Grade Eleven: English Language Arts
Students will develop an understanding five general outcomes: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences, Comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts. Manage ideas and information. Enhance the clarity and artistry of communication. Respect, support and collaborate with others.
G.O 1: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, experiences
Things Fall Apart
A simple story of a "strong man" whose life is dominated by fear and anger, Things Fall Apart is written with remarkable economy and subtle irony. Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places.
Things Fall Apart
A simple story of a "strong man" whose life is dominated by fear and anger, Things Fall Apart is written with remarkable economy and subtle irony. Uniquely and richly African, at the same time it reveals Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to men of all times and places.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Can be used as a novel study or an independent book study
- Students could reflect on the ways that the missionaries in the story disrupted the community in the novel and how this is similar to historic religious missions - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Kindred
Kindred is a story about a young African American women name Dana, who lives in the state of California during the year 1976. She is suddenly wrenched through time into a pre-Civil War Maryland plantation. Kindred explores the dynamic and dilemmas of slavery from the perspective of a late 20th-century black women, who knows its outcome on American society.
Kindred is a story about a young African American women name Dana, who lives in the state of California during the year 1976. She is suddenly wrenched through time into a pre-Civil War Maryland plantation. Kindred explores the dynamic and dilemmas of slavery from the perspective of a late 20th-century black women, who knows its outcome on American society.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.2.1: Consider new perspectives - Suggested use:
- Personal response: What would you do if you could go back in time? What would you see? What would you do?
- Consideration of historical context - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Kafka on the Shore
Kafka on the Shore, a tour de force of metaphysical reality, is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.
Kafka on the Shore, a tour de force of metaphysical reality, is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Lessons created could centre on the novel's historical setting, the characters and their traits, and the main theme - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Bluest Eye
The story of black, eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove. Pecola prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be as beautiful and beloved as all the blond, blue-eyed children in America. In the autumn of 1941, the year the marigolds in the Breedloves' garden do not bloom. Pecola's life does change- in painful, devastating ways. What its vivid evocation of the fear and loneliness at the heart of a child's yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.
The story of black, eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove. Pecola prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be as beautiful and beloved as all the blond, blue-eyed children in America. In the autumn of 1941, the year the marigolds in the Breedloves' garden do not bloom. Pecola's life does change- in painful, devastating ways. What its vivid evocation of the fear and loneliness at the heart of a child's yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could reflect on beauty standards related to different cultures, and the way that Western ideas and standards of beauty have been imposed on the entire world
- Can pair with the poem "Brown Eyes" by Nadia McGhee - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Painted Boy
James Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan, he is on a quest even he does not understand. Jay's journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart.
James Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan, he is on a quest even he does not understand. Jay's journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students can consider the ways that family puts pressure or expectations on new generations - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
Black Enough is a star-studded anthology edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi that will delve into the closeted thoughts, hidden experiences, and daily struggles of black teens across the country. From a spectrum of backgrounds - urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more - Black Enough showcases diversity within diversity.
Black Enough is a star-studded anthology edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi that will delve into the closeted thoughts, hidden experiences, and daily struggles of black teens across the country. From a spectrum of backgrounds - urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more - Black Enough showcases diversity within diversity.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Anthology on students' own lives: what does it mean to be that student? - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior, an aspiring cartoonist, leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school. Based on the author’s own experiences, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a touching and funny middle grade novel about the contemporary adolescence of a Native American boy. Illustrated with poignant cartoon-style drawings.
Junior, an aspiring cartoonist, leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school. Based on the author’s own experiences, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a touching and funny middle grade novel about the contemporary adolescence of a Native American boy. Illustrated with poignant cartoon-style drawings.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.2.1: Consider new perspectives - Suggested use:
- Reflection on the struggle of the protagonist with finding his identity
- Write a personal reflection on their own struggles with identity - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Hate U Give
Starr Carter, an African-American teenager, faces pressure from various communities and tries to stand up for what is right after she witnesses the shooting of her best friend by the police.
Starr Carter, an African-American teenager, faces pressure from various communities and tries to stand up for what is right after she witnesses the shooting of her best friend by the police.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Read the poem "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" after analyzing/reading the novel; this poem was written by Tupac and was an inspiration for the novel. Then, think about how the poem relates to the novel - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
G.O.2: Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms
Black Like Me
In the Deep South of the 1950s, journalist John Howard Griffin decided to cross the color line. Using medication that darkened his skin to deep brown, he exchanged his privileged life as a Southern white man for the disenfranchised world of an unemployed black man. His audacious, still chillingly relevant eyewitness history is a work about race and humanity-that in this new millennium still has something important to say to every American.
Black Like Me
In the Deep South of the 1950s, journalist John Howard Griffin decided to cross the color line. Using medication that darkened his skin to deep brown, he exchanged his privileged life as a Southern white man for the disenfranchised world of an unemployed black man. His audacious, still chillingly relevant eyewitness history is a work about race and humanity-that in this new millennium still has something important to say to every American.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Discuss the idea of stepping into someone else's shoes, in their cases figuratively
- Use novel to spark discussions on issues of privilege and power, and students could reflect on what privileges they may hold - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Between the World and Me
Between the World and Me takes the form of a letter written to a son by his father. It attempts to answer the questions: What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? The novel attempts to describe the life of a black person in America and calls back to America's history of racism and segregation.
Between the World and Me takes the form of a letter written to a son by his father. It attempts to answer the questions: What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? The novel attempts to describe the life of a black person in America and calls back to America's history of racism and segregation.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Have students reflect on what they know about racism
- Use the different letters to draw inferences about the experiences captured in the book
- Could create visual representations of their learning of the different letters - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
A Big Dose of Lucky
Malou has just turned sixteen—hardly old enough to be out in the world on her own—and all she knows for sure is that she’s of mixed race and that she was left at an orphanage as a newborn. After she finds work as a cleaner in the local hospital, an Aboriginal boy named Jimmy helps her find answers to her questions about her parents. The answers are as stunning—and life-changing—as anything Malou could have imagined back at the orphanage.
Malou has just turned sixteen—hardly old enough to be out in the world on her own—and all she knows for sure is that she’s of mixed race and that she was left at an orphanage as a newborn. After she finds work as a cleaner in the local hospital, an Aboriginal boy named Jimmy helps her find answers to her questions about her parents. The answers are as stunning—and life-changing—as anything Malou could have imagined back at the orphanage.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Reflection on their own heritage, and how the race and ethnicity of their parents has affected them - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Our Stories Remember: American Indian History, Culture and Values through Storytelling
Through his retelling of traditional Native American stories, Joseph Bruchac offers readers a rich mix of American Indian history, culture and values. A diverse range of Native groups is included - Tlingit, Navajo, Cree, Abenaki, Yupik, Seminole, Sioux, Cherokee, and many more.
Through his retelling of traditional Native American stories, Joseph Bruchac offers readers a rich mix of American Indian history, culture and values. A diverse range of Native groups is included - Tlingit, Navajo, Cree, Abenaki, Yupik, Seminole, Sioux, Cherokee, and many more.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Have students manage information by organizing ideas and events according to values shown by different groups (ex. resourcefulness, resilience) - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio
Twelve stories about young people caught between their Puerto Rican heritage and their American surroundings.
Twelve stories about young people caught between their Puerto Rican heritage and their American surroundings.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Develop thematic assessments (ex. personal response to passages from the text) around the topics of: "coming of age/ innocence", "finding a sense of belonging", or "balancing hyphenated identities" - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Girl in Translation
Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant - a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.
Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant - a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Novel study - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Dear Martin
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Students could connect this to the shootings of unarmed Black civilians in both the US and Canada
- Write a persuasive essay or an open letter to suggest ways to reform police and end these killings - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Brown Girl Dreaming
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Spoken word poetry pertaining to the Jim Crow laws and civil rights
- Compare and contrast essay writing about traditional Jim Crow to modern day Jim Crow - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Namesake
The story of children of a Bengali couple who immigrate to America conveys in rich detail the experience of many immigrant families: The parents strive to be American even as they miss their home and mainly socialize with other Bengalis, and the American-born children chafe at the imposition of Bengali traditions that are foreign to them.
The story of children of a Bengali couple who immigrate to America conveys in rich detail the experience of many immigrant families: The parents strive to be American even as they miss their home and mainly socialize with other Bengalis, and the American-born children chafe at the imposition of Bengali traditions that are foreign to them.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Personal response to the issues brought up in the book (assimilation, clash of cultures, generational ties)
- Novel study - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings
Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother's tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not.
Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother's tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Identify the use of paradox and irony to highlight the challenges & celebrations of a hyphenated identity - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Downstairs Girl
Jo Kuan works as a maid, by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamour to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs a notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.
Jo Kuan works as a maid, by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamour to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs a notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Reflection on ways they have used their voice to challenge preconceived notions, or ways they might be able to speak out in the future - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Filipinos in Canada: Disturbing Invisibility
This landmark book, the first wide-ranging edited collection on Filipinos in Canada, explores gender, migration and labour, youth spaces and subjectivities, representation and community resistance to certain representations. Looking at these from the vantage points of anthropology, cultural studies, education, geography, history, information science, literature, political science, sociology, and women and gender studies, Filipinos in Canada provides a strong foundation for future work in this area.
This landmark book, the first wide-ranging edited collection on Filipinos in Canada, explores gender, migration and labour, youth spaces and subjectivities, representation and community resistance to certain representations. Looking at these from the vantage points of anthropology, cultural studies, education, geography, history, information science, literature, political science, sociology, and women and gender studies, Filipinos in Canada provides a strong foundation for future work in this area.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Students can choose a section to study, connecting it to their previous knowledge, their own ideas and stereotypes, and any current events happening around them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada
In early 2018, the failures of Canada's justice system were sharply and painfully revealed in the verdicts issued in the deaths of Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine. The outrage and confusion that followed those verdicts inspired former Crown prosecutor and bestselling author Harold R. Johnson to make the case against Canada for its failure to fulfill its duty under Treaty to effectively deliver justice to Indigenous people, worsening the situation and ensuring long-term damage to Indigenous communities. Harold R. Johnson examines the justice system's failures to deliver "peace and good order" to Indigenous people.
In early 2018, the failures of Canada's justice system were sharply and painfully revealed in the verdicts issued in the deaths of Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine. The outrage and confusion that followed those verdicts inspired former Crown prosecutor and bestselling author Harold R. Johnson to make the case against Canada for its failure to fulfill its duty under Treaty to effectively deliver justice to Indigenous people, worsening the situation and ensuring long-term damage to Indigenous communities. Harold R. Johnson examines the justice system's failures to deliver "peace and good order" to Indigenous people.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Connect with the red dress movement that focuses around the issue of missing or murdered Indigenous women across Canada
- Develop a thematic unit with such texts that show systemic corruption and injustice - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided
Diane Guerrero, the television actress from the megahit Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was just fourteen years old on the day her parents and brother were arrested and deported while she was at school. Born in the U.S., Guerrero was able to remain in the country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and helped her build a life and a successful acting career for herself, without the support system of her family.
Diane Guerrero, the television actress from the megahit Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was just fourteen years old on the day her parents and brother were arrested and deported while she was at school. Born in the U.S., Guerrero was able to remain in the country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and helped her build a life and a successful acting career for herself, without the support system of her family.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Students can choose a section to study, connecting it to their previous knowledge, their own ideas and stereotypes, and any current events happening around them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Rolling the R's
Illuminated by pop fantasies, Donna Summer disco tracks and teen passion, the fiercely earnest characters in Rolling the R's come to life against the background of burning dreams and neglect in a small 1970s Hawaiian community. In this daring first novel, tour-de-force experiments in narrative structure, pidgin and perspective roll every "are" and throw new light on gay identity and the trauma of assimilation.
Illuminated by pop fantasies, Donna Summer disco tracks and teen passion, the fiercely earnest characters in Rolling the R's come to life against the background of burning dreams and neglect in a small 1970s Hawaiian community. In this daring first novel, tour-de-force experiments in narrative structure, pidgin and perspective roll every "are" and throw new light on gay identity and the trauma of assimilation.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Reflection on the protagonist's journey and compare it to their own: Have they had to deal with prejudice against them in the past?
- Consider ways that they can make their school or community a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Anishnaabe World: A Survival Guide for Building Bridges between Canada and First Nations
In every walk of Canadian life--from business to education to the everyday--the reality is that increasingly you will be in contact with "Anishnaabe World." Knowing something about Aboriginal people and their reality not only gives you an advantage over those who don't, it's just plain polite in this country now called Canada. In the spirit of Thomas King, Drew Hayden Taylor and Tomson Highway, Roger Spielmann's "Anishnaabe World" is an irreverent, teasing, hilarious, yet cross-culturally astute "Survival Guide" for Canadians increasingly aware of our country's chequered past relations between Natives and non-Natives. Chief Ovide Mercredi says "I challenge the reader to really listen to what Roger Spielmann's saying."
In every walk of Canadian life--from business to education to the everyday--the reality is that increasingly you will be in contact with "Anishnaabe World." Knowing something about Aboriginal people and their reality not only gives you an advantage over those who don't, it's just plain polite in this country now called Canada. In the spirit of Thomas King, Drew Hayden Taylor and Tomson Highway, Roger Spielmann's "Anishnaabe World" is an irreverent, teasing, hilarious, yet cross-culturally astute "Survival Guide" for Canadians increasingly aware of our country's chequered past relations between Natives and non-Natives. Chief Ovide Mercredi says "I challenge the reader to really listen to what Roger Spielmann's saying."
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Connect the lessons and ideas in this guide to their life; reflect personally on how they have interacted with the Anishnaabe World and consider ways they can help with reconciliation efforts in their own lives - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
America Is in the Heart: A Personal History
This autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant labourer following the harvest trail in the rural West. Bulosan does not spare the reader any of the horrors that accompanied the migrant's life; but his quiet, stoic voice is the most convincing witness to the terrible events he witnessed.
This autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant labourer following the harvest trail in the rural West. Bulosan does not spare the reader any of the horrors that accompanied the migrant's life; but his quiet, stoic voice is the most convincing witness to the terrible events he witnessed.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.2: Understand and appreciate textual forms/ elements and techniques
- 2.2.1: Relate form/ structure/ medium to purpose/ audience and content - Suggested use:
- Students can choose a section to study, connecting it to their previous knowledge, their own ideas and stereotypes, and any current events happening around them
- Could be connected to Randy Ribay's "Patron Saints of Nothing" - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Souls of Black Folk
This landmark book is a founding work in the literature of black protest. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) played a key role in developing the strategy and program that dominated early 20th-century black protest in America. In this collection of essays, first published together in 1903, he eloquently affirms that it is beneath the dignity of a human being to beg for those rights that belong inherently to all mankind. He also charges that the strategy of accommodation to white supremacy advanced by Booker T. Washington, then the most influential black leader in America, would only serve to perpetuate black oppression.
This landmark book is a founding work in the literature of black protest. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) played a key role in developing the strategy and program that dominated early 20th-century black protest in America. In this collection of essays, first published together in 1903, he eloquently affirms that it is beneath the dignity of a human being to beg for those rights that belong inherently to all mankind. He also charges that the strategy of accommodation to white supremacy advanced by Booker T. Washington, then the most influential black leader in America, would only serve to perpetuate black oppression.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students can research and report on the historical significance of this novel and what impact it had in the past and the lasting impact it has had on our society - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
#IdleNoMore: And the Remaking of Canada
Idle No More bewildered many Canadians. Launched by four women in Saskatchewan in reaction to a federal omnibus budget bill, the protest became the most powerful demonstration of Aboriginal identity in Canadian history. Thousands of Aboriginal people and their supporters took to the streets, shopping malls, and other venues, drumming, dancing, and singing in a collective voice.
Idle No More bewildered many Canadians. Launched by four women in Saskatchewan in reaction to a federal omnibus budget bill, the protest became the most powerful demonstration of Aboriginal identity in Canadian history. Thousands of Aboriginal people and their supporters took to the streets, shopping malls, and other venues, drumming, dancing, and singing in a collective voice.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students can study this as a non-fiction text, reading through news clippings and articles about this event and try to understand the events that led up to it - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II.
In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students could consider the symbolic importance of the items presented in the novel, and reflect on an item of their own that has a special meaning to them
- Research the history of Japanese Internment Camps to create context for the novel - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose the truth of racialized consciousness in America. Binding these essays together is Hong's theory of "minor feelings." As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Cathy Park Hong grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. She would later understand that these "minor feelings" occur when American optimism contradicts your own reality—when you believe the lies you're told about your own racial identity.
Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose the truth of racialized consciousness in America. Binding these essays together is Hong's theory of "minor feelings." As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Cathy Park Hong grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. She would later understand that these "minor feelings" occur when American optimism contradicts your own reality—when you believe the lies you're told about your own racial identity.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students can choose a section to study, connecting it to their previous knowledge, their own ideas and stereotypes, and any current events happening around them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
In this book, award-winning historian Ibram X.Kendi discusses the origin of racist ideas in America and provides an analysis of the way in which racism originated as a result of an intentional effort. One which defends discriminatory policies and attempts rationalize the nation's inequalities through race.
In this book, award-winning historian Ibram X.Kendi discusses the origin of racist ideas in America and provides an analysis of the way in which racism originated as a result of an intentional effort. One which defends discriminatory policies and attempts rationalize the nation's inequalities through race.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Non-fiction novel study
- Students can choose a section or chapter to study independently and connect the history Kendi explains to our modern Canadian society and their own ideas about racism - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Color of the Sea
Growing up in a time between wars, Sam Hamada finds that the culture of his native Japan is never far from his heart. Sam is rapidly learning the code of the samurai in the late 1930s on the lush Hawaiian Islands, where he is slowly coming into his own as a son and a man.
Growing up in a time between wars, Sam Hamada finds that the culture of his native Japan is never far from his heart. Sam is rapidly learning the code of the samurai in the late 1930s on the lush Hawaiian Islands, where he is slowly coming into his own as a son and a man.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students can connect this novel to non-fiction pieces about life in Japan in the 1930s
- Use as a gateway to research and discuss Canada's Japanese Internment Camps - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
The Invisible Man
First published in 1952 and immediately hailed as a masterpiece, Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.
First published in 1952 and immediately hailed as a masterpiece, Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Discuss the origins of the racial divide, can pair with some excerpts from "Stamped From the Beginning" - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
G.O. 5: Respect, support and collaborate with others
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Create questions for sections that centre around the use & development of symbolism in supporting character development - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits.
American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Discuss and reflect on the concept of "othering"
- Have students respond to the role kindness plays in encouraging people to be their authentic self (refer to the text to show how a lack of kindness impacts people) - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Black Writers Matter
An anthology of African-Canadian writing, Black Writers Matters offers a cross-section of established writers and newcomers to the literary world who tackle contemporary and pressing issues with beautiful, sometimes raw, prose. As Whitney French says in her introduction, Black Writers Matters “injects new meaning into the word diversity [and] harbours a sacredness and an everydayness that offers Black people dignity.” An “invitation to read, share, and tell stories of Black narratives that are close to the bone,” this collection feels particular to the Black Canadian experience.
An anthology of African-Canadian writing, Black Writers Matters offers a cross-section of established writers and newcomers to the literary world who tackle contemporary and pressing issues with beautiful, sometimes raw, prose. As Whitney French says in her introduction, Black Writers Matters “injects new meaning into the word diversity [and] harbours a sacredness and an everydayness that offers Black people dignity.” An “invitation to read, share, and tell stories of Black narratives that are close to the bone,” this collection feels particular to the Black Canadian experience.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Students can choose a section to study, connecting it to their previous knowledge, their own ideas and stereotypes, and any current events happening around them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women
Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous girls and women across North America resound in this book. Stories of abuse, intergenerational trauma, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women demanding change and realizing their dreams. Sometimes outraged, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have had their history hidden and whose modern lives have been virtually invisible.
Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous girls and women across North America resound in this book. Stories of abuse, intergenerational trauma, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women demanding change and realizing their dreams. Sometimes outraged, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have had their history hidden and whose modern lives have been virtually invisible.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Students can choose a section to study, connecting it to their previous knowledge, their own ideas and stereotypes, and any current events happening around them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act
Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has shaped, controlled, and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes. Bob Joseph explains how Indigenous Peoples can step out from under the Indian Act and return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance - and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian. He dissects the complex issues around truth and reconciliation, and clearly demonstrates why learning about the Indian Act's cruel, enduring legacy is essential for the country to move toward true reconciliation.
Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has shaped, controlled, and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes. Bob Joseph explains how Indigenous Peoples can step out from under the Indian Act and return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance - and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian. He dissects the complex issues around truth and reconciliation, and clearly demonstrates why learning about the Indian Act's cruel, enduring legacy is essential for the country to move toward true reconciliation.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Students can work through the 21 ideas presented here, considering their immediate personal reactions and trying to deconstruct where those reactions may have come from
- Sections can also be studied individually - Accessibility:
- Audiobook available
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Miscellaneous/Tied in with Social Studies
De l'inégalité parmi les sociétés
French-translation of the original (English) text. The book attempts to explain why some civilizations have survived and conquered others, while arguing against the idea that Eurasian hegemony is due to any form of Eurasian intellectual, moral, or inherent genetic superiority.
De l'inégalité parmi les sociétés
French-translation of the original (English) text. The book attempts to explain why some civilizations have survived and conquered others, while arguing against the idea that Eurasian hegemony is due to any form of Eurasian intellectual, moral, or inherent genetic superiority.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- View and discuss the different challenges that people experience which is dependent on where they are from, where their family originates, how they identify or how they are being labelled
- Discuss current events - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Les empires coloniaux européens 1815-1919
Examines motivations for and consequences of late European colonialism around the world.
Examines motivations for and consequences of late European colonialism around the world.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Hold discussion on motivation of imperial powers and why they sought out colonies - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Unequal Relations: A Critical Introduction to Race, Ethnic, and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada, 8th edition
"Unequal Relations: A Critical Introduction to Race, Ethnic, and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada is the market-leading, single-voice text for Race and Ethnicity courses in Canada, and it includes comprehensive coverage of racism, multiculturalism and diversity. This mature edition has been updated to remain current, and to include new sub-topics important to the discipline, including explicit discussion of the importance of immigration to Canada and its role in national building; older waves of immigration; and shifting attitudes of normalized immigrant groups."
"Unequal Relations: A Critical Introduction to Race, Ethnic, and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada is the market-leading, single-voice text for Race and Ethnicity courses in Canada, and it includes comprehensive coverage of racism, multiculturalism and diversity. This mature edition has been updated to remain current, and to include new sub-topics important to the discipline, including explicit discussion of the importance of immigration to Canada and its role in national building; older waves of immigration; and shifting attitudes of normalized immigrant groups."
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Understanding current legacies of historical globalization and the effects on Indigenous people in the 21st century
- Use this book to bring in more perspectives of Indigenous people and their stories - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Colour-Coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada, 1900-1950
"Historically Canadians have considered themselves to be more or less free of racial prejudice. Although this conception has been challenged in recent years, it has not been completely dispelled. In Colour-Coded, Constance Backhouse illustrates the tenacious hold that white supremacy had on our legal system in the first half of this century, and underscores the damaging legacy of inequality that continues today."
"Historically Canadians have considered themselves to be more or less free of racial prejudice. Although this conception has been challenged in recent years, it has not been completely dispelled. In Colour-Coded, Constance Backhouse illustrates the tenacious hold that white supremacy had on our legal system in the first half of this century, and underscores the damaging legacy of inequality that continues today."
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- View and discuss the different challenges that people experience which is dependent on where they are from, where their family originates, how they identify or how they are being labelled
- Use to discuss current events - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II
This classic book masterfully unpacks the Japanese experience of defeat and reconstruction. Dower’s exhaustive exploration digs into every aspect of life—politics, business, religion, cultural pursuits. Despite being something of a doorstop, Dower’s prose makes for an enthralling read.
This classic book masterfully unpacks the Japanese experience of defeat and reconstruction. Dower’s exhaustive exploration digs into every aspect of life—politics, business, religion, cultural pursuits. Despite being something of a doorstop, Dower’s prose makes for an enthralling read.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Class discussion about the negative effects globalization can have on cultures, and contribute to their disappearance - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atom bomb ever dropped on a city. This book, John Hersey's journalistic masterpiece, tells what happened on that day. Told through the memories of survivors, this timeless, powerful and compassionate document has become a classic "that stirs the conscience of humanity" (The New York Times).
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atom bomb ever dropped on a city. This book, John Hersey's journalistic masterpiece, tells what happened on that day. Told through the memories of survivors, this timeless, powerful and compassionate document has become a classic "that stirs the conscience of humanity" (The New York Times).
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- After viewing the resource, have a class discussion on significant events of the past that have resulted in completely changed perspectives, and their impact on globalization and international involvement going forward - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
How To Be An Antiracist
Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be An Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be An Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- View and discuss the different challenges that people experience which is dependent on where they are from, where their family originates, how they identify or how they are being labelled
- Use to discuss current events - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
Le livre noir du colonialisme
A collection of French-language essays that represent perspectives on the impacts of colonialism and colonisation. Topics include the colonisation of North America and contact between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, the Atlantic slave trade, resistance movements, colonialism in Asia, colonialism in Africa, and the impact of colonialism on women.
A collection of French-language essays that represent perspectives on the impacts of colonialism and colonisation. Topics include the colonisation of North America and contact between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, the Atlantic slave trade, resistance movements, colonialism in Asia, colonialism in Africa, and the impact of colonialism on women.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Students can each read a different essay and then come back in a small group setting to discuss what they have read and to answer questions regarding colonialism and the legacies - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
L'Esclavage : de l'Afrique aux Amériques
Suitable for middle school and/or secondary learners. A succint yet informative account of the Atlantic Slave Trade, the plantation system in the US, the Civil War, reconstruction, and MLK.
Suitable for middle school and/or secondary learners. A succint yet informative account of the Atlantic Slave Trade, the plantation system in the US, the Civil War, reconstruction, and MLK.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1.1: Use language and image to show respect and consideration
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity of expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Assign students a essay on how globalization led to the slave trade and its lasting impacts felt today
- Use as a jigsaw reading activity - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal
- Additional accommodations required for hard of hearing students depending on reading abilities
- Visually impaired students may benefit from a read aloud that includes descriptions of images and events on each page
G.O 1: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, experiences
The Privilege Walk
This activity involves a number of statements related to your identity and relationship to privilege. These are not meant to embarrass you but to make visible our privileges (or lack thereof) in a friendly and trusting environment. Please after you hear each question, reflect and honestly take one step forward if the answer to a statement is YES and a step backward if the answer is NO. If a statement is not relevant, ambiguous, or you do not wish to respond, you can stand still. Please try to ensure that your steps are the same length as others, about two feet long.
The Privilege Walk
This activity involves a number of statements related to your identity and relationship to privilege. These are not meant to embarrass you but to make visible our privileges (or lack thereof) in a friendly and trusting environment. Please after you hear each question, reflect and honestly take one step forward if the answer to a statement is YES and a step backward if the answer is NO. If a statement is not relevant, ambiguous, or you do not wish to respond, you can stand still. Please try to ensure that your steps are the same length as others, about two feet long.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.2.1: Consider new perspectives - Suggested use:
- Activity outlined on page 25 of PDF
- Participate in this activity at the beginning of class. Afterwards, students should reflect on their feelings, reactions, and thoughts surrounding the exercise
- Have students consider how this exercise could feel from someone else's point of view, maybe someone with less privilege than they hold - Accessibility:
- Accommodations required
Critical Self-Reflection Paper on Race and Ethnicity
Write a 4-6-page (double-spaced) reflection paper on your childhood and/or adolescent experiences that shaped your perspectives about race and ethnicity. Was your race or ethnicity a major part of your identity? Why or why not? Growing up, what messages did you receive about race and ethnicity from a) your family b) your peers c) your teachers d) the media What implications for professional practice can you draw from your own experiences?
Write a 4-6-page (double-spaced) reflection paper on your childhood and/or adolescent experiences that shaped your perspectives about race and ethnicity. Was your race or ethnicity a major part of your identity? Why or why not? Growing up, what messages did you receive about race and ethnicity from a) your family b) your peers c) your teachers d) the media What implications for professional practice can you draw from your own experiences?
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Activity outlined on page 26 of PDF
- Personal reflection prior to further discussions on race/ethnicity/diversity - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal and hard of hearing students
G.O 5: Respect, support and collaborate with others
Talking Circles About Race, Equity, and Inclusion
Secondary school teachers can include this as a weekly activity or monthly. The teacher chooses a topic for discussion related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The teacher selects an object such as a feather or other artifact. Those holding the object can speak and others must listen. The students sit in a circle and take turns sharing their experiences. A student can opt out of speaking when their turn comes by passing the object to the next person. The activity typically takes 30-45 minutes.
Talking Circles About Race, Equity, and Inclusion
Secondary school teachers can include this as a weekly activity or monthly. The teacher chooses a topic for discussion related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The teacher selects an object such as a feather or other artifact. Those holding the object can speak and others must listen. The students sit in a circle and take turns sharing their experiences. A student can opt out of speaking when their turn comes by passing the object to the next person. The activity typically takes 30-45 minutes.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Activity is outlined on page 27 of PDF
- The teacher chooses a topic for discussion related to equity, diversity, and inclusion and an object or artifact; have students sit in a circle and take turns sharing experiences those holding the object can speak and others must listen
- Students can later reflect on this type of conversation and how it differs from how they typically communicate with friends or family - Accessibility:
- Accommodations required
View other relevant short films in Grade 11 Social Studies section that can be used for English as well.
G.O.1: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experience
Hidden Figures
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson - who were influential to the US space race in the 1960s. Working at NASA, these women were invaluable to ensuring that the team getting the first man on the moon - Neil Armstrong - landed and returned back to Earth safely. This movie demonstrates the invaluable contributions of these three female mathematicians, and displays the hardships they had to endure at NASA to prove their worth.
Hidden Figures
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson - who were influential to the US space race in the 1960s. Working at NASA, these women were invaluable to ensuring that the team getting the first man on the moon - Neil Armstrong - landed and returned back to Earth safely. This movie demonstrates the invaluable contributions of these three female mathematicians, and displays the hardships they had to endure at NASA to prove their worth.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could track a theme throughout this movie connecting that theme to their personal life - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Waves
The epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the wake of a tragic loss.
The epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the wake of a tragic loss.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could choose a theme from the film to write a personal reflection on, considering how their lives fit the themes of love, forgiveness, and coming together - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Last Black Man in San Francisco
Jimmie and his best friend Mont try to reclaim the house built by Jimmie's grandfather, launching them on a poignant odyssey that connects them to their past, even as it tests their friendship and sense of belonging in the place they call home.
Jimmie and his best friend Mont try to reclaim the house built by Jimmie's grandfather, launching them on a poignant odyssey that connects them to their past, even as it tests their friendship and sense of belonging in the place they call home.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Reflect on why it's important to learn about and remember your past
- Reflection on students' own past, and their family's pasts, to consider the effects it has on them today - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Ali
Cassius Clay, a young boxer, wins his debut championship and goes on to reach new heights of fame through his conversion to Islam, his refusal to fight in Vietnam and other controversial actions.
Cassius Clay, a young boxer, wins his debut championship and goes on to reach new heights of fame through his conversion to Islam, his refusal to fight in Vietnam and other controversial actions.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Express personal understanding of ideas/information based on prior knowledge/experience
- Students could reflect on how they may feel if they were in the shoes of the story's protagonist
- Research local organizations that help recent immigrants in their city, town, or province and see how they can support them
- This could be used as a film study, considering camera angles, lighting, colours, etc. - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Pride
This movie portrays the development of an underdog swim team in the 1970s by a former swimmer Jim Ellis, who rehabilitates a dilapidated swimming pool and convinces a group of basketball players to try their hands at swimming. His hopes are to create Philadelphia's first all African-American swim team, to compete against the elite white swim teams of the city. This movie grapples with the tropes of resilience and determination amidst prejudice, racism, and discrimination.
This movie portrays the development of an underdog swim team in the 1970s by a former swimmer Jim Ellis, who rehabilitates a dilapidated swimming pool and convinces a group of basketball players to try their hands at swimming. His hopes are to create Philadelphia's first all African-American swim team, to compete against the elite white swim teams of the city. This movie grapples with the tropes of resilience and determination amidst prejudice, racism, and discrimination.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students can research the history of racism in sports - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Black Panther
After his father's death, T'Challa returns home to Wakanda to inherit his throne. However, a powerful enemy related to his family threatens to attack his nation.
After his father's death, T'Challa returns home to Wakanda to inherit his throne. However, a powerful enemy related to his family threatens to attack his nation.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Use as a film study, considering camera angles, lighting, colours, etc.
- Reflection on the antagonist of the film, Killmonger, and consider how his past and his journey created who he was - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Fences
Troy, an African-American man who once longed to be a baseball player, misses the opportunity due to racism. A dejected man, he takes out his frustration on his loved ones and ruins his son's future.
Troy, an African-American man who once longed to be a baseball player, misses the opportunity due to racism. A dejected man, he takes out his frustration on his loved ones and ruins his son's future.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could research the idea of intergenerational trauma and how it can affect families and individuals - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Dope
Malcolm and his friends attend an underground party hosted by a drug dealer. They accidentally pick up a backpack containing drugs and are chased by the drug lord's henchmen.
Malcolm and his friends attend an underground party hosted by a drug dealer. They accidentally pick up a backpack containing drugs and are chased by the drug lord's henchmen.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Reflection on stereotypes and how damaging they can be to individuals - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Blindspotting
Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning in his Oakland, California neighborhood. His bond with his volatile best friend soon gets tested when Collin sees a police officer shoot a suspect in the back during a chase through the streets. Things soon come to a head when the buddies attend a party at the upscale home of a young and wealthy tech entrepreneur.
Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning in his Oakland, California neighborhood. His bond with his volatile best friend soon gets tested when Collin sees a police officer shoot a suspect in the back during a chase through the streets. Things soon come to a head when the buddies attend a party at the upscale home of a young and wealthy tech entrepreneur.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Use as a gateway to the topics of gentrification, red-lining, and mass incarceration - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Ray
Seven-year-old Ray goes blind after his brother's tragic death. His mother inspires him to rise above his impairment and make a place for himself, while a piano gives a new direction to his life.
Seven-year-old Ray goes blind after his brother's tragic death. His mother inspires him to rise above his impairment and make a place for himself, while a piano gives a new direction to his life.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students can consider a time when they may have surpassed expectations, whether they were stereotypical, parental, etc. - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Sorry To Bother You
Telemarketer Cassius Green discovers an alluring method towards success. However, owing to his greed, he ends up fading away from his family and friends.
Telemarketer Cassius Green discovers an alluring method towards success. However, owing to his greed, he ends up fading away from his family and friends.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could research the idea of "code-switching"
- Discuss the effects that greed can have on an individual - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Stand and Deliver
Based on the true story of a math teacher at an inner-city Los Angeles school who will do almost anything to take his students from failing to excelling in AP calculus. Starring Edward James Olmos in an Oscar-nominated role and featuring a strong Latino cast, while this film shows how important education is, it includes the raw violence of the barrio and contains some inappropriate language, so it’s best for older kids.
Based on the true story of a math teacher at an inner-city Los Angeles school who will do almost anything to take his students from failing to excelling in AP calculus. Starring Edward James Olmos in an Oscar-nominated role and featuring a strong Latino cast, while this film shows how important education is, it includes the raw violence of the barrio and contains some inappropriate language, so it’s best for older kids.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could track a theme throughout this movie, connecting that theme to their personal life - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
The Great Debaters
Denzel Washington stars in this inspirational, fact-based drama about a debate team that overcomes severe prejudice on the way to national fame. Expect unvarnished discussions and representations of 1930s racism, including a brutal lynching scene.
Denzel Washington stars in this inspirational, fact-based drama about a debate team that overcomes severe prejudice on the way to national fame. Expect unvarnished discussions and representations of 1930s racism, including a brutal lynching scene.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students could write about a teacher, role model, parent, or adult that has been inspirational to them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Hoop Dreams
This outstanding 1994 documentary is a searing portrait of inner-city life in America and the extraordinary, unfair expectations placed on the shoulders of many young African American athletes.
This outstanding 1994 documentary is a searing portrait of inner-city life in America and the extraordinary, unfair expectations placed on the shoulders of many young African American athletes.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Use as a non-fiction film study - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Documented
In 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in the New York Times Magazine. 'Documented' chronicles his journey to America from the Philippines as a child; his journey through America as an immigration reform activist/provocateur; and his journey inward as he re-connects with his mother, whom he hasn't seen in 20 years.
In 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in the New York Times Magazine. 'Documented' chronicles his journey to America from the Philippines as a child; his journey through America as an immigration reform activist/provocateur; and his journey inward as he re-connects with his mother, whom he hasn't seen in 20 years.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.2: Extend awareness
- 1.1.1: Form tentative understandings/ interpretations and positions - Suggested use:
- Students can research the process of gaining citizenship in Canada
- Look for first-person narratives and experiences of people who have immigrated to Canada to learn about a wide range of experiences - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Bibi
A film and 3-part exercise for students to learn how a person’s identity can consist of various personal and social identities.
A film and 3-part exercise for students to learn how a person’s identity can consist of various personal and social identities.
- Curriculum connection:
- 1.1: Discover possibilities
- 1.2.1: Consider new perspectives - Suggested use:
- Lesson one: use this lesson at the beginning of the year to get to know your students
- Lesson two: use to explore intersectionality, privilege, and oppression and how these different concepts can affect how we interpret various texts
- Lesson three: use as a final assessment to gather what the students have learned about intersectionality, privilege and oppression - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
G.O.2: Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms. Respond personally, critically and creatively
Moonlight
Chiron, a young African-American boy, finds guidance in Juan, a drug dealer, who teaches him to carve his own path. As he grows up in Miami, Juan's advice leaves a lasting impression on him.
Moonlight
Chiron, a young African-American boy, finds guidance in Juan, a drug dealer, who teaches him to carve his own path. As he grows up in Miami, Juan's advice leaves a lasting impression on him.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Students can reflect about advice they have received in their lives and what kind of impression it has left on them - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
When They See Us
In 1989 a jogger was assaulted and raped in New York's Central Park, and five young people were subsequently charged with the crime. The quintet, labeled the Central Park Five, maintained its innocence and spent years fighting the convictions, hoping to be exonerated. This limited series spans a quarter of a century, from when the teens are first questioned about the incident in the spring of 1989, going through their exoneration in 2002 and ultimately the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.
In 1989 a jogger was assaulted and raped in New York's Central Park, and five young people were subsequently charged with the crime. The quintet, labeled the Central Park Five, maintained its innocence and spent years fighting the convictions, hoping to be exonerated. This limited series spans a quarter of a century, from when the teens are first questioned about the incident in the spring of 1989, going through their exoneration in 2002 and ultimately the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- This could be used as a jumping off point for students to research racial injustice
- Can be paired with "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Get Out
Chris, an African-American man, decides to visit his Caucasian girlfriend's parents during a weekend getaway. Although they seem normal at first, he is not prepared to experience the horrors ahead.
Chris, an African-American man, decides to visit his Caucasian girlfriend's parents during a weekend getaway. Although they seem normal at first, he is not prepared to experience the horrors ahead.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Use as a film study, considering camera angles, lighting, colours, etc.
- Reflect and consider the deeper social commentary that is present throughout the film - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Blackkklansman
Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman, into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.
Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman, into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Use as a film study, considering camera angles, lighting, colours, etc.
- Students can research the true story this film is based on - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Boyz N The Hood
Three childhood friends, Darrin, Tre and Ricky, struggle to cope with the distractions and dangers of growing up in a Los Angeles ghetto.
Three childhood friends, Darrin, Tre and Ricky, struggle to cope with the distractions and dangers of growing up in a Los Angeles ghetto.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Use to study plot or track a theme throughout - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
12 Years a Slave
Solomon Northup, a free African-American, is promised a fortnightly job by Brown and Hamilton. However, after arriving in Washington DC, he realizes that he has been sold into slavery.
Solomon Northup, a free African-American, is promised a fortnightly job by Brown and Hamilton. However, after arriving in Washington DC, he realizes that he has been sold into slavery.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.1: Construct meaning from text and context
- 2.1.2: Understand and interpret content - Suggested use:
- Students can research and learn about the history of slavery in both the US and Canada - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
If Beale Street Could Talk
In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Use as a companion text to James Baldwin's novel - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Just Mercy
After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life.
After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students can record their ideas about the death penalty before and after watching this film, seeing if their beliefs have changed - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Selma
Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated in President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated in President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
- Curriculum connection:
- 2.3: Respond to a variety of print and non-print texts
- 2.3.1: Connect self/ text/ culture and milieu - Suggested use:
- Students can take on the role of news reporters during the Selma march and write non-fiction pieces reporting the events - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
G.O.5: Respect, support and collaborate with others
Malcolm X
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
Malcolm X
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Students can research and find various non-fiction articles related to Malcolm X
- Create a timeline of important events in Malcom X's life, as well as considering his lasting impact on Black racial pride - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Fruitvale Station
Betty Ann, Esther, Rosalie, and Ben were only four of the 20,000 Indigenous Canadian children taken from their families between 1955 and 1985, to be either adopted into white families or live in foster care. As the four siblings piece together their shared history, their connection deepens, and their family begins to take shape.
Betty Ann, Esther, Rosalie, and Ben were only four of the 20,000 Indigenous Canadian children taken from their families between 1955 and 1985, to be either adopted into white families or live in foster care. As the four siblings piece together their shared history, their connection deepens, and their family begins to take shape.
- Curriculum connection:
- 5.1: Respect others and strengthen community
- 5.1.2: Appreciate diversity or expression, opinion and perspective - Suggested use:
- Reflect on the characters' stories and how the long lasting impact of the Sixties Scoop on the Indigenous community - Accessibility:
- Accessible for nonverbal, hard of hearing, captioned by creator (dependent on student reading abilities)
- No descriptive captioning available for visually impaired students
Reconciliation Conversations - Language and Culture
Explore the Google slide as a group. Afterwards, ask students to reflect on the prompts below. They may write down some of their ideas. You may also decide to discuss these questions in small groups or as a large group. Discussion questions: How are your own language and culture linked? How might your language impact how you view the world? Is your language a part of your identity? In what way? When a language disappears, what do we lose? How can we ensure the survival of Indigenous languages? How is learning an Indigenous language an act of reconciliation?
Explore the Google slide as a group. Afterwards, ask students to reflect on the prompts below. They may write down some of their ideas. You may also decide to discuss these questions in small groups or as a large group. Discussion questions: How are your own language and culture linked? How might your language impact how you view the world? Is your language a part of your identity? In what way? When a language disappears, what do we lose? How can we ensure the survival of Indigenous languages? How is learning an Indigenous language an act of reconciliation?
- Suggested use:
- Specific set of lessons on language and culture of Indigenous groups in Canada and how history has affected it today (residential schools, Sixties Scoop, Indian Act)
- Resource can be found on page 22 of PDF
Slavery
In this lesson, students will have a discussion on slavery and read a book related to slavery in Canada. After this, students create a mind map of keywords that jump out at them in bubbles on a blank 11 by 17 sized page. After reading, ask students to draw connecting lines between specific words that naturally fit together for them. Ask students to write their ideas on those lines to retell part of the story in their own words or explain how those two words are related.
In this lesson, students will have a discussion on slavery and read a book related to slavery in Canada. After this, students create a mind map of keywords that jump out at them in bubbles on a blank 11 by 17 sized page. After reading, ask students to draw connecting lines between specific words that naturally fit together for them. Ask students to write their ideas on those lines to retell part of the story in their own words or explain how those two words are related.
- Suggested use:
- Variety of lesson plans and resources to teach racism in Canada
Indigenous Book Recommendations
List of Indigenous books teachers can teach in the classroom to build understanding of various Indigenous customs and traditions.
List of Indigenous books teachers can teach in the classroom to build understanding of various Indigenous customs and traditions.
- Suggested use:
- Books to add to personal classroom library/request for school library for Indigenous book representation
- Posters that can be added to classroom display
Anti-Oppression/Anti-Racism Resources for Educators
Document that encompasses a wide variety of anti-racism resources from books, to videos and articles.
Document that encompasses a wide variety of anti-racism resources from books, to videos and articles.
- Suggested use:
- Variety of anti-racism resources
Guiding Principles: Diversity & Globalism
Google slides presentation with activities and resources to teach anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality. Further lesson plans can be found here.
Google slides presentation with activities and resources to teach anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality. Further lesson plans can be found here.
- Suggested use:
- Variety of anti-racism resources
