Handout
Exploring Contemporary Social Issues
This handout asks students to choose a contemporary social issue and identify key scenes where the author explores this issue.
How to Cite This Handout
Facing History & Ourselves, “Exploring Contemporary Social Issues”, last updated July 14, 2021.
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Identity and Storytelling
Designed for students in grades 9-10, this text set includes lesson plans and multi-genre texts for a 1–2 week unit exploring the essential question, "What makes me, me?"
Three Good Things
Students practice gratitude by naming and recording three good things that have happened that day.
Slow Down with The Slowdown
Students use poetry as a spark for reflection and discussion about what’s happening in their lives and the world.
Take a Stand
Students practice debate and perspective taking by taking a stand on a controversial statement.
Appreciation, Apology, Aha
Students reflect on the day by asking them to share an appreciation, an apology, and an “aha” moment.
Closing Challenge
Students identify one personal or academic goal that they would like to commit to in the week ahead.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Students reflect on the past year and generate ideas for the kind of learning community and learning experiences they are hoping for this year.
Mood Meter
This mood meter activity develops students’ vocabulary for describing their feelings and their empathy muscles.
Identity and Storytelling Assessment Ideas
Create a culminating experience for your students that helps them draw new connections between the concepts and ideas presented in this text set, themselves, and the world today.
Why Identity Matters
Students reflect on how aspects of their identities are more visible or felt in certain situations and read an informational text to help them consider the interplay between individual identity and social identity.
Our Names and Our Place in the World
Students consider what parts of our identities we choose for ourselves and what parts are chosen for us, as well as the impact our names can have on our identities.
The resources I’m getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable.
—
Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif
