Teacher Appreciation Week News –
IDRA School Resource Hub Provides Tools for Teaching About Race and Gender
(May 12, 2023) In today’s climate of classroom censorship, teachers still have a job to do to provide accurate and inclusive education for their students. IDRA developed its award-winning We All Belong – School Resource Hub by first listening to teachers and students who want lessons on history and current events about race and gender and and to help provide context to discrimination they have experienced.
“We designed our School Resource Hub to help educators feel supported in their work to prepare students to be able to think critically so they can succeed in college and beyond,” said Celina Moreno, J.D., IDRA President and CEO. “Students are not naïve to the world around them, and they want their teachers to open their eyes to history and to the world, not whitewash them.”
IDRA’s School Resource Hub features over 120 lesson plans, instructional best practices and historical resources to support teachers in delivering culturally-sustaining classroom lessons.
Within these lessons, IDRA created a set of innovative original classroom lessons using a new “America Is Me” (AIM) framework for teaching intercultural skills: solidarity, social awareness, social-emotional wellness, sociocultural exchange, and social change. These skills are transferable across academic content areas.
A high school student focus group unanimously praised the lessons and expressed regret they had not had these lessons in school earlier). Feedback from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. In focus groups, teachers who used AIM lessons in their classrooms validated the framework and appreciated how the lessons positively engaged and impacted their students.
Teacher professionals can apply the framework to the federal, state and district standards to foster student engagement. Sample AIM lessons include:
The Real World: Understanding the Difference Education Makes – This middle school lesson offers students an opportunity to understand how higher education is linked to higher weekly incomes and how income impacts an individual’s quality of life.
CulturED Collection #1 – #GotCulture?: A Lesson on How Culture Shapes Us – In this high school lesson, students are introduced to important elements of culture. They come to understand how culture shapes the way we see ourselves, others and the world.
Yes, She Can: Malala Yousafzai – In this elementary lesson, students learn about Malala Yousafzai’s efforts to ensure young girls have access to education and fair treatment. Students will make connections between her work and concerns in their communities and present a one-minute speech about their issues.
Dr. Kelly N. Ferguson and Dr. Marlon C. James, Equality and Equity Group, LLC, developed the AIM framework and lessons for IDRA.
IDRA has created modifications for emergent bilingual learners for each of the AIM lessons.
Development of the We All Belong – School Resource Hub was generously supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies.
IDRA is continually adding lesson plans and resources to the site. Educators can find them through search filters by subject, topic, resource type and grade. IDRA also offers training for educators on using the hub and walking through featured lessons. The site includes a Google Translate toggle button and has a comprehensive accessibility feature.
