Integrating Social Justice Standards with Learning for Justice Resources
Welcome to Week 3 of the Social Justice Standards! This week, we continue our journey into the Social Justice Standards developed by Learning for Justice, focusing on resources to support implementation and real-world examples of their application.
Objectives for This Week
- Explore Learning for Justice resources that align with the Social Justice Standards.
- Examine real-world examples of how these standards can be implemented in classrooms.
Learning for Justice Resources: Tools for Teachers
Learning for Justice provides an array of resources to help educators effectively implement the Social Justice Standards in their classrooms and broader school communities. Below, we highlight key tools and materials available on their platform:
1. Learning Plan Builder
This interactive tool empowers educators to create customized literacy-based plans. These plans combine:
- Social Justice Standards.
- Common Core-aligned literacy strategies.
- Student performance tasks.
- Texts from the Student Text Library, a curated collection of “windows and mirrors” texts that reflect diverse perspectives.
2. Student Text Library
The library offers a diverse collection of multimedia resources, including:
- Informational and literary nonfiction texts.
- Literature, photographs, and political cartoons.
- Interviews, infographics, and more.
Aligned with the Common Core recommendations for text complexity and the Social Justice Standards, these texts can be used independently or as part of a larger learning plan.
3. Essential Questions
Essential questions (EQs) drive student inquiry and connect directly to the four domains of the Social Justice Standards: Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action. Examples include:
- Identity: How does my race influence who I am?
- Diversity: How are my experiences similar to and different from those of people from other racial backgrounds?
- Justice: What kinds of bias and privilege do individuals and groups experience because of their race?
- Action: What can we do to address racial prejudice and advocate for racial justice?
Educators can access a robust bank of EQs through the Learning Plan Builder.
Teaching Strategies and Resources
Classroom Lessons
Learning for Justice provides ready-to-use lessons that:
- Cover essential social justice topics.
- Reinforce critical social-emotional learning skills.
- Align with anti-bias domains, making them easy to integrate.
Student Tasks
Assess your students’ understanding and skills with:
- Performance tasks and rubrics measuring writing, civic engagement, and critical literacy.
- Right to the Source tasks for argumentative, explanatory, and narrative writing.
- Do Something tasks that empower students to take action in their school or community.
Teaching Strategies
These strategies help students build literacy and social-emotional skills while exploring meaningful texts. Unlike conventional lesson plans, these approaches allow customization to meet instructional goals and are particularly effective for English language learners.
Exploring Real-World Examples
Articles for Classroom Application
Two articles provide practical suggestions for integrating the Social Justice Standards:
- “Teaching MLK with the Social Justice Standards”: Offers insights into how educators can use these standards to teach about Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.
- “Teach Identity and Diversity, Even in Science Class”: Demonstrates how social justice principles can extend into traditionally non-humanities subjects.
These articles are foundational for this week’s discussions.
Reflection Prompts
1. Real-World Implementation
Reflect on the two articles mentioned above. What strategies or insights stood out to you? How could you adapt these ideas for your classroom or school community?
2. Crafting Essential Questions
Revisit the essential questions draft you worked on earlier. Share your drafts and collaborate with peers to refine them further. Consider how your EQs align with the Social Justice Standards and your subject area.
Next Steps
By exploring these resources and engaging in discussions, you’ll be better equipped to implement the Social Justice Standards in meaningful, impactful ways. Dive into the provided handouts and take advantage of Learning for Justice’s extensive tools to foster inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Let’s continue building classrooms that inspire action, empathy, and understanding.
