Nicole Taylor- Adapted Teaching Activity

Subject: English

Grade: 9-11

Rationale: This lesson plan is used to teach students about institutional racism, stereotypes and discrimination that are common in today’s society. Gardener’s different intelligences were used in the adaptation of this lesson plan to make it beneficial for many different types of learners. It conveys information through kinesthetic learning, visual learning, interpersonal leaning and intrapersonal learning. The lesson plan is not heavily based in movement, and discussion circles can be altered for the convenience of those with physical disabilities. By writing the points covered in discussion on the board, it accommodates to visual learners. Also, if students need to extra instruction to understand what is being discussed in the lesson there is plenty of remaining time to do so. Journals will be used as a form of assessment to follow students’ thought process and understanding of the lessons. This let’s the teacher see that students who are not as involved in discussion that they have been following the lessons. Although, it is important for every student to participate and gain the confidence to do so, no one should be forced. All students are expected to give input once in every class discussion and activity.

Instructional Objective: Students will have obtained a better understanding of accepted racism of Aboriginal people, and the general acceptance of racism, present in society

Prerequisite Concepts and Skills: There must be a willingness to participate, even if it is the bare minimum. Also, all students must have a mutual respect for their fellow classmates during all class activities.  

Prescribed Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to avoid being part of institutional racism, and show others what is wrong about treatment that is not based on one’s character.

Material provided by teachers:

-        Copies of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

-        Whit board marker

-        White board/Chalk board to write on

Material provided by students:

-        Attending class

-        Using computers to write papers and other forms

-        Notebooks to use as a Journal

-        Pen/Pencils

Overview of Lesson Activities:

-        The series of lessons will begin after reading the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

-        Each class there will be an activity to exemplify racism, etc. to the students and how they exist in both society and the book.

-        Class will end with a discussion, and students will write in their journals.

-        Students must hand in an exit slip question before leaving class at the end of each lesson

Lesson One: Stereotyping and Prejudice

Purpose: Teach students how it feels to be pre-judged based on a label, rather than on personality. It will hopefully prevent students from treating others based on labels.

Discuss what the class thinks prejudices and stereotypes are, and where and if they are present in society. Recap some of the book and where the class finds stereotypes and prejudices in the text. (10 mins)

Masking Tape Activity: (15 mins)

Use to show students how racism and prejudice feels and what it looks like. Have the class split up into groups; one person per group is the ‘reporter.’ The reporter tapes a phrase on each group member’s head and will then interview them. Each small group will discuss books and movies that they believe convey positive messages; each group member must give input at least once. The reporter can then only react to group members’ opinions based on their label and their input. The reporter cannot make comments on others’ beliefs, backgrounds and personal life, just their input or opinion of the movies and books. The labels are:

- Tell me I’m right, tell me I’m wrong, praise me, ridicule me, ignore me, listen to me and respect me

Whole Class Discussion: (15 mins)

Discuss if students figured out their labels and how they did, if they had ever experienced such treatment before and if they have ever unknowingly treated someone negatively in that way (ridicule me, etc.). And how did it feel to be in that situation. Students will use journals to note any parts of the discussion that they find significant. Brainstorm questions and responses by writing them on the board, everyone can then see the discussion process. Students will use journals to note any parts of the discussion that they find significant.

Journal: (Remainder of class time)

Take time to journal about how the activity and the experience with racism affected them. Use the questions that were asked in the discussion in journal entries. Assign exit slip question concerning information covered in the discussion.  

Lesson Two: Racism

Purpose: To discuss situations within the book and how they convey racist treatment of others. It will hopefully make students aware of institutional racism and prevent them from participating in it. 

                  When class has been seated, discuss any questions or concerns about the previous lesson. Make sure that all students are certain of what is being discussed before moving on. (15 mins)

                  Fishbowl Discussion: (35 mins)

First, the class will re-read pages 28-43 of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Have each of the five groups who have volunteered, or were picked, in the previous class take turns sitting in the center of the discussion circle. Each group will receive and then discuss a question from the excerpt; questions will also be written on the board for more visual learners.

-        Who is Junior (Arnold)? Why has he decided to go to a different school?

-        The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a fiction book. But, did you hear anything 
that sounded like it might be true? What and why?

-        Do you think that Arnold is experiencing racism? Why?

-        Do you think there are any similarities between Arnold’s situation and Callum’s? 
What are they? (both have chosen to change schools, have feelings of anger and frustration, pain and sadness, both minority, struggle for a good education, outside of ‘mainstream’ society, both experience racism, etc..)

-        What is different about their circumstances?

Journal: (Remainder of Class time)

                  Students will journal about what they thought of the discussion. Did they agree or disagree? Why or why not? How did this section make you feel about racism in our society? Provide exit slip question and have students hand them back in before they leave.

 Lesson Three: Discrimination

Purpose: To teach students that people are treated differently based on

                  Start the class by discussing any questions or concerns about what was discussed the previous class. (10 mins)

                   The Word Game: (25 mins) 

Divide the class in to groups of 5 or 6. Give each group a letter and 3 minutes to come up with as many words that start with these letters. Hand out both more common and uncommon letters, ensuring that some groups have more difficulty than others. Give the group with most words some form of prize (candy etc.). Have each group list the words they came up with. There may be students who complain that their group had to work with a more difficult letter. Can these students connect the letters to how people cannot control some factors of their life? Do they see that being judged on circumstances they cannot control is discrimination? This can lead the class into discussion.

Whole Class Discussion: (10 mins)

Ask the students questions about what they thought of the game and did they feel it was unfair. Was it unfair despite the fact that the same rules applied to everyone? “Do you think there are real life situations where the rules seem fair but in reality some groups are discriminated against because of their resources or other factors? Do you think these people are facing discrimination?” Apply such questions to the text to tie the lesson of accepted discrimination back to the book. Brainstorm about the discussion and write it on the board for the class to see.

Journal: (Remainder of class)

 Students will use this time to journal further about their experience with the Word Game. Where did they find examples of discrimination in the text? Have they seen these examples in their own life? Give students the exit slip question and have them hand back their answer before they leave.

Behaviour Management Strategies: There will be a zero tolerance for any bullying or discrimination in the classroom. Since society is heavily influenced by institutional racism, some students might not realize they are participating in it. Go over examples of what stereotypes and racism look like that are accepted in society. When students are in smaller groups they are expected to get their work done. To ensure this when the teacher is not around, one student will be there to run table the discussion and keep the group running smoothly, such as the ‘reporter’ in the Masking Tape Activity.

Organizational Strategies: Groups will be picked at the beginning of class and written on the board so both the students and the teacher know where everyone is supposed to be. There will be a spot for every group numbered 1-7, or however many groups there will be. The students in said group will go the corner that correlates with their assigned group number. There will not be assigned seating, but students will have a time restraint to sit down to avoid too much talking at the beginning of class. All activities and discussions will be timed to ensure class time does not run out before all of the activities and discussions are compeleted.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI): The UDL is present in the lesson plan through the different types teaching mediums used to convey information to the students. This lesson plan does this successfully through kinesthetic learning by having activities that all students need to be actively involved in. Visual learners are helped through the use of writing the brainstorm process on the board for everyone to see. The use of group discussions is beneficial for interpersonal learners, allowing them to give their opinions and learn from their classmates. Then, it is also helpful for intrapersonal learners, as the use of the journal will allow them self-reflection throughout the lessons. I changed this lesson so that it would be well rounded and beneficial for many types of learners in the classroom. DI would be implemented after looking at the students’ exit slip responses. A teacher can use these to gauge how well a student understands the concepts that are being discussed in class. A teacher can use responses that convey students are struggling with a concept, to recap on what was discussed in the previous class. Confusion can be dispelled at the beginning of the lesson by discussing what was not understood in the previous lesson. There is a lot of group work involved in these activities as well. It gives the teacher the opportunity to form groups based on who they believe will give the most help to their peers who are having issues understanding.

Assessments and Evaluation: Students will be assessed by their participation in class discussions and activities and their input. The teacher will monitor the discussion to see which students are participating more, and who is making points that are relevant to the discussion. Understanding the text is necessary to learn the messages and lessons present, students will therefore also be evaluated based on their level of understanding. The exit slips will be used as an assessment for the teach more than the students. It will allow the teacher to see which areas need to be focused on more and how they can improve their students’ knowledge of these areas. The journals will also be handed in at the end of the lessons. The more that students write, the better. It will show the teacher a student’s thought process and level of understanding of the lessons. They will be able to evaluate those who struggle with participating in discussion as much as others. They can see if the students were following the discussions and activities and creating opinions of them and the book. Students will submit a peer evaluation after every activity for another part of the assessment. The teacher will hand back these three peer evaluations at the end of the lessons to with their own grade and feedback. This feedback will be to tell the student why they agreed or disagreed with their fellow classmates assessment and what they can do to gain a better understanding of the subject in the future.

 http://www.marl.mb.ca/sites/default/files/toolkit/2011/06/Gr11ELAExploringThemesofRacism.pdf