Background Information
Why this unit?
Some people might say, why would you teach social class in elementary school? What I have to say is, why not? I believe that young students are capable of exploring complex issues in-depth. As educators, it is important that we give children the opportunity to explore the issues that impact their lives. To me, the purpose of education is to prepare students to be democratic citzens. Teaching for social justice aligns with this perspective because it aids students in their development into tolerant, empathetic people who think critically about our world and are empowered to make change.
Context:
I designed this unit with a fifth grade class in mind, but it can easily be adapted to suit older or younger students.
Essential Questions:
What is social class?
How is it determined?
What aspects of our lives does social class influence?
What are the consequences of social class inequality?
How are people responding?
Notes:
This unit is intended to be as integrated with other subjects as possible. I have tried to model this throughout this unit, but there are many opportunities left unexplored that should be delved into in a classroom. On another note, I tried to be specific when writing this unit, but I personally believe in teaching that is relevant to students' lives and experiences. For this reason, this unit will (and should) take on a life of its' own in a classroom. I would like this unit to be thought of as more of a framework than anything else. Student's needs and wants should direct the course of this unit to ensure that it is as meaningful and engaging as possible.
Social class is a subject that is difficult for many people to discuss. In order to teach this unit in a classroom, it is crucial that there is a strong sense of classroom community, in which students feel safe and comfortable exploring this sensitive topic with their peers. Also key to the success of this unit is knowing your students and their backgrounds. (I have included an audio interview exercise to do with each of your students at the beginning of this unit to aid in this.) I would reccommend reaching out to parents before this unit begins to let them know that you'll be exploring social class, how you'll go about doing this, and why.
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Possible Extensions:
There are many ways in which social class affects students' lives, and society as a whole. Due to time constraints, in this unit, students have the opportunity to explore two of these affects: education and housing. A possible extension of this unit would be to explore the impact that social class has on food/health.
Another worthwhile activity would be to let students explore the website http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/index.html, which includes tons of awesome interactive graphics about social class.
Lastly, the connection between race and social class, as well as gender and social class,
is not explored in this unit, but are other important places to go with this topic.
Some people might say, why would you teach social class in elementary school? What I have to say is, why not? I believe that young students are capable of exploring complex issues in-depth. As educators, it is important that we give children the opportunity to explore the issues that impact their lives. To me, the purpose of education is to prepare students to be democratic citzens. Teaching for social justice aligns with this perspective because it aids students in their development into tolerant, empathetic people who think critically about our world and are empowered to make change.
Context:
I designed this unit with a fifth grade class in mind, but it can easily be adapted to suit older or younger students.
Essential Questions:
What is social class?
How is it determined?
What aspects of our lives does social class influence?
What are the consequences of social class inequality?
How are people responding?
Notes:
This unit is intended to be as integrated with other subjects as possible. I have tried to model this throughout this unit, but there are many opportunities left unexplored that should be delved into in a classroom. On another note, I tried to be specific when writing this unit, but I personally believe in teaching that is relevant to students' lives and experiences. For this reason, this unit will (and should) take on a life of its' own in a classroom. I would like this unit to be thought of as more of a framework than anything else. Student's needs and wants should direct the course of this unit to ensure that it is as meaningful and engaging as possible.
Social class is a subject that is difficult for many people to discuss. In order to teach this unit in a classroom, it is crucial that there is a strong sense of classroom community, in which students feel safe and comfortable exploring this sensitive topic with their peers. Also key to the success of this unit is knowing your students and their backgrounds. (I have included an audio interview exercise to do with each of your students at the beginning of this unit to aid in this.) I would reccommend reaching out to parents before this unit begins to let them know that you'll be exploring social class, how you'll go about doing this, and why.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
Possible Extensions:
There are many ways in which social class affects students' lives, and society as a whole. Due to time constraints, in this unit, students have the opportunity to explore two of these affects: education and housing. A possible extension of this unit would be to explore the impact that social class has on food/health.
Another worthwhile activity would be to let students explore the website http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/index.html, which includes tons of awesome interactive graphics about social class.
Lastly, the connection between race and social class, as well as gender and social class,
is not explored in this unit, but are other important places to go with this topic.