Project Overview
One Lesson or Multiple Lessons? The time allotted for this project could range from a single lesson to a full-blown thematic unit. Practitioners can determine what to implement and for how long based on the content and skills that need to be covered. Also, consider your students' learning styles, your teaching styles, and the amount of time you have available. This project creates opportunities for educators to integrate across literacy, social studies, art, and even technology (for starters).
Activity Ideas! Depending on the needs of your students, teachers can hand-pick one or more activities from the collection below. Feel free to edit and re-sequence as needed.
One Lesson or Multiple Lessons? The time allotted for this project could range from a single lesson to a full-blown thematic unit. Practitioners can determine what to implement and for how long based on the content and skills that need to be covered. Also, consider your students' learning styles, your teaching styles, and the amount of time you have available. This project creates opportunities for educators to integrate across literacy, social studies, art, and even technology (for starters).
Activity Ideas! Depending on the needs of your students, teachers can hand-pick one or more activities from the collection below. Feel free to edit and re-sequence as needed.
Discussions to
Explore Social Justice
- Ask students: What is social justice? Create a
list of suggested ideas.
- Determine a class-agreed-upon definition. Record
the definition in writing journals.
- If students have difficulties, break it down:
ask them what "just" means and then ask what "social"
means; role play examples of social justice in action; and/or share 2-3
definitions and ask students to create their own.
- Example definition from a 3rd grade class: “Social
justice means everyone is treated fairly and has the same opportunities.”
- Create a list of social justice issues with your
students (e.g., children's rights, gender equality, environmental protection,
animal rights, human rights).
- Potential Developing Skills: vocabulary,
listening, questioning, writing, making inferences, and content related to
social studies.
Research a Social
Justice Issue
- After students select (or are assigned) an
issue, provide resources to assist them in learning more about the topic.
Resources could be credible websites, news articles, definitions of key words,
informational texts, etc.
- To differentiate, students could work in pairs
or small groups; graphic organizers or key questions could be
provided; key vocabulary and/or facts could be pre-highlighted for
students; etc.
- Students can record notes in a writing
journal or on a separate handout or graphic organizer.
- Students can share findings with peers. Peers
can ask questions of the "researcher" to support him/her in
gathering more information or clarifying. Peers can discuss opinions of the
findings.
- Potential Developing Skills: comprehension,
note taking, making inferences, vocabulary, fact versus opinion, research,
& writing.
Exploring Social Justice Issues as They are Depicted in Texts (e.g., picture books, songs, news articles)
... more info on the way!
... more info on the way!
Personal Connections to Social Justice Topics
... more info on the way!
... more info on the way!
Journaling about Social Justice
... more info on the way!
... more info on the way!
Creating Tiles for Social Justice
... more info on the way!
... more info on the way!