A Sample Course Overview for Social Justice 12:
Special Note:
Look for the BCTF Social Justice Newsletter online also! Find the Recommended URL links at
your fingertips. For Social Justice Local Contacts and School Social Justice Contacts you will be
able to find this posted on the new Social Justice Listserve that you have access to. Please add
your suggestions and ideas too!
Introduction:
My approach has been to use resources that present the topics in the most interesting manner, to
focus on examples that I am most familiar with and to adjust the course to group I have. As far as
the classes I have taught thus far, I feel I have planted seeds that will be harvested after students
have graduated. For some teachers, they cover less content, and harvest activists on site. It is
important to get to know your class and interpret where on the seed to harvest spectrum your
students are. Ultimately, it is nice to harvest immediately, but it is also important to establish a
well-cultivated field.
Baseline Resources: The Ministry IRP and Sample Units and BCTF recommendations
 SJ 12 Teacher Guide and Assessment Support
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/program_delivery/ss.htm
SJ 12 IRP http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/social_justice12/sj12irp2008.pdf
BCTF Resources: http://www.bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6024


History of Social Justice- Best synopsis I have found!
 http://www.hrweb.org/
The Civil Rights Movement and Racism-FREE resources from www.tolerance.org
 The Rosa Parks story and the Birmingham Riots
 Apartheid Didn’t Die - Free Video (only use short section)
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=6343784518626528037&ei=zDBTSdGWPKe6q
APIzbDaBg&q=Apartheid+&hl=en
Human Rights: United Nations
 The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
 The Millenium Goals
http://www.tear.org.au/downloads/resources/resourceKitALaCart2008-2.pdf
 Water as a Human Right (letter to Harper) http://www.righttowater.ca/RTW
Human Trafficking and Prostitution
 “Human Trafficking” video http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0461872/
 Human Trafficking in BC http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/octip/definition.htm
The Asian Holocaust and the Comfort Women
 Iris Chang movie, Iris Change movie study guide
Online http://www.alpha-canada.org/studyguide/IrisChangMovie_studyguide.pdf
 Nanking (Movie about the Safety Zone) http://nankingthefilm.com/
The Holocaust, the Polish Ghettos, and Anti-Semitism
 Neighbours ( http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s7018.pdf )
 Scream the Truth http://www.vhec.org/images/pdfs/ringelblum_teachersguide.pdf
Rights of the Child: Child Soldiers, Child Labour, Health and Education
 A Long Way Gone (Book) Free Lessons http://staff.juniata.edu/murraym/beah/index.html

Free the Children (Website with lessons)
http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/geteducated/childlabour.htm
 UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/whatwedo/index.html
Corporate Accountability: Blood Diamonds and Walmart Nation
 Walmart Nation http://www.walmartnation.com/
 Blood Diamonds http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450259/Film:
o Free Teaching Guide http://www.amnestyusa.org/educate/film-curriculumguides/blood-diamond-curriculum-guide/page.do?id=1102105
Water as A Social Justice Issue
 Flow (Trailer) http://www.flowthefilm.com/
 A World Without Water (Online video)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3930199780455728313
 The Tar Sands http://oilsandstruth.org/billions-litres-tainted-tar-sands-water-leakingreport
 The Drinking Water Book: A Guide to Safe Drinking Water (Online preview of book)
http://books.google.ca/books?id=3D08M_vE_FkC&dq=children's+safe+drinking+wa
ter+society&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0
Cyberbullying: Bridging Social Justice, Policy and Law
 The Megan Pledge http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
 Netsmartz online videos http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.htm
Violence Against Women, Feminism and the Status of Women
 Iron Jawed Angels (Free study guide for movie)
http://www.time.com/time/classroom/voting/pdfs/teacher.pdf
 16 Days Against Gender Violence http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/about.html
 Montreal Massacre http://www.gendercide.org/case_montreal.html
The Media and Social Justice
 Killing Us Softly 3 Free online video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1993368502337678412
 Merchants of Cool (Free online video)
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5109415725027567998&ei=J8pTSem8Kqe6qA
OknpnECw&q=Merchants+of+cool&hl=en
 No Logo: Naomi Klein Free Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0itS3gQFU
The Social Justice Lens and Critical Thinking
 Social Justice Lens (More information and graphics available at BCTF)
http://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/About_Us/ServicesHandbook/18SocialJustice.pdf
 Hurricane Katrina: http://www.reason.com/news/show/36334.html
BC Issue Examples: Polygamy
 Polygamy http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/polygamy/index.html
 BC Coal Bed Methane http://www.cbmwatch.ca/docs/JonesCBM_files/frame.htm
Classism, Poverty and Homelessness
 Homelessness in Canada http://intraspec.ca/homelessCanada_news-and-reports.php
 BC Poverty http://www.vancouversun.com/story_print.html?id=1025465&sponsor=
Sexual Orientation: Comparative Law, Gay Marriage and Individual Rights
 International Gay Laws http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_laws_of_the_world
 UN http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE4BH7EW20081219
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Canada
Homophobia: Harassment, Assault and Death
 Statistics: http://www.pflagphoenix.org/education/youth_stats.html

Hold Hands Protest
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081012/vanouver_rally_08101
2/20081012?hub=Canada
Colonialism: Treaties, Residential Schools and Indigenous Cultures
 Residential Schools http://www.wherearethechildren.ca/en/impacts.html
 Indigenous Cultures http://sciencestage.com/v/567/-talks-national-geographic-wadedavis-language-ethnosphere-indigenous-dreams-culture-myth.html
Globalization: Transnational Corporations, Free Trade and Global Migrations
 Refugees http://www.unhcr.ca/teachers/catalog.htm
 Refugees and Doctors without Borders
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/education/refugeecamp/home/
 Cartoons http://www.ykuusa.org/english/whycross/globalization.jpg (lots more online)
Unions: As Social Justice Institutions
 Role of unions in SJ http://www.psac-sjf.org/en/news/article.cfm?articleid=10
 Killer Coke-Students Assessment of Website http://www.killercoke.org/
Peace Initiatives: Article Nine, Mayors for Peace and Peace Art
 War Dance (Trailer) ( http://www.wardancethemovie.com/ )
 War Toys to Peace Art http://www.wartoystopeaceart.com/
 Universal Soldier: Free online video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGWsGyNsw00
Environmental Social Justice: Protecting Cultures, Lands and Resources
 Independent Power Projects in BC “49 Megawatts”(online video)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8937562248643223326
 Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.ca/
Specism and Animal Rights: Ethics, Neglect, Abuse and Protection
 SPC\A International http://www.spca.com/pages/about
 Waterloo Public Interest Group http://www.wpirg.org/saac
Famous Activists: Nobel Peace Prize Winners, Men, Women and Children
 Nobel Peace Winners http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/
 Partial list of Activists http://www.infoplease.com/biography/activists.html
Advocacy: Letters, Articles, Networking, Websites, Protests and Petitions
 Amnesty International: (Letters, Posters, Campaigns) http://www.amnesty.org/
 BCFEd http://www.bcfed.com/issues
NGO’s: Greenpeace, UNICEF and the Junior G8, UNESCO sites
 Greenpeace: (Taking A Stand http://www.urth.tv/content/view/24382/449/ ) (Trailer):
o Film (http://www.filmwest.com/Catalogue/itemdetail/3306/ )
 UNICEF ( http://www.unicef.org/ )
Social Justice: Transforming Structures, Policies and Lives
 South Africa Water Policy http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Court-ruling-on-waterin-South,3081
 Comfort Women http://bcjournal.org/2008/comfort-women/
The Arts: Art, Music and Literature to Forward Social Justice
 Hip Hop http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/classroom/hiphop.html
 Art (Google SJ Art) http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005583.html
 Iron Maiden on Unit 731 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbNyIzpsAoQ
Universalism
 World Aids Day: online resource http://www.avert.org/media/pdfs/hivaidslessons.pdf or
(http://www.vicaids.asn.au/contentfilesuploaded/Lesson%20Plans.pdf ) or basic
information (http://ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2008/12/01/127362.html)
 United Nations Agreements on Human Rights http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html
Free Public Education
 The Privatization of American Schools http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/pnpriv1.html
 Privatization of Public Education:
http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/css/Css_35_4/CLiconclast_john_mcmurtry.htm
Beyond the Classroom: Taking a Stand and Making a Difference
 Grassroots Organizing
Concerned Citizens of Fernie
Wildsite: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/cea/archives/news_item.asp?articleid=62
 Sample Youth Projects
Freechild Project http://www.freechild.org/youth_activism_2.htm
Amnesty Youth Activism http://www.amnesty.ca/youth/
 Current Activists
Band of Sisters http://www.oprah.com/article/world/globalissues/200810_omag_congo
Youth Activists http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/youth/advocacy/activists/index.htm
Special Dates:
The BCTF website has posted a calendar of national and international events at
http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Social_Justice/SJCalendar.pdf I teach my course in the first
semester so I focus on the Sixteen Days of action campaign as a unit, and I touch base on the
other dates when I am teaching that topic.
 Sept World Rivers Day/ March 22 World Water Day http://www.ourrivers.ca/
 Oct 18 Persons Day http://www.pc.gc.ca/canada/proj/fcdv-wwv/itm1-/index_e.asp
 Sept Paws for A Cause Walk SPCA http://www.spca.bc.ca/walk/
 Oct 17 Anti-Cyberbullying: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
 Nov 25- Dec 6 Sixteen Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence Against women
http://www.gendercide.org/case_montreal.html
 Dec 1 Worlds Aids Day http://www.avert.org/media/pdfs/hivaidslessons.pdf
 Dec 10 Human Rights Day
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/60UDHRIntroduction.aspx
 Feb 20 UN World Day of Social Justice
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/intldays/IntlJustice/
Pedagogy
Use a variety of approaches when covering topics: video discussions, research, school campaigns,
posters, debate, presenters, essays, class presentations, symposiums, response writings,
Powerpoints, interviews, websites and any other creative idea.
Closing
I praise the students of Abbotsford for their ongoing persistence to have Social Justice 12 in their
schools. This is social justice in action. We can see that the endorsement of individual rights is
paramount for democratic society to operate, as it should. Whether it is race, class, religion
gender, ability or sexual orientation, no group should be entitled to trump the rights of another
group, and even though we may disagree with their stance, we are responsible to acknowledge
our own stance has been granted to us, only because we respect the rights of others. The Social
Justice 12 curriculum promotes personal agency, collective solidarity, social and political
leadership and compassionate critical thinking. It is my hope that we all come to recognize that an
egalitarian society is a collective of differences paradoxically coexisting within a universal whole
where equity and dignity become the essence of society.
Update: June 2/2009-06-02
Great New Videos
Saving Luna (Animal rights, Conservation, First Nations)
MILK (LGBTQ, cultural change, legislation, civic action) – (preview first)
Myths for Profit (Militarism- Canadian)
The Destiny Stone (Nationalism, Youth, Civil Disobedience – Five Star Entertainment)
The Queen and I (Iran, Monarchy, Shah, Exiled, Interview)
Battle in Seattle ( WTO, civic disobedience, protests)
Shark Water (globalization, animal rights,
Taking Root ( grassroots action, Pulitzer Prize, Africa)
Slum Dog Millionaire (poverty, human rights, trafficking)
The Soloist (mental health, homelessness, significance of the arts)
Planet Earth (environment, policy, globalization)
Blue Gold (Maude Barlow, water policy, globalization)
Great New Books
The Natashas by Victor Malarek
(Status of Women, trafficking, globalization)
In the Name of Honor by Mukhtara Mai
(Status of Women, Pakistan, Compensation, action –schools for girls)
A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
(Bangladesh, feminism, Winner of the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal for Bravery, Listed in 2006 as
one of the 100 most influential persons in the world, reconciliation)
The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McCelland
(McCelland –Recipient of the 2005 Amnesty International Media Award, Mariatu –UNICEF
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict)
BCTF Workshops to Consider (New and Revised)
Women and Water
War Toys for Peace
Social Justice in Every Classroom
Poverty
And more – Book these great workshops for Pro-D days, special events and other events