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Jonathan Oen-Lee
Designing a representative curriculum for students of color through coming-of-age identity stories
CLIENT
Aim High
PROJECT TYPE
Educator
LOCATION
San Francisco
ROLE(S)
Seventh Grade Humanities Teacher
YEAR
2019
TAGS
Instructional Design, Coaching & Mentoring
In 2019, I taught 7th Grade Humanities at Aim High, a non-profit organization that offers a free summer learning and enrichment program for low-income middle school students in San Francisco. I worked at the Lick Wilmerding High School campus in Ingleside, which remains the most diverse neighborhood in a changing San Francisco.
I was excited to teach middle school students for the first time, as well as have my own classroom to decorate. At Aim High, I taught 55 students over three 50-minute class periods each day, modifying the provided curriculum to add a unit focused on identity, integrating cultural, coming-of-ages stories that reflected the student population.
Aim High provided Lead Teachers with a curriculum handbook that could be used for the entire five-week program, which included lesson plans, scripts and graphic organizers. In reviewing the material, I was concerned that the only reading for the program was Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese — would the Chinese American protagonist and comic book format have enough appeal for all of our students, who came from Latinx, African, Middle Eastern and other Asian backgrounds? I was not interested in replacing American Born Chinese as much as I wanted to feature other stories in class, providing additional opportunities for students to connect and empathize with, protagonists that looked, sounded and lived like them. I decided to add books to the curriculum, including Sherman Alexie, Erika L. Sanchez, and Veera Hirnandani as well as graphic novels by Tony Media and Thi Bui.
A letter to students
On the first day of class, I read a letter I wrote about myself to the students. I wanted to know how much I had overcome in my life in order to be standing in front of them as their teacher.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
What makes a good story?
We spent the first two weeks of class answering the question, What Makes A Good Story?, studying pre-writing techniques, story beginnings and endings, the narrative arc and story elements. Lessons were supplemented with readings that brought the lessons to life, while a writing pre-assessment was completed by the students, allowing me to modify lessons to meet learning needs of all students.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
What makes us who we are?
During week three, we considered the question, "What Makes Us Who We Are?" Growing up, identity was not a subject that was covered in school — now, students explore identity as early as the first grade. I wanted to build on their understanding of identity by introducing intersectionality, an empowering — and liberating — term for many students.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
Celebrating our identities through self-portraits
As their final identity activity, students drew a self-portrait on a graphic organizer surrounded by six of their identities that made them most proud. Udon lover, American-Hondureno, Christian, Spanish Speaker, football player, Muslim, only child, Netflix watcher, and 2nd oldest were shared by the class. The I'm Proud to Be graphic organizers were posted on the class wall for the rest of the program, reminding themselves and each other about the confidence and pride they had in their identities.
Our 7th Grade Humanities Booklist
For the program’s final two weeks, we surveyed different coming-of-age stories featuring children of color that felt alienated from a time, place or community. While “American Born Chinese” and Viola Canales' “The Tequila Worm” were previously selected by Aim High, I chose seven additional books. We surveyed one book per class period — each lesson started with an introduction to the author, key themes (cultural history, vocabulary) connected to being an American today, and a class reading. Students were asked to reflect on each reading by completing a graphic organizer that was used for discussion. For students interested in reading the books, I created a printable booklist that they could take home and share with their parents or the library.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
A letter to students
On the first day of class, I read a letter I wrote about myself to the students. I wanted to know how much I had overcome in my life in order to be standing in front of them as their teacher.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
What makes a good story?
We spent the first two weeks of class answering the question, What Makes A Good Story?, studying pre-writing techniques, story beginnings and endings, the narrative arc and story elements. Lessons were supplemented with readings that brought the lessons to life, while a writing pre-assessment was completed by the students, allowing me to modify lessons to meet learning needs of all students.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
What makes us who we are?
During week three, we considered the question, "What Makes Us Who We Are?" Growing up, identity was not a subject that was covered in school — now, students explore identity as early as the first grade. I wanted to build on their understanding of identity by introducing intersectionality, an empowering — and liberating — term for many students.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
Celebrating our identities through self-portraits
As their final identity activity, students drew a self-portrait on a graphic organizer surrounded by six of their identities that made them most proud. Udon lover, American-Hondureno, Christian, Spanish Speaker, football player, Muslim, only child, Netflix watcher, and 2nd oldest were shared by the class. The I'm Proud to Be graphic organizers were posted on the class wall for the rest of the program, reminding themselves and each other about the confidence and pride they had in their identities.
Our 7th Grade Humanities Booklist
For the program’s final two weeks, we surveyed different coming-of-age stories featuring children of color that felt alienated from a time, place or community. While “American Born Chinese” and Viola Canales' “The Tequila Worm” were previously selected by Aim High, I chose seven additional books. We surveyed one book per class period — each lesson started with an introduction to the author, key themes (cultural history, vocabulary) connected to being an American today, and a class reading. Students were asked to reflect on each reading by completing a graphic organizer that was used for discussion. For students interested in reading the books, I created a printable booklist that they could take home and share with their parents or the library.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
A letter to students
On the first day of class, I read a letter I wrote about myself to the students. I wanted to know how much I had overcome in my life in order to be standing in front of them as their teacher.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
What makes a good story?
We spent the first two weeks of class answering the question, What Makes A Good Story?, studying pre-writing techniques, story beginnings and endings, the narrative arc and story elements. Lessons were supplemented with readings that brought the lessons to life, while a writing pre-assessment was completed by the students, allowing me to modify lessons to meet learning needs of all students.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
What makes us who we are?
During week three, we considered the question, "What Makes Us Who We Are?" Growing up, identity was not a subject that was covered in school — now, students explore identity as early as the first grade. I wanted to build on their understanding of identity by introducing intersectionality, an empowering — and liberating — term for many students.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
Celebrating our identities through self-portraits
As their final identity activity, students drew a self-portrait on a graphic organizer surrounded by six of their identities that made them most proud. Udon lover, American-Hondureno, Christian, Spanish Speaker, football player, Muslim, only child, Netflix watcher, and 2nd oldest were shared by the class. The I'm Proud to Be graphic organizers were posted on the class wall for the rest of the program, reminding themselves and each other about the confidence and pride they had in their identities.
Our 7th Grade Humanities Booklist
For the program’s final two weeks, we surveyed different coming-of-age stories featuring children of color that felt alienated from a time, place or community. While “American Born Chinese” and Viola Canales' “The Tequila Worm” were previously selected by Aim High, I chose seven additional books. We surveyed one book per class period — each lesson started with an introduction to the author, key themes (cultural history, vocabulary) connected to being an American today, and a class reading. Students were asked to reflect on each reading by completing a graphic organizer that was used for discussion. For students interested in reading the books, I created a printable booklist that they could take home and share with their parents or the library.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
A letter to students
On the first day of class, I read a letter I wrote about myself to the students. I wanted to know how much I had overcome in my life in order to be standing in front of them as their teacher.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
What makes a good story?
We spent the first two weeks of class answering the question, What Makes A Good Story?, studying pre-writing techniques, story beginnings and endings, the narrative arc and story elements. Lessons were supplemented with readings that brought the lessons to life, while a writing pre-assessment was completed by the students, allowing me to modify lessons to meet learning needs of all students.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
What makes us who we are?
During week three, we considered the question, "What Makes Us Who We Are?" Growing up, identity was not a subject that was covered in school — now, students explore identity as early as the first grade. I wanted to build on their understanding of identity by introducing intersectionality, an empowering — and liberating — term for many students.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
Celebrating our identities through self-portraits
As their final identity activity, students drew a self-portrait on a graphic organizer surrounded by six of their identities that made them most proud. Udon lover, American-Hondureno, Christian, Spanish Speaker, football player, Muslim, only child, Netflix watcher, and 2nd oldest were shared by the class. The I'm Proud to Be graphic organizers were posted on the class wall for the rest of the program, reminding themselves and each other about the confidence and pride they had in their identities.
Our 7th Grade Humanities Booklist
For the program’s final two weeks, we surveyed different coming-of-age stories featuring children of color that felt alienated from a time, place or community. While “American Born Chinese” and Viola Canales' “The Tequila Worm” were previously selected by Aim High, I chose seven additional books. We surveyed one book per class period — each lesson started with an introduction to the author, key themes (cultural history, vocabulary) connected to being an American today, and a class reading. Students were asked to reflect on each reading by completing a graphic organizer that was used for discussion. For students interested in reading the books, I created a printable booklist that they could take home and share with their parents or the library.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
A letter to students
On the first day of class, I read a letter I wrote about myself to the students. I wanted to know how much I had overcome in my life in order to be standing in front of them as their teacher.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
What makes a good story?
We spent the first two weeks of class answering the question, What Makes A Good Story?, studying pre-writing techniques, story beginnings and endings, the narrative arc and story elements. Lessons were supplemented with readings that brought the lessons to life, while a writing pre-assessment was completed by the students, allowing me to modify lessons to meet learning needs of all students.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
What makes us who we are?
During week three, we considered the question, "What Makes Us Who We Are?" Growing up, identity was not a subject that was covered in school — now, students explore identity as early as the first grade. I wanted to build on their understanding of identity by introducing intersectionality, an empowering — and liberating — term for many students.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
Celebrating our identities through self-portraits
As their final identity activity, students drew a self-portrait on a graphic organizer surrounded by six of their identities that made them most proud. Udon lover, American-Hondureno, Christian, Spanish Speaker, football player, Muslim, only child, Netflix watcher, and 2nd oldest were shared by the class. The I'm Proud to Be graphic organizers were posted on the class wall for the rest of the program, reminding themselves and each other about the confidence and pride they had in their identities.
Our 7th Grade Humanities Booklist
For the program’s final two weeks, we surveyed different coming-of-age stories featuring children of color that felt alienated from a time, place or community. While “American Born Chinese” and Viola Canales' “The Tequila Worm” were previously selected by Aim High, I chose seven additional books. We surveyed one book per class period — each lesson started with an introduction to the author, key themes (cultural history, vocabulary) connected to being an American today, and a class reading. Students were asked to reflect on each reading by completing a graphic organizer that was used for discussion. For students interested in reading the books, I created a printable booklist that they could take home and share with their parents or the library.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
A letter to students
On the first day of class, I read a letter I wrote about myself to the students. I wanted to know how much I had overcome in my life in order to be standing in front of them as their teacher.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
"My journey to becoming a classroom teacher started 25 years ago: I knew who I wanted to be, but was told to be someone else. In social situations, I was told I was not Asian or American enough. At work, I was told I wasn't good enough. For 25 years, I let the way other people saw me determine how I saw myself. Today, as a teacher, I can finally say I feel like myself. Our 6th Grade Humanities class is a deeply personal experience. I wish I had comics and teachers that I could speak to about the ways I felt seen, ignored and judged by others. By the end of summer, I hope we can all learn to celebrate who we are, and take our identities back for ourselves."
After reading the letter, I asked them all to write one back to me and Alex, my Assistant Teacher. They shared their athletic achievements, friends they wanted to sit next to in class, how they wanted to participate and some of their fears, including not feeling smart enough or worrying about their writing. It was wonderful to know a little about each student to start class; Alex and I picked up some of the conversation threads with them throughout the program.
What makes a good story?
We spent the first two weeks of class answering the question, What Makes A Good Story?, studying pre-writing techniques, story beginnings and endings, the narrative arc and story elements. Lessons were supplemented with readings that brought the lessons to life, while a writing pre-assessment was completed by the students, allowing me to modify lessons to meet learning needs of all students.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
To bring the narrative arc to life, I had the students break down the Choctaw folktale, How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire, on a projection at the front of the classroom. (Following the activity, the students requested we use the narrative arc to plot “Frozen” and “Avengers: Endgame” which was the highlight of the first week.) Figurative language proved to be the most fun — similes, metaphors, personification and hyperbole — as students came up with their own versions.
As their final assessment for What Makes A Good Story?, students created a story narrative in a short story or comic book format, showcasing the new writing techniques they learned.
What makes us who we are?
During week three, we considered the question, "What Makes Us Who We Are?" Growing up, identity was not a subject that was covered in school — now, students explore identity as early as the first grade. I wanted to build on their understanding of identity by introducing intersectionality, an empowering — and liberating — term for many students.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
We started by applying structured word inquiry (SWI) to the word identity, which adopted its modern form and meaning from the 14 c. Middle French identité, defined as "the quality or condition of being the same." After discussing identity as a combination of personal and social perspectives, students completed their personal (residing outside social identifiers) and social (based on membership with a group) identity wheels.
Using SWI for intersectionality, students found the word intersection, which they connected to driving, and eventually identity. Intersectionality was originally used by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, who used the term in 1989 to express the “sum of racism and sexism” that Black women face in America. After revealing the definition of intersectionality, I shared a photo of young adults holding up racially-themed microaggressions, asking the class, "how many of you have heard a racial stereotype?" Every student raised their hands. "Now, if you believe in intersectionality, is it possible to use racial stereotypes anymore?" Everyone understood intersectionality made it impossible for one person to represent an entire culture or group, and agreed to not use racial stereotypes, or allow others to diminish their identities.
Celebrating our identities through self-portraits
As their final identity activity, students drew a self-portrait on a graphic organizer surrounded by six of their identities that made them most proud. Udon lover, American-Hondureno, Christian, Spanish Speaker, football player, Muslim, only child, Netflix watcher, and 2nd oldest were shared by the class. The I'm Proud to Be graphic organizers were posted on the class wall for the rest of the program, reminding themselves and each other about the confidence and pride they had in their identities.
Our 7th Grade Humanities Booklist
For the program’s final two weeks, we surveyed different coming-of-age stories featuring children of color that felt alienated from a time, place or community. While “American Born Chinese” and Viola Canales' “The Tequila Worm” were previously selected by Aim High, I chose seven additional books. We surveyed one book per class period — each lesson started with an introduction to the author, key themes (cultural history, vocabulary) connected to being an American today, and a class reading. Students were asked to reflect on each reading by completing a graphic organizer that was used for discussion. For students interested in reading the books, I created a printable booklist that they could take home and share with their parents or the library.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
For the last day of class, I created a game show — Are You Smarter than an Aim High 7th Grade Humanities Student? — which included questions about narrative story writing, identity and our readings. When the students found out that I was giving away a few of the books as prizes, they sat up and tried to win.
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