Introduction and Context to My Role

I am currently a one of four curriculum specialist in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction with the School District of Philadelphia. Our roles require us to provide support for teachers who provide instruction to our 197,288 enrolled students district-wide. The District provides services to 329 public, charter, and alternative schools which means four social studies specialists are required to support all schools in some capacity.  There are 217 public or district schools, 59 high schools and 158 K-8 schools. The School District of Philadelphia had an eighty percent graduation rate in the 2020-2021 school year with a twenty-one percent proficiency rate on the PSSA and Keystone. The student racial demographics of the School District of Philadelphia are as follows:

• 51% black
• 23% Hispanic/Latin
• 13% white
• 7% Asian
• 5% listed as multiracial/other

As curriculum specialists my role involves evaluating, developing, and editing curriculum for the entire district. The role also involves providing support for teachers and school leaders through delivering and collaborating with school district partners to provide professional development and resources. I am certified to teach social studies for grades 6-12. Additionally, I am a certified principal for grades K-12.  While all social studies specialists are not assigned to any particular grade group and assist with all grades, in the current school year, most of my instructional and curricular support has centered in the K-8 grade levels. My goals when developing curriculum are to assist teachers with shifting from teacher centered instruction, i.e. lecture and fact-based learning, to more student-centered instruction styles, such as project-based or collaborative learning. Student centered instruction styles help students with developing critical skills like analysis and evaluation as well gain deeper understanding. Project-based and collaborative learning also supports students with gaining deeper understandings of the content which in turn allows them to apply the skills and content in relevant real-world applications. I also support teachers in providing more inclusive anti-racist content for their students. This can be challenging, as I find many instructors at the K-12, more specifically the K-8 level, often interchangeably use terms like multicultural teaching, culturally relevant teaching and anti-racist teaching. Conflating the fact that multicultural teaching and culturally relevant teaching are more like scaffolds to anti-racist teaching. Multicultural and culturally relevant teaching involves including narratives of marginalized groups and acknowledging that students do not enter our classrooms as blank slates. Anti-racist teaching or decolonized instruction involves taking multicultural teaching to the next level by critically examining which narratives and events we incorporate and how we incorporate or tell and learn about them. This entails valuing those narratives and cultures as part of the canon of histories we tell.

Hopefully this context and background will help with understanding my unit topic, instructional practices and strategies and materials. I also hope that teachers who use it in the district find it accessible and engaging for their students.

Rationale & Alignment

This unit will focus on correcting epistemic injustices by studying the contributions of nineteenth century Black women in Philadelphia, more specifically black women who lived at least some part of their lives in the Seventh Ward. While the writings of W.E.B Du Bois can be significantly complex reading for students in grades K-8, my unit was created with grades 8-12 students in mind. It is intended to be implemented in grade 8 and 11 US History, 10th grade African American History, and 8-12 ELA preferably in collaboration with a social studies instructor. However, if collaboration is not possible or sustainable, it can be implemented in a singular course. Also the unit allows for implementation as a 2-4 week unit or in chunks throughout the year with a culminating task for Women’s History Month.

As stated earlier, the narratives of black women are typically erased from the storytelling of history, it is for this reason the focus for this unit is on the contributions of black women. In his book, The Philadelphia Negro, Du Bois speaks quite extensively of specific men who shaped the Nineteenth century Philadelphia society in the Seventh Ward. He even mentions several men by name, including Absolm Jones and Octavious Catto. DuBois even chronicles some of their achievements. For most of the book, and because it is a sociological study of black people, DuBois speaks about all black people in the seventh ward in general making only specific references and descriptions within categories. As I read the book, my focus was consistently drawn to his characterization of the “conjugal situation of the negro”  and the education of the negro, more specifically that of the women. Finding it odd that DuBois seemed to only focus on the narrow life paths of marriage, teaching, and service work for women as well as knowing that black women in the 19th century were exceptional political activists, educators, physicians, writers and so much more. I wanted students to study the trailblazing women of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward who have been erased from history with the ultimate goal of memorializing them in some capacity.

African American History is a required course for high school graduation in Philadelphia which means many of the instructors who will choose to implement this instructional unit will have some students who have had some instruction on black history content and could likely know of some of the women studied. Should a grade 8 US History instructor choose to implement the unit their students will not have encountered the African American history course which means they are most likely to need more support in learning about and researching the women studied. DuBois is also a topic that in all probability will not have been introduced in eighth grade. Either path will work for the completion of the unit which is designed to be accessible from multiple pathways.

All School District of Philadelphia curriculum, including social studies, is grounded in standards. Therefore, this unit will address standards from Teaching for Social Justice and National Council of Social Studies C3 Framework. Due to no updates having been made on the Pennsylvania Core Academic Standards since 2008, they will not be included in this unit.

The content of this unit will cover W.E.B DuBois, portions of his sociological work from The Philadelphia Negro, the importance and impact of his sociological study and the sociological studies of others that derived from his work. It also seeks to have students explore and uncover the hidden or implied stories of sociological studies. My hope is that upon completion of the unit students will seek other sociological studies to help them uncover variant areas in society from which they can act to correct epistemic injustices.

Through the TIP course I was able to learn more about DuBois, his time in Philadelphia, and Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward. Through DuBois’s book, as well as guest speakers and walking tours, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the social, economic and educational evolution of the black population of Philadelphia. Class discussions and supplemental readings and videos gave us a glimpse into W.E.B. DuBois’s personal life including his background, educational training, marriage and evolution of ideological thinking. Guest speakers discussed how DuBois’s study shined a light on the housing problems that existed in Philadelphia in the 19th Century and some still exist today. Through additional supplemental readings and guest speakers I learned that DuBois’s study has only in recent decades been valued as a guide to truly understanding the social history of Black Philadelphia.

Implementation of the unit will take students on a journey of learning experiences to help students understand the value and impact of past sociological studies for us today as well as the impact of the people who are studied. Teachers and students will begin the unit through a study of the cultural landscape of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward during the 19th century and today by interpreting, analyzing and discussing census data and maps. They will write questions for inquiry and categorize their questions into sociological categories to help them study the data. Then they will learn about W.E.B DuBois, his sociological study of the Seventh Ward and why it is important today which will culminate in them creating a three-minute educational TikTok on the importance of his study to understand Philadelphia’s black society today. Studying DuBois will allow students to make meaningful connections with data and future pathways for learning during implementation of the unit. Next students will examine what DuBois’s study does not tell us about nineteenth century Philadelphia and what narratives this may perpetuate about black women through studying and discussing the term epistemicide. This will lead students to research the contributions of nineteenth century black women of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward. They will also, through discussion, create a list for distinguishing a person as influential. From this research and discussion students will design as small groups and and as a whole class about the best ways in which to memorialize the women they studied to help others learn about them thereby taking steps to correct the epistemic injustices that have occurred over the course of history.

Students will understand and make connections between this history and today, through analyzing, interpreting, and discussing census and map data, primary and secondary sources. Instructional protocols such as silent discussions, jigsaws, collaborative practices, gallery walks, and metacognitive practices will be implemented to help students unpack and synthesize the knowledge they will gain. Additionally, to help guide students’ learning they will strive to develop answers to the following essential questions:

1. What are the narratives that W.E.B DuBois study does not tell?
2. How do the contributions of nineteenth century black women from Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward impact Philadelphia today?
3. What are the connections between 19th century and 21st century Black women activists in Philadelphia?

For this unit I wanted teachers to have strategies that build empathy, critical thinking and analysis skills, build community and deepen students’ understanding of content. These skills are transferable and relevant in any content area as well as the world outside their physical classrooms. Therefore I chose the following instructional strategies.

Question Formulation Technique

Asking the right question is a technique that is critically foundational to literacy. Students’ abilities to grow and thrive as learners and continued learners are grounded in their ability to ask the right questions to gain new understandings, perform inquiries and synthesize knowledge. Asking the right questions also helps students build empathy and self-advocacy skills. The Question Formulation Technique is a process that supports students in their skills of developing questions. Through QFT students write questions and improve those questions through the processes of categorization and iteration. With QFT, students are encouraged to write and ask open-ended questions that will open the door for new and extension of learning.

Collaborative Classroom Practices/Discussions

Collaborative classroom practices are vital to helping students develop deeper understanding of concepts and processes and build empathy, community and critical thinking. All of which will help students fulfill the purpose of learning which is to be able to critically examine the world in which they live and beyond. Collaborative learning is a deeper practice of learning than cooperative learning in which students learn to be dependent as well as interdependent. By the completion of this unit students will have worked with the same group four of students with various perspectives and the whole class interdependently. Students will have shared knowledge and authority in various iterations as a practice throughout the entire unit.

Silent Discussion

A silent discussion is a great technique to help all students, especially quiet or shy students, share their voice and promote critical thinking skills. This technique can be used as a scaffold to the Think, Pair, and Sharing technique. The process for silent discussion is simple. First, students are given a question, document to read, or an image to analyze. Students then write their thoughts or questions either on chart paper  or an electronic version of a group chat (e.g. jamboard, Padlet, etc.). Their thoughts and conclusions must be shared in a public yet semi-anonymous way in order for other students to respond by extending the thought or adding a question to extend the thought. The teacher then provides students time to observe the thoughts and questions of their peers. After students have had to observe the thoughts and questions of their peers, they are to respond in writing to at least two to three other student’s comments or questions. Their response must be thoughtful by extending the conversation through comment or question. This previous step can be repeated or the teacher can have students repeat it after a whole class or small group discussion. Whether the previous step is repeated at the end, students are to discuss the comments and questions that they find the most compelling, resonate with them, or encourage them to ask more questions in small groups or as a whole class discussion. Their goals of this discussion are to either deepen their understanding, synthesize knowledge and possibly develop new inquiry questions.

Actively Listening

In order for students to have discussions in classrooms that will be impactful to their learning they must practice active listening. Active listening allows students to hear what their peers are really saying by requiring that a person concentrate on listening for what is said rather than listening to respond. This practice requires paraphrasing, questioning and evaluation of the conversation. Active listening builds empathy and community in the classroom. Active listening also improves students’ discourse and critical analysis and thinking skills.

Gallery Walks

Gallery Walks are a great way to help students share knowledge, deepen their understanding of content and processes, build community and active listening skills and have discussions. Gallery walks are suggested in several of the activities in this unit to also help students develop interdependency and provide equity for quiet or shy students or those who might have apprehension about sharing their thoughts with opportunities to be actively engaged in ways that are more comforting for them. It allows the teacher to act as mediator, meet students where they are as well as have full class engagement.

Jigsaw

The Jigsaw strategy supports teachers in facilitating learning with large complex concepts or processes. This strategy also aids students to become “experts” with particular pieces of content as they share their learning and gain new knowledge through the collaborative practice of sharing knowledge. With the Jigsaw students are also able to develop their collaboration and discussion skills. Finally, this strategy also encourages practicing equity in the classroom since it allows the teacher to chunk and scaffold the learning for all students, especially for students who may have challenges with reading and writing.

Metacognitive practices

Metacognitive teaching strategies assist in developing deeper understanding of learning and how one learns. Metacognitive practices are essential aid in developing students’ independent and interdependent learning skills through getting the student to think about and evaluate their thinking and learning to find pathways to become better learners. It is a key practice in iteration.

Lesson 1:  Examining Data for Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward, 1890s and Contemporary Times

Guiding Questions

• What can data from Du Bois’ study tell us about Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward?
• What stories does the data tell us about how the social landscape of Philadelphia’s 7th Ward changed over the years since Du Bois did his study?

Objective

Examine and analyze various types of visualizations in order to understand the social landscape of Philadelphia and the 7th Ward in the past and in contemporary times.

Standards

D2.Geo.3.6-8. Use paper based and electronic mapping and graphing techniques to represent and analyze spatial patterns of different environmental and cultural characteristics.

D2.Geo.4.6-8. Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people in both nearby and distant places.

D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.

Learning Experience Progression

1. The instructor will start the lesson by having students complete a gallery walk of the images of charts, maps, and other visualizations from DuBois’ The Philadelphia Negro and other sources. As students complete the gallery walk, they will also complete a silent discussion using post-its and chart paper by doing the following:
   1. First, silently and independently, examine the data and write only what they observe.
   2. Silently and independently, examine the data a second time and write questions they have about it.
   3. Students will silently review other students’ observations and questions. They will respond to at least three observations and three questions of their classmates to extend the conversation or inquiry. writing their thoughts, observations and inquiries about the data on chart paper.
2. Students will then come together in groups of four. In their small groups students will:
   1. Summarize their observations, what resonated with them about the data, and any additional questions they have by allowing 1-2 minutes for each student to share with the group while the other students are actively listening.
   2. The students who are actively listening should record any questions or thoughts they might have to extend the conversation.
3.  The teacher should repeat steps 1 and 2 with the second set of visualizations for the most recent era. Keep the charts for the next learning experience.
4. Finally, the whole class will discuss their observations and inquiries as well as formulating answers to the guiding questions. The purpose of the discussion is to answer the following question: What does the data and other sources tell us about Philadelphia, specifically the 7th Ward, then and now?

Lesson 2: Valuing the Work of Sociologists

Guiding questions

What were the overall impacts on black society in Philadelphia due to DuBois’s study?

What were the overall impacts on the field of sociology due to DuBois’s study of Philadelphia?

What were the impacts on specific groups such as women, educators, male educators v. female educators, etc. due to Du Bois study of black society?

Why is DuBois’ The Philadelphia Negro relevant to today?

Objective

Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources

Analyze and interpret data, photographs, illustrations, etc.

Define epistemicide

Evaluate the importance of sociological studies

PA Standards

D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.

D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

D4.4.6-8. Critique arguments for credibility.

D2.His.7.9-12. Explain how the perspectives of people in the present shape interpretations of the past.

Social Justice Standards

15. Students will identify figures, groups, events and a variety of strategies and philosophies relevant to the history of social justice around the world.

Learning Experience Progression

1. Based on their thoughts and questions they generated in the previous activity, have students create social categories (i.e. are questions about race, employment, health, etc). Allow the students time to analyze and determine the categories. Then have the students categorize their questions on the post-its.
   1. Have the students study their thoughts and questions with the new categories.
   2. Discuss any new thoughts or questions they now have since the categories have been added.
2. Have students compare the categories they created with the categories that Dubois used or to these categories.
   1. Discuss the following guiding questions:
      1. What questions would you ask the people represented in the data in the initial activity?
      2. What group or person would you specifically seek out to interview to learn about the black population?
      3. What is the purpose of studying society in this manner?
      4. Extension question: This year is 2023 and Hip Hop turns 50 years old. How can hip hop music be helpful in sociological studies of urban areas?
3. Have students examine and analyze the DuBois  .
   1. The teacher could have the students examine the mural through the same method used in the visualizations study in the first learning experience, gallery walk, silent discussion through comments and question generating.
   2. Discuss the following in small groups:
      1. Questions they may have written.
      2. Describe the impression you have of DuBois from this mural.
      3. Describe the impression you have of the 7th ward in the 19th century based on this mural.
      4. How have your thoughts or impressions changed or improved with the addition of the mural? How does the mural represent the data analyzed in the first learning experience?
      5. Important note: Be sure that when students examine the mural they contextualize it through the time period it was created and the artist who created it.
4. Divide the sources about DuBois and the Philadelphia Negro into a minimum of 4 groups. Have the students get into the groups of 4 they were previously in from the previous learning experience. Students will describe W.E.B DuBois Jigsaw the sources to examine who Dubois was and the Philadelphia Negro.
   1. Before reading, have the students write questions about what they want and should be learning from the sources.
   2. Have the Groups complete a Jigsaw of the predetermined groups of sources. In their groups they are to collaborate and discuss how they will jigsaw the reading, analysis and interpretation of the sources their groups are provided.
   3. After reading the sources, the groups should discuss. Discussions should focus on formulating claims to answer the essential questions. Students should cite evidence from their readings.
5. Create a storyboard for an educational TikTok that synthesizes and explains the information they have learned.
6. Create a 3 minute educational TikTok that synthesizes and explains the information they have learned and answers at least 4 guiding questions, including two of the following:
   1. What were the overall impacts of the study?
   2. What were the impacts on specific groups such as women, educators, male educators v. female educators, etc.
   3. Why is DuBois’s study relevant to today?

As a way to extend the learning and help students connect with it in relevant ways, allow students to discuss how hip hop music has told the stories of neighborhoods and urban areas for 50 years essentially making the genre of music a form of sociological study.

Learning Experience 3: Influential Black Women of 19th Century Philadelphia

Guiding Questions

What makes a person influential?

How do epistemic injustices manifest in sociological studies, like The Philadelphia Negro?

Who were the influential women of 19^th century Philadelphia?

Objective

Examine sociological studies for epistemic injustices

Perform an inquiry on 19^th Century black women in Philadelphia

Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources

Evaluate criteria for what determines if someone is influential

PA Standards

D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.

D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past.

D3.1.6-8. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

D3.2.6-8. Evaluate the credibility of a source by determining its relevance and intended use.

D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

D2.His.7.9-12. Explain how the perspectives of people in the present shape interpretations of the past.

Social Justice

14. Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.
15. Students will identify figures, groups, events and a variety of strategies and philosophies relevant to the history of social justice around the world.
16. Students will express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their identities and concern when they themselves experience bias.

Learning Progression

1. Create and evaluate a list of criteria for deeming someone influential.
   1. Display the following question: What makes someone influential?
      1. Use the Think, Write, Pair, & Reflect instructional strategy to scaffold the discussion. Provide students 90 seconds to independently think and write.
   2. Then have them share their thoughts and use active listening with a partner. When all students have shared, they should evaluate their criteria and create one list as a group from all the lists, eliminating and adding items as necessary. Repeat the last two steps in groups of 4.
   3. Next, have the groups share and actively listen with the whole class. There should be one agreed upon class list by the end of the iterations of discussions.
   4. Once the class list is complete, provide the students 3 minutes to reflect on how their thinking evolved based on their conversations with their peers.
   5. For the next part of the discussion, have students study the sociological categories from the previous learning experiences.
      1. Ask the question: According to their list of criteria, name people they would give the distinction of Influential; 3 people from history and 3 people from the present (Philadelphia).
      2. Then have students prioritize their list using the sociological categories and add gender.
      3. Provide students 1-3 minutes to discuss their lists in groups. If they are having challenges with getting the conversation started, they can use this conversation extender here.
2. Understanding epistemic injustices.
   1. First, have students watch this video on epistemic injustice. View the video starting from 10 minutes and stop at 30:14. Teachers should chunk the video in this manner 10:00-16:39 minutes and have the students discuss. The view the remainder of the video and discuss.
      1. Possible questions to discuss: Can you summarize what you learned in one -two sentences? What resonated the most with you? Why did it resonate with you? What questions do you have? What part did you agree or disagree with the most? Why? Think about how you have witnessed epistemic injustices (in school or the broader community) against yourself or others.
   2. Using the Jigsaw method, have the students read this article  and this article and collaboratively discuss. Both articles are lengthy, therefore use the jigsaw method for both separately. The discussion can be done with a gallery walk and chart paper.
      1. Students can use the same questions from above to discuss the article.
      2. Have students synthesize the information learned from both the video and article by asking the following question: What are the connections between the article and the video? Please cite evidence from both.
3. Looking at unconscious epistemic injustices in our own practices. How does it manifest in The Philadelphia Negro and in our society today (e.g. school, the media, the categories)?
   1. Have the students study and collect data from their lists of influential people.
      1. What percentage of their lists are; men, women, women of color (i.e. Black, Latin, Asian, Native American, etc.)?
      2. What percentage of their lists are people from other marginalized groups?
      3. What sociological categories or Ten Areas of Human activities are most represented in their lists?
      4. Have them discuss their results. They should have their own thoughts and questions. The teacher could guide them with these additional questions.
         1. Why do you think your list is missing or is heavy in …? How would you edit your list to ensure more gender, racial and language diversity?
4. Research 19^th Century black women in Philadelphia.
   1. Divide students into the same collaborative learning groups they were in from earlier lessons.
   2. Provide students with the list of Black women from 19th century Philadelphia. Allow students to choose which two women to research. Students should practice sharing authority by collaboratively discussing to determine who will research which women.
      1. Caroline LaCount, Fanny Jackson Coppin, Charlotte Forten, Harriett Forten Purvis, Cordial A. Jennings Atwell, Dr. Rebecca J. Cole, Dr. Caroline Still Wiley Anderson, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, Emilee Frances Davis, Gertrude E.H. Bustill Mossell, Grace Bustill Douglass
   3. Next provide students with a minimum of the two sources provided to begin their research. Students can find biographies of most of the women listed above can be found in They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders by Allener M. Baker-Rogers and Fasah M. Traylor. Students should perform inquiries to find a minimum of three additional sources that includes a primary source. They should record their findings in a way that works best for them. If students are having difficulty the teacher can suggest methods of note taking for research such as Cornell Notes or Quick Summarizing Strategies. Templates can be found here and here. The teacher should provide a final due date for the research. However, students should collaboratively decide on a timeline for gathering resources, note taking, and discussing.
      1. Students should be provided time to develop questions for their inquiry.
      2. Questions should include:
         1. What are the impacts on black society, Philadelphia or the Seventh Ward of this woman?
         2. Why they would or would not consider this woman influential.
   4. When students have completed their research, they should discuss their research as a group.
      1. They should continue to practice actively listening.
      2. They should evaluate if the women could be considered influential according to the criteria list created by the class.
      3. They should determine which 3 (or more) women they consider the most influential.
   5. When students have completed their list they should create a TikTok storyboard to teach others about the women.
5. Finally, they should create a TikTok (or some other video or audio) of their influential storyboard.

Lesson 4: Disrupting Epistemicide Injustices – Redefining the How, Why & Who We Memorialize

Guiding Questions

Why and How do we choose to memorialize people?

How does race, gender, and ideology influence society when and who society honors through memorialization?

Why are more men memorialized than women?

Objective

Students will evaluate Philadelphia’s and other cities in the United States process for memorializing people through monuments, murals, etc. in order to design a way to correct epistemic injustices done to 19th Century Black Women.

PA Standards

D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.

D3.1.6-8. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

D3.2.6-8. Evaluate the credibility of a source by determining its relevance and intended use.

D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

D4.4.6-8. Critique arguments for credibility.

D2.His.7.9-12. Explain how the perspectives of people in the present shape interpretations of the past.

Social Justice

13. Students will analyze the harmful impact of bias and injustice on the world, historically and today.
14. Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.
15. Students will identify figures, groups, events and a variety of strategies and philosophies relevant to the history of social justice around the world.
16. Students will plan and carry out collective action against bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective.

Learning Progressions

1. Display the following question: Why do people choose to memorialize people or events? Use the Think, Write, Pair, & Reflect instructional strategy scaffold the discussion.
   1. Provide students 90 seconds to independently think and write. Students may write thoughts and other questions they may have. Independent thinking and writing can be done through pencil and paper or on chart paper as a gallery walk.
   2. Provide students time to pair up and briefly discuss their thoughts.  After their brief discussion, allow students time to reflect on the thoughts of their peers by writing comments or questions responding to their peers thoughts and questions.
   3. Discuss as a whole class.
   4. Provide students time to independently reflect on their learning.
2. Have students continue their discussion by displaying the following questions. How does race, gender, and ideology influence who society chooses to memorialize? How does race, gender, and ideology influence when society chooses to memorialize?
   1. Provide students time to think and write their thoughts and questions.
   2. Then provide students time to share with partners or in groups of 4.
   3. Next, in groups, students will perform a Jigsaw reading and discussion of the following sources with the purpose of gaining new information and potentially find answers to their questions.
      1. They may want to review their notes from the Understanding Epistemicide in Information Science video and  Does Sociology Silence Black Women blog.
      2. National Monument Audit by The Monument Lab
      3. The Few Monuments to Women in Philadelphia
      4. Life of Enslaved Ferry Operator Honored
      5. Just Five Percent of Philadelphia Schools are Named After Women Articles on Confederate Monuments
   4. Once the Jigsaw reading is complete students should be provided time to share with their groups.
   5. Finally have the whole class share their learning and discuss potential answers to the guiding questions. After the discussion, students should reflect on how they learned and how their learning changed from the beginning of the activity until now.
3. After the final class discussion, each group will collaboratively plan and design the best way to memorialize the women they chose as influential from 19th century Philadelphia. They can choose one of the following suggested ways or their own method.
   1. Statue or Monument Park: analyze and interpret various images of statutes and monuments in order to make decisions about to design their own and make decisions about where in Philadelphia the monument should live.
      1. The product for this suggestion should be a drawn diagram of their monument design.
      2. Their diagram should Include labels or a key to explain the narrative they are trying to tell with the statue or monument.
   2. Mural: analyze and interpret various images of murals in Philadelphia in order to make decisions about to design their own and make decisions about where in Philadelphia the monument should live.
      1. The product for this suggestion should be a drawn diagram of the mural design.
      2. Their diagram should Include labels or a key to explain the narrative they are trying to tell with the mural.

Lesson 5: Three Minute Elevator Pitch to Investors

Guiding Questions

Why should the investors fund memorialize this black woman or group of black women?

Objective

Design and give a 3 minute elevator pitch to investors

PA Standards

D2.His.15.6-8. Evaluate the relative influence of various causes of events and developments in the past.

D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

Social Justice Standards

13. Students will analyze the harmful impact of bias and injustice on the world, historically and today.
14. Students will recognize their own responsibility to stand up to exclusion, prejudice and injustice.
15. Students will plan and carry out collective action against bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective.

Learning Progressions

1. Students will create a 2 minute (120 seconds) pitch to engage investors and city government officials about funding the memorial. This two minute pitch can be designed as an elevator pitch. Each student or student group will have 2 minutes to pitch and 1 minute for questions after the pitch.
   1. Students may use one of the following resources to help them plan their elevator pitch.
      1. Princeton University Center for Career Development Elevator Pitch
      2. Indeed.com Elevator Pitch
      3. Asana Elevator Pitch

Annotated Resources for Students

African American Registry. (n.d.). The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society is Founded. African American Registry. Retrieved June 24, 2023, from https://aaregistry.org/story/the-philadelphia-female-anti-slavery-society-founded/

This source speaks specifically to the founding of the The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. It explicitly states that the Society was founded due to intersectionality and provides insight into the lives of its founders, Charlotte Forten and her daughters.

Asana. (2022, October 10). 15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario [Blog]. Asana. Retrieved June 22, 2023, from https://asana.com/resources/elevator-pitch-examples

This source provides students a step by step guide on how to create an elevator pitch.

Association for Public Art. (2022, March 8). The (Few) Monuments to Women in Philadelphia [Blog]. Association for Public Art. https://www.associationforpublicart.org/apa-now/story/the-few-monuments-to-women-in-philadelphia/

Students should use this source to understand the epistemic injustices that have occurred over the years with the honoring of women, specifically black women, with monuments and statues.

Aument, L. (2020, May 5). The Life and Times of Caroline La County [Podcast]. In Episode No. 3. Found in Philadelphia Podcast. https://foundinphiladelphia.com/episode-no-3-the-life-and-times-of-caroline-r-le-count-part-1/

This source should be used by students as a foundational source to learn about the contributions of Caroline LeCount.

Brown, I. V. (1978). Cradle of Feminism:The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society, 1833-184. The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. https://journals.psu.edu/pmhb/article/view/43433/43154

This article written in 1978, discusses extensively the founding of The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. It provides deeper explanation of the reasons of the founding of the society and provides insight into the minute notes.

Burton, M. E., & University of California Libraries. (1915). A Believer in Black Folk. In Comrades in Service (pp. 148-163). Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada. https://archive.org/details/comradesinservic00burtiala/page/n205/mode/2up

This excerpt from the book will provide students with insights on the impacts Fannie Coppin-Jackson had on society.

Bustill Mossell, G. (1894). The Work of the African American Woman. Philadelphia. Geo. S. Ferguson Company. https://repository.wellesley.edu/object/wellesley30918

This primary source is Getrude Butill Mossells work which will provide student insight into her ideologies about society during the 19th century. Students will learn most specifically about the importances of black women in the literary world during the 19th century. They will learn how writing and black literary societies were to resist the social injustices they faced.

Comengo, C. (2015, June 19). Life of enslaved ferry operator honored [News Article]. Courier Post Online. https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2015/06/19/alice-ferry-beverly/29013911/

Students should use this article to learn about the process, including the pros and cons, of getting a statue or monument erected.

Dean and professors at Atlanta University, ca. (1905). In W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0403

Students should analyze this primary source image of Du Bois in order to visualize who he was as they are studying his work and background.

Digital Public Library of America. (n.d.). Francis Ellen Watkins Harper 1825-1911. Black Women’s Suffragist. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://blackwomenssuffrage.dp.la/key-figures/francesEllenWatkinsHarper

This article provides a foundational biography of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Students could also use the works cited at the bottom to help further their research.

Du Bois, W.E.B. (1899). Color Prejudice. In The Philadelphia Negro, A Social Study. University of Pennsylvania Press. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-philadelphia-negro/

This excerpt of the The Philadelphia Negro will assist students in understanding the legacy of Du Bois work through his own words in the Final Words section.

Du Bois, W.E.B. (1950, January 12). The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line. In W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b216-i004

This article written by Du Bois will help students gain an understanding of how he felt about race and the United States fifty years after his groundbreaking study.

Du Bois, W.E.B. (2013, January 28). The Talented Tenth. Black Past. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/talented-tenth/

Students should read this article to gain insight into Du Bois thinking speaking specifically about gender, race, class and what Black people need. This article was written in 1903, 4 years after The Philadelphia Negro and 47 years before the previous article. Students should glean from the two sources how his ideologies evolved.

Electuary Entertainment Before the Colored Literary Society. (1875, November 30). Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette. https://www.newspapers.com/article/50539260/caroline-lecount-1875/

This newspaper clipping provides insight into Caroline LeCount’s life as a literary writer.

Frazier, E. (1892, April). Some Afro-American Women of Mark (Vol. 8, Issue 4) [Lecture]. The A.M.E. Church Review. Retrieved June 22, 2023, from https://issuu.com/jeffway/docs/se_frazier_amechurch_review_1892

This lecture was given in 1892 and is to be used as both a text to define examples of epistemic injustices of the 19th century and as a source to learn about the impact of Francis Ellen Watkins Harper’s work despite the intersectionality that existed.

Fuller, Jr., N., & Cress Welsing, F. (n.d.). Ten Areas of Human Activity. Nine Areas of Human Activity. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://peprimer.com/9-areas-of-people-activity.html#SECTION2

Students are to use this source as a comparative list with the social categories they develop from their questions and observations.

Gertrude Bustill Mossell. (n.d.). Suffragette City 100. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://suffragettecity100.com/wcw12

This is a biography on Gertrude Bustill Mossell and should be used to assist students with a foundational document to learn about the impact she had on the black society.

Harriet Forten, 1810-1875. (n.d.). Black Women Suffrage Digital Public Library of America. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://blackwomenssuffrage.dp.la/key-figures/harrietFortenPurvis

This article provides biographical details of Harriet Forten’s life and should be used to help students begin their research. Learners should also use the cited sources as an opportunity to assist with their research.

Harriet Forten Purvis [Women’s History Blog]. (n.d.). History of American Women. Retrieved June 22, 2023, from https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2016/08/harriet-forten-purvis.html

This article provides biographical details of Harriet Forten’s life and should be used to help students begin their research. Learners should also use the cited sources as an opportunity to assist with their research.

Harvey Wingfield, A. (2019, June 4). Does Sociology Silence Black Women [Blog]. Gender and Society. https://gendersociety.wordpress.com/2019/06/04/does-sociology-silence-black-women/

The source should be used to help students understand the epistemic injustices that occur  to black women in the sociology field. Students should be able to make connections between this work and Du Bois’ as well as with who society chooses to memorialize.

Indeed & Herrity, J. (2023, March 10). How to Give an Elevator Pitch [Blog]. Indeed. Retrieved June 22, 2023, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-give-an-elevator-pitch-examples

Students should use the source to help them prepare their elevator pitch.

Jackson-Coppin, F. (1913). Reminiscences of School Life and Hints of Teaching. Philadelphia: A.M.E Book Concern. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89077014611&view=1up&seq=14

Students should use suggested selections of Fannie Jackson-Coppin’s autobiography to learn about her life and contributions.

Johnson, G. (2009, July 2). W.E.B. Du Bois’ “The Philadelphia Negro”. Penn Today. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/node/149925

Students should use this text to assist with their understanding of The Philadelphia Negro and its impact.

McGrail, S. (2013). Philadelphia Negro (The). The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/philadelphia-negro-the/

Students should use this text to assist with their understanding of The Philadelphia Negro and its impact.

McNeil, L. (2018, June 5). The Woman Who Challenged the Idea that Black Communities Were Destined for Disease: A physician and activist, Rebecca J. Cole became a leading voice in medical social services. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/woman-challenged-idea-black-communities-destined-disease-180969218/

Learners should use this text to learn about the life and contributions of Rebecca J. Cole.

Memorable Days the Emilie Davis Diaries. (2014). Villanova University Falvey Library. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://davisdiaries.villanova.edu/

Princeton University Center for Career Development. (n.d.). What is an elevator pitch and why do you need one? Retrieved June 22, 2023, from https://careerdevelopment.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1041/files/media/elevator_pitch.pdf

This source provides students a step by step guide on how to create an elevator pitch.

School of Philanthropy. (1907, May 13). Letter From the School of Philanthropy to W.E.B. Du Bois. In W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b003-i202

This letter should be used to help students understand the importance of Du Bois’ sociological work.

Shields, M. (2023, March 1). Philadelphia Neighborhood Changes – Part 2: Race and Ethnicity. Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. https://economyleague.org/providing-insight/leadingindicators/2023/03/01/fiveyearneighborhoods2021-part2#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20proportional%20breakdown%20of,by%20White%20residents%20at%2033.8%25.

This article should be analyzed to study Philadelphia’s population today and compare it to the 19th century population.

Temple University Libraries. (n.d.). William Still: An African American Abolitionist. W.E.B Du Bois Seventh Ward Map (1899). http://stillfamily.library.temple.edu/exhibits/show/william-still/maps/w-e-b–du-bois-seventh-ward-ma

Student should use the map to study Du Boi’s map of the 7th Ward.

Temple University Library. (n.d.). The Life and Times of Caroline Still Anderson. William Still: An African-American Abolitionist. Retrieved June 24, 2023, from http://stillfamily.library.temple.edu/stillfamily/exhibits/show/william-still/timeline/the-life-and-times-of-caroline

Students can study this photograph to learn about Caroline Still.

Temple University Library & Berhanu, A. (n.d.). Biography of Caroline Still Anderson. Willian Still An African-American Abolitionist. Retrieved June 24, 2023, from http://stillfamily.library.temple.edu/stillfamily/exhibits/show/william-still/historical-perspective/biography-of-caroline-still-an

Students should use selected excerpts to learn about the life and contributions of Caroline Still.

Thompson, K. (2021, May 5). W. E. B. Du Bois and “The Philadelphia Negro”. Roper Center, Cornell University Blog. https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/blog/w-e-b-du-bois-and-philadelphia-negro

Students should use this text to assist with their understanding of The Philadelphia Negro and its impact.

University of Villanova Falvey Library Exhibits. (n.d.). Rebecca Cole (c. 1846-1922). The Institute of Colored Youth in the Civil War Era 1856-1864. https://exhibits.library.villanova.edu/institute-colored-youth/graduates/rebecca-cole-bio

Students should read this biography of Rebecca J. Cole to assist with their research.

Villanova University Falvey Library. (n.d.). Caroline LeCount. The Institute of Colored Youth in the Civil War Era. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://exhibits.library.villanova.edu/institute-colored-youth/graduates/caroline-lecount-bio

Students should read this biography of Caroline LeCount to assist with their research.

Watkins Harper, F. E. (1866, May 1). We Are All Bound Up Together [Speech]. In Proceedings of the Eleventh National Woman’s Rights Convention. Iowa State University Archives of Women’s Political Communication. Retrieved June 20, 2023, from https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/we-are-all-bound-up-together-may-1866/

Learners should use this primary source to learn about the epistemic injustices that black women faced during the 19th century.

W.E.B. Du Bois [Short youtube documentary on the life of W.E.B Du Bois.]. (2020, August 27). Reading Through History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaBdgEp8EEg

Learners should watch and discuss this short video on the life of Du Bois.

1. E. B. Du Bois, son Burghardt, wife Nina. (1898). In W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives,University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0389

Students should use this image to learn more about Du Bois’s family life.

Winberg, M. (2022, March 2). Just 5% of Philadelphia schools are named after women [Blog]. BullyPenn WHYY. https://billypenn.com/2020/03/02/just-5-of-philadelphia-schools-are-named-after-women/

Students should use this source to help learn about epistemic injustices that occur today in Philadelphia.

Wood, S., Christmas, M., & Hillier, A. (2011). Walking Tour of the Old Seventh Ward [Pamphlet]. The Ward. http://www.dubois-theward.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/New_Walking_Tour_2011.pdf

Students should use this source to specifically analyze the Du Bois mural to understand how the artist tells the story of The Philadelphia Negro through art.

Wright, R. R., & Smith, E. (1907). Philadelphia Colored Directory: A Handbook of the  Religious, Social, Political, Professional, Business and other Activities of the Negroes of Philadelphia. Philadelphia Colored Directory Publishers. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.32000009296965&view=1up&seq=13

Students should study this book to understand how Du Bois influenced this study of black society in 1907.

Annotated Resources for Teachers

Baker-Rogers, A. M., & Traylor, F. M. (2020). They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders. Arch Street Press.

Teachers should provide students excerpts of this source to give students foundational knowledge about the women they are researching.

Bey, M. (1998). The World was Thinking Wrong About Race: The Philadelphia Negro and Nineteenth Century Science. In W. E. B. Du Bois, Race, and the City: “The Philadelphia Negro” and Its Legacy (pp. 41-59). University of Pennsylvania Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=50o5DUMo6fcC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=%22%27The+World+Was+Thinking+Wrong+About+Race%27:+The+Philadelphia+Negro+and+Nineteenth-Century+Science,%22&source=bl&ots=H1C9FdJfUk&sig=ACfU3U3ZX7bkRgQX6oy6Akr6obAU3m9Wsw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2a

The teacher should take excerpts of this essay for students. Students should read and learn about the impacts and legacy of Du Bois’ sociological study of the Seventh Ward.

Du Bois, W.E.B. (1899). The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study (1996 ed.). University of Pennsylvania Press.

The instructor should use the images of data charts about race, gender, education and employment to provide students visualizations for their gallery walking the first learning experience.

Patin, B. (2021, June 7). Unexpected and overlooked: Understanding epistemicide in information science. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqjcGl1AXr8&t=612s

Penn Libraries. (2023, January 12). Investigating the Old Seventh Ward. https://guides.library.upenn.edu/OldSeventhWard

The teacher should use this website specifically to retrieve the map of the 7th Ward for students to analyze.

Teaching Success and Active Listening. (2021, January 10). Mister A Music Place. https://mramusicplace.net/2021/01/10/teaching-success-and-active-listening/

The GREATEST Intellectual of His Era (The Life of W.E.B Du Bois). (2021, January 11). One Mic History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olz0X1YFmos&t=810s

This video provides a biographical description of the life of W.E.B Du Bois. Most specifically this video will help students understand who Du Bois was, his impact and how he evolved over the years. Teachers should facilitate the viewing and discussion of this video.

United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). 2020 Decennial Census Philadelphia. https://data.census.gov/table?g=060XX00US4210160000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1

Learners should use the website to assist students with finding US Census data about Philadelphia.

National Council for Social Studies C3 Framework Standards

D2.Geo.3.6-8. Use paper based and electronic mapping and graphing techniques to represent and analyze spatial patterns of different environmental and cultural characteristics.

D2.Geo.4.6-8. Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people in both nearby and distant places.

D2.Geo.4.6-8. Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people in both nearby and distant places.

D2.His.3.6-8. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.

D2.His.15.6-8. Evaluate the relative influence of various causes of events and developments in the past.

D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past.

D3.1.6-8. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

D3.2.6-8. Evaluate the credibility of a source by determining its relevance and intended use.

D3.3.6-8. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources to support claims, noting evidentiary limitations.

D3.4.6-8. Develop claims and counterclaims while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both.

D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

D4.2.6-8. Construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples, and details with relevant information and data, while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the explanations.

D4.4.6-8. Critique arguments for credibility.

D4.5.6-8. Critique the structure of explanations.

D2.His.7.9-12. Explain how the perspectives of people in the present shape interpretations of the past.

Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards

13. Students will analyze the harmful impact of bias and injustice on the world, historically and today.
14. Students will recognize that power and privilege influence relationships on interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels and consider how they have been affected by those dynamics.
15. Students will identify figures, groups, events and a variety of strategies and philosophies relevant to the history of social justice around the world.
16. Students will express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their identities and concern when they themselves experience bias.
17. Students will recognize their own responsibility to stand up to exclusion, prejudice and injustice.
18. Students will plan and carry out collective action against bias and injustice in the world and will evaluate what strategies are most effective.

Metacognitive Questions for Practice

1. Do I see patterns in what I did? If so, what are the patterns?
2. Were the strategies  and skills I used effective for this assignment?
3. How did my mindset affect how I approached my work?
4. Did I do an effective job in communicating with others before, during, or after learning?
5. What have I learned about my strengths and my areas in need of improvement?
6. How am I progressing as a learner?
7. What can/should I do next:?
8. How can I best use my strengths to learn?
9. What steps should I take or resources should I use to meet my challenges and learning?
10. How can my learning environment be improved?

These questions were retrieved from TeachThought.com and can be adapted for the needs of your students. Please see below for the citation.

(10 Metacognitive Questions to Help Students Reflect on Their Learning, 2019)

(Discussion Flexes are ways to extend or sustain the discussion.)

Websites and articles students can use to study murals and monuments.

Government by the People by Jaque Lipchitz https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/collection/p15037coll3/id/54752/

Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom

https://harriettubmanbyway.org/harriet-tubman-statue-on-display-through-oct-11-in-cambridge-md/

Harriet Tubmam: Swing Low

https://www.6sqft.com/the-story-behind-harlems-trailblazing-harriet-tubman-sculpture/

Mural Arts Philadelphia

https://www.muralarts.org/