Collaborative Lesson Plan: Chikyra Crabbe, Sabrina Leggett, Cristina Isolda

Focus Sheet: Integrated Social Studies Unit

Focus
Cultural Change in a society is brought about by exercising our
democratic right to speak out against wrong doings.
Common Core Standards: CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RI.4.3 &
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RI.4.5
Key Concepts
Racism/Segregation, Inequality, Justice, Acceptance
Important Understandings
-Problems about race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexuality is not
only (that) societys problem, but the problem of human beings
everywhere. (Cooperation)
- Societies have rules that help clarify rules that the society operates
on. Those who are meant to make, protect or uphold the law have a
responsibility to protect ALL people regardless of their opinions of
others. (Societal Control)
- Members of a society sometimes put value on people because of
their differences which causes conflicts and inequities. (Differences)
-Societies are dependent upon the needs of the people and never stay
the same. In order to change ideas, inequities and laws we must be
knowledgeable and speak out against these conflicts. (Cultural Change)
Information
Racial Segregation is the enforced separation of people of different
races.
Segregation was outlawed in education settings in 1954 in a case called
Brown v. Board of Education.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 all state and local laws requiring
segregation was ended.
In 1865 slavery ended, due to the Civil War.
In 1868, the 14th Amendment was made saying anyone born in the US
were citizens and had the same rights equally under the law.

In 1955-1956 Blacks who lived in Montgomery, Alabama went

boycotted the buses to change a law that said that blacks must ride in
the back of the bus, and won.
In 1963 more than 200,000 Americans attended the March on
Washington to speak out about inequalities.

November 23, 2014 Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a police officer for
holding a toy gun, 2 seconds after the officer arrived.
Skills
Researching (accessing resources, note taking, outlining)
Time line (Time comparisons)
Writing Applications
Letter Writing (Introduction, Body with details, Summary)
Research
Reading Response
Attitudes to Foster
-Good learners think critically.
-Good learners ask questions about what they are learning?
-Good citizens question laws they don't agree with.
Trade Books
Our Children Can Soar by Michelle Cook
White Sox Only by Evelyn Coleman
Sit In by Andrea Davis Pickney

Time line
Graphs
Surveys
Recording Date

Writing

Letter writing to
politicians
Reading response
Research
Note taking
Outlining

Math

Trips

Mural Arts tour

around
Philadelphia
Culminating trip to
Washington D.C
MLK monument
Local police station
African American
Art Museum

Cultural Change

Reading

Art/Projects

Diversity quilt
Big Shoes to fill
project
Designing of shoe

Heredity
DNA
System and Ecosystems
Science

Note taking
Our Children Can
Soar by Michelle
Cook
White Sox Only
by Evelyn
Coleman
Sit In by Andrea
Davis Pickney
Kids on Strike! By
Susan Campbell
Bartoletti
Varied non-fiction
about culture
Poetry

Timeline

We
ek
1

Big Idea

Meeting
topics/questions

Related
Activities

Inequality and injustice is

caused by the values
society puts on people due
to their differences.

How does society

view different groups
of people?
How do these
different views cause
injustices?

Timeline of
events in history
caused by
inequality from
MLK to most
recent
encounters.
Trip: Mural arts
tour

Reading and
Writing
Varied non-fiction
books
Note taking from
videos
White Sox Only by
Evelyn Coleman
Reading response

Science: DNA
and Heredity

Different people in
communities develop
perspectives on others
based on their roles and
positions in society.

What are the

different
perspectives people
have of certain jobs?
How does
institutionalized
racism prevent
people from being
treated equally?
What can we do to
change this? What
have others done in
the past?

Interview people
in the
community.
Trip: Local police
station to
interview cops
Delve more into
timeline to
further look up
how
institutionalized
racism has
progressed.
Watch videos of
local peaceful
protests in
relation to the
Mike Brown case.
Big shoes to fill
activity. Whos
shoes do you
want to walk into
and why. How
can you follow in
their footsteps?

Sit In by Andrea
Davis Pickney
Write letters to
local politicians to
discuss law
changes.
Research and
record information.
Record timeline.

Being an Activist

What is an activist?
How can you be an
activist in your
community?
Understand the
acronym A.C.T.I.V.E
Ask Questions
Challenge Myself
Think outside the
box
Inspire others
Value others
Engage Everyone

Black Lives Matter

Racism is a Human Rights

Issue not a People of Color
Issue

Brainstorm how
you can take an
active role in
your community

Scholars have you all

seen the sign dont
shoot? What does it
mean to you?

Video on black
lives matter from
CNN student
news

Scholars have you

seen or heard the
saying I cant
breathe? What does
it mean?

Be ACTIVE: Black
Lives Matter
Button making

What does unarmed

mean?

Use the world

wide web to
search for
activist

Name a time when

you felt you were
treated differently
because you were
different.
Should someone be
treated badly or
differently because
theyre different
than us?
What rights should
people have just

Touch Someone
Who Activity
Let your voice be
heard

Activity: Give
scholars an
assignment. Give
expectations,
during the
activity girls will
be given favor
over the boys.
When that
assignment is
over, give
another activity
where the boys
are given favor.

Our Children Can

Soar by Michelle
Cook.
Students can write
a research paper
on different activist
After brainstorming
make a class chart
and have students
take a different
active role each
month
Pick a quote and
provide a writing
response
Students will read
and write about
Michael Brown
Students will read
and write about
Eric Gardner
Understanding the
larger issue by
viewing photos and
writing about
whats going on in
the media
Write letters to
families and
politicians
We are all born free
by Amnesty
International.
Mini Writers
Workshop: Scholars
will write a story
about being fair.

because they are

human beings?

Discussion: What
happened during
our activities?
Was it fair that
one group was
treated badly
just because of
their sex?
Discuss rights
that every
scholar should
have regardless
of differences.
**Relate this to
the human rights
scholars came up
with in
discussion
question earlier
in the week.
Diversity Quilt:
Scholars will take
a quilt square
home and
decorate it with
their family
about who they
are, where they
come from or
what makes
them different.

Making a Change:
Questioning our System

Have you ever

thought something
was unfair? Did
you try to change
it? If so, what did
you do?
What do you think
laws are supposed
to do?
How could we
question a law or
state that a law or
practice is wrong?

Diversity Quilt:
Connect
Diversity Quilt.

Kids on Strike! By
Susan Campbell
Bartoletti-Scholars journal
Community
how kids their
Activism
age helped
project: Video
change laws and
interview peers, what they think
school
about it.
community and
even
Journal about how
neighborhood
feelings from
community
Tamir Rice
about
shooting.
1. How

How should the

police interact with
the community?
Why?
How can you as
children start to
question or speak
out against unfair
laws?

police
should
interact
with the
communit
y.
2. Ways
people
can help
change
unjust
laws/prac
tices.