Ethnic Studies Outline
Unit 0: Community and Culture
(1 Week)
This introductory unit explains key concepts, terminology, and expectations. Students will define community, and consider how different identities make up their local communities. What are historical and modern definitions of race and ethnicity?
Unit 1: Immigration and Migration
(5-7 weeks)
This unit delves into the history, developments, and narratives of immigration and migration, both forced and voluntary.
Week 1: Slavery to the Great Migration
Slavery to the Great Migration examines the evolution of slavery, the historic migration of freed slaves and its impact on modern society, the current remnants of Jim Crow laws, and the cultural explosion of Harlem. (3-5 days)
Finish with an overview of redlining and racial covenants, and better understand the long standing impacts of housing discrimination.
Supplemental lessons
Read interviews from Former Slaves, and develop critical reading and evidence based writing skills.
Understand a historic migration expressed in the narrative of a poem, “The Great Migration”.
Reflect on the American Dream while reading a Raisin in the Sun.
Week 2: Native American Movement
Begin with essential understandings and terms.
Discover untold stories about the indigenous experience, exploring Native American history, culture, and identity by focusing on narratives, communal experiences, major contributions, the concept and implications of Manifest Destiny, and the ongoing exodus. (5 days)
Supplemental lessons
Week 3: Tides of Immigration
This introduction to early immigration helps students understand initial impacts, struggles, and contributions of the first wave of immigrants.
Week 4: Changing Borders and Stories of Latino Movement
Explore the history of Latino immigration, including opportunities and challenges, as well as the vast contributions to American society. (5 days)
Discover the narratives of Latinos’ stories of arrival from various nations of origin.
Supplemental lessons
Practice a Socratic Seminar by discussing Mexican repatriation during the 1930s.
Delve further into the Bracero Program and study the largest mass deportation (part 1) and the largest mass deportation (part 2) with accompanying slides.
Week 5: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Understand different identities within the AAPI community.
Learn Chinese immigration and how the Transcontinental Railroad impacted Chinese Americans.
Explore Indian American identity and history in CA.
Delve further into topics of segregation, labor exploitation, and migration within the Asian American and Pacific Islander community (3-5 days)
Week 6: Research Project
Students research and present on a specific migration movement within the United States and evaluate push/pull factors, impacts and outcomes, as well as lasting impact. This allows students to research and delve deeper into a specific topic.
Unit 2: Civic Engagement
(2-3 weeks)
Read and discuss, What is Civic Engagement?
Analyze and discuss key terms.
Spotlight leaders in civic engagement. Each lesson should focus on what strategies these groups or leaders used to succeed. Did they succeed? Are there common themes amongst the different lessons?
Discover how the civil rights movement influenced other activist movements of the late 1960’s and 1970’s.
Explore the National Organization for Women and La Raza Unida and their involvement in civil rights.
Explore the foundation of the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP and learn how the Black Jewish alliance fought to attain justice.
Learn how Asian Americans advanced civil rights.
Spotlight on Dolores Huerta and her legacy today.
Explore Navajo code talkers who helped the Allied Forces win World War II.
Analyze how Jim Crow practices affected Latinos as well as African Americans, while discussing the 14th amendment.
Spotlight on John Lewis, his teachings, and his impact today.
Study how the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi impacted civil rights.
Discover Jazz Ambassadors and how they became a model for cultural diplomacy.
Study court cases to explore how the AAPI community has challenged citizenship practices and laws.
Finish the Unit with an informative essay: What factors increase civic engagement? When has civic engagement been successful? What makes a leader successful? What does success look like? What are the ways students can engage in important changes?
Unit 3: Contributions: Role Models and Their Impact Today
(2-3 weeks)
How can groups and communities build upon social and political gains made in the 20th century in order to confront ongoing racism and discrimination in our society?
Explore the untold histories and contributions of African Americans innovators.
Learn about the local Ohlone tribe and impact on Santa Clara County.
Discover role models in artwork that inspired Social Change. Analysis and questions here.
Native American diversity and contributions.
Study AAPI women’s voices through untold poetry.
A teacher’s guide to exploring your local community.
Focus on the legacy of Patsy Minsk and how equality is defined today.
Unit 4: Culminating Project
(1-2 weeks)
Read Siddhartha, with accompanying teacher resources, where students can discover concepts of identity, culture, and symbolism. Additional resources here.
Alternative Unit 5: Final Project
Explore a writing assessment for students to explore their personal stories around how migration has impacted their families and/or local community.