Winters JUSD Ethnic Studies Program Update

November 21 2024

Winters JUSD Board Presentation

• AB 101: Ethnic Studies will be a high school graduation requirement, starting with the class of 2030
• Increases school engagement
• Positive school climate
• Fosters community connections
• Links to the Winters JUSD Graduate Profile

The Context / Why

• Community Outreach
• Ethnic Studies Task Force
• Creation and approval of the Winters JUSD Ethnic Studies Mission & Vision Statements & Program Considerations (Spanish Version)
• Professional Learning

The Process: Spring 2024

The Process: Fall 2024

• Curriculum Development Task Force - 6 secondary teachers
• Learning Outcomes & Goals
• Core Competencies
• Essential Questions
• Draft Units, Content, & Assessments
• Student Advisory Group
• 9 WHS students
• Program input
• Continued professional learning
• Continued development of community partners

Course Description / Overview

• Grade 9, semester-long
• Emphasis on:
• Self-discovery, community building, historical analysis, storytelling, empathy, & civic engagement
• Perspective of communities of color
• Local connections
• Links to the Winters JUSD Graduate Profile
• Project-based assessments

Course Description / Overview Cont.

4 Units:

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1. Identity & Counter Narratives
2. Systems of Power
3. History & Movement
4. Resistance & Liberation

Unit 1: Identity & Counter Narrative

Essential Question:

• Who am I, and how am I in a constant process of becoming?

Learning Goal: Students will

• cultivate courage, empathy, and respect for one another by sharing their stories and listening to others.
• forge deeper community connections (at school, home, and in Winters).

Potential Assignments:

• Community interviews
• Community mapping
• “Where I’m From” Poems
• TED Talks
• Advertisement analysis
• Shadow box (Summative Assessment)

Unit 2: Systems of Power

Essential Question:

• What are systems of oppression, and how do they impact individuals and communities?

Learning Goal:

• Students will understand how power operates through systems of privilege and oppression, particularly in relation to race and ethnicity.

Potential Assignments:

• Case Studies: Housing discrimination / redlining, #StopAsianHate, Native American mascots, COVID - racial and class inequities
• Group Research Project (Summative Assessment)
• Research, analyze, and present about a topic of personal interest

Unit 3: History and Movement

Essential Question:

• What are the major demographic groups in our community, and how / why have they changed over time?

Learning Goal:

• Students will recognize that there are countless untold stories, many of them from our own families and histories, that deserve to be documented and shared in American history.

Potential Assignments:

• Case Studies: Japanese incarceration, Bracero Program
• Oral history project

Unit 4: Resistance and Liberation

Essential Question:

• How does my understanding of Ethnic Studies equip me with strategies to transform my community?
• How do I move from a stance of ‘helping’ others to one of solidarity, partnership, and understanding?

Learning Goal:

• Students will apply their understanding of Ethnic Studies in order to envision and advocate for meaningful social change.

Potential Assignments:

• Case Studies: Third World Liberation Front, East LA Walkouts, Mexican-American Studies in Arizona, Standing Rock
• Action Research Project: Building on Unit 2, students will analyze a relevant issue and envision what meaningful change might look like

Next Steps

• December 19 Board Meeting
• Action Item: Request for approval of Ethnic Studies Course Description
• Spring 2025:
• Continued course development, outreach, community input, and professional learning
• Fall 2025:
• Course implementation

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