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Introduction
How to Use this Guide
The purpose of this guide is to be the conduit for the documentary series into Minnesota classrooms, community gatherings, and youth events. We hope that this guide will encourage educators and students to learn about race, class, and place disparities and take action to bridge the gap.
This guide provides interactive exercises that help to better understand these disparities and their causes, and work to overcome them in our classrooms and communities. It can be used by teachers in the classroom, as well as activists and educators in informal settings.
The guide follows the structure of the series and provides 1) Discussion Questions, 2) Classroom Activities, 3) Tips for Facilitators, and 4) Ideas for Action.
Part I, Making the Case, provides background information about the Itasca project and the Brookings Institution's research. It engages students in learning about race, class and place disparities by discussing and comparing these disparities.
Parts II, III, and IV - Race, Class, and Place Disparities comprise a collection of interactive student-centered classroom activities based on the idea that students learn best when they are actively engaged in the process, and can relate to what they are learning by making connections to their classrooms and communities. Parts II, III, and IV - Race, Class, and Place Disparities respectively are a collection of questions and activities. They each include the following headings to help plan a meaningful discussion
Overview of the Part (Race, Class, and Place) summarizes major points about this section, and provides a brief overview of stories covered in this part.
Story describes an episode in the documentary to help the educator decide which story to choose.
Key Terms define vocabulary that students should learn to better understand the lesson. What students already know will vary from classroom to classroom, and among individual students. It is important to define and discuss these terms prior to watching the documentaries, so that all students can contribute to and benefit from the discussion. Do not limit key terms to provided definitions. Add others based on your students' needs. You may refer to the Annex 3- Glossary provided with this guide, or use additional sources.
True or False & Agree or Disagree surveys are both designed as attention getters. They will allow the teacher to access students' knowledge and perceptions about a particular issue to identify the direction of discussion after viewing. It is important for students to know that they are not expected to know the answers. This is not a test, and students can do these surveys anonymously.
The True and False surveys provide 5-10 questions related to data on disparities in the Twin Cities. They are designed to find out what the students already know or what their perceptions are about disparities. The questions are often based on the Brookings Institution' Mind the Gap research released in 2005.
Twin Cities Compass (www.tccompass.org) is an all-new site full of information and resources to help businesses, government, nonprofit or educational organizations, and individuals interested to learn about how the region is doing and how to get involved in making it better. The site is a source for the most current data and statistics in many of the areas discussed in this curriculum.
It is important for the teacher to explain how statistics work and ways in which they translate into in real life applications. Statistics and data change frequently, thus it is also important to engage students in looking for the most up-to-date information.
You can have the participants take the surveys individually, and then display the answers on the screen or a flipchart sheet, and discuss them as a group. Alternatively, you can collect and tally participants' responses to share the results with the group after the screening.
The Agree or Disagree surveys are designed to gain insight into students' perceptions and experiences. Unlike, the True or False surveys, these surveys do not have right or wrong answers. They are a barometer of the classroom's attitudes and feelings about important societal issues.
The Before Viewing section contains questions for discussion prior to seeing the documentaries. This section, along with the Key Terms, are designed to prepare the students for viewing, as well as assist the teacher in establishing what the students already know, and to help the educator plan the post-viewing activities.
The After Viewing section contains questions for discussion after viewing. These are based on the story and elaborate on the concepts and ideas discussed in the documentary. You can use these questions or create your own based on your students' needs. Please note that the last two questions are almost always: What can you do? and Who should be involved? It is important to engage students in thinking beyond the classroom, even if they believe there is not much they can do at this point in their lives. The approach of this guide is that by involving students in discussions about multi-sector solutions to societal issues, and encouraging their participation in their classroom and community, we will prepare and inspire the next generation of civically engaged leaders in all spheres of society.
The Suggested Activities section contains one or more activities focusing on the issue raised in the documentary. The activities have been developed for individuals working with young people and adults in classroom and out of school activities on issues of disparities and discrimination. The activities are designed with minimal instructions to allow educators to modify and add as they see fit. Although, many activities can be used individually, we recommend that you develop a plan or a curriculum unit where you can explore the Key Terms, use an introductory survey (True or False, or Agree or Disagree), and discuss questions and then complete an activity. This material will provide greater impact when students are going through it gradually, and are able to take time for reflection and debriefing.
Going Further provides additional activities for students to learn about disparities through a human rights framework, explore additional data or research, raise awareness, develop a Community Action Plan and take action. You can also use the 20 Methods for Student Engagement from Annex 2 for additional ideas and resources.
Part V, Making Change, provides a short description of stories, discussion questions and activities, and ideas for action. The goal of this section is to get students inspired by local "success" stories, in which individuals have taken action. This section challenges students to think about ways they can contribute to positive change in their classrooms and communities.
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