Archive for the ‘5th Grade’ Category

The CACAO Project: Children Against Chocolate Aided Oppression

Friday, June 24th, 2011

picket-signs-10Grade: 5th grade unit
Topics: Child labor, fair trade
Social Justice Skills: Letter writing, petitions, protest, PSA’s
Created by Dan Hildreth and Neil Rathan

This unit taught students about the use of child labor and the benefits of fair trade in the coca industry. Students wrote letters to chocolate CEO’s, created a petition to get fair trade chocolate in their local store, created PSA’s to educate the community and protested in front of M&Ms/Mars in Times Square.

Find out more: cacoaproject.wordpress.com

Understanding the Past: Changing the Future

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Grade: 5th grade, general ed and Integrated Team Teaching
Topics: Racism, Discrimination, Civil Rights
Social Justice Skills: Letter Writing, Peer Education, Critical Thinking

Created by Emily Munzer, Daniel Hildreth and Neil Rathan, 5th grade teachers, Lower East Side, NYC

An in-depth unit on the American Civil Rights movement that spans from the 1940′s to the 1960′s. Students used historical fiction, non fiction resources, and documentary films to develop an understanding of the racial divide in the United States during this time period, identifying the differences between Individual vs. Institutional Racism, learning about key catalysts and leaders of the movement, and creating a content-specific glossary of related terms. The 5th grade ultimately wrote, directed, and acted in a “Living Museum” performance to showcase their understandings.

Find out more: http://noracisminthisclassroom.wordpress.com


5th Graders say: Stop Unfair Child Labor Now!

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Grade: 5th Grade
Topics: Unfair labor, worker’s rights, fair trade, sustainability, fairness, slavery, unions
Created by Liav Shapiro, P.S. 230 Brooklyn, NY

This unit was created to teach students about unfair labor of the past and today, linking issues of children’s rights and labor rights. Students participated a “Fair Trade Boot Camp,” various simulations, created artwork, wrote letters to major U.S. companies, and became more critical of the foods that are sold in their local supermarkets.

Find out more: www.unfairchildlabor.wordpress.com

Amanda’s Tale of Two Cities

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Grade: 3rd- 6thJen JPEG19
Topics: Moving, diversity, critical consciousness, white privilege
Created by Jennifer Spitz, Alumni- NYU Undergraduate Teacher Education Program

Written by Jennifer Spitz, Amanda’s Tale of Two Cities is a children’s story meant to help children come to terms with their developing sense of themselves in the world.  This story is particularly helpful to read with children of more privileged backgrounds, particularly White children who have little exposure to diversity, to support them in developing empathy, solidarity and critical awareness.

Find out more: http://amandastale.wordpress.com/

Eat Smart! Be Smart!

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

dscn1639Grade: 5th grade unit
Topics: Nutrition, Fitness, Healthy Choices, School Lunches
Social Justice Skills: Letter writing, petitions, protest, PSA’s

Created by Emily Munzer, Dan Hildreth and Neil Rathan

This unit guides students on a journey of taking control of their nutritional habits by educating them on the choices that are available and the benefits of making those choices. Students will take social action by working to change the school lunch menu as well as educating other students in the school about the problems of the school lunches and to advocate to change them.

Find out more: eatsmartbesmart.wordpress.com

Beat it! Defeat it! Racist Cookies, We Won’t Eat it!

Monday, June 1st, 2009

img_2850Grade: 2nd-5th
Topics: Current and historical racism, current events, civil rights
Social Justice Skills: protests, letter writing, questioning
Created by Undergraduate Childhood Teacher Education Program at NYU

This unit was created in response to a NYC bakery that sold racist cookies. The lessons links this incident to historical racism using children’s literature, teach about antiracism and provide opportunities
for social action.

Find out more: bree-beatitdefeatit.blogspot.com