Kellie DiNapoli

Miami University- UTC

May 4, 2016
Social Justice Unit Plan

Perpetuating racism through a colorblind mindset

5th grade Language Arts Intervention (10 students)
Students with mild to moderate disabilities or students needed extra supports
50 minute class periods three times per week
Common Core standards:
Writing:
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons and information.
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including
the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and
collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding
skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
Speaking and listening:
o CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts,
building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:

Identify, describe, and discuss with others different forms of racism

Form a written opinion based on information discussed in class
Use technology to connect and interact with others as well as use it to

inform others.
Collaborate successfully with their peers and create a space where
everyone has a voice.

Detailed Lesson Plan:

Day 1: Racism today
o Comparison of what racism use to be and the similarities and differences
in which it continues today.
o Activity: have students write racism in the middle of a blank sheet of
paper and write all forms, types, examples they can think of that pertain to
the past and the current state of our society
First individual ideas

Next share with a partner and if they had a good idea you didnt go
ahead and write it down, but then also circle it.
Now discuss as a large group and any good ideas stated that you
didnt have, write it and underline.
o If not mentioned, briefly discuss the idea of being colorblind
Have students process this idea and come in tomorrow ready to
discuss further.

Day 2: Does Colorblindness exist?

o Free-write on your opinion
Support with examples/explanations for either side
o Read article from the Atlantic
Have students follow along by underlining or circling key words
and ideas that pop out to them.
They will then complete a 3-2-1 chart
List 3 things you learned
State 2 questions you know have
Give one opinion about the content of the article
Day 3: Privilege and the effect of colorblindness on the individual
o Flipped classroom style
Students will access todays lesson outside of class the day before
This is all online within Ted-Ed
There will be a video addressing privilege and it will be paired
with comprehension multiple choice questions after.
They will then engage in an online blog discussion based off the
prompt I posted and responding to the thoughts of their classmates
In what ways might a person of color have to think about
race more?
How would you feel if someone told you they didnt see
an identity that you found important to you?
Day 4: Multiple Identities
o

Pass out 8 pieces of scrap paper to each small group member. Make
sure everyone has something to write with. On each piece of paper, in
the order below, ask the students to write on each piece of scrap paper
how they identify in terms of the demographic category:
Gender (i.e. male, female, transgender. Remember that gender
is NOT the same as sex)
Race (i.e. African American, White/Caucasian, Latino, biracial,
Native American)
Ethnicity/Ancestry (i.e. Canadian, Brazilian, Jewish, Russian)
Sexuality (i.e. gay, lesbian, straight, queer, bisexual)
Socio-economic status (i.e. middle class, upper-middle class,
working class)

When everyone has written down something on each piece of paper,

ask them to review their own papers and choose one that is least
important to them. Ask them to fold that piece of paper and put it
away (in their backpack, pocket, etc.) Continue asking them to choose
the least important piece of paper (i.e. aspect of their identity) until
they only have one paper left.
Ask additional meditation questions throughout the process.
Why do you still hold on to the identities you have left? What
makes them more important than the others? What is a
memory you can associate with each of these identities?

Religion (i.e. Catholic, Jewish, Christian, Agnostic, Unitarian,

Episcopalian)
Ability (i.e. able-bodied, dyslexic, physically disabled, ADD)
Family/Relationship roles (i.e. daughter, nephew, girlfriend,
brother)

Ask for volunteers to share which piece of their identity was left
at the end. Students may choose to share the category only
(i.e. to simply say their religion is most important to them) if
theyre not comfortable sharing the nature of their identity
within that category.

Debrief Activity:
Have you ever thought about yourself in terms of having
multiple identities?
Was this activity difficult? Why?
Were there any categories that you had to think about for a
minute in order to decide what to write down? (i.e. what is my
religion?)
If yes to the previous question, are you interested in finding out
more about yourself in terms of this particular piece of your
identity? How might you do that at Miami?
Which identities are visible/invisible to others?
Which identities are valued by society or not?
Why do you think we did this exercise?

Day 5: Taking Action

o How to spread the word and educate others
o Begin a class discussion on how to begin an action plan and what that
actually means
o Then explain that this is student led and they get to call the shots on where
to go and how to bring awareness.
They could potentially do this as a class or in smaller groups
Students create the guidelines to follow for this project along with
a few given to them already:
Must include a writing piece that states their opinion along
with supporting details

Monday

Every member must be included in the discussion and

creation process
Teacher support as needed
Done all during class time

Tuesday

Wednesday

- Racism
Brainstorm
-Think/ pair/
share
- Class
discussion
-Multiple
Identities

-Colorblind Free
write
-Article
-3-2-1 chart

-Opportunity to
explore
community
recouses if thats
the direction its
going

-Finishing up
final products

-Taking Action
-Begin group
action plan
-Discuss
guidelines

Thursday

Friday
-Complete online
Ted-Ed lesson
(flipped
classroom)
-Includes blog,
quiz and video
-Continued work
on action plans

-Presenting ideas
and plan to
classmates/
school/
community?

List of Instruction Materials and Resources:

Pens/pencils/markers
Blank sheets of paper
Article: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/color-blindness-iscounterproductive/405037/
Ted Ed
o Video, multiple choice quiz, blog discussion (all online)
Several pieces of scrape paper
Potentially anything the students feel they need to complete their action plan
o Ex: video camera, field trip to a specific location, etc.
Assessments:
Pre-assessment- Racism brainstorm
3-2-1 chart
o Provide feedback and responses to their thoughts
Meet one-on-one if they need more conversation about this idea
Ted-Ed

o Online comprehension questions

o Online blog discussion
Multiple identities opinion reflection
Student-let action plan project