My matrix is based on a step-by-step guide to having my students explore racism in both a historical sense, but also in the a very personal sense. By examining racism through historical footage, original documents, speeches and laws, and then having each student find how these events have impacted the people in their own lives, I hope to create context for one of the most enduring wounds in American history.
Technology Integration
Row 1: Investigating the problem of racism in America begins by reviewing background and foundation information through historical works and video. This NJCCCS standard asks that through technologies currently available to all teachers and students, we have them investigate a problem in our society. EdPuzzle is a wonderful technology that allows teachers to break up YouTube videos and to insert into those videos quizzes, questions, and even audio of the teacher's voice to guide students in their thinking. Social studies is so reliant on historical incidents, that it helps to have video that is put into context to help spur thought in the students. The students would then use Facebook to locate friends and relatives that they can interview for a later video, and the internet in general to further research possible solutions to the problem of racial tension in America.
By integrating the ISTE standard that asks students to gather information from multiple sources, I hope to create a culture of real investigation in the students. Simply watching a few videos through EdPuzzle will not be enough, which is why I included the internet and Facebook, where the students can gather personal family histories and more general access to primary sources.
Row 2: This row is really geared toward giving the students a chance to go beyond simple investigation; this row is about collaboration, and building the foundational skills that each student will need to live and work in a diverse society, where coworkers are not from the same background and where ideas and solutions to problems will have to be hashed out through any friction that might exist. The main project in this lesson plan is a video montage that will be put together and posted on YouTube by each student group. The video is about how racism has affected each student's life and the lives of their relatives and friends. Each student will use GoogleDocs to create a document explaining where they found their information for the video, and some background on each person they interviewed. They can use the Smithsonian app to research particular events in history if they want to use those as a center point for their interviews. They will then use YouTube to collaboratively create a video with their groups in a format that gives voice to the harsh realities of racism. Each student group can chose what style, music and tempo they want to make their video, but it must give equal voice to the people interviewed by each member of the group.
The ISTE standard that relates to this row asks students to develop cultural understanding and awareness by working with learners from other cultures. Our area is so diverse that by having the students help to create a video that incorporates the lives of their classmates they will learn a great deal about other cultures.
Row 3: After completing their videos, each student group will assemble a report on the entire process using Padlet. Creativity, combined with structure, is the goal here. This NJCCCS standard asks that students become civically aware. After putting together their videos and collaborating with one another, their final activity is to give voice to that collaboration by giving a "behind the scenes" understanding of what resources they used, what hurdles they had to overcome to create their videos and what they learned about each other. They can post additional videos, pictures, sources and so on to explain how they came together as a group and how the creation of the video helped to serve their own understanding of being a citizen in the United States.
The ISTE standard for this row is all about wrapping up what they students have learned into a comprehensive report, but I wanted to do something a bit different and so I included the use of Padlet instead of just GoogleDocs. I want the students to be able to show me what they did but in away that still rewards creativity and visual learning.
