Social justice is becoming a hot topic in schools and communities, and more educators are interested in integrating the exploration of social justice issues into their curriculum, after school programs or other educational forums. Especially if you’re new to teaching about social justice, Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers, created by Education for Liberation Network and the New York Collective of Radical Educators is a helpful resource. Planning to Change is a “plan book." But unlike those green-lined plan books you may remember your teachers carting around from your own school days, it includes much more. The book was created to help educators “turn your daily lesson planning into a strategy for teaching toward democracy, equity, fairness and peace.”Some of the highlights include:
- Significant anniversaries and birthdays of social justice leaders, relevant events, and national holidays (ex: anniversary of the Trail of Tears; World Day for Water).
- “Essential questions” to spark discussions with your students (ex: How does what you watch on TV shape your understanding of the world? Who has the power to include or exclude groups of people from American life?).
- Featured quotes.
- Lesson plans and resources related to important observances.
- Reproducible “social justice awards” for students.
- Brief tips/anecdotes from from social justice teachers about integrating social justice issues.
Overall, Planning to Change is a useful and powerful tool in bringing social justice issues to mainstream teaching.
The book was designed for classroom teachers, but it could also be useful to educators teaching in other venues, such as after school programs, clubs, homeschooling classes, etc.
Be sure to check out the sample pages.
~ Marsha
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