Course Outline

SOCIAL JUSTICE 12

COURSE OUTLINE

Diane Hayashi

dhayashi@sd63.bc.ca

Block 1

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 Tuesdays. 
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.

Class Content:

We will be covering the following topics in class:

1. Introduction to Social Justice: setting ground rules for productive and respectful discussion, building empathy, defining terms and concepts, examining ethics, creating empathy journal
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. Systemic Analysis and the Dynamics of Poverty: using this specific technique of social analysis to understand a situation or reality of injustice, examines social dynamics of power imbalance, exclusion, marginalization, etc.
5. 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.
6. Examining LGBT Issues: challenging homophobia, myths and facts, legal rights.
7. Women and Social Justice: looking at women’s history, understanding feminist movement, oppression of women internationally.
8. Genocide: comprehend the historical significance of genocide, analyse historical evidence, assess inherent injustices, apply historical knowledge to current events, assess cause and effect.
9. Globalization: understand social justice as it relates to globalization.
10. 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)

You will need two notebooks: one for vocabulary (must have at least 130 pages), and one for personal journal writing.  


You will also create a blog on blogger.  You may call your blog whatever you like (as long as it is respectful) but I want you to use this format for your URL:
http://(your last name)-sj12.blogspot.com.  

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

Evaluation of Your Learning:

            With all of the evaluation of your skills and knowledge development, I will expect that you will achieve at least 60% or a C.  On tests and assignments that you achieve less than 60% or a C, I will expect you to review and revise your assignment or to review and write another test.  I will expect this on ALL assignments and tests except the final exam.   I have every belief in your ability to do this.  Tests will be re-taken after school or at lunch.

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(all students will keep a learning blog that I will read and a personal journal that I will not read)
• Vocabulary notebook (You will need a separate notebook with at least 130 pages)
• Research process
• Self evaluation
• Class discussions
• Discussions between student and teacher

These will determine your final grade in Social Justice 12.

Homework:
What will the Globe Focus 2021 say about you?  Write a paragraph telling us how and what you will do to change yourself and change the world.