Kenneth B. Hilliard
This curriculum unit explores the role that a community’s attitudes, values and beliefs play in influencing student behavior and shaping school curriculum.
The anticipated outcome of this unit is that the acquired knowledge and activities created can be used to help bridge the gap between cultures and bring parental involvement and cultural exchanges into the classroom.
The unit is complete with objectives, background information, and student activities, including parental participation, role playing, classroom discussions, cultural sharing, and other useful applications.
The unit is divided into the following four sections: An Overview of Racism in America’s Education System Attitudes of Individuals and Groups Values, Courts, Constitution, and Public Education and Bilingual Education Versus School Desegregation
The section on racism deals with the many stages of racism in our society. It continues with a look at how racism has been used in education throughout the years. It concludes with a few alternatives for educators to consider when addressing the issue.
The second section discusses the whole idea of culture. It begins with a look at American society and the different ethnic groups that make up our communities. It discusses the process of assimilation that all Americans must go through in order to be accepted into this society. It concludes with a lead-in to the next section that has to do with the subject of values and their applications within the American judicial system.
This section discusses the role of courts in our country. It explores how citizens can pursue matters within the court system. It continues with a discussion about the role and the importance of the Supreme Court. It concludes with a look into the many variables that parents should consider when looking for a neighborhood in which to live.
The final section discusses how bilingual education and school desegregation have clashed throughout our history and defines the goals of each program. It explores recent court decisions effecting the rights of students to have access to bilingual programs. It also looks at the role school desegregation plays in this issue.
The unit is designed for use with middle school students as a supplementary activity to the current social development program.
(Recommended for Social Development and Social Studies, grades 5-8)
Key Words
Bilingual Education Curriculum School Desegregation Law American Psychology Social Development
