Looking at Change

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” 
Maria Robinson

 "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson

This course is about change - personal change and social change.  Part of this is understanding what needs to be changed - in ourselves and in the world.

"The key to change...is to let go of fear." Rosanne Cash

Social Justice: The fair distribution of advantages, assets, and benefits among all members of a society.

Is social and personal change necessary?

How do we make social change?

What things do you think need to be changed?

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” Flora Whittemore

In helping others we help ourselves.  But we must know what needs to be changed.

Look at the powerpoint below.  For each image, write down the first word that pops into your mind in your journal.  You will not share this with anyone unless you choose to.  

After you have finished, write the following in your journal:

Look over the words you wrote.  What do your words reflect?  Are you describing people by their age?  Race? Size? Gender? Sexual orientation? Income? Religion?  Is this likely the most important characteristic for each of these people?  If I had added a picture of you, what word might someone else write?    What other words have they missed?  What don't they see about you at first glance?  Write a list of words that you would want people to know about you.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles

Sj12 self reflection

 One person that has created huge change both in his life and from the grassroots level is the Reverend Desmond Tutu.  When you read the foreword to the textbook you will see he believes that that we live in a moral universe.  What do you think?




Desmond Tutu part one

Desmond Tutu part two

Desmond Tutu part three



What did Desmond Tutu tell us about the changes Nelson Mandela went through?


  For homework I want you to consider the following questions:

1. Who taught you what you know?
2. Have you ever questioned the things you were taught?
3. How do my beliefs affect the way I view others?
4. Is this different from the views of people around me?  How do I know?
5. How do I respond/feel when people around me disagree with my beliefs?

We will discuss these questions tomorrow in class. 

Privilege

privilege

An entitlement or benefit enjoyed by a person afforded only by inclusion within a small but powerful group or class and not through any achievement, talent, or effort on their part.  Privilege is afforded to this small group only at the disadvantage of others.

   
 Rapsodeus by Bruno Bozzetto. 

After watching this film, what two words occur to you and how are they  related to privilege?







Think about these words:

Power and Greed

Would you be willing to give up a little of your lifestyle to help someone else have a better life?

Course Outline

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SOCIAL JUSTICE 12

COURSE OUTLINE

Diane Cacciato

dcacciato@sd63.bc.ca

Welcome to Social Justice 12

Classroom expectations:

I will be expecting the following things from you:

1. I expect you to treat all people in this classroom or any other place we go as a class with respect and courtesy.  This includes being supportive of each other, not swearing or using hate slang (hate slang includes anything that is derogatory to or insulting of any particular group or groups), helping others when they need it, cooperating with others, etc.  Of all the expectations for Social Justice 12, this is the MOST important.
2. I expect you to treat the classroom, or any other place we go as a class, and all the objects in it with respect.  This includes not leaving garbage lying around or in your desks, not writing on the desks or in your textbooks, leaving your space neat and tidy at the end of class.
3. I expect you to come to class prepared to be an active learner.  This includes bringing your notebook, textbook, pen/pencil, arriving on time, bringing finished homework on time, turning off and putting cellphones away, putting ipods away except when you are told you may use them, getting enough sleep the night before so you are awake in class, etc.

You can expect the following things from me:

1. You can expect the same things from me that I expect from you – that I will treat people in our class with respect, that I will treat our space with respect and that I will come to class prepared to be an active participant.
2. You can expect that I will treat you fairly, that I will encourage you, and that I will be flexible in my expectations when it is appropriate.
3. You can expect extra help from me as needed.  I will be available most days at break in the library.  I will also be available after school in the library on most Fridays. 
4. You can expect that I will do my best to answer your questions.  I may not have the answers immediately but I will make every effort to find an answer for you in a reasonable time.
   

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Class Content:

We will be covering the following topics in class:

1. Introduction to Social Justice: setting ground rules, building empathy, defining terms and concepts, examining ethics
   
2. Social Justice Beliefs and Values: examining belief systems
3. Research Skills: devising key questions, locating resources, assessing reliability and bias in resources, note-taking, citations.
4. Racism and Ableism: examining how specific examples have had an impact on the lives of the individuals
   
5. Poverty: examining a situation or reality of injustice, including power imbalance, exclusion, marginalization, etc.
6. Aboriginal Peoples and the Law: uses law as a lens to show students how government sometimes uses it’s power to commit acts of injustice.
7. Examining LGBTQ Issues: challenging homophobia, myths and facts, legal rights.
8. Women and Social Justice: looking at women’s history, understanding feminist movement, oppression of women internationally.
9. Genocide: comprehend the historical significance of genocide
   
10. Globalization: understand social justice as it relates to globalization.
11. Social Justice Action Plan: major project that consists of several integrated activities and extends over the duration of the semester.  It provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate skills such as leadership, organization, and presentation.  This will incorporate the concepts learned over the semester, demonstrate and understanding of the personal and organizational skills required to effect real change, and raise student awareness.

Resources we will be using:
The textbook we will be using are:

• Global Voices: The Compilation Volume 1 (GV)
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
  
• The Better World Shopping Guide
  

You will need one notebook for a personal and learning journal.


You will also create a blog.  You may call your blog whatever you like (as long as it is respectful). You will use this blog to write down thoughts on the topics we have covered.

We will also be using other resources in the library and on the Internet as needed.

Evaluation of Your Learning:

Your skills and knowledge will be evaluated using the following:

• Individual and group classwork
• Homework
• Quizzes, tests and the final exam
• The Social Justice Action Plan
• Blog and personal journal
• Research process
• Self evaluation
• Class discussions
• Discussions between student and teacher

These will determine your final grade in Social Justice 12.