Race/Ethnicity by Kelsie Mendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity Race and Ethnicity Curriculum Guide en-us 2020-11-16 23:04:23 UTC 2026-02-26 02:53:52 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f465.png The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Grades 9-12) kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934310494 Starr Carter lives in a poor, black neighborhood but goes to a rich, white high school. All is well and manageable until she witnesses her unarmed friend, Khalil, get shot and killed during a traffic stop. Being the only witness of this now national headline, Starr must decide whether to tell the truth about that night or go with the easier-to-believe story of Khalil being an aggressive thug that was being suspicious. 

This story is a great example of bravery amid a difficult situation. It also portrays a lifestyle that is misunderstood by those who haven’t experienced it. It will help students see what life is like for those who have dark skin and a different upbringing than themselves. It will instill a sense of compassion, sympathy and desire to make a change.

]]> 2020-11-17 22:46:53 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934310494 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Grades 9-12) kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934708839 In this story of a boy living in the Indian reservation of the American North West. Junior, a determined cartoonist, takes his future into his own hands and leaves his school on the reservation. He ends up in a white farming community where he is the only Indian, besides the school mascot.

Among the underprivileged groups in the United States, Native Americans experience arguably the worst treatment and effects. This story will give students a better understanding of what Native American life is like on the reservation as well as those living off of the reservation. It also includes illustrations that will help maintain the students’ interest.
]]> 2020-11-18 01:48:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934708839 Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña (Grades 9-12) kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934713968 Born and raised in San Diego, Danny’s mom is white with blonde hair and blue eyes while his dad was born 15 miles south in Mexico. Although his appearance screams Mexican, Danny doesn’t even speak spanish. He throws a 95-mile an hour fastball but isn’t even on his high school baseball team. This is his story of coming to terms with his sometimes confusing identity.

This sends a message to students that appearance is not a determining factor of identity. It shares moving experiences between an American teenage boy and his Mexican background. It will also help students learn from someone else’s trials and experiences.
]]> 2020-11-18 01:51:17 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934713968 Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Grades 9-10) kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934717486 In this black and white graphic novel, author Marjane Satrapi tells of her childhood living in Tehran and all that she experienced. She writes of the abolition of Shah’s regime, the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and the catastrophic effects of Iran’s war with Iraq.

This gives a broader understanding of how the media has covered Iran and other countries in the middle east. It also gives a child's perspective of growing up in a different, more authoritarian country. It will also be attractive because it is a graphic novel.
]]> 2020-11-18 01:53:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934717486 The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X (Grades 11-12) kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934720527 In this autobiography published originally in 1965, Malcolm Little (Malcolm X) shares the story of his life and the beginning of the Human Rights movement. He tells of his leadership, affiliation in Black empowerment activities, and his experiences with religion.

This is a story of one who devoted his life to a timeless endeavor. The goal that Malcolm X dreamed of has made great strides but has yet to be fully accomplished. This will help students not only learn more about modern US history, but inform them of problems that have plagued this great country and inspire them to help find solutions.]]> 2020-11-18 01:54:48 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934720527 Black Student Voices: Classroom Discussions on Race [VIDEO] kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934740969 Education Week interviews different African American high school students from across the United States about their opinions on how race and racism should be addressed in education. Their interviews talk about how there are a lot of different positive and controversial aspects of African American history that isn’t addressed in school. The video also talks about how African American history should be talked about more outside of “Black History” month. ]]> 2020-11-18 02:05:56 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934740969 How to Teach Kids to Talk About Taboo Topics [TEDTALK] kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934743574 Liz Kleinrock offers a unique Ted Talk about teaching young elementary students about subjects that aren’t normally addressed in a general classroom like race, gender, and equity. She talks about how important it is for students to be fluent in language about race. She details a story about a fourth-grade student who says something inappropriate in class about black people, and she addresses the fearless way an educator can approach the situation. Liz enforces that any sort of solution to social problems begins with conversations particularly with children. ]]> 2020-11-18 02:07:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934743574 How Students of Color Confront Imposter Syndrome [TEDTALK] kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934746125 Deena Simmons addresses the experience of being an African American woman from a tough part of the Bronx who grew up to have academic prestige. She recalls while attending boarding school and Columbia University, she had to work to feel like she felt like she belonged. Simmons is an educator and this video is about encouraging fellow educators to create classrooms that are inclusive and let African American students feel safe to be themselves. Simmons describes ‘imposter syndrome’ as a problem of African American students policing their ‘black’ behavior in order to gain access to better opportunities. She describes how she had teachers correct her Bronx accent in order for her to sound ‘smarter’. ]]> 2020-11-18 02:08:58 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934746125 Bringing Education Disparities to the Forefront of the Political Debate [VIDEO] kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934747603 This video is a webcast panel that has four different educational professionals that discuss the pressing issues of disparities between the achievement gap between white and non-white students in K-12. Each of the panel members offers different statistics and experiences in education and what contributes to achievement gaps. One of the panelists addresses how recruiting, training, and retaining better teachers is an important part in solving racial issues in education. A lot of this video focuses on the importance of quality and diverse teachers in order to create a more positive experience. ]]> 2020-11-18 02:09:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934747603 How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty [TEDTALK] kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934749403 Kandice Sumner discusses the disparity between schools in low-income neighborhoods across the United States, particularly in communities of color. The Ted Talk is about how resources are more available for wealthier schools like instruments, books, higher quality school lunches and soccer fields. Kandice is a teacher in a less affluent neighborhood than she went to school in and she can see the differences between the school systems. She parallels achievement gaps to the lack investment in communities with people of color. This video highlights the importance of socioeconomic disparities in education.]]> 2020-11-18 02:10:58 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/934749403 Teaching Tolerance, Anti-Racism Activity ‘The Sneetches’ kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935018360 This lesson plan was written for grades K-5. The point of the lesson is to help kids realize the emotional impact of discrimination and unfair practices. 

]]> 2020-11-18 04:48:44 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935018360 Australian Government-Department of Home Affairs, Lesson Plan-Culture, Race & Ethnicity kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935020350 This lesson plan would be best used for older students (secondary school) because they are split into groups to discuss and brainstorm about ideas for the topic they are assigned. The lesson plan will need to be adapted slightly because it is currently tailored towards Australian society, so it will need to be adapted to the US and whatever state you end up teaching in.

]]> 2020-11-18 04:49:49 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935020350 Critical Media Project, Lesson Plan: Race and Ethnicity kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935022002 This lesson plan would be best for older students (secondary school). This lesson helps students recognize and analyze racial and ethnic stereotypes that are represented in the media.

]]> 2020-11-18 04:50:45 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935022002 Teaching Tolerance, Different Colors of Beauty: Reflection kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935023445 This lesson plan was written for grades K-5. The purpose of the lesson is to teach students that one race is not superior to another and to teach them the importance of tolerance. This is the sixth lesson in a series call “Different Colors of Beauty.” 

]]> 2020-11-18 04:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935023445 Race and Ethnicity kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935039036 This website made by the American Sociological Association explores “the sociological perspective [and] explores how race and ethnicity are socially constructed and how individuals identify with one or more. Research [that] demonstrates how they are linked to social position and to political and policy debates about issues such as immigration, identity formation, and inter-group relations (including racism).” It includes wonderful sources on the topic such as podcasts, links to research, and current news. 

]]> 2020-11-18 04:59:35 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935039036 Race Discrimination kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935040828 This website is done by the Equality and Human Rights Commission of Scotland. Although it does not pertain directly to us as educators in the United States of America, I believe it includes a variety of knowledge and facts such as, what race discrimination is, What their Equality Act says about race discrimination, the few times Circumstances when being treated differently due to race is lawful, and Different types of race discrimination. Different types of race discrimination includes Direct discrimination, Indirect discrimination, Harassment, and Victimisation.

]]> 2020-11-18 05:00:31 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935040828 Race and Ethnicity kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935045346 This website by the Pew Research Center is a wonderful source of information for all different types of research. For our purpose here we are in the “Race and Ethnicity” portion of the website. This page includes current news regarding the topic, current events, reports, facts, and other publications that can teach and inform us of the topic from all different sources and sides of the spectrum. 

]]> 2020-11-18 05:03:02 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935045346 Race Equity Tools kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935046880 Racial Equity Tools is a wonderful organization. They are “designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.”]]> 2020-11-18 05:03:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935046880 Race and Ethnicity kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935048149 Teaching Tolerance is a fantastic resource aimed towards educators with advice and topics on how to better run your classroom. This website has collected many resources that help educators to “cultivate positive identity formation, encourage students to confront racial and ethnic injustice, and prepare them to live and work together in a diverse world. [their] resources can help [educators to] facilitate discussions about race and guide students through lessons on white privilege, economic inequality, mass incarceration, the complexities of identity and more.”

]]> 2020-11-18 05:04:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935048149 kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935099980 Something look wrong with the site? Contact kelsiemendez@suumail.net]]> 2020-11-18 05:32:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935099980 How to Be an AntiRacist kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935281941 [BOOK] [Elementary Teachers]
In this book, Kendi creates a disconcerting combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his personal experiences of his awakening to antiracism. 

In an elementary classroom, it is very important to be anti racist. Especially with younger kids when they are very impressionable, they might repeat something they heard in a video or something their parents said and they might not know how offensive it may be, but if you can lead an anti racist classroom, then you could prevent kids growing up to think the same thought.

]]> 2020-11-18 06:48:56 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935281941 So You Want to Talk About Race kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935297750 [BOOK] [Elementary Teachers]
She goes through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.

This can help teachers improve in talking about race with students in the classroom. Potentially this could make conversation a lot easier and especially for teachers who maybe never got taught much about race can use this information to learn the basics that they need for the classroom.

]]> 2020-11-18 06:53:44 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935297750 Why Conversations About Racism Belong in the Classroom kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935308839 [ARTICLE] [Elementary Teachers]
In this article, it illustrates why racism is essential to address in the classroom. Something kids should be talking about and not kept in the dark about. The main steps being: Be honest, brace for impact, walk the line, and engage in self-reflection. 

This is huge advice for new teachers and how to approach race in the classroom. Being honest is vital to the students' interest and trust and lying to them may make them hate a certain group of people if you choose not to be truthful and instead state your own opinions. 

]]> 2020-11-18 06:57:05 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935308839 Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935315446 [BOOK] [Secondary Teachers]
Growing up in America, Debby always struggled with befriending other races in fear of being offensive. As an art administrator she wondered why her attempts at getting a more diverse classroom failed. She had struggled so much with racial issues and talked about how she overcame them and her “aha” moment to diverse success. 

As a student in America, I see there is still a lot of discrimination in todays schools. Black people hang out with black people, mexican with mexican, and white with white. If teachers can understand how to bring them together

]]> 2020-11-18 06:59:13 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935315446 Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935320052 [BOOK] [Secondary Teachers]
Kendi explains the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the stories from Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis. Kendi shows that racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred, but were created to justify discriminatory policies and the nation's racial inequities.

These stories can explain to teachers different types of backgrounds and oppression faced in each circumstance. It hopefully can show that not all kids have the same opportunities as others and they cannot assume such.

]]> 2020-11-18 07:00:49 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935320052 White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935327089 [BOOK] [Secondary Teachers]
Robin DiAngelo illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. 

It is important to stress the importance of the “white fragility” so that if a race problem arises in the classroom the teacher may know a better route to handle and resolve a situation of a white person being overly defensive.

]]> 2020-11-18 07:03:15 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/935327089 Freedom Over Me - by Ashley Bryan (Grades 1st and up) jessicahmurray https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936117958 Ashley Bryan tells of how a slave is given monetary value by the slave owner, combining this with the one thing that cannot be bought or sold, dreams. Inspired by the actual will of a plantation owner, that lists the worth of each and every one of his “workers”, Bryan has created collages of paintings and poetry to interpret each person's life on the plantation, as well as the life and dreams their owner knew nothing about.

This book can help us teach our younger students about what slavery was, what life was like as a slave, and slave owner. This book can also help show our students the importance of having pride in themselves and never letting anyone take that away.]]> 2020-11-18 11:26:43 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936117958 Black is a Rainbow Color - by Angela Joy (Grades K and up) jessicahmurray https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936137543 In this story, a child reflects on the meaning of being Black in an anthem about people, culture, and a legacy that lives on. It talks about how Black surrounds our lives. Yes black is a color, but it also has a deep meaning. It embodies the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive. Black is not a color in the rainbow, black culture is a rainbow of its own.

This is a great book to read to celebrate black culture and an excellent book to help introduce black history to young children. This story can also help students start to consider each of their backgrounds and how they differ from one another. 


]]> 2020-11-18 11:35:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936137543 Last Stop on Market Street - by Matt de la Pena (Grades K and up) jessicahmurray https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936171105 This story is about a boy named CJ and his grandma. Every Sunday after church, him and his grandma take the bus across town. CJ begins to ask his grandma why they don’t own a car like his friend? Why he doesn’t have an iPod like the other boys on the bus? How come they always get off in the dirty part of town? His grandma answers these questions with encouragement, and helps him see the fun and beauty in the world around them.

This book can help our students understand that we all have different lives and it's important to remember that we never know what someone could be going through outside of school, so always be kind. Another important thing we can all try to do is be grateful for what we do have and strive to see the good in each day. We can help our students do this by asking questions such as, what is something you enjoyed about today? What does the term grateful mean? What is something you are grateful at your house for? What is something you are grateful at school for?

]]> 2020-11-18 11:49:42 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936171105 All Are Welcome - by Alexandra Penfold (Grades K and up) jessicahmurray https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936210600 In this story you follow a group of children through their day at school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. This school depicts kids in patkas, hijabs, and yamulkes playing next to other kids in baseball caps. In this school, they learn each other’s traditions and in the end the whole community celebrates the Lunar New Year.

This is a great book to read to start the year off right by helping all of our students and their families feel included and important in our classroom and community. This book also helps open up the conversation of diversity in the classroom such as race and ethnicity, and shows how we can learn so many new things from each other. Questions to consider individually or as a class could be, what does it feel like to be excluded and how can that make us feel? What does it feel like to be welcomed? What are things we can do everyday to be more welcoming?

]]> 2020-11-18 12:03:54 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936210600 A Piece of Home - by Jeri Watts (Grades K and up) jessicahmurray https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936231515 In this story, a boy named Hee Jun and his family move from Korea to West Virginia. He struggles to adjust to his new home, he looks different from his classmates, and he can’t understand what the teacher is saying even when she speaks slowly and loudly. Feeling lost and alone, little by little he begins to learn English words and makes friends. One day, he is invited over to his friend's house, where he sees a flower called mugunghwa, or a rose of Sharon he knows from his garden in Korea. Hee Jun is so happy to bring a shoot home and plant a “piece of home” in his new garden.

This story can help our students see how a new student or a student of a different race/ethnicity than the majority, might feel in class. It can also help us determine what we can do to help these new students in the class feel more comfortable and accepted. To help do this, we can ask our students questions such as, have you ever been the new kid in class? If yes, how did you feel? What do you wish the class or teacher would have done to help you feel more comfortable? What do you think we can do to help the new students in our class feel welcomed, safe, accepted, etc.?

]]> 2020-11-18 12:11:43 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/936231515 the team ✔ kelsiemendez https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/937369799 Melissa Johnson
Kayla Kerr
Kelsie Mendez
Jessica Murray
Amanda Sears
Tyler Skidmore
and Nicholas Thornburg]]> 2020-11-18 16:03:46 UTC https://padlet.com/kelsiemendez/raceandethnicity/wish/937369799