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Social Justice: Examining Privilege with a Recycling Bin

Elementary

Description

Canada prides itself as an inclusive country where all citizens are able to prosper, irrespective of an individual's identity.  However, even in a democratic society like ours, the reality is that issues such as systemic racism, gender bias and socioeconomic status still result in unfairness and inequity.  We all know that in some regions of the world oppression and poverty cause human suffering, but many of us are unaware of how certain privileges such as where we were born may impact our quality of life.  This lesson introduces young people to the links between privilege and opportunity through a hands-on approach that engages students in the following learning activities:      

  • Explore how inequalities reduce life options by playing a fun classroom game

  • Identify types of social advantages and disadvantages

  • Discuss how the privilege of a universal education supports equality

  • Identify individual privileges

  • Examine the connection between empathy and social justice from a personal perspective

Note:  The hook to begin this lesson can be found here.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • Introspection
  • Social awareness
  • Critical thinking

Strengths

  • The throwing paper activity provides an excellent lesson hook
  • Simple and effective with minimal materials or preparation
  • Encourages student self-awareness and examination pf personal values

Weaknesses

  • Does not provide student background information
  • Advises teachers to gauge their comfort level speaking about sensitive issues like racism, but does not provide any teacher support materials for discussing uncomfortable topics
  • Does not contain assessment tools

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This lesson supports Grade 3-5 Social Studies learning about inequality, discrimination against minorities, human disempowerment and human rights.  Students also examine their own privileges and values in a supportive environment that fosters self-awareness and enhances Health curriculum exploring identity.

The learning experience easily extends into a school-based action project in which a class promotes equity, kindness and fairness with activities that help others.  For example, students could initiate a "Pink-Shirt" campaign against bullying or organize a "Giving Tuesday" event to collect food bank donations. 

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 3
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      • Health Education
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        • Developing and affirming identity contributes to well-being and understandings of self and one another
      • Social Studies
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        • Citizenship: Understanding local, national, and global issues empowers individual and collective action toward an inclusive society.
    • Grade 4
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        • Citizenship: Understanding local, national, and global issues empowers individual and collective action toward an inclusive society
    • Grade 5
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        • Citizenship: Understanding local, national, and global issues empowers individual and collective action toward an inclusive society
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        • Global Indigenous Peoples: People from diverse cultures and societies share some common experiences and aspects of life.
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        • Canadian Issues and Governance: Canada’s policies and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies
  • Manitoba
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        • Communities of the World: Exploring the World
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        • Manitoba, Canada & the North: Places and Stories - Living in Canada
  • New Brunswick
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        • My Province, Exploration, History of the Atlantic Region: Civics
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        • My Province, Exploration, History of the Atlantic Region: Civics
  • Newfoundland & Labrador
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        • Provincial Identity: Citizenship
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        • Mental and Emotional Well Being
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        • Communities of the World: Exploring the World
    • Grade 5
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        • Canadian Issues and Governance: Canada’s policies and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies
  • Nova Scotia
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        • Social Studies 3: Citizenship
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        • Mental and Emotional Well Being
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        • Connecting With the World: Citizenship
        • Connecting With the World:Identity
    • Grade 4
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        • Mental & Emotional Well Being
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        • Provinces and Territories: Our Places, Stories, and Traditions: Citizenship
        • Provinces and Territories: Our Places, Stories, and Traditions: Identity
  • Ontario
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        • People and Environments: The Role of Government and Responsble Citizenship
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        • Provincial Identity: Citizenship
  • Saskatchewan
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        • Community Comparisons: Power and Authority
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        • Saskatchewan: Power and Authority
  • Yukon Territory
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        • Global Indigenous Peoples: People from diverse cultures and societies share some common experiences and aspects of life.

Themes Addressed

Human Rights (1)

  • Social Justice

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

The introductory activity has been intentionally designed so learners can construct their own interpretations of unfairness.  The teacher is also encouraged to facilitate, rather than direct subsequent discussions about discrimination which supports independent thinking.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory

Pupils will understand that despite progress in rights and freedoms, there are still many issues like poverty, sexism, and racial profiling that can limit human choices and capabilities.  Although not specifically addressed in the lesson, a teacher could also include a discussion about pollution and climate change in reference to environmental racism.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

Learners will recognize the difference between equality and equity as they explore how equal treatment, such as  everyone remaining seated for the activity, can be unfair since it does not consider how individual differences, like distance from the recycling bin, can prevent a person from succeeding.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

Students reflect on their learning by writing a journal entry describing their thoughts about individual privilege and how they can influence positive change within our society.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

Students are asked to identify and describe ways in which they can become better citizens by demonstrating tolerance, respect and kindness.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Very Good

The lesson gives careful consideration to ensuring that students are not made to feel guilty about certain privileges, but are able to use this information to increase their understanding of the connection between prejudice and the denial of rights.  This approach builds sensitivity to how marginalization impacts the well-being of humans experiencing social injustice.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered

This lesson focuses on social topics, although a teacher could relate the content to environmental concerns such as the disproportional impacts of severe weather events on poorer communities.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

Pupils examine their feelings and thoughts about personal privilege from the perspective of their relationships with the people around them. 

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Satisfactory

The learning experience provides an awareness that although our world has moved beyond past events, there is still a legacy of disparity which can only be overcome with proactive action to reduce inequalities by 2030 (SDG 10).

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

The lesson begins with minimal introduction to the activity to encourage student interaction and inference.  The teacher also establishes a classroom climate where learners will feel encouraged to express their own ideas about the content.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Satisfactory

The lesson focuses on Social Studies curriculum exploring citizenship and social justice, but Health outcomes related to self-awareness are supported by student reflection on personal privileges and identity.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory

The lesson empowers students to critically and constructively analyze societal values to formulate ideas about how they can take effective action in creating a better world.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Poor/Not considered

Although differentiation strategies are not specified, the hands-on approach will appeal to a variety of learners.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The participatory activity and guided questioning encourage pupils to take the initiative in focused conversations around topics that can sometimes be uncomfortable.  This prepares learners with the critical and reflective thinking skills to effectively confront future social or environmental issues that may concern them.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Pupils work as a group but the open discussion emphasizes respect and active listening.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Poor/Not considered

Students write a reflection journal entry that can provide evidence of concept understanding but there are no specific assessment strategies provided in the lesson.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered

Learners engage in active dialogue with each other as they think and share aloud.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

This lesson is extremely timely and relevant as Canada currently struggles with signifcant social problems such as the cost of living crisis, abuses against First Nations communities and a rise in hate crimes. 

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

The resource contains some extension suggestions such as examining racial disparity in school discipline, that support further investigation if students are interested in exploring social justice in more detail.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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