Unit 6
​
History of Racial Injustice in the United States

reading and Writing Workshop

Essay Prompts

Unit Plan

Contemporary Movements for Racial Justice

Activities

Teaching with E.L.O.N.  (Enriched Learning Opportunity Nexus) that seamlessly integrates AI 

Unit 6
Essential Question:
How are contemporary movements challenging and transforming systems of racial injustice in the U.S. today?
Week 1: Black Lives Matter and Racial Justice Activism
Topics:

• Origins and evolution of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement
• Intersectionality in modern racial justice activism
• Global influence and critiques of BLM

Key Texts/Resources:

• Excerpts from Alicia Garza’s The Purpose of Power
  (Use publisher excerpts or available previews)
• BLM official website (for mission and policy platforms)
  https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
• Contemporary protest photography (e.g., Ferguson, George Floyd protests)
  Recommended: Magnum Photos Collection on racial justice protests
  https://www.magnumphotos.com/

Activities:

• Primary Source Analysis: Close reading of The Purpose of Power—how does Garza frame collective activism?
• Media Literacy Activity: Compare photojournalism from different protests—how are protests visually framed?
• Socratic Seminar: Is BLM part of a longer historical continuum of Black freedom struggles?

Week 2: Environmental Racism and Indigenous Land Rights
Topics:

• Definition and case studies of environmental racism
• Indigenous resistance to resource extraction (e.g., Standing Rock and Line 3)
• Intersection of environmental and racial justice

Key Texts/Resources:

• Documentary Clips: Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock (2017)
• Articles on environmental justice from the Indigenous Environmental Network
  https://www.ienearth.org/
• News Coverage: Standing Rock protests (NPR, Democracy Now!, etc.)

Activities:

• Case Study Analysis: How did the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe frame their resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline?
• Infographic Project: Create an infographic highlighting the connections between environmental racism and Indigenous sovereignty
• Reflection Journal: Environmental justice and racial justice—how are they connected?

Week 3: Reparations Debates
Topics:

• Historical foundations of reparations claims
• H.R. 40 and federal-level reparations proposals
• Grassroots reparations initiatives (e.g., Evanston, Illinois housing program)

Key Texts/Resources:

• Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Case for Reparations (2014)
  https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
• Excerpt from H.R. 40 text:
  https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/40/text
• News coverage of local reparations efforts (Evanston, CA Task Force, etc.)

Activities:

• Primary Source Analysis: How does Coates use historical evidence and narrative to argue for reparations?
• Debate: Should the U.S. implement a national reparations program?
• Exit Ticket: Personal reflection on the role of reparations in addressing systemic racial injustice

Week 4: Anti-Racist Education and Community Organizing
​Topics:

• The role of anti-racist education in social change
• Community-based activism and mutual aid
• Addressing backlash and misinformation

Key Texts/Resources:

• Excerpts from Alicia Garza’s The Purpose of Power (continued)
• Toolkit: Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) community organizing guides
  https://surj.org/resources/
• News articles on ethnic studies and anti-racist curriculum debates

Activities:

• Community Action Project: Design a local or school-based project for racial justice (e.g., educational campaign, event, or advocacy)
• Media Literacy Exercise: Analyze news coverage of anti-racist education—how is it portrayed across outlets?
• Group Reflection: What are the key strategies for sustaining community organizing efforts?

Ongoing Unit Components:

• Weekly Reflection Journals: Students will connect contemporary racial justice efforts to historical systems of inequality.
• Vocabulary Building: intersectionality, environmental racism, reparations, mutual aid, grassroots organizing.
• Capstone Presentation: Present the community action project to peers, teachers, or local community members.

​The following activities include AI tools that enhance student engagement, provide data-driven insights, and facilitate personalized learning. 
Week 1: Black Lives Matter and Racial Justice Activism
Group Activity:
AI-Powered Visual Storytelling

• Task: Students use DALL·E or another AI image generation tool to create a series of visual representations (digital posters or social media mock-ups) illustrating key moments from the Black Lives Matter movement, based on their analysis of protest photography and Alicia Garza's excerpts.
• AI Tool: DALL·E (via OpenAI) or Canva's AI Image Generator
• Extension: Compare AI-generated visuals to actual media coverage (photojournalism) to discuss framing and bias.

Individual Activity:
AI Chatbot Roleplay Interview

• Task: Students simulate an interview with Alicia Garza or another BLM activist using ChatGPT roleplay mode. They generate interview questions and responses to deepen understanding of movement goals and challenges.
• AI Tool: ChatGPT with custom instructions (e.g., "act as Alicia Garza, BLM co-founder")
• Deliverable: Written Q&A transcript and reflection on what was learned.

Week 2: Environmental Racism and Indigenous Land Rights
Group Activity:
AI Mapping and Data Analysis

• Task: Using Google Earth Engine or ArcGIS AI tools, students map locations of major environmental justice struggles (e.g., Standing Rock, Flint water crisis) and overlay data on pollution, Indigenous land, and racial demographics.
• AI Tool: Google Earth Engine or ArcGIS Spatial Analysis with AI-powered data layers
• Deliverable: A digital map presentation highlighting environmental racism patterns.

Individual Activity:
AI-Enhanced Documentary Review

• Task: After watching clips from Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock, students use Descript AI or Otter.ai to auto-transcribe and annotate key sections. Then, they summarize themes using ChatGPT to refine their writing and extract key insights.
• AI Tools: Descript AI or Otter.ai (for transcription); ChatGPT (for summary & reflection)
• Deliverable: Annotated transcript and 1-page AI-assisted thematic analysis.

Week 3: Reparations Debates
Group Activity:
AI Debate Preparation with Argument Mapping

• Task: Students use Kialo Edu or ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis to map arguments for and against reparations based on Coates' essay, H.R. 40, and contemporary sources. They will collaboratively create a digital argument map for their debate.
• AI Tool: Kialo Edu (for structured debate mapping) or ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis
• Deliverable: Interactive argument map and formal debate.

Individual Activity:
AI Research Assistant for Policy Proposals

• Task: Students draft a short policy memo proposing local or national reparations, using Perplexity AI or Elicit AI to locate scholarly articles, legal texts, and recent reparations initiatives.
• AI Tool: Perplexity AI or Elicit (AI-powered research tools)
• Deliverable: Policy memo draft with AI-cited sources.

Week 4: Anti-Racist Education and Community Organizing
Group Activity:
AI-Powered Action Plan Development

• Task: Teams design a school or community-based anti-racist campaign, using Notion AI or Miro AI to brainstorm, organize, and plan actionable steps. Notion AI can also assist with content generation for flyers, social media posts, or educational materials.
• AI Tool: Notion AI (for collaborative planning) or Miro AI (for mind mapping)
• Deliverable: Full project proposal with visuals and an AI-generated project timeline.

Individual Activity:
AI Media Bias Detection Exercise

• Task: Students select two news articles on anti-racist education debates and input them into GPTZero or NewsGuard AI tools to assess for bias and credibility. They then use ChatGPT to synthesize their findings into a short media analysis.
• AI Tools: GPTZero or NewsGuard (for bias analysis); ChatGPT (for synthesis)
• Deliverable: Written media analysis comparing bias, tone, and framing.

Optional Capstone AI-Integrated Activity
​Group or Individual:
AI Video Essay Creation

• Task: Students create a 5-minute video essay summarizing their learning across Unit 6. They use Pictory AI or Lumen5 to auto-generate video content from scripts and AI-curated visuals.
• AI Tool: Pictory AI or Lumen5 (AI video creation platforms)
• Deliverable: A polished video essay showcasing AI-assisted storytelling, research, and media analysis.