Race in America and in the American classroom has always been a sensitive topic. Everyone is impacted by the racial structure in American society. The topic can put teachers in a hot seat but ultimately it is something that needs to be talked about. However, race is often shied away from because of how controversial it can appear. Some parents do not wish for their children to hear about the attrocities of the past or believe that current racist structure still exist, thus not wanting their children to hear about these things. With this in mind, teachers and school districts must carefully craft their lessons regarding race and racism.

As a white woman and future teacher, I have more to think about than just planning a lesson. I need to think about how I am purposefully and unconconsciously saying about American society and race. I've taken several lesson plans regarding race and racism internationally and domestically. I've taken pieces of each one to combine them into a lesson plan that I would consider adjusting to the class and grade level I'm teaching.

1. Prepare yourself to talk about race: I would need to evaluate my own privilege as a white woman teaching about an issue that will not negatively impact my standing in society.

2. Introducing the concept of race: Have students independently research what race is and how it can affect people.

3. Prep yourself to talk about the way race can be used as a tool to dehumanize people and then address the problem with your students: **This may change depending on the age group of students.** Create a class lesson on  language and how it is a powerful tool and hinderance to the anti-racism movements in the US. Then, break students up into groups and come together after their discussion to talk about what they think.

4. Pose the question of how to create a society that everyone can thrive in: Have students work together to find how society has tried to reform itself and create a list of ways they could work to fix their own conscious or unconscious racial biases.

5. Assessment: Have students write about what they’ve learned and how they would use it.

The article that influenced me:
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/discussing-race-and-racism-classroom

The 1619 Project was headed by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times. It's purpose was to reframe the history of American slavery and begin teaching it from 1619, the year in which the first time enslaved Africans reached Jamestown, VA. The picture of Black Americans in the United States often makes it appear as though they had a lesser impact on society than they actually did. The project is controversial because of the new (negative) light it casts on American society. Parents and school executives have banned or tried to ban teaching the 1619 Project's curriculum because the perspective had been switched by the great men who pioneered this country to the innumerous Africans and Black Americans who were forced to build this country and their continuing contributions and inequalities after the abolition of slavery. The 1619 Project is taught through literature and conversation. Books have been written for all maturity and age levels, with details varying accordingly. Teachers have begun to actively teach using the Project to better represent Black history and influence in the United States.

As a future history teacher, I think this topic is very applicable to my field. The 1619 Project tries to rewrite history in a way that exposes the cruel nature of treatment that Blacks were subjected to before and after slavery, as well as their impact on American society. I would incorporate activities and lessons that highlight what slavery was truly like - as I continue my collegic studies, I've learned that it was much worse than what is depicted in textbooks. I would try to uncover the false realities that the school system has perpetuated about slavery and racism in the United States. Another possible way to incorporate some of aspects of the 1619 Project is to create lessons that highlight Black Americans and their impact on society. There are so many things in society that we take advantage of that were invented by or built on the backs of communities of color in America. By calling attention to this, students can begin to understand how much of American society is a direct effect of people of color.

The article that influenced me:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html?mtrref=undefined&gwh=76A1D0EAD53718B1494CDE5A167DDE85&gwt=pay&assetType=PAYWALL 

Students often come to school with different identities - socioeconomic, gender, race, sexuality, religion; the list goes on. These identities can place wait on students or can give them privileges they are unaware of. They may be ashamed of some of their unique qualities and be proud of others. Students should not come to school afraid to be the truest version of themself. Students may be using school to form their own personal identity or be learning how to present their personal identity. Teachers are able to highlight these differences in a positive light by teaching students about acitivists and people that look and identify the same as them.

While teachers are not responsible for creating students' identities, I do think that they are a force to help students discover identities. As a history or social studies teacher, I have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to lessons that could shine lights on people's identities. I could assign students a project to look into their ancestry in a world history class, look into the 1980s and the LGBTQ+ protests in an American history class, and learn about the socioeconomic structures that make it difficult for students to 'move up' the economic ladder. By exposing students to so many aspects of society, students may become more aware of identities they already knew about or help them discover things about themselves. Minority students often do not have the same opportunity to have role models the way financially stable, straight, cisgender, white people do. I want to be a teacher that shows every student that there was someone just like them.

The article that influenced me:
https://www.learningforjustice.org/learning-plan/specials-ace