Changing the Narrative: Southern Children Stories of Hope, Resistance, and Social Change

Jocelyn James, 4th Grade, Mountain Island Lake Academy

Curriculum Unit (PDF)

Synopsis

In this curriculum unit, students will build their own agency and ability to make change in the world around them. By investigating stories of hope, resistance and social change for African Americans in the United States, teachers will allow students to develop their own voice and esteem in their communities. Students will read about historical and fictional figures that use their influence to respond to the inequalities around them and fight
for the change they want to see. Going beyond the common figures typically discussed such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and others, students will see that many people stood up for what they believed and contributed to the change we currently see in our country. This unit touches on many social and emotional skills while incorporating learning in the core English Language Arts skills many fourth-grade learners struggle with.