reclaim your identity | reclama tu identidad
Projects
Change And The Food System
In this clip, you can watch me take the lead in a class as the students analyze contemporary movements in order to develop their sustainable change ideas.
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Change And The Food System
How can I strategically affect change in my community through food?
Students explored systems (prison industrial, food, government) and how individuals can implement sustainable change in these systems. Students researched topics such as immigration (CCS 11.8-11.9), the development of federal civil rights (CCS 11.10), and social problems/domestic policy issues in contemporary American society (CCS 11.11).
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Students examined these topics through a variety of mediums, including articles, historical documents, podcasts, photo exhibits, and documentaries. For example, students read and listened to articles from The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times, and watched documentaries Food Inc. by Robert Kenner, and 13TH by Ava Duvernay to learn about these California Content Standards. Additionally, students visited Wild Willow Farms of San Diego which focuses on sustainable change by practicing and educating students on restorative farming.
Student Projects
Prison Food Quality
Ocean Pollution
Life: Low Income Edition
Table Settings Through History
When Big Business comes to town
Restorative Farming Prototype
Videogame representation of the fast-food industry
Cattle ranching & deforestation in the Amazon
We'll Fix it Tomorrow!
Representing the TRUTH in advertising
A report on school lunch data @ High Tech High Media Arts
Animal cruelty in the food system
Future Projects
Rise up, Speak out!
How can we make change happen in the world around us?
The right to vote has always been incomplete, contested, and compromised by the racism, sexism, classism, and xenophobia of policymakers and the interests they protect. Since 2016, hate crimes have been on the rise; White supremacy has been emboldened, and anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified. 2020 is pivotal because it is both an election year and the 150th anniversary of the passage of the 15th Amendment. Students will consider the history of voting rights in the United States; This struggle for the ballot is emblematic of the struggle to actualize the democratic promises of our country’s founding narrative.
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Students will have an opportunity to challenge the perceived steady forward progress of U.S. history. Voting rights have expanded in the last 400 years, but they have also been taken away, requiring activists to rise up, speak out to restore the achievements of prior generations. It is an important time to invite our students to learn about political activism, actively engage in the community, and fundamentally change the society in which they live.
Anchor Texts Ideas
Project Description
Students learn about political activism and actively engage in the political process in their communities. After identifying a problem or an issue of concern, students write an issue statement about this challenge. They then design and implement an action plan that raises awareness and/or provides a solution to the problem.
Final Product(s)
Students take action on the issue in their community, implementing and reflecting on their action plans.
Student Considerations
What issues and concerns are relevant to my students’ lives? What are they passionate about?​
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Are any of my students already engaged in activism and social movements? How can I connect to the work they are already doing and invite them to share and build on their expertise?
Context Consideration
What issues and concerns are present in our communities? How might I invite stakeholders to help students learn about these issues, as well as any movements that are organizing around them?
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What backlash or resistance might exist in our communities around the issues students are addressing? How will I engage students in understanding and preparing for these challenges?
Content & Skills Consideration
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What models of activism and organizing might I provide to help students learn about social action? How can I ensure that the examples students explore reflect a diversity of political perspectives, demographics, and organizing strategies/tactics?
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How will I help students identify, evaluate, and synthesize research about the issues they are exploring?
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What texts and activities will I use to help students understand theories of democracy and participatory politics?
Key Standards
Nation-building in the contemporary world (California Content Standard 10.10)
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Immigration
(California Content Standards 11.8-11.9)
Development of federal civil rights
(California Content Standard 11.10)
Social problems/domestic policy issues in contemporary American society
(California Content Standard 11.11).