Literacy Matters - Vol 21 - Winter 2021

Critical Literacy Lesson Plan: All American Boys Objectives: Students will identify their own biases and prejudices. Students will dive deeper and depict the multiple viewpoints (from different perspectives) of what happened in All American Boys. Students will also focus on sociopolitical issues around police brutality. Materials: All American Boys (book) Procedure: 1. Disrupting the Commonplace: We will first start off with a series of questions: a. Who do you go to if something is wrong? b. Why is it important to trust those that you go to if something is wrong? c. How does this book position you as a reader? d. Do you think everyone treats Black people equally and how? e. How do you feel about police? f. Do cops treat everyone equally? g. How do you think cops treat Blacks vs Whites? h. Do you think the truth will set you free? Show a video on police brutality against Blacks: ask students to record their reactions.

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Video #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7hSizJTixE Video #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0peQyKJz8A 2. Interrogating Multiple Viewpoints: a. What if Rashad was White? b. What if the cop was Black? c. What if it was Quinn? d. What if cop was female? Black or White e. What if Rashad was a female? Black or White 3. Focusing on sociopolitical issues: a. What are the recent statistics of police brutality? b. Statistics of crime for Whites and Blacks

c. Why does police brutality exist? d. Why do cops get away with it?

e. What are your thoughts on protected immunity? f. What are your thoughts about defunding the police? What are the pros and cons of this?

4. Teach Statistics: Powerpoint about statistics as they relate to police brutality. 5. Brainstorm what taking action and promoting social justice looks like: a. Ask students what we can do to make a change and brainstorm ideas. Assessment: What is one thing you can take away from today to make a change?

What is one thing you learned from this lesson? What is one thing you want to know more about?

Modified from Sarah Fisher, St. John Fisher College

Figure 2 Sample Lesson Plan and Discussion Template for All American Boys

Literacy Matters | Volume 21 • Winter 2021 | 29 |

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