In this mini-unit, students investigate racial disparities and their underlying causes and identify steps individuals and society should take to alleviate them.
Objectives
Materials
Suggested Procedures
Begin by asking students to define racism and to share examples of racism. It's likely that students will focus on interpersonal examples of racism -- calling someone the "n-word," for example.
Let students know the class will be exploring racial disparities in U.S. society. Divide students into 5-person "jigsaw" groups. Be sure the groups are diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, race and ability.
Assign one student from each group to investigate one the following racial disparity topics.
Explain students will investigate their racial disparities topic along five lines of inquiry.
Provide time for students to review their assignments, locate resources and investigate teacher-provided resources individually.
Create "expert groups" that include students with the same topic from each of the small groups, e.g., all students who are investigating "school resegregation" should form an expert group, sharing what they learn in their individual investigations and working to create shared responses to the five investigative questions.
Note: Teachers should observe the groups at work and offer support in those places where students have difficulty. In our individualistic society, for example, it may be easier for students to identify steps individuals, rather than society, should take to remedy disparities.
Working together, the expert groups should create and rehearse the presentations they will make to their respective jigsaw groups.
Bring the students back into their jigsaw groups, and ask students to teach their topics to peers. As the "experts" teach the material, encourage students to complete the Racial Disparities Information Organizer [1]. Encourage them to ask questions for clarification.
As a whole class, reflect on the information contained in students' Racial Disparities Information Organizers.
In closing, provide time for students to reflect on what they learn in writing or through artwork.
Alternate Procedures
Instead of focusing on all 5 categories of racial disparities, select one for classroom focus. Break students into small, jigsaw groups of 5, and assign each student one of the 5 investigative questions. For example, if you selected "resegregation" as the focus, you'd assign one student from each jigsaw group to investigate one of following questions.
Students from the jigsaw groups with the same investigative question should caucus in expert groups as described in the main activity and then return to their jigsaw groups to teach what they've learned.
Links:
[1] http://www.tolerance.org/images/teach/activities/TT_BHM_racialdisparitiesorgani.pdf