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echoes
of violence, voices of change Thematic Unit · SED 720 · Dr. Jamal Cooks · Thurdays 7:00 PM · Spring 2005 |
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Group Members: Mark
Ewing - French Introduction Students at Dolores Huerta High have been displaying a lack of engagement in curriculum materials, declining grades, and an upswing in violence. The recent increase in violence has been disconcerting to the faculty and seems to be the direct result of disenfranchisement, and perhaps declining community engagement. From our daily interactions with the students, we believe that their lack of voice and stifled creativity are important contributors to this upswing in violence. More specifically, the students have indicated that they are very concerned about several important issues, but feel as though their voices are not being heard. These issues include: gangs; lack of economic opportunities; Iraq and the potential of the draft; and lack of support groups and role models. As a group of concerned faculty members, we have decided to specifically address this sense of voicelessness in an effort to promote re-engagement in their community, school, and life. We've decided to take advantage of the current focus of the historical curriculum (World War I) as a backdrop to discuss key issues of violence prevention and the individual's role in defining his/her world. We feel that the connections to WWI are particularly salient because our students again find themselves positioned at the beginning of a violent century. It was only 100 years ago that the WW I generation radically transformed our world. We want to empower our students with the knowledge that the world can always be re-imagined. Demographics: Delores Huerta High School serves 1,200 students, and our thematic unit is being taught to a group of 10th graders. The school, part of the San Francisco Unified School District, is known for its strong athletic and arts programs, as well as its championship chess club. The student population is broken down as follows: 35% Latino 10% Asian 30% African American 20% White 5% Other 50% of our students qualify for Free or Reduced Price Lunches (FRPL) 20% of the students at our school are English Language Learners The gender distribution is 52% Boys and 48% Girls Reading Levels: 20% of these students are reading at the 10th Grade level 50% are reading at the 8th/9th Grade level 30% are reading at below 8th Grade level Parental Education levels: 20% College Graduates 20% Some College 40% High School Graduates 20% Some High School 80% of our students graduate from High School, although there remain significant gaps by race, with Asian and White students graduating at a higher rate than African American and Latino students. Of the graduates, 20% go on to a 2-year college and another 20% go on to attend a 4-year college. |
Music
Culminating |
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