Objective: Students will discuss why it is unjust that funding inequities exist
in New York State schools and look for opportunities to make a difference.
Motivation:
- Students should be sitting in a circle.
- Ask students, “Have you ever thought something wasn’t
fair? Maybe your mom let your brother or sister have a play date,
but you had to stay home and help her around the house? How does
it feel when something is not fair?”
- Have students turn and tell a partner about a time when something
wasn’t fair. They should tell the partner how the situation
made them feel.
- Teacher
should listen and then share one or two things they heard about
how unfair “feels.”
Procedure/Teaching Points
- Teacher displays the charts made from“How
Are Schools Different?” and “What
Inequities Exist in New York State?”
- Ask students to look over the charts made in the lessons about how
schools are different and how different schools get more or less
money. Reread the charts and focus on the big points. Ask students
what they notice about the differences. Then ask how students feel
about the differences.
- Makes
a T chart titled “Noticings about inequalities in New York
State / Feelings I have.” As students discuss these points,
write down noticings and reactions. Remind them of accountable talk
prompts such as, “I agree with…” and “I
disagree with…” Guide responses so children see that
inequities are unjust, regardless of where their school sits on
the spectrum.
- Next,
remind students that as readers we sometimes feel empathetic towards
a character. Discuss what empathy means. Ask if anyone feels empathetic
towards other kids in the stories that were read.
Student Engagement/Activity
- Tell students that when people in our society feel like something
is not fair, it is an opportunity to think of ways to make a change.
Remind students that even they, as students, have the power to make
changes by taking action and also by influencing others to take
action. Discuss a few ways students could change the inequalities
in New York schools.
- Send students back to their seats to work in groups. Instruct each
group to think of one action that can be taken for an inequity listed
on the T-chart. (If necessary, assign each group one “inequity”
from the T- Chart list to work on).
Share/ Report Out
- Each
group will share the action/next step suggested to address the inequity
listed on the T-chart.
Applications/ Follow-up
- For homework, students will share with an adult family member what
they learned about the funding inequities in NYS schools. Student
will then interview the family member by asking the following questions:
What do you think about this? What would you do about this?
Assessment
Students will write a piece on whether they agree or disagree with
the thoughts they received from the family member. Students will have
to explain why they think and/or feel this way in the writing piece.
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Subject
Areas:
Social Justice
Grade Levels: 3-5
About
the teachers:
Megan
Bender is a third grade teacher at PS 58 in Brooklyn, NY where she has been
teaching for one year. She entered teaching in 2000 as a cohort one
New York City Teaching Fellow. She taught third grade at PS 270 in
District 13 for four years. In 2002, she received her Masters in Elementary
Education from Brooklyn College. Megan continues to be involved with
the New York City Teaching Fellows by selecting potential candidates
for the program. Previous to this, she selected for the New York Urban
Teachers. At PS 58 she serves on the School Leadership Team where
she helps create a school wide Comprehensive Educational Plan. In
her classroom, she implements the philosophies of the social curriculum,
“Responsive Classroom.” This Massachusetts based curriculum
is used to help students develop better interpersonal relationships
in order to help everyone bloom socially and academically in the classroom.
meganbender@verizon.net
Sharon
Chapman is a fourth year NYC Teaching Fellow. She has three
years experience teaching second grade and currently teaches third
grade at P.S. 136 in St. Albans, Queens. After 15 years in Corporate
America with 13 years as a Human Resources Manager in several industries,
she decided to fulfill her life long dream and became an educator.
She holds a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts, an M.A. in
Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University
and a M.S. in Education from Queens College.
sdmchapman@aol.com
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