What Is TABOO? Challenging Our Preconceptions And Prejudices
My students need 1 classroom copy of both seasons of the great National Geographic series Taboo in order to expand their horizons and challenge their preconceived notions of what is proscribed, accepted behavior.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. O'Herlihy's classroom raised $129
This project is fully funded
My students range in age from 14 to 19 years old and often have had very unsuccessful histories with school environments. Some have avoided school for two or more years, surviving on the streets of our cities.
My hope is that, when exposed to my classroom, they are awakened to the fact that it is OK if you hate being taught, but you must struggle and work to discover the JOY of learning. My task is to find and develop curriculum that engages them and speaks to their issues, concerns and realities.
We live in a culture that has lost its connections to initiation rites and moments of growth and transformation, in which we stifle exploring how others celebrate life and recognize the human condition.
Our students come from a diverse, yet often neglectful, background. Having the opportunity to explore how different things can be in a safe and tolerant atmosphere is what I strive for. By looking at how others do what they do, we can then look at ourselves in a new light. This method has allowed students to take considered introspective steps when we explore this subject in the classroom.
This set of dvd's compliment what some of our curriculum touches on. We discuss initiation rites and marking stages of life, etc. What we seemingly lack in our cultures is brought vividly to life in these documentaries. The students are willing to look inward after looking into such alien and remote explorations of the human taboos considered in this fine National Geographic series.
With your help, we can confront the preconceptions our youth have about other cultures and, more importantly than that, the prejudices we have about our own cultures.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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