class blog

Week of November 21

Judi Freeman — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:38:36 +0000

Began with Irish stereotyping (Mon)

Irish stereotyping/discrimination (Tue). In some classes, “All Orientals Look Same” In one class, interview by Natasha Ramanayake ’03.

[short week]

Week of November 14

Judi Freeman — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:37:21 +0000

Hypnotist week

Stereotyping worksheet. (Mon)

Arab/Muslim stereotypes/(Mon-Tue)

Disney assignment (due Wed 11/16)

**[in some classes, began anti-Irish discrimination]

Hispanic stereotyping and anti-Hispanic discrimination (Friday/Billy)

Week of November 7

Judi Freeman — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:35:12 +0000

We began this short week by going to see Steven Spielberg’s extraordinary film, Schindler’s List at the Coolidge Corner Cinema. Following the screening (with students from the Winsor School, who we invited to join us), Rena Ferber Finder, one of the surviving members of Schindler’s “list,” spoke about how the story as told in the film mirrored her own experience.

During the week we processed Schindler’s list and discussed bystander behavior. We also examined clips from the recent film Inheritance on the meeting between Helen Hirsch and Amon Goeth’s daughter Monika.

Week of October 31

Judi Freeman — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:38:15 +0000

We began the week by examining skin color preference. We looked at a series of interviews Anderson Cooper conducted on CNN that captured children’s reactions to various skin color, essentially replicating a study conducted by Mamie and Kenneth Clark in the 1940s, a study that was used as the basis for the NAACP’s Supreme Court argument in Brown v Topeka (Kansas) Board of Education.

On Tuesday, while Ms. Freeman was out, students watched a remarkable TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian born novelist. Following her 18 minute talk, students wrote an in-class reflection in response to the prompt, The Single Story assignment These were collected.

On Wednesday this week, students **.

Later this week, we considered white privilege. Students were asked to evaluate an excerpt from Peggy McIntosh’s seminal article on “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”: white privilege reading 11-12.) Students continued to debate white privilege in an online discussion thread, posting on white privilege in a highly interactive discussion: Unpacking white privilege 11-12

Thursday: definition of racism, prejudice. The “Lunch Date”

In preparation for our experience with Schindler’s List on Monday, Ms. Freeman gave some background to Oscar Schindler’s story, calling particular attention to Schindler’s actions in the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia prior to his arrival in Krakow in 1939. This is vital to know about to understand the context for Schindler’s time in Krakow and his actions there.

Week of October 24

Judi Freeman — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:35:54 +0000

Monday: Began the week looking at the New Orleans pair photo. [was CNN clip with Anderson Cooper this week?]

(Tuesday) Students were asked to assess the We peppers vs they peppers post in a written post.

(Thursday) Busing.

Distribution of busing assignment. Screening of the busing episode from Eyes on the Prize II.

Looking at Theodore Landsmark image.

Week of October 17

Judi Freeman — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:13:25 +0000

With identity presentations behind us, we now move into looking more broadly at issues of categorization. The identity test required that we each categorize one another and this tendency toward categorization, classification, and putting people in “boxes” was one that we investigated. We divided into eight groups, with each group examining a collection of documents that have been used to “classify” people. These documents included the census, various employment and housing forms, the “bubbling” registration forms for the SAT, ACT, and Naviance, and the BLS daily attendance sheets (see how do others define our identities). How differently race and ethnicity are identified in each became a central focus of our inquiry.

On Tuesday, while Ms. Freeman was doing instructional rounds, students watched a film with our substitute, Ms. Webster, on the biological basis of race. Episode I of Race: The Power of an Illusion brought an assortment of high school students to the Cold Spring Harbor (NY) Human Genome Project laboratories, where their DNA was compared, one to the other. How different–and not so different–we are emerged from a comparison of the students’ mitochondrial DNA sequence. Students were asked to post on the implications of this work for their understanding overall of race. For a link to the assignment, go to Is race an illusion?

Wednesday allowed us to examine the findings we collected in a quasi-systematic study of the Boston Latin School dining hall during lunch. We spread out the various drawings students did of the dining hall and compared their findings. What conclusions we can draw from patterns in seating was the focus of our discussion. How did this confirm and/or alter Beverly Daniel Tatum’s findings in her book “Why Do All the Black Kids Sit Together in the Cafeteria?”?

We were in the art room (room 518) for class on Thursday, in which students were paired up to paint one another’s skin color on a small canvas board. That evening, students wrote about skin color and skin color judgment in a post assignment: Painting skin color and bubbling race

Back in the classroom on Friday, we reviewed the results of our skin color exercise and then considered issues of racial typecasting and lightness and darkness. A discussion of “bleaching cream” and “customized American girl dolls” followed. We then began to look at the problems with the definitions and uses of the terms “race” and “ethnicity” and how these are used/misused.

Week of October 11

Judi Freeman — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:00:37 +0000

This week, we had the opportunity (hallelujah!) to wrap up identity vessels and their presentations. The week began with the completion of a few remaining presentations in each class.

Then, on Tuesday in all classes, Mr. Corbett presented his identity vessel and engaged in a Q+A. On Wednesday and Thursday, Ms. Freeman presented hers and then answered questions. Friday culminated with an identity test.

On Wednesday, Ms. Freeman also assigned the study on the Boston Latin School Dining Hall, after introducing the assignment with a brief clip from the 2004 film Mean Girls: Dining Hall assignment. This assignment is due Wednesday, October 19

Week of October 3

Judi Freeman — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:57:08 +0000

Our final full week of identity presentations (aka: the light at the end of the tunnel!):

Section 11: Caroline R, Laura D, Rose T, Angel, Dave B, Lily L, John L, Olaitan (LaLa), Antonio, Selena

Section 41: Taymiah, Kristen W, Rose G, Eshe, Helen Z, Murielle, Yen, Colin, Delia, Matt P

Section 51: Jessica C, Mina, Shannon, Alejandro, Zarina, Dante, Amy T, Amber T, Emily H

Section 71: Ivana, Ilda, Aubrey, Kadine, Bridget, Isabel, Eli, Jonathan, Kerrin

And looking ahead, our identity test will take place on Friday, October 14.

Week of September 26

Judi Freeman — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:06:11 +0000

As we continue with identity presentations (with some eye to a light at the end of the tunnel), we heard from:

section 11: Cate, Jillian, Morgan, Cristina M, Shayla, Will B

section 41: Lauren W, Roseanna, Dan Mm, Georgia O, Brianna, Pat T, Hannah H, Jen H

section 51: Lauren A, Nora T, Kadian, Amber W, Michela W, Kristina C, Enemchi

section 71: Chrissy, Kevin L, Will G, Abby, JaLissa, Jack T, Fiona

In all sections, during Ms. Freeman’s absence on Thursday, students screened the HBO film Hate.com (2000). This film offers a chilling look at hate speech and hate-filled websites on the internet. Following the film, students were assigned a post in which they were to respond to the film: Hate.com post

Week of September 19

Judi Freeman — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:15:53 +0000

Onward with identity presentations. This week we heard from the following students and their presentations took us into an assortment of topics, from stereotyping to race to religion:

Section 11: Kevin, Paola, Tammy, Kristina, Michelle, Rose A, Anthony, Ashleigh, Rebecca, Aisling, Georgie

Section 41: Rosy, Shikari, Will, Kathleen, Emily, Angie, Cole, Paulina

Section 51: Vanessa L, Addie, Michaela J., Jasmine, Nisa, Gabie G, Justin, Romina, Mileena, Hannah

Section 71: Connor S, Anna, Linda, Nate, Adam, Carmen, David H, Jake, Ciara, Gaby G, Joanna

A reminder to all that the summer reading assignment is due in a little more than a week, on October 3.

The summer reading book list: summer reading book list 2011-2012

The summer reading assignment: summer reading assignment FINAL 11-12