Tag Archives: Sam

Black AF History (History – Cultural Studies – Social Studies) (Sam)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

If you’ve ever sat through an American history class wondering where all the Black people were—besides slavery and Martin Luther King Jr.—Michael Harriot has written the antidote to your frustration. Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America is what you’re looking for. It’s equal parts history lesson, roast session, and revolutionary act.

Harriot sets the entire Eurocentric timeline on fire and rebuilds it from Black roots. From the African presence in America before 1619 to the myth of Lincoln’s “great emancipation,” this book challenges everything we thought we knew—and does so with receipts.

Let’s be clear: this is not your average history text. Harriot writes like your brilliant, sarcastic cousin who majored in African American Studies and never lets foolishness slide at Thanksgiving dinner. His voice is conversational, hilarious, and unrelenting. One moment, you’re cackling at his takedown of founding father folklore; the next, you’re stunned by how deep the lies in our textbooks really go.

Learning goals:

  • Reading text (both in class and outside of class)
  • Fully participate in discussions
  • Written reflections
  • Quizzes
  • Research and other scholarship connecting  to cultural studies

  • Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
  • Mature themes: Due to the nature of history, some elements could include loss of life and violent acts as essential to survival.
  • Sessions per week: 2

Analog Radio (Arts) (sam)

This is a class to listen to music the old school way, on vinyl records!

Some of my fondest memories of listening to music this way, was on the weekends with my grandma and having the day to hangout. She would tell me to grab some records to play and I would dj for her. I would sit on the floor as the tunes played and imagined what it was like to be there and watch music excellence LIVE!

We will listen to a wide range of music and then share about how we feel about each project!

 

 

 

  • Outside work: No outside work
  • Mature themes: Some of the lyrics could contain explict language.
  • Minimum students: 2

Reading Lounge (Sam)

I never have enough time to read! I could always use more time to read all the cool comics, manga and graphic novels and the other reading for classes and research. On the weekends and during breaks, I have to actually plan time around feeding my mind with the written word.

While this is a class, I prefer to call this a gathering for people to come and just have time to read. Come prepared to get some enjoyment from reading but if you need to complete readings for classes, you can do that too!

Occasionally, we might share what were reading and a few special guests!

  • Outside work: No outside work

Healthcare and the Global Majority (Science) (Sam)

The study of health and the global majority is a big topic that is starting to get some notice and it’s growing interest of study for many higher educational institutions. This class will deep dive into the complexity of political, economic and medical forces that impact and cause health inequity and expected lifespan of various human populations.

Students will explore health care disparities, infant mortality, epidemiology, infectious disease transmission and prevention, health care reform and global health initiatives.

*There will be some shared stories of what many people face when seeking medical attention, including stories from my personal life experiences,  my extended family, and other personal research and presentations that I have done in the past. 

  • Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
  • Mature themes: Due to the nature of past American History, students will encounter narratives of harm and violence against Indigenous, Black & Brown people.
  • Minimum students: 2

Contemporary World Problems (Social Studies)

This class examines the major issues that have shaped the culture of the United States throughout history to the present. Students explore topics that include human rights, globalization, and environmental issues, and investigate the events and circumstances that have influenced the development of today’s complex policies and international relations, such as cultural changes, migration, economics, social policy, international trade, global policies, and greening the globe. The use of recurring themes allows students to draw connections between the past and the present, among cultures, and among multiple perspectives. Throughout the course, students use a variety of primary and secondary sources to evaluate the reliability of historical evidence and to draw conclusions about historical events. The course challenges students to foster and develop critical thinking skills so they can make informed decisions about the important global issues in the 21st century.

 

Learning goals:

 

 Investigate the development of civilization in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas and explore how societies change over time.

 Analyze technological, political, social, and economic revolutions in world history.

 Explore the conflicts between nations to present day, and analyze the challenges facing the modern world.

 Describe cultural characteristics of societies over time, including the role of women, religion, and art and literature, and investigate the effects of technological innovation on economic and social change

 Engage in routine writing in response to texts, concepts, and scenarios.

 Use research skills to access, interpret, and apply information from multiple sources

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
  • Mature themes: Due to the nature of history, some elements could include loss of life and violent acts as essential to survival.
  • Minimum students: 2

HS Global Languages (World Language) (sam)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

Language is not just how we talk to each other, but rather how we can communicate with each other effectively using our own language. As we grow and experience daily life, our words and gestures continuously build, navigate, and challenge our identities, social and cultural worlds. Through study and practice, we will explore early and modern linguistic forms of languages from ancient and modern times. Along with the main study of the roots of language, students will engage with their own individual language learning throughout the course of the term.

Learning goals:

  • Develop the four basic language competencies (reading, writing & speaking)
  • Engage with the five C’s: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities
  • Create and present projects that express their understanding of language

  • Outside work: No outside work

Black Excellence – MS Black History (History – Cultural Studies – Social Studies)

This class will explore the achievements and advancements of Black people in the United States. We will analyze the common know historical events that have taken place and add some stories that are lesser known. During each session, students will get to experience learning in the traditional style of cultural studies which includes dramatic storytelling, music, mini lectures short/long form film.

Our class text for the term is, The Silence of our Friends.

The Silence of Our Friends follows events through the point of view of young Mark Long, whose father is a reporter covering the story. Semi-fictionalized, this story has its roots solidly in very real events. With art from the brilliant Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole) bringing the tale to heart-wrenching life, The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature.

NOTE *This class will have some collaborative teaching and learning in Graphic Design with Christy Drackett. 

Leanring goals

  • Reading text (both in class and outside of class)
  • Fully participate in discussions
  • Written reflections
  • Quizzes

 

  • Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
  • Mature themes: Due to the nature of history, some elements could include loss of life and violent acts as essential to survival.
  • Minimum students: 5

MS Global Languages (World Languages)

Note: This class is open to middle school students only.

Language is not just how we talk to each other, but rather how we can communicate with each other effectively using our own language. As we grow and experience daily life, our words and gestures continuously build, navigate, and challenge our identities, social and cultural worlds. Through study and practice, we will explore early and modern linguistic forms of languages from ancient and modern times. Along with the main study of the roots of language, students will engage with their own individual language learning throughout the course of the term.

Learning goals:

  • Develop the four basic language competencies (reading, writing & speaking)
  • Engage with the five C’s: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities
  • Create and present projects that express their understanding of language

  • Outside work: No outside work

In Limbo – MS Asian American Studies (History – Cultural Studies – Social Studies) (Sam)

Note: This class is open to middle school students only.

In Limbo follow Deb through her childhood and high school years as she struggles with being othered and bullied by her peers, while experiencing a difficult home life and a fraught relationship with her mother. While most people think and read of the experience of the immigrant as one sided toward going from one country to another, this novel expands on the complications of interpersonal relationships between parents and their kids.

Through the lens of the Asian American experience, we will draw many ideas and other not well known narratives in connection to our pursuit of being more accurate, inclusive history!

  • Outside work: A small amount (e.g., <30 min) for each session
  • Mature themes: Due to the nature of history, some elements could include loss of life and violent acts as essential to survival.

Asian American Studies (History – Cultural Studies – Social Studies) (Sam)

Note: This class is open to high school students only.

An inclusive and landmark history, emphasizing how essential Asian American experiences are to any understanding of US history

Original and expansive, Asian American Histories of the United States is a nearly 200-year history of Asian migration, labor, and community formation in the US. Reckoning with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in anti-Asian hate and violence, award-winning historian Catherine Ceniza Choy presents an urgent social history of the fastest growing group of Americans. The book features the lived experiences and diverse voices of immigrants, refugees, US-born Asian Americans, multiracial Americans, and workers from industries spanning agriculture to healthcare.

Despite significant Asian American breakthroughs in American politics, arts, and popular culture in the twenty-first century, a profound lack of understanding of Asian American history permeates American culture. Choy traces how anti-Asian violence and its intersection with misogyny and other forms of hatred, the erasure of Asian American experiences and contributions, and Asian American resistance to what has been omitted are prominent themes in Asian American history. This ambitious book is fundamental to understanding the American experience and its existential crises of the early twenty-first century.

  • Outside work: A moderate amount (e.g., 30-60 min) for each session
  • Mature themes: Due to the nature of history, some elements could include loss of life and violent acts as essential to survival.