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Speak Truth DC Educators for Social Justice

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Founder/CEO - Empowering Education and Advocacy

Palestinian-American Educator with Over 20 Years of Experience Veteran Middle School Social Studies Teacher Dedicated to Promoting Equity and Inclusivity in Education. Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi is a passionate Palestinian-American educator with a career with a strong commitment to bridging cultures and fostering inclusivity, Abeer has made a significant impact in the field of education, both as a teacher and an education consultant. Abeer's journey began as a veteran middle school social studies teacher, where she leveraged her personal experiences as a child of immigrants to connect with her students, schools, and communities. Through her dedication, she created a dynamic learning environment that inspired her students to thrive. Abeer's expertise extends to curriculum development, as she previously served as a resource teacher in the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Social Studies. In this role, she led curriculum development efforts and provided vital support to fellow educators. She also played a pivotal role in fostering equity within the educational landscape. Abeer's dedication to equity is exemplified through her role as an equity liaison and as the co-facilitator of an affinity group for teachers of color. Additionally, she created and facilitated a student support group that provided a safe haven for Arab and Muslim immigrant female students, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and support. She is a founder of the Arab American Educators' Network and an active member of numerous teacher advisory groups, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Native Americans, EdLoc Culturally Responsive Social Studies Accelerator, and the National Arab American Women's Association. Formerly the program director at Reimagining Migration, Abeer is now a full time educational consultant serving districts' needs for social justice interventions at all levels. As a teacher educator, she has spoken at national conferences including National Council for Teachers of English, National Council for Social Studies, Association for Middle Level Educators, Welcoming America, Center for Black Male Educators, and various professional development events in various states. Her involvement in these organizations reflects her commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity. Throughout her career, Abeer has collaborated with schools, cultural institutions, and publishers to develop curriculum, content, and activities that authentically represent the perspectives of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and educators. Her work has been instrumental in creating inclusive learning experiences. In 2019, recognizing the need to provide educators with valuable resources and insights about Muslim and Arab youth, Abeer founded Altair Education Consulting. Through this endeavor, she has been offering educational materials, professional development, and engaging speaking sessions aimed at amplifying the voices and histories of Arab and Muslim American communities. Abeer has authored numerous education guides for ABRAMS Books and has shared her insights and experiences through conferences, podcasts, blogs, journals, and newsletter publications. Her goal is to continue working alongside educators to empower students to share their narratives, fostering global equity and justice.

Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi's tireless dedication to education, advocacy, and inclusivity has left an indelible mark on the educational landscape. Her work serves as a beacon of inspiration for educators and students alike, as she continues to champion diversity, equity, and justice within the realm of education.

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About | Altair Education Consulting, LLC

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About us Altair Education Consulting your partner in professional development. Empowering Education and Advocacy Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi, M.Ed Founder/CEO - ...

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Violence against African Americans readings

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Violence against African Americans readings

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Violence against African Americans student graphic organizer

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Violence against African Americans student graphic organizer

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Violence against Indigenous Americans  graphic organizer

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Violence against Indigenous Americans  graphic organizer

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Violence against Indigenous Americans readings

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Violence against Indigenous Americans readings

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ZEP recommended resources on teaching about immigration

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ZEP recommended resources on teaching about immigration

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Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond. 11 pages.
This role play activity on the famous 1892 Homestead Strike, explores the possibility of solidarity among workers of very different backgrounds and at different levels in the workplace hierarchy.

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Book - Non-fiction. Edited by William Loren Katz and Laurie R. Lehman. 2003. 304 pages.
First-person narratives in the context of their times and within the larger picture of U.S. growth and development.

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Book - Non-fiction. By Ronald Takaki, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff. 2012. 368 pages.
An adaptation for young readers of the classic multicultural history of the United States, A Different Mirror.

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Nearly 400 South Asian immigrants - many of whom were Sikh - steamed into Vancouver's harbor on the Japanese ship Komagata Maru in search of a new home, but were blocked from docking and disembarking due to racist immigration policies.

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Website: Talking with Kids about Race Virtual Toolkit

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Listening Between the Lines: The Sound of Curriculum, Anne Smith

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Listening Between the Lines: The Sound of Curriculum, Anne Smith

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The Sound of Curriculum

By Anne Smith

Illustrator: Molly Crabapple

Neema's mother wanted to meet with me.

Neema was a happy, well-mannered 4th grader with big bright eyes who seemed ready to learn. She was a bit shy, but she seemed happy to come to music class. When her mother requested a conference, I immediately became worried. Had I missed something? Bullying, teasing, or something worse?

New to the school, I wondered if the problem was my teaching style. I had previously taught in a largely affluent white community. In contrast, this school is racially diverse with about 60 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Some students' families have immigrated to the United States. My previous experience with first-generation students had been limited. My experience with their parents was even less. I had been trained in culturally responsive teaching and was working as an equity liaison. I filled the curriculum with music from diverse genres and cultures to promote inclusivity. Growing up, I was the Baptist student at the private Lutheran school. As an adult, I was often the only African American in predominantly white settings. Knowing what it felt like to be the "other," I worked hard to ensure that all of my students saw mirrors and not just windows in the classroom. What could I have done wrong? Reluctantly I made an appointment to speak with Neema's mother. Now all I had to do was wait. And worry.

Before the meeting, I mapped out all of the things that I would say. I followed the checklist provided for conferencing with parents: Say something positive about the student, give an anecdote about the student's behavior in class, discuss one area for improvement, then finish with a hopeful statement about the future. I was ready.

When Neema's mother arrived after school to see me, she was wearing a blue head covering. Unsure how to greet her, and not wanting to offend, I smiled and gestured for her to take a seat. Although she had requested the meeting, she did not immediately begin the conversation. Uncomfortable with the silence, I began to tell her about Neema's accomplishments in class. I discussed her helpfulness, and how she always answered questions when I called on her. I mentioned her shyness when we sang and danced but added that she always tried. Neema's mother did not respond. I realized that she had never looked me directly in the eye when I was speaking. I finished by saying that Neema was a wonderful student who I enjoyed having in class. Then she said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't want my daughter to take this class anymore."

I was confused. Why didn't Neema's mother look pleased? Her daughter was happy and doing well. Isn't this what all parents want? Slowly she went on to tell me that she had noticed changes in Neema's behavior at home. She was singing little songs and dancing when she thought that no one was watching. I was still struggling to find the problem. Neema's mother looked at me and said, "That behavior is not allowed in our culture."

What behavior? What had I done? I had always tried to be respectful of families and culture. I carefully chose the music that students listened to and performed. Images on my walls were representative of the musicians around the world. I used movement activities, not dances, and no one was ever forced to move if they were uncomfortable doing so. There were thousands of thoughts in my head, yet I could think of nothing to say.

I realized that I knew very little about Neema. What was her family's culture? What were their religious beliefs? I had heard her speak English. Did she also speak other languages? What language did she speak at home? Though I said nothing, my confusion must have shown on my face. Silence once again filled the room but this time it was Neema's mother who filled it, explaining the beliefs of her family. They were practicing Muslims from Somalia. Their family believed music and dance were to be used only during worship. They were not for recreational purposes.

Oddly, my first thought was denial. Some other Muslim students' families seemed to support their child's participation in music class. She couldn't possibly mean that they listened to no music. Everyone listened to music. My first memories involved music, including standing on a bed and conducting the "Hallelujah" chorus on Easter. I couldn't imagine how someone could even exist without music. My life had an accompanying soundtrack - Glenn Miller, go-go - that played in my head constantly adding new songs, sounds, and rhythms as I was introduced to them. In my mind, there were two types of people: people who created music and people who consumed music.

I felt myself begin to get angry. I looked at her in amazement. Shifting in my chair, I knew that I couldn't let myself speak until I was able to control myself so I folded my arms. Neema's mother sat still. Finally, I broke the gaze and looked away, allowing my self-righteous indignation at her statement to grow and fuel my anger. Music was not something that could just be dismissed. I worked hard to provide my students with a good education. Not only a good music education. Music has been used throughout history to convey joy and pain, to celebrate and commemorate, to chronicle events and to protest against societal wrongs. My classroom was a place of inquiry and exploration. Besides, what was I supposed to do? This was not my problem. Music was a part of the prescribed curriculum. Did she really expect me to change what I taught because of her beliefs?

Patiently, I explained that music was more than performance. I recited some of the intangibles gained from studying music relating to the five C's of education: collaboration, communication, creativity, critical, and computational thinking. She slowly shook her head and said, "Neema is not allowed to participate in music." The discussion seemed to be over. Standing up, I thanked her for coming in with assurances that I would discuss her concerns with my supervisors.

I immediately contacted the administrators in my building, and the music supervisor for the district. I had gone as far as I could. Neema was in the 4th grade, she had been in music class since kindergarten. No administrator could see me until the next day. My supervisor said that we could talk at our monthly meeting. That was more than a week away. I needed an answer now.

When I spoke with my principal the next day, I was told, "It's a required course. She has to take it unless there is an IEP or 504 plan exempting her." Once again, I felt that I was being dismissed. I had Neema's class two days later. With no support or plan, I had the students do theory worksheets. No singing. No moving. No playing instruments.

The music meeting the following week allowed me a chance to speak with Neema's teacher from the previous year. The teacher had accepted a position in a middle school, which opened up the position that I was now in. Before I could speak to her alone, our supervisor began the meeting and brought my question to the group. The situation was explained without identifying me or my student. There was silence at first. Although I couldn't see faces, I could see the body language. There was shifting in seats, moving of heads, and folding of arms. A hand went up and I realized that it was the teacher who I had wanted to speak with. She said that she had a similar situation at a previous school. She laughed a little and said that she let the child go to the library during music. Someone else asked what she did about her grade. The teacher replied, "I passed her. Barely. She wasn't doing music. It wasn't my fault. I was teaching."

This opened the floodgates. Suddenly, the tone changed in the room. I started to hear other teachers mumble about the curriculum, change, and fairness. A teacher who I had worked with for years said, "This curriculum has worked for hundreds of years. They came here for education. This is our curriculum. If it was good enough for Beethoven, then it is good enough for them."

They? Them? Had it really come to this? I wondered when the conversation had changed. This was not what I had expected. I had wanted help to solve a problem. A problem that I thought was important. A problem that a parent thought was important. But was it important to us for the same reasons? How had I looked to Neema's mother? Did she notice me shifting in my seat, moving my head, or folding my arms? My colleagues' responses upset me. Yet they were the same responses that I had given to Neema's mother. The group soon moved on to other topics. However, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen and heard. Nor could I stop thinking about my own behavior. There were two things that I learned at this meeting. First, I needed to get help. Second, I was not going to get help from the school system.

I went to the library to look for information and mentioned the situation to the librarian. The librarian told me that she allowed Neema to come to the library the previous year because she understood Neema's situation. When she was a child, she wasn't allowed to listen to "worldly music." She had grown up in West Virginia in a strict Baptist environment. Since there were other students in her community who also couldn't listen to music, she said that it "wasn't so bad." The group sat outside the room in the hallway during music.

Until that moment it had never occurred to me that there might be other students who were in the same situation as Neema. For most students, including some who identified as Muslim, there was no apparent conflict. Music and movement, within boundaries, were perfectly acceptable. However, now I could see how some students might face a difficult situation every time they entered the music room. It frustrated me. It also made me more determined to find a way to make the system work for all students. I could do the work on the inside of the system, but I knew that I needed an ally on the outside.

I placed the call hoping to leave a voicemail, but Neema's mother picked up the phone on the third ring. We greeted each other and I began the conversation by apologizing to her for my behavior during our last meeting. Soon words were spilling out of my mouth about curriculum and teaching and music - jumbled together with no rhyme or reason. My feelings. My problems. Once again, it had become all about me. As if reading my mind, Neema's mother replied, "I understand your problem. I want to thank you for being concerned about Neema."

Just when I thought that we were headed toward another awkward silence, she asked the question that I had been waiting for someone to ask me since our first conversation: "How can I help you?"

Hoping that I wouldn't offend her, I asked if she would share her beliefs on music. She told me that music was an important part of her family's spiritual life. In fact, that was what made it sacred. Music was one of the highest forms of praise, it was to be an offering, a gift. It was not something that was to be used as a game, or for dancing. Words, spoken or sung, were important.

For the first time, I didn't just hear her words, I listened to them. She was not dismissing music as frivolous and unimportant. She was not disrespecting my feelings, my job, or me. I had been making this all about me. Wrapped up in my own feelings, I had forgotten that there was a child. A child caught between two worlds, having to choose between the values of home and the requirements of school. That was a choice that no child should have to make. I was the teacher. It was up to me to help my student succeed. I thanked Neema's mother and told her that I would get back to her with a plan.

Armed with my two favorite tools, colored sticky notes and highlighters, I examined the music curriculum for non-performing standards. To my surprise, most of the standards were non-performing. I checked the internet for activities and resources that I could use. I started with books and found The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk. I wondered if it was similar to the song "The Wheels on the Bus." My first instinct was to sing both songs and compare and contrast them with students. Instead, I created a lesson that would be accessible to Neema - comparing and contrasting the lyrics. This led to a lesson on the instruments of India and the instruments of the United States. Additional book recommendations popped up on my Google search, including Ada's Violin, which described how children in Paraguay played instruments that were constructed from recycled materials. In my mind I began to see all kinds of instruments that could be constructed from recycled materials.

Project-based learning was not something that I had explored a great deal in music, but that didn't mean that it couldn't be done. Within a few hours I put together a draft of a standards-based music choice board built around the non-performing aspects of music. Math activities. Science activities. Career opportunities in music. Providing a choice board would give students autonomy to choose. It also meant that Neema would not be singled out. Perhaps it would open up an opportunity to participate for other students who hadn't spoken with me. There could be puzzles, games, coloring activities, reading, singing, and playing options. I emailed Neema's mother a copy of the choice board and called to explain my plan. She made suggestions on things that I could include when introducing percussion instruments, such as a daf, which is a large Persian frame drum. No longer was this parent looking at her daughter's music program through a window, she was helping to build a mirror.

With that in mind, I made adjustments to the traditional end-of-year concert format. I planned a music showcase instead. Students could present traditional performance activities in the auditorium. or present music-related projects, papers, and pictures on non-performing aspects of music in the atrium. It was in that area, that I could see Neema and a friend happily explaining the life of a composer to a group of people. I could also see her mother and though we spoke not a word, I could see in her eyes, a smile.

Neema and her mother reminded me of something that I had forgotten. A curriculum should be a living, breathing document. It should be examined and revised to meet students' needs.

There is a wonderful line from a song that says "If you become a teacher, by your pupils you'll be taught." As educators working with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families, we must be willing to reach out of our own comfort zones and listen to our students and their families. We must see families as partners. We must not only hear them but listen to them and work with them.

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A music teacher writes for Rethinking Schools about her tense journey to listen to and include a parent in her child's education.

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Harvard’s Project Zero Thinking Routines

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Harvard’s Project Zero Thinking Routines

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Precedented: Deportations on Trial workshop

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Central American Students Inspired to Share Family Stories

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Central American Students Inspired to Share Family Stories

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Students were extremely engaged in the activity, even though the text was challenging for levels 1 and 2. Some students kept going back to the map I had placed in the room so that they could keep pointing to their country of origin.

One student was in awe to be able to trace how her family had arrived in the United States, saying "we walked this whole way, and my baby brother was only one!". Another student was very excited to receive Berta Cáceres profile, because this student was also from Honduras. She said she was excited to go home and ask her mom if she knew of her.

Many students could not stop giggling because they could not believe that they were learning about their countries of origin in the United States.

For my Spanish heritage language class, I followed a similar lesson plan. However, I added an extension activity where students had to research an additional person that they would add to the lineup. The most memorable thing that happened in that class was that a student of Salvadoran heritage was so excited to read about people from El Salvador that when he came back to school the next week, he brought in a book that his grandfather had written about the civil war in El Salvador. The lesson had given him an opportunity to speak with his grandfather about his experiences.

Overall the activity was so engaging for all levels! The fact that every student gets a unique person is GOLD. It prevented students from copying each other, but encouraged collaboration. Some students chose to sit with other figures from the same country, or based on whether the figure was an artist, politician, activist, etc.

The most impactful thing about it was how many students either said "I heard about her!" or "I've never learned about someone from Honduras at school!" For some students in my heritage language class, it was the very first time they got to read about someone from their country of heritage in a school setting. And for my ESL students, it allowed me to set the tone that people from their countries of origin are worthy of study (which may not always be the message they get outside of their ESL classes).

Other beautiful moments were when students said they would ask their families about the people they read. When a student wants to go home and talk about the lesson, that is a win. I was so amazed and happy at how this lesson created moments of connection between students and their families.

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Central American Students Inspired to Share Family Stories - D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice

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Anna Lapera taught "Central America: An Introductory Lesson" in her middle school ESL and Spanish as a Heritage Language classes. The lesson prompted students to share their own family stories.

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Anna Lapera is a pushcart prize-nominated author and educator in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world. She teaches by day and writes stories about kids stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. She is a member of Las Musas, a Tin House and Macondo Writers Workshop alum and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received financial support from Tin House, Kweli Journal and SCBWI. When she is not writing or teaching, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in DC and Maryland, where she lives with her family. She is the author of the upper middle grade novel, Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, out on March 5th, 2024! She is currently working on a historical fiction young adult novel as well as a short story collection for the grown folks.

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Anna Lapera is a pushcart prize-nominated author and educator in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world. She teaches by day and writes stories about kids stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning.

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Immigration booklist from Social Justice Books

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Immigration booklist from Social Justice Books

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Teaching About Immigration | Social Justice Books

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Titles we recommend on immigration and the immigrant experience with a focus on the United States.

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Black Lives Matter at School booklists from Social Justice Books

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Black Lives Matter at School booklists from Social Justice Books

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Black Lives Matter at School - Social Justice Books

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There are 13 guiding principles of the Black Lives Matter movement. We seek to expand student understanding of these principles through the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (scheduled for the first week of February each year) and beyond. Below you'll find a growing list of recommended titles that center each of the [...]

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Palestine booklist from Social Justice Books

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Palestine booklist from Social Justice Books

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Recommended titles for K-12 and adults on Palestine. This list is important for children of Palestinian heritage to see themselves represented in the curriculum.

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American Indians / Indigenous Peoples / Native Nations booklist from Social Justice Books

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American Indians / Indigenous Peoples / Native Nations booklist from Social Justice Books

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This list is by Debbie Reese of American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL). AICL provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society.

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P.C.M. organizes for racial justice: in schools and the community

The Philly Children's Movement knows that families and schools are critical spaces for building racially just communities. We envision a world in which all people are liberated, whole, and valued. We work to dismantle racism, anti-Blackness, and White supremacy. Our organizing for racial justice happens in schools, community events, child-centered activism, and racial justice campaigns.

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P.C.M. organizes for racial justice: in schools and the community The Philly Children's Movement knows that families and schools are critical spaces for building racially just communities. We envision a world in which all people are liberated, whole, and valued. We work to dismantle racism, anti-Blackness, and White supremacy.

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Early Childhood: Learning About Family Structures booklist from Social Justice Books

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Early Childhood: Learning About Family Structures booklist from Social Justice Books

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Early Childhood: Learning about Family Structures

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Teaching for Change carefully selects the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

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Gentrification & Housing booklist from Social Justice Books

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Gentrification & Housing booklist from Social Justice Books

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Gentrification & Housing - Social Justice Books

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Elementary | Middle / YA | Adult Teaching for Change carefully selects multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators. Learn about our criteria for selecting titles. Feedback on these lists and suggestions for additional titles are welcome. Titles with reviews on this site are noted with an asterisk(*).

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Mathematics booklist from Social Justice Books

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Mathematics booklist from Social Justice Books

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Titles that we recommend are featured below with cover images. The ones with reviews are noted with an asterisk (*). Some titles are recommended with a caveat. At the end of this page, we provide a list of titles on this theme, with reviews, that we do not recommend.

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Central America booklist from Social Justice Books

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Central America booklist from Social Justice Books

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Teach Central America Expo at Bruce-Monroe @ Park View

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Teach Central America Expo at Bruce-Monroe @ Park View

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Teach Central America Expo at Bruce-Monroe @ Park View — D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice

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The third annualk Teach Central America Expo at Bruce-Monroe ES @ Park View (DCPS). remained an intentional, collaborative, and joyous expression of the importance of teaching about Central America!

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Teach Central America Carnaval of Learning 2023

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Teach Central America Carnaval of Learning 2023

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We were invited back to the tight-knit community at Bruce-Monroe at Parkview in Washington, D.C. for their annual teach-in style celebration of Central American history and culture.

Upon entrance to the annual carnival of learning and clear through departure, we were wrapped into their fold, enjoying all grade levels schooling us about the many threads of Central American history and culture they had studied so far and how they've woven it into their many units of study. Here are just some of the threads:

1619 Project and identity exploration.

Who has a monument, and who deserves a monument?

The parallels between nature's ecosystems and social support networks.

An interrogation of Columbus and how to uplift Indigenous Peoples' Day.

The throughline: a celebration of Central American history and culture.

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Teach Central America Carnival of Learning - D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice

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We were invited back to the strong-knit community at Bruce-Monroe at Parkview for their annual teach-in-style celebration of Central American history and culture.

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How can we hope for a better future if our children aren't learning how to talk to each other?

Young people need to learn how to engage across differences with curiosity and respect. School can, and should, be the place where this happens.

Through student-led conversations, Speak Truth participants learn to productively and respectfully discuss current, controversial topics. These thought-provoking conversations teach students to defend their stances on a myriad of issues and help them develop and recognize the power of their voices. As a national model for civic discourse and dialogue among young people, Speak Truth seminars have the power to shape a generation of socially conscious future leaders and citizens who will be responsible for building a better future for us all.

During the 2023-2024 school year, Inspired Teaching held multiple Speak Truth seminars each month - online for students everywhere and in libraries and classrooms across Washington, DC for local high school students. Hundreds of students tackled current, complex, and controversial topics, such as lowering the voting age, school safety, criminal justice reform, and student well-being, with curiosity and respect for one another.

Read the issues of Hooray For Monday below for more insight into recent Speak Truth sessions and how, as a model of the Inspired Teaching Approach in action, the program addresses each of the 5 Core Elements.

Speak Truth offers a first-hand look at learning centered on student voice and expertise. Adults are invited to observe and learn. These posts offer additional insight into what you can expect at a Speak Truth session.

Teachers: Bring Speak Truth to Your School

Young people care about issues affecting them and the world around them. Their concerns don't always line up with the curriculum, and teachers don't always have the time, tools, or resources to explore their students' interests. Yet we know elevating youth voices is critically important not only for students' well-being but for their development as problem-solvers and future leaders. The Speak Truth model presented in this Guide offers a way to bring meaningful student-led conversations into the classroom. Whether you host a Speak Truth session once a quarter, once a week, or every day, you will be creating a valuable space for learning where young voices and curiosity can grow. Click the image to view and download!

Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language

Conventions of Standard English:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.1

Knowledge of Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing

Text Types and Purposes: Production and Distribution of Writing: Research to Build and Present Knowledge:

Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening

Comprehension and Collaboration: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:

Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading

Key Ideas and Details: Craft and Structure: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards

Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries

Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Tools and Concepts

Dimension 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence

Dimension 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action

Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries

Civics

Gathering and Evaluating Sources

Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions

Economics

Geography

Developing Claims and Using Evidence

Taking Informed Action

History

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Competencies

Self-Awareness: The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one's strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Self-management: The abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

Social awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Responsible decision-making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

Relationship skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

OSSE 2024-2025 Updated SEL Standards

Competency 3: Social and Cultural Awareness
SCA.9-11.1 Recognizes the effects of words and actions on others' emotions, including how
one's own words and actions affect others' words and actions
SCA.9-11.3 Demonstrates more than one positive way to express understanding of differing
perspectives
SCA.9-11.4 Articulates verbally or in writing an experience that demonstrates the
importance of valuing and learning from the perspective of others
SCA.9-11.8 Engages in different settings with appropriate norms that show sensitivity to and
appreciation of the culture, values and identities of others
SCA.9-11.9 Reflects on one's own beliefs relative to different familial and societal norms

Competency 4: Relationship Skills
RS.9-11.1 Models appropriate communication skills (e.g., empathic listening, compassion,
reflective language) that honor cultural competency, relationships and safety
RS.9-11.9 Demonstrates listening and speaking skills to help prevent and resolve conflicts

Competency 5: Decision-Making and Agency
DMA.9-11.1 Demonstrates curiosity and openmindedness

June 21, 2023: The First Step: Film Screening & Discussion

Students gathered at MLK Library in Washington, DC, to watch " The First Step," a film exploring the behind-the-scenes machinations of passing a criminal justice reform bill in 2018. Student participants facilitated conversations on community, politics, and understanding, alongside an engaging Q&A with the film's director and producer.

June 1, 2023 at E.L. Haynes High School

Students participated in lively, respectful discussion on the below topics, which they chose.

Raise your standards, ladies. This topic will discuss the pros and cons of setting standards for relationships in high school, especially from the young woman's perspective.

Student-Teacher boundaries. This topic will examine the boundaries that exist or should exist in a healthy teacher-student relationship and what happens when these boundaries are violated.

Should kids vote? This discussion will examine the pros and cons of lowering the voting age to 16 and what that would mean for our laws and democracy.

School shootings. We will examine how the topic of school shootings affects our community and what we can do to avoid damage that results when someone is killed by guns at school.

May & June 2023: The Future of School Virtual Series

High school students from the DC area and across the nation participated in a series of virtual Speak Truth events focused on the rise of artifical intelligence and what the future of school may look like. The series was held Thursdays, May 25, June 1, 8, and 15.

January 2023: Talking Across Dividing Lines

In January, we hosted an online session featuring guest speaker Helanius J. Wilkins, choreographer, performance artist, and changemaker. The session focused on how and why to engage with people whose experiences, perspectives, and opinions differ from our own and included a deep exploration of the relationship between community and belonging. Watch a clip of that discussion here.

May 31, 2022 at EL Haynes High School

Dozens of students participated in this in-person event, which focused on four topics: Don't Touch My Hair; Immigration & Deportation; Gotta Catch Em' All; and Violence in School. The sessions were held in partnership with the school's Intro to Black Law and LULAC after-school clubs. During the Violence in School discussion, student-facilitators led with questions such as: What does solidarity look like to you? Why do we think there is racial tension in school? How do we relate to each other as students of color?

May 17, 2022 Virtual Seminar

The Pros and Cons of the High School Community Service Requirement

September 2, 2021 Virtual Seminar

September 23, 2021 Virtual Seminar

Strengthening the Speak Truth Program

June 17, 2021 Virtual Seminar

America's Modern-Day Slavery: The For-Profit Prison System

May 20, 2021 Virtual Seminar

October 3, 2021 Virtual Seminar

Society's Deleterious Impact on Some African Americans' Intracultural Behavior

April 15, 2021 Virtual Seminar

May 6, 2021 Virtual Seminar

March 18, 2021 Virtual Seminar

Science versus Religious Belief

June 3, 2021 Virtual Seminar

March 4, 2021 Virtual Seminar

February 18, 2021 Virtual Seminar

January 7, 2021 Virtual Seminar

Modern protest in a nutshell

April 1, 2021 Virtual Seminar

September 17, 2020 Virtual Seminar

January 21, 2021 Virtual Seminar

Taking Care of Your Mental Health

September 3, 2020 Virtual Seminar

Police in Schools and the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Police Training and Funding
Police Regulation, Legislation and Balances

June 4, 2020 Virtual Seminar

March 19, 2020 Virtual Seminar

November 21, 2019 Seminar at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School

February 13, 2020 Seminar at EL Haynes Public Charter School

September 26, 2019 Seminar at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School

December 19, 2019 Seminar at Georgetown Day School

January 16, 2020 Seminar at Anacostia High School

June 12, 2019 Seminar at George Washington University (National History Day Speak Truth on the Mall)

April 25, 2019 Seminar at Edmund Burke School

October 17, 2019 Seminar at National Cathedral School

May 16, 2019 Seminar at Georgetown Day School

March 27, 2019 Virtual Seminar

February 28, 2019 Seminar at Wilson High School

December 20, 2018 Virtual Seminar

What is Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome? And is PTSS real?

November 24, 2018 Virtual Seminar

The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi: Freedom of the Press

Climate Change in a Cup: Starbucks' Decision to Ditch the Straw

January 17, 2019 Seminar at School Without Walls High School

Women of the 116th Congress

Racially restrictive housing covenants and their impact today

Natural hair discrimination in schools

The government shutdown

September 20, 2018 at Cesar Chavez Public School (Capitol Hill Campus)

October 18, 2018 at Georgetown Day School

Brett Kavanaugh and DC Prep School Culture

"Studying While Black": An examination of the STARZ documentary, America to Me

October 24, 2018 Virtual Seminar

Roles of Celebrities in Politics

An examination of the STARZ documentary, America to Me (Episode 1)

See discussion topics and readings from last year here.

Everyone was respectful, kind, and had something interesting to share.

- Student, Speak Truth

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Speak Truth - Center for Inspired Teaching

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Speak Truth brings together high school students in DC & beyond for student-led conversations on the day's most pressing social issues.

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We’re currently checking your connection. This shouldn’t take long.If you keep getting this page, check if there’s a problem with Canva.

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Bringing the distinctive D.C. sound of go-go into the classroom.

Teaching for Change is honored to work with D.C. area schools and the authors of The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. to develop and share teaching ideas for infusing the history and music of in middle and high school social studies, language arts, math, music, and/or D.C. history classes, and to bring renowned go-go performers into D.C. classrooms.

"Go-go has stayed true to time-honored cultural scripts such as live call-and-response, live instrumentation, as well as its locally rooted fashions, slang, dance, distribution and economic systems. Simply put: Go-Go never sold out. There is a grit and texture to the music that gives voice to the communities where it was created." -Natalie Hopkinson
LEARN MORE ABOUT GO-GO SIGN UP DONATE

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Bringing the distinctive D.C. sound of go-go into the classroom. Teaching for Change is honored to work with D.C. area schools and the authors of The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. to develop and share teaching ideas for infusing the history and music of in middle and high school social studies, language arts, math, music, and/or D.C.

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Introduction to Central America Lesson from Teaching Central America

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Introduction to Central America Lesson from Teaching Central America

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The immediate reasons for Central Americans crossing the U.S. border include high levels of poverty brought on by economic stagnation, political unrest, climate change, and violence. Many of these problems are rooted in centuries of structural economic inequality, state-sponsored oppression, and institutionalized racism.

This lesson is designed to introduce students to several of these concepts through brief biographical sketches of figures in twentieth and twenty-first century Central America. It then builds upon this knowledge in examining the role the United States has played in the affairs of these nations residing in what many U.S. presidents have considered our own backyard.

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Introduction to Central America - Teaching Central America

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The immediate reasons for Central Americans crossing the U.S. border include high levels of poverty brought on by economic stagnation, political unrest, climate change, and violence. Many of these problems are rooted in centuries of structural economic inequality, state-sponsored oppression, and institutionalized racism.

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Deportations on Trial Lesson from Zinn Education Project

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Deportations on Trial Lesson from Zinn Education Project

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The Trump administration's war on immigrants has been nothing short of horrifying in its scope. As acting director of ICE, Thomas Homan explained in 2017, "The president made it clear in his executive orders: There's no population off the table. If you're in this country illegally, we're looking for you and we're going to look to apprehend you." The massive reach of this effort, the uncertainty and terror it elicits, and the opacity of the controlling laws, recall an earlier time in U.S. history when the due process and human rights of racialized "foreigners" were abused with impunity.

From the late 1920s to the late 1930s, men, women, and children, immigrant and U.S.- born, citizen and noncitizen, longtime residents and temporary workers all became the targets of a massive campaign of forced relocation, based solely on their perceived status as "Mexican." They were rounded up in parks, at work sites, and in hospitals, betrayed by local relief agencies who reported anyone with a "Mexican sounding" name to what was then called the sounding" name to what was then called the Immigration Service, tricked and terrorized into "voluntary" deportation by municipal and state officials, and forcibly deported in trains and buses, to a country some hadn't lived in for decades and others never at all.

Historian Mae M. Ngai argues that this 1930s campaign of mass deportations had little to do with law; it was a program of "racial expulsion," rooted in racism. But unlike other racist and nativist efforts of the era, these deportations were not symbolized or driven by any signature piece of legislation like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the Immigration Act of 1924. Rather, they were orchestrated using a patchwork of federal and local authority, existing but seldom used deportation rules, and simple mob action against a vulnerable population. It is precisely this messiness that is fruitful to surface with students. If no single law or leader ordered these deportations, then why and how did they happen and who or what is responsible for the damage they wrought? These are the questions raised in the Deportations on Trial lesson (modeled after Bill Bigelow's Rethinking Schools lesson " The People vs. Columbus ").

This lesson was originally published in the 2018-2019 Winter issue of Rethinking Schools.

has taught high school social studies since 2000. She is on the editorial board of Ursula Wolfe-Rocca Rethinking Schools and is the Zinn Education Project Organizer/Curriculum Writer.

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Deportations on Trial: Mexican Americans During the Great Depression - Zinn Education Project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Trump administration's war on immigrants has been nothing short of horrifying in its scope. As acting director of ICE, Thomas Homan explained in 2017, "The president made it clear in his executive orders: There's no population off the table. If you're in this country illegally, we're looking for you and we're going to look to apprehend you."