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Purpose of this Website
Purpose of this Website
The Youth Advocacy Department of SDUSD is committed to building school spaces that are affirming and inclusive for all of our students. This is a team effort. And the effort lives in places where students themselves can be agents of positive change. . .but it is not easy work. Sometimes it is the hardest work there is because it often requires great courage in challenging and resisting existing social and systemic paradigms.
This site is devoted to Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins--a young person like any other who happened to have a disability and who used her voice and her body to challenge existing social and systemic paradigms. The book, All the Way to the Top is written by Annette Bay Pimental and drawn by Nabi H. Ali. The story centers around the life of 8-year old Jennifer Keelan who joined protesters during the "Capital Crawl" in removing herself from her wheelchair so that she could crawl up the stairs of Congress to focus attention on the multiple daily obstacles that people with disabilities face in a society that does not accommodate them.
Who is Jennifer Keelan? What does her life and pathway communicate to today's youth about courage and perseverance? What were the existing hurdles that motivated her--at the age of 6--to start using her voice to change things? How did she leverage her power and privilege in a way that would help others in the future? From a current events perspective, what parallels can be drawn between Jennifer Keelan's pathway as a young activist and the experiences of people today--youth and adults alike?
We wanted to begin exploring these questions by providing educators with resources they could use in the context of their own classroom instruction. Below are the raw materials that any educator (recommended grades K-6) may use to build their own Google Classroom experience.
Please note: If you are an educator in SDUSD and would like to CLONE the already-prepared Google Classroom, please email a quick request to Mick at mrabin@sandi.net. If you are not in SDUSD, it is not possible to do the clone process, but you will find the pathway and all the components below. I've created a step-by-step job-aid for creating this G-Classroom from all of those components in the YouTube video--March Archives: Overview and Tips--directly below.
Pathway
Pathway
STEP 1: Foundational Discussion
We recommend that educators ask their students what they already know about the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA).
A lot of young people are familiar with curb cuts, ramps, disabled parking spots, braille on their classroom door, elevators, and other spaces, and closed captioning on TV, Youtube, Ticktock, and other apps. A good discussion might begin with what they know about these accommodations, how long they've been around, why they exist, and who it is that pays for these services and accommodations.
We also recommend that educators download the All the Way to the Top Educator's Guide prepared by "We Love Children’s Books" in collaboration with Jenna Pontius Vandenberg.
STEP 2: Read and discuss the narrative of the book, All the Way to the Top with your class or student group
The above link provides a curriculum guide that helps educators facilitate strong conversations around the reading of All the Way to the Top. Additionally, we encourage educators to frame the reading of All the Way to the Top around topics and themes that relate to the identities and experiences of the students themselves (and of their peers).
Here is a short list of topics and themes that arise in All the Way to the Top as well as other texts that examine the human experience.
Choosing ONE of the themes from the list at right--advocacy--we could build a text-talk discussion that references a pivotal moment of the narrative in All the Way to the Top. Refer to the pages about 3/4 to the end of the book where Jennifer is told that she is too young to participate in the "Capitol Crawl." Below right is a simulated conversation that references this sequence. It starts with a simple definition for "advocacy" and culminates with a question that prompts students to take positive action.
STEP 3: Watch the video of the live event with our primary sources--the author, Annette Bay Pimentel and the central figure of the book, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins.
The video at right is a recording of a live interaction with Christina Burke, Annette Bay Pimentel, and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins. Thanks to KPBS and the SD Public Library for partnering up and offering students the opportunity to connect live with the primary sources as well as house an archived recording of this live event.
YouTube video of a conversation with Annette Bay Pimentel, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, and Christine Burke as facilitated by SD Public Library's Angie Stava.
STEP 4: Using the "What would YOU do?" mini-video prompts from Annette Bay Pimentel and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins below, plan for an online discussion via Google Classroom or Flipgrid with your own classroom/student group or even coordinate with another classroom from your school or a partner school.
This Google Classroom is designed to allow teachers from different classes/schools to facilitate collaboration and communication about student allyship, culturally responsive curriculum, and youth voice and empowerment. Before engaging in this discussion, all students should have A) read All the Way to the Top B) viewed the primary source video "One Book, One San Diego Author Event for Children," and C) discussed and reflected on the reading/viewing of A & B with their classmates.
You are welcome to clone this class and share as you see fit within SDUSD.
Please note: Educators may need to go to "Stream" section of the General settings (below) and select "Students can post and comment" if it's not selected in the general settings.
To the right of "1. Student Voice and Empowerment" title, you can see three dots. If you hover right under those three dots, another three dots appear and one of the options is to "Edit" which will allow you to add more to the description.
What would YOU do? prompts
What would YOU do? prompts
Classwork #1 What would you Change?
Classwork #1 What would you Change?
1. In the "Question" section of your "Classwork" tab, paste this:
1. Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins Question--
"What Would you Change? - Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins
There were moments I had as a child that made me think that things needed to change. In my case the things that needed to change would empower me to live a life without barriers. But I'm wondering: What are things that YOU think should change?
Perhaps you see things that you feel that are unfair and a change would help you or your friends and family.
If so what would you change? Are there things that you would be willing to do to make this change? Are there things that you value that you'd be willing to give up to make this change possible? Explain why these changes need to be made so that all people could have a better life? "
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this:
Synthesizing what you read in All the Way to the Top, viewed in the "One Book, One San Diego Author Event for Children" video, and your own life experiences, view Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins's question (below) and compose a unique post. Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom.
Classwork #2 True Heroism
Classwork #2 True Heroism
1. In the "Question" section of your "Classwork" tab, paste this:
1. Annette Bay Pimentel Question--
"In the case of All the Way to the Top, I wrote a story about a real life hero: Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins. If you could write a story about a real life hero, who would you write about and what kind of form of expression would you use? I use words to make stories that you could do a Flip Grid video, you could do a comic book. You could tell stories out loud. You could use dance or music. True heroism requires courage in the face of adversity. Sometimes it requires sacrifice. Knowing that, who do you think about when I ask you to think about a real life hero? Why would you want to share that person's story with the world? "
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this:
Synthesizing what you read in All the Way to the Top, viewed in the "One Book, One San Diego Author Event for Children" video, and your own life experiences, view Annette Bay Pimental's question (below) and compose a unique post. Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom.
Additional resources:
Additional resources:
Lesson plans for All the Way to the Top
Extensive free curricular resources that help examine the book and promote interactive responses that complement a classroom reading. It is prepared by "We Love Children’s Books" in collaboration with Jenna Pontius Vandenberg.
Readaloud for All the Way to the Top as Read by Author Annette Bay Pimental
Extensive free curricular resources that help examine the book and promote interactive responses that complement a classroom reading. It is prepared by "We Love Children’s Books" in collaboration with Jenna Pontius Vandenberg.
Americans With Disabilities Act--A Brief Overview
An explanation and brief history of the ADA including amendments over the years.
Americans With Disabilities Act at 30
A radio retrospective and interview conducted by 1-A (PBS/APR) correspondent, Celeste Headley and featuring Alice Wong, Britney Wilson, and Judy Heumann.
Jennifer Keelan: Climbing the Capitol Steps for ADA
Jennifer Keelan describing the day she decided to join in the "Capitol Crawl." Part 8 of a series of videos on YouTube that focus on Jennifer Keelan's life.
Kids Meet a Woman Who is Blind with her Guide Dog
From the "Kids Meet. . ." series on YouTube. Similar "Kids Meet. . ." videos exist for person who is deaf, person with tourettes, person with down syndrome, person in a wheelchair, etc.
KPBS classic Sesame Street profiles people with various forms of disability including autism, blindness, and physical disabilities.
Let's Talk About Intellectual Disabilities
TEDX talk facilitated by Loretta Claiborne regarding her experiences as a person with intellectual disabilities.
Teaching Activism with Arthur and John Lewis
Discover ways to protest an injustice and have your voice heard using this video from the PBS KIDS series ARTHUR. (TK-2)
A nice distillation of how our systems of government work and it makes a case for active civic involvement. Produced by the NYC Department of Education.
Guide To Inspiring Young Changemakers
Free PDF guide compiled by FirstBook. Has video and curricular tools, activities, & tips that are deliberately student-centered. A good educator resource for inspiring your students to roll up their sleeves and engage in shifting paradigms.
Take ACTion - #GoodTrouble
Take ACTion - #GoodTrouble
Resources for Taking Action
We The Future - Amplifier (posters, campains- projects for student activism)
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