Cultivating Active Minds: The Impact of Bringing Social Justice Literature to Life in Middle School

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Generating Knowledge From Teacher Research to Meet the Challenges Within Public Education

Abstract

Exposure to diversity issues that impact marginalized human beings is a pivotal dimension in all levels of education, from elementary to graduate-level coursework and beyond. Students, like those in the school where I teach (who are from predominantly white neighborhoods), often lack exposure to visible diversity, which can become a problem as they move through their years of schooling into college and careers. Using literature as a critical tool to explore issues that impact people who are constantly considered as “other-ed” is one way to develop a solid understanding of the trials, tribulations and inequities that others may face. But when we engage students in social justice issues in the classroom, what impact does it have on their understanding of the core issues? Students talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, but do they understand modern-day civil rights issues? Do they care about gender equality? Do they understand how economic hardship leads to inequities in access and opportunity? These are things that 7th graders, and everyone, should care about and should be engaged in discussing. Thus, my study explored two interrelated questions: “How does reading social justice literature impact students’ understanding of social issues?” and “How does teaching content you are passionate about impact teacher’s attitudes and morale?”
During a six-week period, I implemented a social justice unit in my five seventh-grade Language Arts classes. In an effort to better understand students’ comprehension of social justice issues throughout the unit, students wrote journal entries multiple times a week during class. Students also responded to open-ended questions through each mini-unit and explained their understanding of social issues, and whether their opinions on social issues have changed. In addition, after reading a selection on a social issue, students were asked to explain how the reading impacted their understanding of that particular social issue. I also asked students to complete surveys at the end of the unit to gauge student understanding of social issues. Thus, students’ voices were my main source of data. In addition, I wrote journal entries about my lessons and how they were implemented throughout the unit. I focused my journal writing on how I felt with regard to the potential strengths and shortcomings, and reflections on my observation of students’ engagement and the nature of their discussions and questions.
Analysis of these various data sources revealed that my students understand far more than I expected them to about the communities, countries, and world we live in. I found that educating students on social issues through literature can positively impact students’ understandings of past social issues, particularly when the historical context is explored in-depth. Most importantly, students understood the importance of learning about the past to improve the future, but need opportunities to see the parallels between past and current social justice concerns. Moreover, I learned that when I teach with passion, while still aligning with my designated curricula, I have a positive impact on student learning, classroom climate, and my own morale.

Author

• Brooke Chuddley Diatta, Long Valley Middle School