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Teaching Social Studies Through an
Teaching Social Studies Through an
Anti-Racist Lens
Anti-Racist Lens
"Many of them, as fifth graders, already have the knowledge and understanding of social justice and how society works. I don’t think we give them enough credit.” ~Brandon Morrison
Important Takeaways and Strategies to Incorporate
Important Takeaways and Strategies to Incorporate
Teach students about the origins of racism and how it presented itself throughout history as well as how it presents itself today
Teach history accurately and be transparent with students
Avoid censorship of accurate history as well as the experiences of the students (learn from them, as they do from you)
Encourage students to be critical of what they see and are taught
Support student exploration of possible bias in the materials included in their curriculum
Educating students to see and respect the humanity and dignity of all people should be a national imperative, especially if we want to heal and have a future as a nation.
~Dena Simmons
Becoming an Antiracist Educator
Becoming an Antiracist Educator
Engage in constant self-reflection and awareness (check your bias)
How does your identity influence your students and your work?
Talk with students about race and white privilege
Educating students on these topics gives them a chance to be a part of the solution as well.
Teach history accurately
Represent marginalized histories to widen student perspectives.
Have open discussions with students about race
This requires establishing a classroom environment in which students feel safe and providing sufficient context for these discussions from the very beginning of the year.
Take action against racism in your own school and environment
in practice
in practice
- Expose students to the history of societal racism and white supremacy on which our social, political, and educational systems were built.
- A deep personal understanding of critical race theory is essential to recognize how to be a part of the solution whilst working for a largely flawed education system riddled with racial disparity.
- Facilitate student collaboration and brainstorming of possible solutions on both the individual and societal level.
~ Socratic seminars are a great way to encourage students to participate (and it helps prepare them for college-level thinking and discussions).
- Give students the tools and the knowledge that they need in order to take initiative in seeking out equitable solutions
- Critical Race Theory concepts should be etched into ALL of the class material, as it is more a mode of teaching rather than a subject to be briefly touched on.
"To teach critical race theory is simply to teach history and the role that race has played in shaping how individuals and groups have experienced this country in the past and in the present."
~Bill Boegeman
"I don't teach my white students that they are perpetrators of racism any more than I teach my students of color that they need to feel like victims. Instead, I am trying to help all of my students understand the systemic nature of why people of color — particularly Blacks — are more likely to live in poverty, to struggle in school, and to be incarcerated than people who are white."
~Bill Boegeman
Helping Students Identify Bias
Helping Students Identify Bias
in News and Media
in News and Media
Jonathan Gold's Facilitated Discussion on Source Bias
Jonathan Gold's Facilitated Discussion on Source Bias
A 7th/8th-grade history teacher from Rhode Island reflects on an exemplary classroom discussion regarding bias in various news sources and America's lack of trust in the media. Applying his activity in my own classroom can be done by following a similar lesson plan:
A 7th/8th-grade history teacher from Rhode Island reflects on an exemplary classroom discussion regarding bias in various news sources and America's lack of trust in the media. Applying his activity in my own classroom can be done by following a similar lesson plan:
Emphasize the importance of reading and understanding news and current events.
Assign the student research magazine (linked below) and facilitate a classroom discussion
Engage ALL students in the conversation and encourage them to challenge one another and ask questions.
Guide students toward analysis of their sources and discerning the bias of the authors.
Explain the process of learning something and how we know it to be true, as it relates to our consumption of opinionated media and news
Reflect on the influence of confirmation bias on readers, and how individual's opinions of the same article could vary because of interpretation
Remind students of the danger of a single story (tying it back to marginalized histories and difficulties with discerning the entire story of historical time periods and events
A student aimed resource on media bias and filtering that highlights student voices and opinions:
A student aimed resource on media bias and filtering that highlights student voices and opinions:
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