Inspiring a New Generation of Young Activists to Speak Up
Help me give my students an amazing experience by meeting and talking with the author's of "Fred Korematsu Speaks Up" in preparation for their 5th grade play this year!
$752 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
My Students
Imagine a world where young people speak up for justice like the real-life heroes and heroines they are learning about in school. Imagine a world where students see an injustice and collaborate to address it. Imagine a world where students are inspired to be activists and change makers in their community.
5th graders at my school represent this future generation of leaders, activists and change-makers.
Our students are a curious, enthusiastic group of engaged learners who represent a range of diverse cultures, backgrounds and languages.
My Project
Each year the 5th graders at my school perform a play written by a 5th grade teacher about an important and relevant topic. This year the play will focus on the internment of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II. In order to build understanding of this topic, students will read Fred Korematsu Speaks Up by Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi. After reading the book, students will have an opportunity to meet and hear from the authors themselves during a one-hour authors presentation. During the presentation, the authors will share their different personal connections to the book, and what led them to write it. They will introduce Fred Korematsu's story, and explain how he fought for justice by challenging Japanese American incarceration during WWII. The authors will also give broader historical context about this period, and respond to student questions.
Hearing first hand from the authors of Fred Korematsu Speaks Up will inspire students to reflect on the ideas of speaking up and activism in their own lives.
Following the presentation, students will have a deeper understanding of the content and will be able to make meaningful connections between the discrimination Fred Korematsu experienced, and other forms of discrimination that exist today. They will understand the impact one courageous person can have on making the world a more just and equitable place. As a result, students will be more prepared to perform the 5th grade play, and spread their message of standing up for justice to their broader community.
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