Lesson Plan Title: One Step Forward

Developed by: E.R. Luchs

Objective of Activity:
Students will participate in and observe differences between race and gender as assessed by in-
class activity and class discussion.
Estimated time of Activity:
A single fifty-five minute class period.
Common Core State Standards
7.7.2 Listen for and evaluate the use of public speaking techniques.
7.7.5 Listen to, provide, and evaluate constructive feedback; solve problems by identifying,
synthesizing, and evaluating data.
8.7.3 Use public speaking techniques to deliver presentations; express an opinion; defend a
position using evidence.
W.7.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed.
W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms
effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data
and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for
citation.Materials needed for this Activity:

Teaching Procedural Script:
1. Students will take out a piece of paper and write for about 10 minutes on the following topic:
For about ten minutes, were going to start thinking about whether or not racism exists in
America.
Writing Part #1: Do you believe it is still a major problem? Why or why not? If so, what are
examples that youve seen in your lifetime
2. Students will go to the main courtyard and the educator will ask for six volunteers.
3. The six volunteers will be asked to run a race of about 40 feet. The volunteers will start at the
same place. The winner will win four Beckers Best.
4. The SAME six volunteers will then be read One Step Forward Prompt #1. This will stagger
them to different places in line. They will then race starting from these different spots.
5. New volunteers will be selected, and One Step Forward Prompt #2 will be read statements
related to ethnicity and gender. Students will race from the spots where they ended.
6. The class will return to the room and discuss the separation gaps between each of the races and
genders, emphasizing how this gap has improved over the course of the last 50 years, although it
still exists.

Hw. -Students will answer the following prompt on the same piece of paper as the warm-up.
Follow up class discussion questions: What did the Step Forward exercise feel like to you?
What surprised you? Which groups did you feel held advantages? Which groups were held at
disadvantages? What do you think that this says about our society? What can we do as citizens do
to change this in our country?