This unit opens with historical background on race disputes regarding public transportation in the American South during World War II, leading up to the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycotts in 1955. The focus then shifts to the psychology of racism and each individual’s choice to either embrace the humanity of others or to resist it, and the consequences of both choices. The students spend time reflecting on their personal identities and biases and the need to cultivate unity among groups, while still upholding and respecting diversity. This leads to a study of people coming together around a need and organizing themselves to address and challenge a social construct. The unit concludes with the students organizing and participating in a “Mix It Up Day!” with the intention of breaking down social and racial barriers in the school lunchroom.

The learners will:

• describe Southern black resistance against legal segregation in public transportation during the World War II era.
  
  
• determine the causes and effects of actual scenarios of resistance in the South during the mid 1940s and present possible alternatives to resolve those conflicts.
  
  
• explain why Rosa Parks is called the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”
  
  
• explain how racism leads to self-betrayal and self-deception.
  
  
• analyze the effects on society of racism.
  
  
• differentiate between misperceptions and actual emographics about population, health, wealth and resources.
  
  
• illustrate and identify stereotypes.
  
  
• describe the role of racial identity in one’s life.
  
  
• compare, contrast and interpret national and classroom statistics on hate.
  
  
• define stereotype, discrimination, prejudice, egoism and altruism and recognize discrimination.
  
  
• describe the origins of prejudice and list ways to heal racism.
  
  
• create a personal social action plan for healing racism.
  
  
• compare and contrast individual versus organized efforts toward social change in history.
  
  
• list and describe organizational components of sample non-profit organizations.
  
  
• create a mock non-profit organization.
  
  
• select, organize, participate in and analyze a project to increase diversity in the school.
  
  
• describe the importance of working together to complete a major task.

• The Venn diagram and journal reflections will assess student learning in Lesson One: The Power of Protest.
  
  
• In Lesson Two: Racism and the Box, assessment will include teacher observation of class work, discussion and interactive participation, and written reflection using a rubric (see Attachment Four).
  
  
• In Lesson Three: Getting Out of the Box, assessment will include a Racial Identity Autobiography scored with a rubric and a brief oral presentation.
  
  
• Student participation in class discussions and creation of mission and program statements will assess learning in Lesson Four: Power in Numbers.
  
  
• In Lesson Five: “Mix It Up!” several activities are suggested as an assessment of learning, including an analysis of the project and its impact on the student body, a letter to the teachers suggesting improvements on the lesson and ways that the lesson could be carried on in the future, and a student survey of the school project.

The teacher will want to start this project at least a month ahead so that the staff meeting can be attended and all the outside work completed. This is a lesson that could be one period a week for three or four weeks.