Some of you with a keen eye have noticed my to-do list for creating anti-bias lessons. I began by calling them equity lessons but a colleague pointed out that students can't really control equity. Equity is systemic and beyond the reach of children. Semantics, maybe, but it hit home for me. I am working with a group of counselors in my district to create anti-bias lessons for counselors to use in Grades K-8. We are aligning each of the lessons to ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors and then using the Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards for the learning objectives. I'm am writing about the scope and sequence of the lessons in my upcoming book and, when they are done, I will share some of the slide decks and lesson plans with you here. In the meantime, let's dive into the Social Justice Standards.
Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards
Teaching Tolerance released their Social Justice Standards in 2016 with four domains: identity, diversity, justice, and action. They have identified anchor standards for each of these domains but they also go a step further to identify grade level outcomes. The outcomes are divided into grade spans K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. If you follow the domains from grade level to grade level, you can see how the same idea progresses into deeper and more critical thinking skills. Let's look at an example:
Identity 3: Students will recognize that people’s multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals.
In designing our lessons, we tried to concentrate on identity and diversity first and then move into justice and action. We felt it was important for kids to understand who they are and who others are before thinking about how differences effect some people. School counselors do a pretty great job of helping students with identity and diversity. Some programs really focus on action but few, I think, focus on Justice. Let's look at a progression through the justice outcomes:
Justice 14: Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.
Cue the record stopping and crickets. This is a whole new world for many. We don't talk about this stuff and it might bring up uncomfortable feelings for you. More importantly, what might parents say?!?! Take a deep breath, you got this.
Identity 3: Students will recognize that people’s multiple identities interact and create unique and complex individuals.
- K-2: I know that all my group identities are part of me—but that I am always ALL me.
- 3-5: I know that all my group identities are part of who I am, but none of them fully describes me and this is true for other people too.
- 6-8: I know that overlapping identities combine to make me who I am and that none of my group identities on their own fully defines me or any other person.
- 9-12: I know that all my group identities and the intersection of those identities create unique aspects of who I am and that this is true for other people too.
In designing our lessons, we tried to concentrate on identity and diversity first and then move into justice and action. We felt it was important for kids to understand who they are and who others are before thinking about how differences effect some people. School counselors do a pretty great job of helping students with identity and diversity. Some programs really focus on action but few, I think, focus on Justice. Let's look at a progression through the justice outcomes:
Justice 14: Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.
- K-2: I know that life is easier for some people and harder for others and the reasons for that are not always fair.
- 3-5: I know that life is easier for some people and harder for others based on who they are and where they were born.
- 6-8: I know that all people (including myself ) have certain advantages and disadvantages in society based on who they are and where they were born.
- 9-12: I am aware of the advantages and disadvantages I have in society because of my membership in different identity groups, and I know how this has affected my life.
Cue the record stopping and crickets. This is a whole new world for many. We don't talk about this stuff and it might bring up uncomfortable feelings for you. More importantly, what might parents say?!?! Take a deep breath, you got this.
Reflection
I encourage you to print out the Social Justice Standards. Circle the outcomes that you already use within your core curriculum. Next, choose a few outcomes that you would like to add in. Take your list to a teacher who is knowledgeable about the English/Language Arts and Social Studies curriculum. You will find there is a lot of overlap where you can work with core teachers to embed the Social Justice Standards. Teaching Tolerance also has a searchable learning plans site that aligns common core standards with the Social Justice Standards.
Choose one anti-bias standard or skill that you want to implement in the upcoming school year and make it happen! Tell me below how you are implementing anti-bias social emotional learning for your students.
Choose one anti-bias standard or skill that you want to implement in the upcoming school year and make it happen! Tell me below how you are implementing anti-bias social emotional learning for your students.
