This curriculum unit aims to trace the influence of eugenics through the lens of a selection of texts (see Suggested Reading List) that speak of the struggles and successes of immigrant children and/ or characters that have been marginalized by society and have experienced discrimination based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender. While these texts do not explicitly discuss eugenics, they discuss themes of poverty, gender roles, immigration, racial segregation, identity, and cultural heritage. By examining these texts and their themes, students will gain an understanding of how eugenics ideas have shaped societal attitudes and policies of inequality. This understanding will provide a platform for the students to value their ethnicity, voice, and identity with a focus on influencing a future free of the influences promoted by eugenics.
The unit will include interactive lessons, discussions, and activities to foster critical thinking and empathy. The books selected address questions that many people of color, disabled people, and people stigmatized think about but often cannot formulate or confront. The texts selected are appropriate for the grade level, include a variety of reading levels, and will allow students to explore the effects of eugenics through a discussion of identity and cultural heritage.
This unit will also support language development of immigrant students, emphasizing Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking.
