Lessons Learned

Printer-friendly version

When Katy Crawford-Garrett started teaching 5th grade at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. — a school almost equally mixed among African Americans, Latinos and Anglos — she wanted students to "grasp how important their rights are, on a visceral level."

Crawford-Garrett considered using the Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise, but after discussing the idea with parents, decided it wasn't right. "One parent's son had gone through a colored dot activity where people were treated differently," she says. "He had a really bad experience."

Instead, with input from the principal, other teachers and parents, Crawford-Garrett designed her own simulation, "A Day Without Rights," which she's conducted for the past four years. Using a lesson on the Bill of Rights as her instructional base, Crawford-Garrett asks students to brainstorm the rights they use in the classroom, such as a fair trial, or listening to both sides of a dispute. Then, she asks who is willing to sacrifice their rights for a day.

Almost every student decides to participate. "Really neat things have happened," Crawford-Garrett says, such as a spontaneous protest march. For many students, it becomes one of the most memorable experiences of the year. In a writing assignment following the activity last year, one boy reflected: "The hardest right to give up is peaceful assembly, because lunch is a time to speak with friends." A female classmate observed, "I was in a cage without a door."

Students are told they can't quit in the middle of the day, and Crawford-Garrett requires parental permission. Usually, one student decides not to participate and instead helps document the day, through photographs and written observations.

"If it had been forced on them, it might have been more powerful in a certain sense," Crawford-Garrett says. "But I think for me, that it was voluntary was key, especially as a white teacher."

Crawford-Garrett's precautions mirror the advice from other education experts for teachers who want to attempt simulations in their classrooms:

• Prior to facilitation, clearly identify the learning objectives.


• Avoid simulations that can trigger emotional traumas.


• Allow students to opt out.


• Notify parents in advance, especially with younger students.


• Don't group students according to characteristics that represent real-life oppression (racial or gender lines, for example).


• Strive for a diverse facilitation team.


• Build in ample time for debriefing; include journal writing for students uncomfortable talking aloud about their experiences.


• During debriefing, avoid telling students what happened, and instead ask open-ended questions, e.g., "What happened in today's simulation?"


• Remind students to disengage from the role-play at the activity's conclusion.


• Connect to real-life experiences and ways to apply what's been learned.