Privilege & Oppression, Bias & the Single Story, Intolerance vs. Allyship Units

Compelling and Timely — These versatile units on Privilege and Oppression, Bias and the Single Story, and Intolerance vs. Allyship provide frameworks for understanding social justice. The lessons are LOW PREP (print and go). Each unit includes plans, slides with engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and assessments. This is a High School resource that can be used for digital learning. The thematic units can be used in multiple subject such as English, History, Government, Sociology, and Ethnic Studies.

Each unit is organized in a step-by-step manner that enables students to understand interconnected and increasingly complex concepts.

• In the first unit, students examine the concepts of privilege and oppression. This unit helps you address sensitive topics in a respectful and interactive way.
• In the second unit, students delve into different types of bias—explicit, implicit, confirmation and disconfirmation. They relate the concepts to Chimamanda Adichie’s The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk and “fake news.”
• In the third unit, students analyze the escalation of intolerance, beginning with stereotypes, continuing through prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination, then addressing scapegoating, hate crimes and genocide. The unit ends positively with an exploration of ways to be proactive through allyship.

These units provide analysis tools that you can pair with literature in ELA or topics in Social Studies. For example:

• The Privilege and Oppression unit can be used to provide a framework for reading autobiographies in English or for examining civil rights in History.
• The Bias and the Single Story unit can be used as a framework for reading counter-narratives in English or for examining propaganda in History.
• The Intolerance vs. Allyship unit can provide a framework for reading dystopian literature in English or for studying the Holocaust in History.

ALL the units include:

• Extensive guides with easy, step-by-step directions that include objectives, essential questions, and standards
• Handouts of terms and definitions in editable Word and PDF versions
• Multiple-choice tests (with keys) in PDF, editable Word, and Easel versions
• Close Watching: Video Response Notes
• Proactive Reading Annotation cards for readings

The PRIVILEGE AND OPPRESSION unit also includes:

• A PowerPoint with 71 slides and multiple activities
• Guided Reading Notes (with a key) for the article “Oppression” by Marilyn Frye
• A “Four Corners Mini-Debate” activity about solutions for inequality
• A “Draw It” activity about the 4 I’s of Oppression
• A reflection in which students discuss the influence of aspects of privilege and oppression

The BIAS AND THE SINGLE STORY unit also includes:

• A PowerPoint with 58 slides and multiple activities
• Readings and questions about ethnocentrism, implicit bias, “fake news,” and the “single story”
• A “Draw It” activity about four types of bias
• A culminating project in which students deconstruct stereotypes

The INTOLERANCE VS. ALLYSHIP unit also includes:

• A PowerPoint with 87 slides and multiple activities
• Guided Reading Notes (with a key) for “Protests in Germany” from Facing History and Ourselves
• A “Draw It” activity about four types of intolerance
• A Mini-Debate activity about Jane Elliot’s “Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes” experiment
• A reflection in which students discuss intolerance vs. allyship
• A culminating project in which students create anti-hate messages

The INTOLERANCE VS. ALLYSHIP unit uses the steps that Nazis took from 1933-1945 to examine human behavior. It illuminates the psychology of current events such as anti-Asian hate crimes. If you want compelling material that dissects the mechanisms of hate, and also provides hope, this is it. This resource contains some of the most impactful material that I have used in over 25 years of teaching.

*For copyright reasons, the materials in this resource are NOT editable with the exception of specific components that are labeled as editable. You ARE able to insert text boxes and images on slides, rearrange them, and add your own.*

The slides can be imported into Google Slides, Nearpod, or Pear Deck to enhance online learning and/or to add activities such as discussions and polls.

Directions are clear and concise, and the resource includes graphic organizers to help you serve students with special needs. The multiple-choice tests are editable so you can differentiate assessments.

IMPORTANT NOTE: While teaching online during the pandemic, I began to utilize short video clips for instruction. They were particularly impactful when addressing social justice issues due to their visceral nature. Because of their effectiveness, I have incorporated them into my curriculum, so this resource includes links to short videos. I suggest that you consider your ability to show videos to students when making a decision about purchasing this resource.

Save BIG with a mega bundle of ALL my thematic units plus extras! Social Justice Thematic Units—Infuse in History, Pair with Literature in English

If you try my resource, I would love to hear any questions or suggestions that you have. I would also appreciate your writing a review—you’ll receive TPT credits to apply to future purchases! Thank you.