Subjects Integrated

This describes which academic subjects were integrated as part of this unit.

Where the Blame Lies: America’s Relationship with Migrants in Times of Crisis

Where the Blame Lies: America’s Relationship with Migrants in Times of Crisis

11th Grade, SJE Units, Social Studies, Uncategorized , , ,

Grade: 11th Grade
Topics: Migrant Scapegoating
Social Justice Skills: Immigration reform, Advocacy, Student/Community action
Created by: Brian Milara

This unit will focus on the ideology of migrant scapegoating (especially when those migrants are people of color) and how this blame has produced a carceral pattern based not on punishment, but presupposition, of crime. It follows up on a district curricular lesson arc in which students study the internment of Japanese-Americans and extends the theme of scapegoating to current examples, such as refugees from Afghanistan and Central America. This unit will scaffold research methods with a curated set of sources, including news stories, video clips, interviews, and opinion polling, as well as websites of reform groups like NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice and American Friends Service Committee. This, in turn, will support students in creating presentations using widely-accessible media (e.g., TikTok videos, drafts of murals and street art, music, newspaper guest op-ed, speech at state senator/assembly member town hall) with the goal of collective advocacy and spurring the community and urging policymakers to view the changes to migrant detention in Newark either as a model to be followed or avoided.

View the PDF: Where the Blame Lies

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Community Pride

Community Pride

1st Grade, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, The Arts, Uncategorized , , , ,

 

Grade: 1st Grade
Topics: Communities
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, self-determination, discovery
Created by: Corey Juarez

Throughout this unit students will explore what a community is and learn more about their specific community, Newark. We will discuss what defines a community and explore the idea that the students are part of a school and classroom community. As we begin to learn about the students’ community we will work as a class to describe what they know about their community as well as questions they have about their community. We will also learn about the rich history of their community and city and even have visitors from the Newark Museum come in, in order to help contextualize this information with actual artifacts for the students to observe. We will also discuss change students would like to see happen in their community.

View the PDF:Community Pride

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The Fulfillment Project

The Fulfillment Project

3rd Grade, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, The Arts , , , ,

Grade: 3rd
Topics: Self, community and city love
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, self-confidence, community, community involvement
Created by: Catherine Payne-Lewis/Jorge Villacreses

In this unit, the students were given a platform to uplift and provide them with enough confidence to motivate them to prepare, propel and equip them with resilience in effort to make sweeping changes in their local communities.

View the PDF: The Fulfillment Project

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Our Community

Our Community

Kindergarten, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, The Arts , , , ,

Grade: Kindergarten
Topics: Pride for our community
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, self-determination, fairness, equality, support, community, letter writing

Created by: Regina Polzella

Throughout the unit students will explore what a community is and learn more about their school community. The unit will focus on how workers within the school community come together to support our school community and bring positive change. The students will understand that there is strength in unity and that together we can accomplish more in our school community 

View the PDF:Our Community

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We are… Comm-unity

We are… Comm-unity

Language Arts, Mathematics, Pre-K, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, The Arts , ,

Grade: Preschool
Topics: Our Classroom, Our City, Our Community
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, respect fairness, equality
Created by: Lauren Gormley

 

In this unit students learned about their classroom, school and neighborhood community through class discussions, read-alouds, shared writings and technology. Students were able to define community and compare and contrast Newark to other cities around the country. They were given the chance to develop an appreciation for their classroom, school and the buildings and places they visit. After the completion of the unit, students were able to understand why it is important to take care of and ultimately try to better the community the have grown to love

View the PDF: We are…Comm-unity

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Community

Community

Kindergarten, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, The Arts , , ,

 

Grade: Kindergarten
Topics: Communities, Neighborhoods
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, self-identity, diversity, resources
Created by: Shannon Schommer

In this unit, students will examine the components of a community, look at how communities can be similar or different, and dissect ways in which external systems or functions may impact a community and the people living in it. The unit focuses on students’ own community and sense of identity, as well as how their own experiences might inform their ideas about community.

View the PDF: Community

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Accessibility of Fresh Foods

Accessibility of Fresh Foods

3rd Grade, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science , , ,


Grade: 3rd Grade
Topics: fresh foods, healthy eating, making choices
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking
Created by: Rouxana Pellcier

The students explored different healthy food options by looking at the food pyramid and recommended serving sizes based on the US Department of Agriculture. In addition to this they learned about vitamins and minerals  The students had the opportunity to track what they ate and graph the results to see how their eating habits compared to that of their peers.

Visit this blog: http://socialactionprojectbfes.blogspot.com/

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Fight Against Food Deserts

Fight Against Food Deserts

1st Grade, Language Arts, Science, The Arts ,

Grade: 1st Grade
Topics: Healthy eating, growing food
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, letter writing, self-determination, fairness
Created by: Sarah Stewart

In this unit, the students will investigate the growth process of plants and different healthy foods that can be grown from plants. The students will also explore the food chain and discuss healthy food options. They will have the opportunity to grow their own plants, visit local farmers markets and seek out the healthy and “not so healthy” choices within their community. Through their investigations, they find that their community is a “food desert” which means finding healthy. fresh food is extremely difficult to do where they live.

Visit this blog: http://1stgradesocialactionproject.blogspot.com/

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Creating a Fair Space

Creating a Fair Space

Language Arts, Mathematics, Pre-K, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, Subjects Integrated, The Arts , , ,

Grade: Preschool
Topics: Fairness, disability
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, self-determination, fairness, equality, creating signs to make awareness
Created by: Annmarie DeMarzo

In this unit, children will be guided toward an understanding of what it means to be fair. Students will explore and discuss what they believe to be fair and unfair in their daily lives, but will also focus on what make the environment fair and unfair for students with disabilities. Students will engage in discussions, explore different forms of adaptation and assistive technology, and generate solutions for making their classroom/school more accessible to children of all abilities.

View the PDF: Creating a Fair Space

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Welcome to the Neighborhood

Welcome to the Neighborhood

2nd Grade, Language Arts, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, Subjects Integrated, The Arts , , ,

Grade: 2nd grade

Topics: Being the change in our communities
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, exploration, community cultural wealth, respect,
Created by: Tatiana Pereyra

This unit is about the students seeing themselves as vehicles for change in their neighborhoods. The unit will begin with the students looking around their individual neighborhoods and taking note of things that stand out to them. We will have discussions around what each students has noticed and what others have noticed in sharing our findings. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about their peers while learning to listen to the preferences and experiences of others respectfully. The goal of the unit is to have students observe what is going on around them in their neighborhoods. Students will have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on things they love communities as well as to find things that they don’t necessarily like and explore and understand reasonings behind our findings.For example, why are there so many empty lots? The social movements/change/action piece will be around how we can organize and collectively get our ideas heard.

View the PDF: Welcome to the Neighborhood

 

 

 

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This is My City: R-E-S-P-E-C-T It!

This is My City: R-E-S-P-E-C-T It!

1st Grade, Kindergarten, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, Subjects Integrated, The Arts , ,

Grade: Kindergarten/1st Grade

Topics: Environmental Racism
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, self-determination, letter writing, community service
Created by: Carla Nisbett

Students will develop understanding of environmental awareness by learning about pollution and cleanliness within their immediate environments (classroom, school, neighborhood). Students will ultimately be introduced to environmental racism and how it has affected their neighborhood. They will also come up with some actions that we could all take to fight against environmental racism in the neighborhood.

 

Download the PDF: This is My City R-E-S-P-E-C-T it!

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Migration

Migration

2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, Subjects Integrated, The Arts , , ,

Grade: 2nd/3rd Grade
Topics: Environment, economy, politics, culture
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, self-determination, fairness
Created by: Kim Baumann, Diana Mamoor, Mary Sanborn

The Migration unit is comprised of topics such as economic, environmental, and political migration. The issue of migration is a relevant topic in today’s world, as individuals are facing various challenges concerning migration. The goal is to help students understand that at times, it is out of the individual’s hands as they are forced to leave their homes due to economic, environmental, and political factors. While some topics are considered as controversial, students are taught about vital topics such as power, oppression, politics, human rights, freedom, and the environment. In doing so, students become conscious of the diversity in society.

Download the PDF: Migration

 

 

 

 

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Let’s All Celebrate

Let’s All Celebrate

Kindergarten, Language Arts, Mathematics, Pre-K, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, Subjects Integrated, The Arts ,

Grade: Pre-K / Kindergarten
Topics: Holidays
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, fairness
Created by: Kat Benevento

 

Holidays are celebrated by different cultural groups all over the world for different reasons. In the United States, some holidays are nationally recognized, others recognized in schools, and others not represented at all. To develop deeper multicultural understanding and respect for differences, a variety of cultures must be represented and celebrated. This unit explores the different holidays celebrated in our community and the representation of groups in celebration across the school. Students will be challenged to analyze the fairness of the system and recreate a utopia.

Download this PDF: Let’s All Celebrate

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Water We Waiting For

Water We Waiting For

5th Grade, 6th Grade, Language Arts, Science, SJE Units, Social Studies, The Arts , , , ,

Grade: 5th and 6th grade unit

Topics: Environmental Justice, Water
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, protest, fairness, letter writing
Created by: Madeline Della Pesca, Rachel Hartman, Alejandro Hernandez. Nicole Larsen, Hayley Smith

The “Water We Waiting For” unit helps students explore whether clean drinking water is a resource that should be provided by the government as an unalienable right. Students will research the topic and investigate inequality, access to resources, injustice, human rights, and some of the political aspects of the water crisis, as well as the detrimental effects contaminated water has on our health as individuals and as communities. To do so, lessons have been crafted that span a cross curricular approach, through reading and language arts, science, social studies, math, health education, physical education and the arts. The unit will culminate in the cultivation of a protest in which students will explore methods of political expression that can be used not only to advocate for the access to clean drinking water, but also protest tactics that can be used in the face of injustice and oppression anywhere.

Download This Unit: Water Unit Fifth Grade

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All Work and No Play

All Work and No Play

4th Grade, Mathematics ,

Grade: 4th grade math unit
Topics: time, local action, math
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, advocacy, self-determination, fairness
Created by Lin Hong

Students were not given enough time for lunch and recess at their school.  During the lunch periods, each class follows a 16 minute rotation for advisory (time with the teacher), lunch (occurring in the cafeteria) and recess (outdoors or in the auditorium).  They did not have enough time to eat and they tried to grab a few last bites before the teachers would come to pick them up for advisory. This unit supported students to investigate this challenge, apply mathematical strategies such as data collection and analysis, and to advocate for change.

Visit this blog: http://allworkandnoplayatsussex.blogspot.com/

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milkwaste

4th Graders Investigate Food Waste

4th Grade, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies ,

milkwaste

Grade: 4th grade unit
Topics: Food Waste, Resources
Social Justice Skills: Critical thinking, analysis, investigation into  community issue
Teacher: Kristin Goldsworthy

Students began to investigate food waste within their own classrooms, specifically breakfast.  After investigating students noticed that the real food that was being thrown away (based on their data collection each morning for two months) was milk.  Students then learned about the benefits of milk for teens and created an ad campaign to promote students within their school to start drinking milk instead of wasting it.

Visit this blog: http://4thgradesocialactionnewark.blogspot.com/?zx=ff69afafb81ff7c1

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picket-signs-10

The CACAO Project: Children Against Chocolate Aided Oppression

5th Grade, Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts , , , , ,

picket-signs-10Grade: 5th grade unit
Topics: Child labor, fair trade
Social Justice Skills: Letter writing, petitions, protest, PSA’s
Created by Dan Hildreth and Neil Rathan

This unit taught students about the use of child labor and the benefits of fair trade in the coca industry. Students wrote letters to chocolate CEO’s, created a petition to get fair trade chocolate in their local store, created PSA’s to educate the community and protested in front of M&Ms/Mars in Times Square.

Find out more: cacoaproject.wordpress.com

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Understanding the Past: Changing the Future

5th Grade, Language Arts, Social Studies, Special Education, The Arts, Uncategorized , , , , ,

Grade: 5th grade, general ed and Integrated Team Teaching
Topics: Racism, Discrimination, Civil Rights
Social Justice Skills: Letter Writing, Peer Education, Critical Thinking

Created by Emily Munzer, Daniel Hildreth and Neil Rathan, 5th grade teachers, Lower East Side, NYC

An in-depth unit on the American Civil Rights movement that spans from the 1940’s to the 1960’s. Students used historical fiction, non fiction resources, and documentary films to develop an understanding of the racial divide in the United States during this time period, identifying the differences between Individual vs. Institutional Racism, learning about key catalysts and leaders of the movement, and creating a content-specific glossary of related terms. The 5th grade ultimately wrote, directed, and acted in a “Living Museum” performance to showcase their understandings.

Find out more: http://noracisminthisclassroom.wordpress.com


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5th Graders say: Stop Unfair Child Labor Now!

5th Grade, Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts , , , , ,

Grade: 5th Grade
Topics: Unfair labor, worker’s rights, fair trade, sustainability, fairness, slavery, unions
Created by Liav Shapiro, P.S. 230 Brooklyn, NY

This unit was created to teach students about unfair labor of the past and today, linking issues of children’s rights and labor rights. Students participated a “Fair Trade Boot Camp,” various simulations, created artwork, wrote letters to major U.S. companies, and became more critical of the foods that are sold in their local supermarkets.

Find out more: www.unfairchildlabor.wordpress.com

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dscn1639

Eat Smart! Be Smart!

5th Grade, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies , , , , , , ,

dscn1639Grade: 5th grade unit
Topics: Nutrition, Fitness, Healthy Choices, School Lunches
Social Justice Skills: Letter writing, petitions, protest, PSA’s

Created by Emily Munzer, Dan Hildreth and Neil Rathan

This unit guides students on a journey of taking control of their nutritional habits by educating them on the choices that are available and the benefits of making those choices. Students will take social action by working to change the school lunch menu as well as educating other students in the school about the problems of the school lunches and to advocate to change them.

Find out more: eatsmartbesmart.wordpress.com

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