I teach social studies to 9th graders and sheltered 9th-12th grade USH in a high-poverty neighborhood. Many of my students are below grade level. The school where I teach is a diverse public high school: 23% of students are African American, 19% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 2% Native American, and 36% Caucasian.
Many of my students struggle with challenges outside of school.
Over 70% of our students are below the poverty line. Many students are in the foster care system or are homeless. Many are recent immigrants learning English as a second language. I have amazing students who use their diversity and life experiences to their advantage.
My students are from Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, Vietnam, Mexico, Guatemala, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Micronesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other places around the world.
This year I teach freshman world history and two sheltered versions of history for English Language Learners. Some of my students have just moved to the United States and are beginning to learn English. In my class, my students will learn about the world and other cultures.
My Project
This project will increase students' awareness of the criminal justice system. It will give them real life stories of people (adults & children) who suffered unfairly because of their race or their socioeconomic status.
Just Mercy and the other books on the list will help my students to ask questions and find answers about how to reform the American criminal justice system.
After watching the film, students will read news articles, look up statistics, and view documentaries that give further insight into the criminal justice system. The books on list will support the instruction. We will use the wooden blocks from the game Jenga to add an active element to learning by putting stories and statistics on the wooden blocks to deepen our understanding in the unit. Stories are what help us remember things and what help us see the humanity of an issue, not just the facts. Just Mercy will deepen students' understanding of the criminal justice system in a way that straight facts cannot.
I plan to take my sheltered history class to this film. English Language Learners benefit from accessing visuals and video paired with text to further their understanding. Learning more about the criminal justice system will aid their understanding of US History, Government, and Economics.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Kanof and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
