This unit guides language education teachers into incorporating more culturally relevant lessons into their classroom. I teach Spanish I and II at New Haven Academy, an interdistrict magnet high school within the New Haven Public Schools district. In addition to our language goals, it is important to integrate cultural studies and investigations into the curriculum.
To that end, this unit will use the shadow of eugenics to explore aspects of identity: Students will reflect, write, and discuss how they perceive themselves and others; investigate the systemic factors that contribute to those perceptions; and ultimately identify ways in which we can be anti-eugenic in our Spanish classroom and our everyday lives. For the final assessment, students may choose from the following five options:
1- Students teach (to the whole class or a small group) an interpersonal speaking lesson that incorporates vocabulary words from a variety of countries.
2- Students make a slideshow of influential Hispanic figures that focuses on people with African and Indigenous ancestry.
3- Students listen to a short dialogue and identify where the speakers are from (based on accent, vocabulary usage, and grammatical forms).
4- Students write about their understanding of race and give examples of how we can think critically about our thoughts and assumptions when we see and meet people.
5- Students identify the difference between the words Spanish, Hispanic, and Latinx and explain the importance and impact of these terms, including who does or does not benefit from their usage.
