Your patience is appreciated while the site is under construction.
You may notice that segments of this archive currently contain content from a different book. Please understand that this will ALL eventually be updated with content specific to The Vanishing Half.
See below to reserve your free copy.
bit.ly/TVHarchives
The Youth Advocacy Department of SDUSD is interested in 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.
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. Although the job-aid was created for March, you can apply all the same ideas toward the use of the components on ANY of the NTA sites.
STEP 1: Foundational Discussion
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STEP 2: Read and discuss the narrative of your book selection with your class
Additionally, we encourage educators to frame the reading of any of these texts 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 these texts that examine the human experience.
Choosing ONE of the themes from the above list--https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bShSkgyf77ZxVdzU8Kw30yua2c6dROtaeOIHLUQ8bbo/edit?usp=sharing
STEP 3: Watch a video interview with Brit Bennett. The first is a schools-only virtual event archived recording and the second is the "One Book, One San Diego Author Event with Brit Bennett" recorded at SDSU in front of a live audience. Each interview features Brit Bennett discussing her award-winning book, The Vanishing Half.
STEP 4: Plan for an online discussion with your own class, another classroom from your school, or a partner school. Some platforms to choose from include [but are not limited to] Google Classroom and Flipgrid. For student response samples of what teachers have done with both GClassroom and Flipgrid, please visit our sibling site: The March Archives. You'll find sample student work under "Additional Resources" (about 2/3 way down toward the bottom of the page).
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 culminating classroom discussion, all students should have A) read The Vanishing Half B) viewed the primary source video "A__________________" (above) 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. (Scroll up to directly above "Educator Pathway" for cloning instructions or--if you're not an SDUSD educator) a job-aid on how to build your own.
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.
TVH Q&A Template
To the right of "1. The _____________" 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.
1. In the "Question" section of your "Classwork" tab, paste this:
1. ____________________ Prompt: The ____________________
"Mohandas Gandhi, my grandfather, wanted a unified India. He understood that this goal faced a variety of obstacles, but he actively looked for common ground between different factions and groups. There was division between Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and others. There was division by caste including glaring and persistent injustices against the so-called Untouchables, these days referred to as “Dalits,” earlier spoken of as “Harijan.”
And there were tribal, regional, and geographical divides. Gandhi was always on the lookout for ways to bridge these divides. But sometimes, this willingness to work across groups prompted some in these opposing groups to be angry not just at each other. . .but at Gandhi himself.
Some were angry because Gandhi was willing to compromise when they weren’t ready to compromise. Or because he was suggesting inclusion and even mutual forgiveness despite a history of conflict.
So here’s my question: What would YOU do in order to bring groups together. . .to help unify people even if they have a history of conflict? Can you think of conflicting groups who could benefit from compromise, from inclusion, from acceptance, from letting go of negative feelings?"
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this:
Synthesizing what you read in your Gandhi text, viewed in the "A Conversation with Dr. Raj Gandhi" video, and your own life experiences, view Dr. Raj Gandhi's prompt (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 "The Benefit of Unity" video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom.
Learning About Threats to Democracy
Help your students reflect on the significance of events within recent history that comprise a threat to civil discourse and our democratic system of government.
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.
FREE copy of The Vanishing Half
OK, if you're here for your free copy, you'll have to jump through this here single hoop:
1. Register for a free copy of The Vanishing Half that I'll send you through school mail (while supplies last). To register, visit the link to this G-Form and fill it out.
