Shades of Grey
An activity drawing on legal history to stimulate synthesis of opposing views.
By Dominique Grello, Christina Moavero, Jessica Guo and David Lei.
Proposal
Most of the time, history is taught through one single lens--a wealthy white person’s. Due to the way events in history are featured and interpreted in history textbooks and curriculum, students are subconsciously learning about what our country values. The absence of a multi-perspective interpretation of history becomes detrimental to a student's perception of the different populations which represent our country. Education participates in and often perpetuates inequalities, however it may also disrupt them (Paris, 2016). By looking at history through the Critical Race Theory framework, the onus is on us as educators to provide counterstories or counter narratives (Ladson-Billings, 1995). We want the children of tomorrow to be equipped with the critical thinking skills needed to evaluate primary sources, and how these may shape their underlying assumptions. In order to become culturally competent, students should be able to understand different perspectives and think about history through a point of view other than their own. Through this, students will be able to identify underlying assumptions critically through dialogue, utilizing the process of conscientization (Freire, 1970). According to Common Core Standards and the CT State Social Studies Frameworks, teachers should be preparing students to actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, so that they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. In brief, we are going to help students understand perspective, bias and empathy through exploring primary sources from “The Little Rock Nine” desegregation. This lesson will juxtapose the perspectives of black students with that of white students. We will begin by dividing the class in half: half of the students will be reading an article from the perspective of an African American student who is coming to Central High School and the other half will read a poem from a white student’s perspective. Students will then engage in semi structured interview, which will then culminate in a role reversal during a line game activity. Students will reflect on their process of adopting a different perspective. While we are teaching this lesson through the content area of social studies, the objectives can be adapted for any content area/topic that has multiple perspectives.
Lesson Plan
TOPIC: 8th Grade Social Studies
OBJECTIVES:
CT SOCIAL STUDIES FRAMEWORKS:
DIMENSION 2: Disciplinary Concepts
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.
MATERIALS (for a class of 30):
PRIMARY SOURCES:
White Student Perspective:
African American Student Perspective:
LEARNING ACTIVITIES :
Introduction: Group Discussion (10 minutes)
Interviews (15 minutes)
Line Game (10 minutes)
Closure: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION (5 minutes)
We were researching for a primary document from a student who wanted segregation, after about an hour of research all we could find was a primary document through the University of Arkansas archives. Why do you think it was so hard to find a primary document that shows a white perspective against segregation?
ASSESSMENT
OBJECTIVES:
- Students will be able to (SWBAT) read and integrate a unique perspective about Little Rock Nine
- SWBAT assume and defend the unique perspective they read about
- SWBAT actively listen to their peers while keeping an open mind
- SWBAT take a stance (line game side) by thinking about situations from the point of view of the other perspective.
CT SOCIAL STUDIES FRAMEWORKS:
DIMENSION 2: Disciplinary Concepts
- HIST 8.3 Analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
- HIST 8.5 Analyze how people’s perspectives influenced what information is available in the historical sources they created.
- HIST 8.6 Detect possible limitations in the historical record based on evidence collected from different kinds of historical sources.
- HIST 8.7 Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to identify further areas of inquiry and additional sources.
- HIST 8.8 Evaluate the relevance and utility of a historical source based on information such as maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose.
- HIST 8.10 Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past.
- INQ 6–8.8 Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources to support claims, noting evidentiary limitations.
- INQ 6–8.9 Develop claims and counterclaims while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both.
- INQ 6–8.15 Draw on multiple disciplinary lenses to analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself at local, regional, and global levels over time, identifying its characteristics and causes, and the challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address the problem.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.
MATERIALS (for a class of 30):
- Name Tags, color coded. (15 of each color)
- Articles; primary sources (for 3 primary sources each side, 6 copies of each)
- Sheet of Interview Questions (35, one for each person and extra)
- Sheet of probing questions for groups (~10)
- Sheet of line game questions (2, one for us, one for backup)
- Exit Slips (35, one for each person and extra)
PRIMARY SOURCES:
White Student Perspective:
- http://scipio.uark.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/Civilrights/id/1638/rec/3
- http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/K-0203/K-0203.html
- http://scipio.uark.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/Civilrights/id/1802/rec/9
African American Student Perspective:
- http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/qa-the-youngest-of-the-little-rock-nine-talks-about-her-first-day-of-school-13924374/?no-ist
- https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/her-own-words-elizabeth-eckford
- http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-postwar/6104
LEARNING ACTIVITIES :
Introduction: Group Discussion (10 minutes)
- Students are assigned to one of two groups; a primary source written by a white student or a primary source written by an African American student
- The two groups have different color name tags that students must wear
- Each group is given primary sources from the perspectives of students during the Little Rock desegregation in the 1950s; white and African American students
- Students assume the role of the author of the primary sources they’re reading; either a white or African American student
- When the members of each group finish reading the designated primary sources they refer to the worksheet of Probing Questions for a group discussion.
- Discuss your general reaction to the primary sources.
- Summarize the main points in the primary source you read.
- In what ways did the primary source you read highlight the author’s point of view?
- Based on the primary source you read, how would you characterize the author?
Interviews (15 minutes)
- Students find a partner with the opposite color name tag (from the group with the opposing point of view)
- Students will continue to assume the role of the primary source they read; either a white or African American student (therefore a white and African American student are interviewing one another).
- What is your name? Tell me a little bit about yourself.
- How do you feel about the desegregation of your school?
- Describe an average school day for you (morning, class, dismissal)
- What do you want to do when you are finished with school?
- Do you value education? Why or why not?
- Do you feel excited to come to school?
- How do you get to school?
Line Game (10 minutes)
- Students switch name tags with the person they interviewed and assume the identity of that person; for example, the student with the role of a white student at little rock is now assuming the role of an African American student at little rock.
- The line game is done in an open area, students line up in two parallel lines, order doesn’t matter but each line should be the same length.
- Step on the line if you go to school
- Step on the line if school is important to you
- Step on the line if you look forward to school
- Step on the line if you do not feel welcome at school.
- Step on the line if it took you less than 20 minutes to get to school
- Step on the line if you are fearful of your peers and teachers
- Step on the line if your parents were upset about the desegregation of schools
- Step on the line if you have been turned away from a public place due to your skin color.
- Step on the line if your parents were worried about you going to school
- Step on the line if security guards make you feel safe.
- Step on the line if you feel like your peers respect you.
- Step on the line if your teachers respect you.
- Step on the line if you respect your teachers.
- Step on the line if you have enough food to eat everyday.
- Step on the line if your parents help you with homework.
- Step on the line if you or your parents have participated in a mob.
Closure: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION (5 minutes)
We were researching for a primary document from a student who wanted segregation, after about an hour of research all we could find was a primary document through the University of Arkansas archives. Why do you think it was so hard to find a primary document that shows a white perspective against segregation?
ASSESSMENT
- Exit Slip (feedback)
- Listening to their conversations (formative)