Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
And Justice for All
Constitutional Rights and Social Justice in American History
Eleventh Grade
Tapestry Charter High School
Buffalo, NY
Expedition authors
Jessica Mascle, US History
Eric Levine, Instructional guide
Jesse Mank, English Language Arts
Amy Meza-Luraschi, Visual Arts
Sarah Acton, Spanish
Jennifer Malue, Mathematics
Elizabeth Smallwood, Science
With support from Terra Bialy, Theater
Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Summary
The And Justice for All learning expedition explored more than two hundred years of American history
through the lens of social justice. For the urban high school students at Buffalo, NY’s Tapestry Charter
School, this lens was an engaging and relevant approach to their required US history standards. By rigorously
examining America’s founding documents and seminal events with a critical sensitivity to issues of race, class,
and gender, students could see the ways in which their present-day lives are impacted by our nation’s history.
This approach to US history – one that is centered on issues over time versus particular time periods –
empowered students to see patterns and trends and to understand their role as makers of history versus just
students of history.
Students explored the ideals upon which America was founded and the gaps between those ideals and reality.
The trimester-long learning expedition centered around the question of whether the Declaration of
Independence, which set forth a vision of what this country was to be – a society of equals equipped with
unalienable rights, holding the power to direct government – is living up to its founding ideals. Are we a
society of equals? Do we have all the rights we deserve? Do we exercise our power as “the people?”
The expedition included three case studies – Hurricane Katrina, The Manhattan Project, and US/Mexico
border issues – that gave students a contemporary lens through which to study fairly abstract questions about
justice. In each case study a compelling topic of injustice led students to discover disconnects between
American ideals and reality.
The academic standards and skills covered in this learning expedition range from US history and English to
Spanish, art, science, and math. In US history, students examined the Declaration of Independence and US
Constitution, asking important questions about meaning and content. Students examined the roots of
democracy in the US and discussed major constitutional principles that are contained in the Constitution (e.g.
separation of powers and federalism) and the problems that have arisen as it has been interpreted and
reinterpreted throughout history. The above topics as well as reconstruction, progressivism, and the many
civil rights movements in the history of the US, formed the context for examining American ideals in the past
and present.
In English, students studied identity in America, American consumerism, and activism. Among other literary
and media resources, students read Run by Ann Patchett, as a means of exploring the disparity of the
American experience through the lens of birth, class, and race. In Spanish, they focused on immigration and
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
the immigrant experience in Spanish. Students examined the “salad bowl” vs. “melting pot” debate, and
looked at current immigration issues along the US border with Mexico. The work in English and Spanish
classes offered students a contemporary view of the
issues they studied in US history.
Various projects and lessons in math and science gave
students an opportunity to explore the issues from
new perspectives. The case study on The Manhattan
Project, for example, brought new meaning to
physical science standards in nuclear science while also
exploring environmental justice issues, a new concept
for many students. Students used statistics to analyze
the diversity of the school community in math class.
There were many opportunities for interdisciplinary
applications of the concepts in the And Justice for All
learning expedition.
Throughout the expedition, multi-media projects, written essays, and presentations gave students the
opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the historical and contemporary issues related to American
ideals, and to express their feelings and experience with race, class, and gender issues. The expedition
culminated in a mixed media exhibit exploring American ideals and realities at the CEPA Gallery in the
Theatre District of Buffalo, NY.
Guiding
Questions
•
•
What are the gaps between American ideals and reality?
- Is America a society of equals?
- Do we live in a true democracy?
- Do we have all the rights we deserve?
What rights and responsibilities are defined in the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution and
how are they manifest in contemporary America?
Case
Studies
Case
study
one:
Hurricane
Katrina
The kick-off for this case study featured a viewing of Spike Lee’s award winning documentary When the Levees
Broke, a probing examination of the US government’s role and response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
The film helped to open a discourse about how race and class determines the American experience. Students
explored the cultural heritage of New Orleans and the complicating factors that led to its demise when
Katrina hit. They studied the government’s role in the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and its aftermath, and used
this as a starting point for a deep look at the concept of federalism in US history. The case study was also a
starting point for a focus on Jim Crow laws and their influence on race and class relations as they developed
during reconstruction.
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Case
study
two:
The
Manhattan
Project
Students examined the impact of nuclear development in the United States, and its relation to issues of
environmental justice, through a case study of The Manhattan Project (the government backed project which
led to the creation of the first atomic bomb). This case study allowed for authentic overlaps with key science
standards for 11th grade: subatomic particles, the periodic table, radioactive isotopes, fusion and fission, and
effects of radiation. Students engaged in a “Dinner Party” protocol (detailed in Key Lessons) to explore such
questions as: Should the US continue to develop nuclear arms? What is the true cost of nuclear technology?
What is the impact on communities? Do such scientific advancements compromise American ideals?
Case
study
three:
Immigration
along
the
US/Mexico
border
In this case study, students investigated current trends in immigration and related the modern Hispanic
immigrant experience to that of immigrants at the turn of the last century. Students explored themes of
cultural and linguistic identity, stereotypes, and racism against immigrant groups, and debated the push/pull
factors that have always been part of the immigration story in the US. Students listened to two stories from
National Public Radio regarding violence against Hispanics and Latinos in Long Island, NY. They also
watched “El Norte,” which relates the story of an illegal border crossing to the idea of the American dream.
It highlights the differences between American ideals and reality for many immigrants. Students then watched
an FX program called “30 Days,” in which a Minuteman who patrols the US/Mexico border, lives for 30 days
with a family of illegal Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles in order to better understand life from their
perspective. Students were able to discuss the complexities of immigration and sympathize with those
involved in the stories. This case study gave students an emotional and realistic lens through which to view
the broader issues of who made America what it is today and
whether or not American ideals are a
reality for immigrants in the US
Major
Projects
Project
one:
American
ideals
today
“American Ideals Today” was a persuasive essay project. Students constructed persuasive essays in US history
class in which they evaluated the extent to which America lives up to its ideals of equality, democracy, and
civil rights. While the students all had initial judgments about this question, they were required to do research
about what each ideal means, looking to both historical and contemporary sources. Teachers led students in
an exploration of various academic texts that helped them to build an argument for their opinion. Some of
these texts included work by Jonothan Kozol, Michael Parenti, and Howard Zinn as well as articles from The
New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Buffalo News. With this evidence, they drafted and revised
essays that supported a thesis about America living up to its ideals. In addition to sharing work with their
peers and teachers, students were required to use their essay to draft an expedition reflection as part of their
end of trimester portfolio. The essays were combined with another project in which students created
silhouettes, tableaux, and audio recordings to create multi-media explorations of their reflections on
American ideals. The essays were the foundation for this artistic work. The entry for the final exhibition at the
CEPA Gallery featured a looped audio recording of excerpts from these essays.
Final Products
• Persuasive essays (later combined with silhouettes, tableaux, and accompanying audio recordings)
• Expedition reflections
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Project
two:
Investigative
muckraking
photography
In this project, students analyzed problems that existed in America at the
beginning of the 20th Century including: slum life, unsafe consumer
products, environmentally extractive industries, pollution, corrupt national,
state, and local politics, social class stratification, poor race relations, and
limited women’s rights. While the problems they studied look different
today, the students quickly recognized that the problems still exist. To gain
background knowledge of the social issues studied in this project, teachers
created stations in the classroom for students to analyze primary print and
text information about each of the focus problems above. Students then
took on the role of muckrakers (journalists who exposed societal problems
to the public at the turn of the century) in order to write an investigative
news report that exposed a societal
problem. In order to make the leap from
problems at the beginning of the 20th
century to today, students addressed the
following questions: What problems
would you expose in our own society? Is
this a time of prosperity for all? Are politics corrupt today? Are extractive
industries still as detrimental as they were in the early 20th Century? Do slum
conditions still exist?
The students then took to the streets of Buffalo with cameras in hand to
document injustice in their city. Students chose one photograph that best
spoke to their observations of society around them and wrote an artist’s
statement that explained their justification for their choice. The photographs
and artists’ statements were hung in the CEPA Gallery as part of the final
student exhibit and were also printed in a collection of student work. The
collection spoke to their concerns regarding the homeless, local
neighborhood conditions, violence, and pollution.
Final products
• Photographs and artists’ statement for student exhibit at
the CEPA Gallery
• Printed collection of student work
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Project
three:
“1‐in‐300k”
multimedia
project
Students created a one to two minute multi-media presentation based on the New York Times “1-in-8
million” series which documents “ordinary people telling extraordinary stories.” Using the New York Times
pieces for modeling, each student created a multi-media portrait of a person in Buffalo whose story embodies
both American ideals and realities. Each piece incorporated photography and recorded sound and was
displayed at the final exhibit at the CEPA Gallery.
Final product
• Multi-media portrait displayed at the CEPA Gallery
Project
four:
Silhouettes
and
tableaux
With the help of local artists at the CEPA Gallery, students created self-portrait silhouettes. They were
challenged to represent their personalities and characteristics in a simple traced outline of their profile. This
project encouraged students to see what reducing people, objects, and things down to simple forms and
shapes can do. Students also created tableaux based
on their exploration of American ideals in English
and US history classes. The tableaux where
photographed and then converted into simple
silhouettes in Photoshop. The result is a series of
powerful images that investigate whether or not
there is a gap between ideals and reality by using
examples from current issues that affect our society
today.
Final products
• Silhouettes displayed in the CEPA Gallery
exhibit
• Tableaux displayed in the CEPA Gallery exhibit
Key
Lessons
Lesson
one:
The
all
American
star
factory
In this lesson, which was also the kick-off to the entire expedition, students took part in a metaphorical
contest called the “All American Star Factory.” In this experiential activity, students were assigned to groups in
which they were given the task to make as many perfect stars as they could using only the materials they were
given. Each group was in a different classroom during this part of the kick-off. The activity was contrived so
that the majority of the students were given few resources and a minority given a plethora. The metaphor
worked our perfectly as the students from each group presented their final results to the whole group. The
students with the fewest resources made the fewest stars which were also of lesser quality, the middle group
made more, and the group with the abundant supplies made the most stars that were also of the highest
quality (i.e. most consistent in form). The students were enraged when they found out that some groups had
more resources and that was why they had won the trophy: the “American Dream.” A debrief followed in
which students discussed class stratification in American society.
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Lesson
two:
Run
In English, students read Ann Patchett’s 2007 novel, Run, as a contemporary example of the gap between
American ideals and reality. This book is about a multiracial family set in present-day Boston. The novel
explores the disparity of the American experience through the lens of birth, class, and race. During the
trimester, students refined the following literacy skills in English: determining author bias; critical essay
writing; determining the main idea; summarizing texts in an academic tone; and reading for real world
connections.
Lesson
three:
Race
in
sports
In math, students used the movie "Remember the Titans” to examine how race relations change the studentathlete experience in school. At a key moment in the movie, the football coach collaborates with the
mathematics teacher to analyze play statistics in an opponent’s game. Extending from this theme, students
examined the integration of African Americans and women in mathematics, after which each student
investigated a mathematician and presented information about that mathematician to the class.
Lesson
four:
The
dinner
party
protocol
Students explored the multiple perspectives surrounding The Manhattan Project by using the dinner party
protocol. Students were each given a role that represented a stakeholder in the nuclear development field in
the US. Roles included: grandchild of a Japanese survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, a US nuclear scientist,
a US WWII veteran, a US senator on the energy committee, a US citizen, a Westinghouse Nuclear Electric
representative, an Army Corps of Engineers nuclear energy specialist, and a Chernobyl survivor. Prompts for
this protocol included: Should the US continue to develop nuclear arms? What is the true cost of nuclear
technology? What is the impact on communities? Do such scientific advancements compromise American
ideals? Students debated the issue from the perspective of their assigned role.
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Standards,
learning
targets,
and
assessments
State
Standards
Social
Studies
• Use
a
variety
of
intellectual
skills
to
demonstrate
understanding
of
major
ideas,
eras,
themes,
developments,
and
turning
points
in
the
history
of
the
United
States
and
New
York.
• Use
a
variety
of
intellectual
skills
to
demonstrate
understanding
of
the
necessity
for
establishing
governments;
the
governmental
system
of
the
United
States
and
other
nations;
the
United
States
Constitution;
the
basic
civic
values
of
American
constitutional
democracy;
and
the
roles,
rights,
and
responsibilities
of
citizenship,
including
avenues
of
participation.
English
Language
Arts
• Read,
write,
listen,
and
speak
for
information
and
understanding.
• Read,
write,
listen,
and
speak
for
literary
response
and
expression.
• Form
opinions
and
make
judgments
about
the
validity
of
interpretive
texts.
• Analyze
and
evaluate
nonfiction.
• Analyze
a
wide
range
of
texts
using
resources
such
as
recognized
experts,
knowledge
from
school
subjects
and
reading,
and
personal
experience.
• Use
strategies
designed
to
influence
or
persuade
in
writing
speeches,
editorials,
and
advertisements.
• Interpret
and
analyze
information
from
media
presentations,
such
as
documentary
films,
news
broadcasts,
and
taped
interviews.
• Identify
how
format
and
language
are
used
in
presentations
to
communicate
the
author’s
message
and
evoke
a
response.
• Evaluate
the
impact
of
the
medium
on
the
message.
• Use
visuals
and
technology
to
enhance
presentation.
Languages
Other
Than
English
• Develop
cross‐cultural
understanding.
Science
• Understand
that
many
of
the
phenomena
that
we
observe
on
earth
involve
interactions
among
components
of
air,
water,
and
land.
• Understand
that
human
decisions
and
activities
have
had
a
profound
impact
on
the
physical
and
living
environment.
• Students
will
understand
concepts
related
to
nuclear
energy:
subatomic
particles,
the
periodic
table,
radioactive
isotopes,
fusion
and
fission,
and
effects
of
radiation.
Math
• Identify
patterns
of
change
and
make
predictions
about
future
behavior
and
conditions.
• Understand
that
in
order
to
arrive
at
the
best
solution
that
meets
criteria
within
constraints,
it
is
often
necessary
to
make
trade‐offs.
• Apply
the
knowledge
and
thinking
skills
of
mathematics,
science,
and
technology
to
address
real‐life
problems
and
make
informed
decisions.
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
The
Arts
• Actively
engage
in
the
processes
that
constitute
creation
and
performance
in
the
arts
(dance,
music,
theatre,
and
visual
arts)
and
participate
in
various
roles
in
the
arts.
• Understand
and
make
use
of
the
materials
and
resources
available
for
participation
in
the
arts
in
various
roles.
• Respond
critically
to
a
variety
of
works
in
the
arts,
connecting
the
individual
work
to
other
works
and
to
other
aspects
of
human
endeavor
and
thought.
• Develop
an
understanding
of
the
personal
and
cultural
forces
that
shape
artistic
communication
and
how
the
arts
in
turn
shape
the
diverse
cultures
of
past
and
present
society.
Learning
targets
US
history
long‐term
learning
targets
• I
can
explain
how
America
is
diverse
yet
unified
by
certain
ideals.
• I
can
analyze
US
history
from
multiple
perspectives.
• I
can
analyze
the
achievements
and
hardships
of
individuals
and
groups
in
American
society.
• I
can
make
judgments
about
US
history
using
evidence.
US
history
supporting
learning
targets
• I
can
evaluate
whether
or
not
America
lives
up
to
its
ideals
of
equality,
rights,
and
democracy
today.
• I
can
explain
how
the
colonial
period
helped
to
shape
the
American
ideal
of
democracy.
• I
can
explain
the
debates
and
compromises
that
resulted
from
the
writing
of
the
Constitution.
• I
can
discuss
major
Constitutional
principles.
• I
can
judge
if
the
Constitution
supports
the
ideals
in
the
Declaration
of
Independence.
• I
can
read
about
and
discuss
major
aspects
of
slavery.
• I
can
judge
whether
or
not
the
Civil
War
was
inevitable.
• I
can
decide
if
the
American
ideals
were
advanced
or
decreased
during
Reconstruction.
• I
can
compare
the
ideas
and
beliefs
of
Booker
T.
Washington
and
W.E.B.
Dubois
in
regards
to
the
condition
of
black
people
after
Reconstruction.
• I
can
analyze
how
patterns/waves
of
immigration
have
changed
over
time.
• I
can
analyze
push/pull
factors
involved
with
immigration.
• I
can
analyze
Americans’
reactions
to
immigration.
• I
can
explain
how
segregation
affected
life
in
the
postwar
period
• I
can
explain
how
civil
rights
activists
advanced
the
ideals
of
liberty,
equality,
and
opportunity
for
African
Americans.
• I
can
explain
how
civil
rights
activists
changed
their
strategies
and
goals
in
the
1960s
and
1970s
and
evaluate
how
successful
they
were
in
achieving
racial
equality.
• I
can
explain
why
and
how
the
civil
rights
movement
expanded.
• I
can
identify
social,
political,
and
environmental
problems
that
Americans
faced
at
the
turn
of
the
20th
century.
• I
can
explain
who
the
progressives
were
and
how
they
addressed
the
problems
they
saw.
• I
can
evaluate
how
well
presidents
Roosevelt,
Taft,
and
Wilson
promoted
progressive
goals
in
national
politics.
English
language
arts
long‐term
learning
targets
• I
can
evaluate
the
credibility
of
an
author’s
statements.
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
•
•
•
•
•
I
can
think
critically
about
messages
in
the
media.
I
can
make
an
appeal
to
a
specific
audience
using
persuasive
techniques
and
an
appropriate
tone.
I
can
identify
social
and
ecological
problems
associated
with
irresponsible
consumerism.
I
can
assess
the
social
impact
of
my
actions.
I
can
develop
an
advertising
campaign
for
positive
change
in
my
community.
Spanish
long‐term
learning
targets
• I
can
compare,
contrast
and
draw
connections
between
my
own
culture
and
Spanish‐speaking
cultures.
• I
can
analyze
and
communicate
about
my
interpretations
of
Spanish‐language
media.
• I
can
employ
useful
or
common
language
to
understand
and
be
understood
in
Spanish.
• I
can
understand
common
verbal
interactions
in
Spanish
in
my
community.
Spanish
supporting
learning
targets
• I
can
describe
the
experience
of
Hispanics
and
Latinos
in
America
and
the
racism
they
experience
as
a
result
of
prejudice.
• I
can
examine
the
actions
of
the
stakeholders
of
borderlands
life
and
their
effect
on
immigration
in
the
United
States.
• I
can
explain
the
push/pull
factors
that
cause
immigration
and
stakeholders’
reaction
to
border
crossings.
Science
long‐term
learning
targets
• I
can
list
the
subatomic
particles
in
an
atom,
giving
relative
size,
charge,
and
location.
• I
can
use
a
periodic
table
to
explain
the
nuclear
make
up
of
the
elements
on
earth.
• I
can
explain
isotopes,
including
radioactive
isotopes.
• I
can
describe
the
processes
of
atomic
fusion
and
fission.
• I
can
explain
the
consequences
of
radiation
on
living
things.
• I
can
discuss
the
USA
secret
project
“The
Manhattan
Project”
that
took
place
during
WWII.
Art
long‐term
learning
targets
• I
can
explain
the
history
and
purpose
of
silhouette
in
visual
arts.
• I
can
create
a
silhouette
and
tableau
that
represent
issues
of
identity
as
they
relate
to
the
American
ideals.
Math
long‐term
learning
targets
• I
can
describe
examples
of
the
integration
of
African
Americans
and
women
into
the
field
of
mathematics.
• I
can
use
statistics
to
explain
how
the
racial
and
economic
diversity
at
our
school
creates
a
rich
community
of
learners.
Assessments
Social
Studies
• Persuasive
essays:
‐ Does
America
live
up
to
its
ideals
of
equality,
rights,
and
democracy?
‐ Were
American
ideals
advanced
or
decreased
during
Reconstruction?
• Thematic
essays
‐ Constitutional
principals
‐ Brown
v.
Board
of
Education
‐ Individuals
and
change
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sensory
figures
of
Hamilton
and
Jefferson
“Report
Card”
for
the
Constitution,
judging
whether
or
not
it
supports
the
ideals
in
the
Declaration
of
Independence
“Found
poem”
about
slavery
Poem
stanza
on
Booker
T.
Washington
and
W.E.B.
Dubois
BBK
workshop
Immigration
political
cartoon
Action
plan
for
social
change
Investigative
muckraking
report
English
• “1‐in‐300k”
multimedia
project
• Counter‐advertisement
Art
•
Silhouette
and
tableau
Math
• Mathematician
research
and
presentation
• Reflective
essay
on
diversity
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Expeditionary Learning
Learning Expedition Documentation Project
Connections
to
the
community
and
larger
world
Fieldwork
• Students participated in fieldwork at the CEPA Gallery, a photography gallery and educational institution
in Buffalo. There, students explored the theme of contrast, particularly how it creates a difference
between two objects, ideas, or concepts. The investigation was done through a series of artistic media –
tableaux, photograms, silhouette, and creative writing – which became key elements of the final gallery
exhibit.
• Students explored the streets of Buffalo to capture images for their muckraker project
Exhibitions
• CEPA Gallery opening
Experts
• Lauren Tent – Educational Director, CEPA Gallery
• Sean Donoher – Executive Director, CEPA Gallery
OOL
k
e Artwor
About th
de students
th
, 11 gra
m
’s Progra
Tonight
and
n Ideals
e Betwee
The Spac Living Tableau:
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every fiv
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Live perfo tween 6 and 7PM
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ux:
te Tablea
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expedition PA Gallery. theme of
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at CE plored the
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participate
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it
out the da
Through particularly howas, or concepts. ThArt
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investiga ps:
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(Theatre)
Photography
Ms. Bialy
chi (Art and
Tableaux:ms: Ms. Luras rs. Verrico (Art)
Photogra Portraits: M ank (English)
Mr. M
:
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rit
W
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p
Big Ideas
re is a ga en refer to unrealist
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H SCH
ER HIG
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Y CHART EXPEDITION NIG
TAPESTR
DE
NTH GRA
ELEVE
And Justice
for All
llery staff
CEPA Ganaher and
Thanks to
Do
A Special e Director Sean uren Tent
Executiv on Director La
Educati
!
lhouette
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ouett
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Exactly What Went int
o Our
Learning Expedition?
,
ra
can ideals
res Amerinder and race is Ka
ge
who explo
students
Purpose
One artistly in dealing with llery, 11th gradehistorical
particularWhile at CEPA Gark. She uses themerican
Walker. roduced to her woretell African-A se while it All too often, adolescents’ experience
were int of silhouettes to powerful becau done, it with high school lacks any real
lly
m
ry
is ve
art for
d masterfu
gaze. conversation about the realitie
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s of their
look at an an introspective
history.be
communities in regards
es
autiful to
Content and Skills
to race, gender,
is very unting and requir
duct of and class.
This expedition’s purpo
is also ha
it is the pro
se
on exhib llery. In keeping was to give
In their US history class,
y
ntl
rre
these students an outlet
the students
Ga
rk cu
ed images, a
to
ett
studie
ou
The artwoork done at CEPA
d
the
following content, evalua
silh
explor
ide
e and expand the questi
ting the
powerful their own. Thenalities
ons they
the fieldw
presence of the ideals set
Walker’s
rso
es of
have as well to put it in
forth in
with Karacreated silhouettmuch of their pe ple
a historical
Decla
context. Our trimester-lon
Zration of Independence:
studentsthem to see how resented in a simd
10
20
g
study
was for cteristics are repfile. It encourage
R 10TH
centers around the premis
BE
ts,
EM
jec
Colon
ara
•
that the
ial Roots of Democracy
le, ob
DeEC
and ch tline of their pro
Yenden
do. Declaration of Indep
ucing peop
• Constitutional Principles
ce set forth a
traced outo see what red ms and shapes can
ir
students wn to simple forleaus based on theand U.vision
S. of what this country was to be: a
• American Enslavement
things do also created tab ideals in Englished andsociety of equals equipped with
• Abolition Movement
ph
p.
gra
Students of American
sho nable rights, holdin
photo
otounalie
• Reconstruction
g the power to
us wheresilhouettes in Ph t
exploration
direct government. Over
The tablea
• Civil Rights Movements
two hundred
History.nverted into simplewerful images tha
een
years since that document
of po
a gap betwrre
then co
• Progressive Era
was first
is a series
t there is
cu nt .
signed
The resultte whether or no examples from r stu
nts
,
we
de
asked
our
students if
investiga d reality by using y today and ou America is
living up to its founding
Meanwhile, they refined
ideals an t effect our societ
their literacy skills
ideals. Are we a society
in both US history and
issues tha
of equals? Do
English by
we have all the rights we
employing the following
deserve? Do
skills:
we exercise our power
as the people?
Tonight’s program offers
• Determining author bias
their answer.
• Critical essay writing
• Determining the main idea
• Summarizing texts in an academ
Big Ideas
ic
tone
1. There is a gap betwe
en the
American ideals and
reality.
2. Ideals both unite
and divide.
3. Democracy requir
es
participation and action
.
12
• Reading for real world conne
ctions
Students also read Ann
Patchett’s 2007 novel, Run,
a
New York Times Bestse
ller
about a multiracial family
set
in present day Boston.
The
novel explores disparity
of
the American experience
through the lens of birth,
class, and race.
Case Study
The expedition was kicked
off by viewing
Spike Lee’s award winnin
g documentary
When the Levees Broke, a
probing examination of
the
United States government’s
role and response to the
Hurricane Katrina disaste
r.
The film helped to open
a
discourse about how race
and class determines the
American experience.
Major Project
Students wrote persuasive
essays this fall in
which they evaluated the
extent to which
America lives up to its ideals
of equality,
democracy, and rights.
While the students
all had initial judgments
about this question,
they were required to do
research about
what each ideal means,
looking to both
historical and contemporary
sources. The
students were then led
in exploration of
various academic texts
that would help them
to build an argument for
their opinion.
Some of these texts includ
ed work by
Jonothan Kozol, Micha
el Parenti, and
Howard Zinn as well as
articles from The
New York Times, The Washin
gton Post, and The
Buffalo News. With this
evidence, they
drafted and revised essays
that supported a
thesis about America living
up to its ideals.