joy for writing. Daily, the students will be given an open ended question/prompt to discuss pertaining to Johnathon and Freedom Schools. There’s no right or wrong, as long as the student is actively making connections to from the novel to Freedom Schools. These journals will be used to help students make personal connections with the text and history, ultimately showing the students how Johnathon is in them all. The standards that support this strategy are:

Narrative Writing 5.7 The student will write in a variety of forms to include narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. d)Introduce and develop a topic, incorporating evidence and supporting details, e) Organize information to convey a central idea, g) Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea. and i) Write multi paragraph compositions.

Editing 5.8 The student will self- and peer-edit writing for capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, and Standard English. h) Edit for fragments and run-on sentences and j) Use correct spelling of commonly used words.

Strategy 4: Final Project: The 5^th Grade Quilt will be used to show the importance of community within the class. The students will create their own patch. Each student will have a patch on the quilt (paper – best if laminated, or whatever material you creatively choose.) Each patch will include:

1. their name,
2. their personal ecological system: (explanation of who they are, family tree, and school or environmental influences,
3. how their unique abilities encourages someone else’s difference.

The standards that support this strategy are:

Narrative Writing 5.7 The student will write in a variety of forms to include narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. d)Introduce and develop a topic, incorporating evidence and supporting details, e) Organize information to convey a central idea, g) Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea. and i) Write multi paragraph compositions.

Editing 5.8 The student will self- and peer-edit writing for capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, and Standard English. h) Edit for fragments and run-on sentences and j) Use correct spelling of commonly used words.

We want to utilize the strategies above to all for all verbs in Bloom’s Taxonomy to be reached. Bloom’s Taxonomy is the classification system used to define and distinguish different levels of human cognition—i.e., thinking, learning, and understanding.⁴² We want our students to remember and understand, but we also want them to be challenged to apply, analyze, evaluate and create. These are verbs that I will see throughout the activities; remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

Activities (each with 90 minute class period and daily and homework reading pacing depending on your class):

Week 1:

Before Reading (20 minutes): Students will be welcomed with a musical selection and daily visuals of a photograph from Faces of Freedom Summer by Herbert Randall, which are found on google search or purchasing the book.

The introductory songs will be:

1. To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Nina Simone
2. A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
3. What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye
4. Say it Loud – I'm Black and I’m Proud by James Brown
5. Before I Let Go by Maze Frankie Beverly

Students will be asked the visual thinking questions. Students will be introduced to the author and a historical background of the music and photograph. Directly after the questions, students will watch the documentary on Freedom Schools from pbs.org.⁴³

During Reading - Daily In-Class Reading (15 minutes): Johnathon by Jo Ann Burroughs Chapters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

• What is a character trait?
• Think about the main character's traits. Give an example of a situation where these traits would be helpful.
• How did the main character's traits affect the other characters in the story?
• What's the most important character trait that describes the main character?
• What is the worst character trait to have? Why?

After Reading (55 minutes): Extension Activity: After reading, students will be taught about annotations, the importance of annotations and how these annotations will help them. Annotations being a method to understand and make connections to the text. I can explain that they are private investigators of the text. In their interactive notebooks, students will jot down all of the symbols for annotations. After jotting the symbols, we will review the meaning of each. Lastly, students will record the key in their individual books and write their names.

This diagram is the students’ key for annotations.

After annotation explanation for the first two days, students will go directly into stations from during reading.

Stations:

Writing Station - Journaling: For a writing workshop, the students will journal daily, creating their personal writing and opinions towards the text and topics. At the end of the unit, it will be graded on completion. This project will be about their personal connection to Johnathon, understanding of community (ecological system), Freedom Schools, colorblindness and their overall experience during this unit. Each day, they will have a topic. Week 1 topics are:

• Who is Johnathon and how is he like me?
• Who is a part of Johnathon’s community and how have they impacted his life?
• What is a Freedom School? Do you believe Mrs. Harris believes in Freedom Schools? Why or why not?
• What was an example of colorblindness? How was this colorblindness?

Writing Rubric:

This is the journal writing rubric that I can test the students on or their peers can.

Individual Reading: Students will be reading their next chapter of Johnathon independently and making their annotations.

Teacher Station: At my teacher station, I will be reviewing the journal entries and going through editing strategies.

Daily Homework Reading for Week 1: Johnathon by Jo Ann Burroughs Chapter 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

For homework, students will read the chapter assigned for the night and annotate using the key above. To differentiate instruction for students with Individualized Education Plan, they may receive a read aloud at home.

Week 2:

Before Reading (20 minutes): Students will be welcomed with a musical selection and daily visuals of a photograph from Titus Kaphar⁴⁴ and connect them to the photos from Freedom Schools. The introductory songs can be the same from week 1 or you can change them as desired. Students will be asked the visual thinking questions (see Teaching Strategies). Students will be introduced to the author and a historical background of the music and photograph.

During Reading - Daily In-Class Reading (15 minutes): Johnathon by Jo Ann Burroughs Chapters 11, 13, 15, 17, 19

• Questions:
  • What is a character trait?
  • Think about the main character's traits. Give an example of a situation where these traits would be helpful.
  • How did the main character's traits affect the other characters in the story?
  • What's the most important character trait that describes the main character?
  • What is the worst character trait to have? Why?

After Reading - Stations (55 minutes):

Writing Station - Journaling: For a writing workshop, the students will journal daily, creating their personal writing and opinions towards the text and topics. At the end of the unit, it will be graded on completion. This project will be about their personal connection to Johnathon, understanding of community (ecological system), Freedom Schools, colorblindness and their overall experience during this unit. Each day, they will have a topic. Week 2 topics are:

• Write a poem about Johnathon’s experience with Christmas and Mrs. Harris.
• If you were Johnathon’s teacher, what would you have done in this situation and why?
• What part of Johnathon’s community is lacking currently? What part of Johnathon’s community is strengthening?
• What's an example of dominant narrative in this chapter? Why do you believe so?
• Finish the ending of this story. I would read half of chapter 19, stop before the conclusion is given and ask students to write their own ending.⁴⁵

Writing Rubric:

This is the journal writing rubric that I can test the students on or their peers can.

Individual Reading: Students will be reading their next chapter of Johnathon independently and making their annotations.

Teacher Station: At my teacher station, I will be reviewing the journal entries and going through editing strategies.

Daily Homework Reading for Week 1: Johnathon by Jo Ann Burroughs Chapter 12, 14, 16, 18, 20

For homework, students will read the chapter assigned for the night and annotate using the key above. To differentiate instruction for students with Individualized Education Plan, they may receive a read aloud at home.

Week 3:

I might utilize week 3 to extend the lessons and catch up on all work that needs to be complete.

After Reading: Also, this week the students will start and complete their final project: The 5^th Grade “I’m like Johnathon” Quilt. This quilt will be used to show the students personal connections to Johnathon, importance of community within the class. The students will create their own patch. Each student will have a patch on the quilt (paper – best if laminated, or whatever material you creatively choose.) Each patch will include:

1. Title: I’m like Johnathon because ____.
2. By: their name
3. The students will write at least 4 sentences and no more than 6 sentences about how they are like Johnathon.
4. Their personal ecological system: (explanation of who they are, family tree, and school or environmental influences. They will show this through a tree illustration.
5. How their unique abilities encourages someone else’s difference.