interdisciplinary seminar day 1

Race and Membership in American History

An Interdisciplinary Approach

Monday, August 8

Registration

Welcome/Introductions& Overview of week

Facilitators

Jason Porter, San Diego Museum of Man

Joaquin Ortiz, Museum of Photographic Arts

Mary Hendra, Facing History and Ourselves

Sasha Guzman, Social Justice Humanitas Academy & Facing History Teacher Leader

Thank you to our sponsors!

8

Facing History & Boston Public Schools:Facing History’s Case Studies

•The individual and society•The power of difference

•Difficult moments in history•The fragility of democracy•Choices & human behavior

•Multiple perspectives •Moral & ethical dilemmas•Civic participation today

● What factors inform our identity?● How do the ways others perceive us impact the

way we see ourselves?● Is identity fixed or dynamic?

● Who is in our Universe of Obligation?

● What do we do with a difference?● How do we decide who belongs

and who does not?

● How do the range of choices individuals make affect history?

● How does the political climate impact historical events?

● In what ways can literature provide a lens into human behavior?

● What makes a democracy fragile? What is needed to sustain a free society?

● In the aftermath of atrocity, what are possible ways that justice be restored?

● What is the difference between history and memory?

● What is the role of testimony in the study of this history?

● How can we identify legacy today for past events? For ideology?

● How do we move students from passive learning to active participation?

● How does the past inform the present?

● What motivates students to become agents of change?

The Facing History Journey

Ladder of Inference

Film: The Lunch Date

Identity Charts

Binna Kandola on bias

Identity ChartsWhat words or phrases would you use to describe yourself?

Contracting

Identity and Community

Icebreaker

To look at me you wouldn’t know...

Identity and Community

Four Corners Activity: Identity

Race+gender+social class+education

1) What factor matters most in the way you define yourself? 2) What factor matters least? 3) What factor is the hardest to alter from others’ perception of

you? 4) What factor is the most important when you choose who you

hang out with, love, befriend, or work?

The Formation of Identity: an “Appreciative Inquiry” activity

Pair up prompt: Tell the story of how you came to understand your own identity. How was this understanding influenced or shaped by other people?

Step one: Discover

Four-person prompt: Introduce each other by telling your partner’s story of identity understanding.Come up with the common threads among all of the stories. Write them down.

Step two: Dream

Eight-person design challenge:

Consider: How can we shift the experiences people have in which people are defined by others to models where people define themselves? What might this look like in school? In the work world? In the community? Design three programs, policies, curricula, organizations that would support your ideas.

Step three: Design

Whole group action: Share a selection of all of the ideas.What would it take to make these ideas a reality? What could each of us do to try and implement a part or portion of these ideas?

Step four: Destiny

Exploring “race” further

WHAT DIFFERENCES MATTER?

Individual Identity

I I feel ____ when I talk about race⦿ Text 86686 and your single word response to 22333

●polleverywhere.com

⦿ You can send more than one word, but each word should stand alone

●Word cloud (wordle.net)

⦿ After texting, write in your journal:

●…Because…

Any addition to our own contracting?

Example: When discussing sensitive topics, we agree to...

Strategies:

Word Cloudshttp://www.wordclouds.com/

Polleverywherehttps://www.polleverywhere.com/

Pair/Share

⦿Who is Human –R&M, pg 36-38⦿Who is Equal? - R&M, pg 39-42⦿Notes on the State of Virginia (1781-1785)

Handout

“What do we do with a variation?” (p. 2)

⦿ Connections●Text-Text, thinking particularly of these three texts

you just read ●Text-Self ●Text-World

Race-Power of an Illusion, Episode #2

PBS Activities:

MOPA TOUR

Exit Cards