Grades Curriculum

Navigating the Conversation

Younger: 6-8 Connection
Younger:
Learning accurate history about all groups of people, as well as Earlier on,
accurate history of racism and social justice preteens search for Patterns of inequity across
solid, meaningful different societies long
Ex: Reality of the early Indian caste system & present-day ramifications
relationships, and ago
Apply their critical thinking and sense of fairness to changing can often be
attitudes and behaviors unpredictable and Early religious, political,
hard to read. economic, and social
Ex: Self-examine their social groupings and reflect on inclusion. Academically, they structures around the
find projects with
Working on social justice issues appeals to adolescent critiques of world
visible products
their society
most rewarding. Compare and contrast
Ex: Writing informed letters of more inclusive revisions to school policy.
Later on, young human rights
Older: teens focus on the accomplishments and
Who am I? failings of different
Can engage in critical examination of their own beliefs, cross- question, societies
racial/cultural dynamics and develop empathetic connections and sometimes using
interactions Who are we? to Older:
Ex: Creating and consuming political art - examining biases. self-identify.
Community service Early American policy -
Begin to understand understand how cultural and institutional creates positive what could have
racism, internalized superiority and internalized oppression work and healthy happened?
interests than
Ex: Change agents - what did they face and how did they succeed? continue through Patterns of inequity in
adolescence. emergent America
Great capacity to commit to and help organize creative anti-racism/
social justice action in their community, though may need Social and economic
guidance to keep realistic consequences of
Ex: Be the change - realistic solution to a real community need. industrialization

Adapted from Yardsticks by Chip Wood, Children, Race and Racism: How Race Awareness Develops by Louise Derman-Sparks, Carol Tanaka Higa, and Bill Sparks and Perspectives for a Diverse America by Teaching Tolerance
 IDENTITY
I know and like who I am
and can comfortably talk
about my family and myself
and describe our various
group identities.
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.
DIVERSITY
I interact with people I am curious and want to know
who are similar to and more about other peoples histories
different from me, and I and lived experiences, and I ask
show respect to all questions respectfully and listen
people. carefully and non-judgmentally.

I know about my family history I know I am connected to I can explain how the way groups of
I feel good about my many
and culture and how I am other people and can people are treated today, and the
identities and know they
connected to the collective relate to them even when way they have been treated in the
dont make me better than
history and culture of other we are different or when past, shapes group identity and
people with other identities.
people in my identity groups. we disagree. culture.

I know there are similarities and differences between my I can accurately and respectfully describe ways that
home culture and the other environments and cultures I people (including myself ) are similar to and different
encounter, and I can be myself in a diversity of settings. Grades from others in their identity groups.

I relate to people as individuals

and not representatives of
groups, and I can name some
common stereotypes I observe
people using.
I try and get to know
people as individuals
6-8 I can respectfully
I am concerned about how people
(including myself ) are treated and
tell someone when his
because I know it is unfair to feel for people when they are
or her words or actions
think all people in a shared excluded or mistreated because of
are biased or hurtful.
identity group are the same. their identities.

I know how to stand up I will speak up or take action when I

I know that all people
(including myself ) have certain
advantages and disadvantages
in society based on who they
are and where they were born.
I can recognize and describe
for myself and for see unfairness, even if those around
unfairness and injustice in
others when faced with me do not, and I will not let others
many forms including
exclusion, prejudice convince me to go along with
attitudes, speech, behaviors,
and injustice. injustice.
practices and laws.

I am aware that biased words and behaviors and unjust I will work with friends, family and community members to
practices, laws and institutions limit the rights and freedoms of make our world fairer for everyone, and we will plan and
people based on their identity groups. coordinate our actions in order to achieve our goals.

JUSTICE ACTION
Adapted from Perspectives for a Diverse America by Teaching Tolerance