2024 Social Justice Curriculum Fair

 

Join D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice (DCAESJ) for the third annual Social Justice Curriculum Fair on Saturday, August 17, 2024 from 8:45AM–12:15PM in person at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS (200 Douglas Street NE).

This fair is an opportunity for D.C. area educators to connect in person while exploring curriculum aligned with various social justice themes. Coordinated in partnership with DCAESJ working groups, this fair will feature classroom resources from the Zinn Education Project and Social Justice Books, and is designed for pre-K-12 educators. There will also be opportunities to network with D.C. area education organizations at exhibit tables. ASL interpretation will be provided during all workshops.

ALL attendees will receive professional development credits, a FREE BOOK, and be entered for a chance to win a prize from Bhakti Yoga DC, Buzz Bakeshop, Fair Trade Roots, Georgetown Cupcake, Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe, Lee's Flower Shop, Merry Pin, rewild, Sonny's Pizza, Turkey Coffee Lady and more!

Read about last year’s curriculum fair.

Register Today!

 
 

The Art of Activism: Using the Arts to Promote Social Justice

*(Mini-Workshop)

Grade levels: Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School │ Subjects: History, Arts Education │ Topics: activism, gentrification, climate justice, Black Lives Matter at School

This is an interactive session that is designed for the classroom teacher. In the age of book bans and push back on teaching the truth, visual and performing arts can provide a way to engage students, educate them on issues, and introduce them to activism. Participants will examine materials and participate in music, theater, and visual arts activities with a social justice theme. Small/ whole group activities will allow participants the opportunity to engage and create authentic responses to selected issues.

Presenter’s bio:

Anne Smith

Anne Smith is an elementary music teacher in Alexandria, Virginia, where she also serves as an equity liaison, poetry liaison, and new teacher mentor. Dr. Smith studied music therapy at Howard University. She has an MA in Teaching from Regent University and holds an Ed. S and an ED. D in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University. Dr. Smith currently serves on the Virginia Music Educator’s Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee; the National Education Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Council; the D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice; and the Encore Stage and Studio Advisory Board. A composer, poet, and playwright, she has presented at conferences across the country on culturally responsive teaching practices and using the arts as a way to promote social justice, equity, and inclusion.

Bridging the Gap: A Cross-Generational Dialogue Between Students and Teachers

Grade levels: All │ Subjects: All│ Topics: Intergenerational dialogue, current events, education justice

Students, what burning questions do you have of your teachers? Teachers, what have you wanted to know about your students? Join Jenna Fournel, Brady Maiden, and student speakers to lead an exciting Speak Truth Discussion! This cross- generational dialogue creates space and an environment in which students and teachers can learn more about each other and the issues impacting education. Come ready to speak, listen, and collaborate on solutions. The only tools you'll need are curiosity, mutual respect, and open-mindedness! This is a Speak Truth workshop from the Center for Inspired Teaching.

Presenters’ bio:

Jenna Fournel

Jenna Fournel is the Director of Teaching and Learning and leads the Speak Truth program, which involves outreach to high school students throughout the D.C. area. Fournel has been part of the Center for Inspired Teaching since 2004 and boasts over 20 years of experience in education. Her ultimate professional aim is to contribute to a kinder world, believing that investing in the education of young people is the most impactful starting point.

Brady Maiden

Brady Maiden is a Speak Truth faculty member with Center for Inspired Teaching and supports the organization’s mission to connect with D.C. community leaders, educators, and parents. Maiden has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building, recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

Go-Go as Public Pedagogy: Exploring Joy and Resistance through Arts and Culture

Grade levels: Middle School, High School │ Subjects: History, Arts Education │ Topics: Teach the Beat: go-go, gentrification

In this workshop, we explore the cultural phenomenon of go-go music as a lens for understanding public pedagogy — how learning happens beyond traditional classroom settings. Participants will explore how go-go embodies joy and resistance, serving as a tool for community education and activism. Through interactive discussions and hands-on activities that center lived experiences and the environment, we will analyze the role of go-go in preserving cultural heritage and challenging oppressive systems.

Presenter’s bio:

Destini Collins

Destini Collins (she/her) is a DC-based educator with several years designing and facilitating music curriculum across the district. She earned her Master of Arts in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Towson University. Her non-formal classroom experience includes curating thematic performing arts showcases, hosting arts and culture forums, and serving in the Education Department at arts organizations, including Strathmore Music Center and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Her interests as a curriculum studies scholar focus on fostering curiosity, creativity, and criticality in teaching and learning that challenge students to see and reimagine their communities. 

Harnessing the Power of Visual Learning: Using Images to Teach Palestine

Grade levels: All │ Subjects: All │ Topics: Palestine, Photography

In this interactive workshop, educators will explore innovative strategies to incorporate visual learning into teaching pre-1948 Palestinian history and culture.  Through the use of images, participants will discover how visual aids can enhance student engagement, understanding, and retention of complex topics.

The session will cover:

  • Select Visuals: Black-and-white images of pre-1948 Palestine that accurately represent Palestinian narratives will be used in the session to lead to engaging conversations on how to elevate joy when teaching Palestine.

  • Interactive Activities — Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines: Hands-on exercises and activities, including using Harvard’s Project Zero Thinking Routines to foster critical thinking and discussion among students.

  • Integrating Images into Lesson Plans: Practical methods for embedding visual content into your curriculum, from history lessons to current events discussions.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of visual learning. This will make their teaching of Palestine more engaging and effective and elevate the joy of Palestinian history steeped in tragedy. 

Presenter bio:

Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi

Abeer Ramadan-Shinnawi is a passionate Palestinian-American career educator with a strong commitment to bridging cultures and fostering inclusivity. She has made a significant impact in the field of education, both as a teacher and an education consultant. Abeer's journey began as a veteran middle school social studies teacher, where she leveraged her personal experiences as a child of immigrants to connect with her students, schools, and communities. Her dedication created a dynamic learning environment that inspired her students to thrive. Abeer's expertise extends to curriculum development, as she previously served as a resource teacher in the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Social Studies. In this role, she led curriculum development efforts and supported fellow educators. She also played a pivotal role in fostering equity within the educational landscape. Abeer's dedication to equity exemplifies her role as an equity liaison and co-facilitator of an affinity group for teachers of color. Additionally, she created and facilitated a student support group that provided a haven for Arab and Muslim immigrant female students, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and support.

In 2019, recognizing the need to provide educators with valuable resources and insights about Muslim and Arab youth, Abeer founded Altair Education Consulting. Through this endeavor, she has been offering educational materials, professional development, and engaging speaking sessions aimed at amplifying the voices and histories of Arab and Muslim American communities.

Honoring Family Structures in the Anti-Bias Early Childhood Classroom

Grade levels: Early childhood, Elementary │ Subjects: All │ Topic: Family structures

This session is for early childhood and elementary educators who are working to cultivate a school community where all families belong. Participants will engage in self-reflection by examining the messages received in childhood about their own family and the families of others. In small and large groups, we will analyze teaching practices, children’s books and curriculum ideas using the anti-bias education goals related to family structure. The facilitators will also focus on adoptive families with personal stories, vocabulary, and guidance. Attendees will leave with an action step to build inclusivity for all families.

PresenterS’ bio:

Honey Jones

Honey Jones (she/her) was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Trinity Washington University with a BA in Early Childhood Education. She found her passion for teaching after reflecting on her wonderful experiences as a peer health educator, peer math tutor, and camp counselor. She led and participated in inclusion and belonging work within her summer camp organization for more than four years and her school for three years. She is an adoptee and loves collaborating with fellow educators on how to foster a sense of belonging for all families in their classroom/school environment. She is currently the DEIJB Co-Community Coordinator at Sabot School in Richmond, VA.

Makai Kellogg

Makai Kellogg (she/her) is an early childhood educator and Equity and Diversity Coordinator at School for Friends in Washington, D.C. She co-leads the Anti-Bias Early Childhood Working Group through the DC Area Educators for Social Justice. Makai has published articles related to anti-bias education and contributed a chapter to the book Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice. She recently co-authored Reflection, Perspective-Taking, and Social Justice: Stories of Kindness and Empathy in the Early Childhood Classroom.  

Intro to Peace & Conflict Studies: Using Galtung's Typologies of Violence to help students understand systematic oppression

Grade levels: Middle School, High School │ Subjects: English Language Arts, History │ Topics: racism, oppression, Indigenous Americans

Mollie Safran will model a lesson teaching participants about Galtung's Typologies of Violence in the same way she would teach it in her secondary classroom. She will showcase lessons she has done using this theory to support her U.S. History students in discussing systematic oppression. The session will include an opportunity for participants to brainstorm how they could bring the theory into their teaching environments. 

Presenter’s bio:

Mollie Safran

Mollie Safran is a high school social studies teacher in Loudoun County. She is also one of the working group leaders for the DCAESJ Secondary Working Group.

Numbers and Narratives: Teaching Central America

Grade levels: All │ Subjects: English Language Arts, History, Mathematics │ Topics: Teach Central America; Social Justice Mathematics

This workshop guides participants through the Identify, Interrogate, Critique, and Amplify protocol, which we use to deepen students' critical consciousness in their study of Central America in the math classroom. This includes exploring number identity and representation, and analyzing and creating infographics on critical topics in Central America. Participants will engage in this protocol to collaboratively explore resources related to Central America, create their own mini-infographics, and discuss how to apply the protocol in their Teach Central America initiatives with their students.

Presenter’s bio:

Dr. Tamyka Morant

Dr. Tamyka Morant (she/her) brings over 23 years of comprehensive experience as a Black Feminist PK-8 educator in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Her teaching and learning approach is deeply rooted in the tenets of Black feminism, Black feminist pedagogy, and justice praxis/liberatory education. In her current roles as Freedom and Justice’s mom, Assistant Principal in Washington, D.C., and member of D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice, she is unwavering in her dedication to collaborating with fellow educators, students, families, and community partners to advance educational equity and justice for all students. 

Precedented: Deportations on Trial Lesson 

Grade levels: Middle School, High School │ Subject: History │ Topic: Immigration

Put the long, sordid history of U.S. mass deportations on trial with two secondary social studies educators! Participants will trouble the term “unprecedented” in regards to U.S. immigration policy under several presidential administrations. Forbes, a Virginia-based educator, and Williams, program manager for DCAESJ, will facilitate an abbreviated version of the Zinn Education Project’s “Deportations on Trial” lesson with workshop participants, and guide reflection and brainstorming time for educators to implement the lesson with their students.

PresenterS’ bio:

De’Ana Forbes

De’Ana Forbes (she/her) is a master high school social teacher in Northern Virginia and a doctoral student at the University at Buffalo, where she serves as a graduate fellow at the Carter Center for Black History and Racial Literacy Education under the leadership of Dr. LaGarrett King. Forbes possesses a passion for improving Black History education through a critical theoretical lens, focusing on the way U.S History curricula present the complex  histories and humanities of Black peoples. Deana holds a B.A in History and Masters in Teaching 6-12 Social Studies from James Madison University, where she also was a D1 track and field athlete. She is a mother and advocate of lifelong learning and personal development. 

Miss Forbes has contributed her knowledge of Black History curriculum and pedagogy through various platforms, including NPR, In these Times, NCSS conferences, and her Instagram page @socialstudiesscholar.

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams (she/her) is a student and practitioner of all things critical pedagogy, with a special appreciation for social studies. Williams holds a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Education from Davidson College, as well as her M.S. Ed in Education, Culture, and Society from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Williams taught secondary ELA and social studies for six years before joining the Teaching for Change team, where she now enjoys teaching and learning with a community of educators in the DMV. She serves on the D.C. History Conference planning committee and has been featured on panels for the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium. She’s also been a guest on the EmpowerEd Educator Wellness Revolution and Anti-Racist table podcasts, and her writing is published in Rethinking Schools and Education Post.

Radical Morning Meeting: A Framework to Center Identity, Joy, and Justice in the Classroom and Beyond

*(Mini-Workshop)

Grade levels: Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School │ Subjects: English Language Arts, History, Science, Other │ Topics: Black Lives Matter at School, race/racism, disability, gender, climate/environmental justice

In this workshop, participants are introduced to the Radical Morning Meeting (RMM) framework, which invites educators to build community while cultivating skills for both joy and justice. Participants will be led through an abbreviated RMM while also learning about the framework and its components. Finally, they will begin planning how they can utilize this framework in their own practice in the classroom and beyond.

Presenters’ bio:

Tara Rose Brown

Tara Rose Brown MSW MEd (she/her) is a biracial queer social worker, educator, counselor, and youth advocate living on the unceded lands of the Lenni-Lenape (renamed Philadelphia, PA). Her work is deeply rooted in black queer feminist theory, grassroots efforts, and collectivist ideologies. She is a fierce supporter of community where she centers radical intersectional justice. As the new Organizing Director of Philly Children’s Movement, Tara hopes to build on the collective work of dismantling white supremacy and supporting a world where people feel liberated, whole, and valued.

Brooke White has been teaching first through third grade students in Philadelphia public schools since 2011. She earned her BA in Political Science and Psychology from The George Washington University. While consulting in project coordination for the Office of Head Start, Brooke decided to join Teach for America and directly serve children. She earned her MA in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Brooke is committed to building a more equitable, inclusive, and just world starting with our primary students.

Teaching Central America Through History and Fiction

Grade levels: Middle School, High School │ Subjects: English Language Arts, History, Science │ Topics: Central America, social justice, climate justice

How can we use children's fiction to teach history and current events in ways that students find engaging? Through an activity drawing from Teaching for Change’s Introduction to Central America Mixer Lesson, author and educator Anna Lapera will introduce participants to the forces and concepts that have contributed to Central Americans crossing the U.S. border (such as climate change, violence, poverty, political unrest, U.S. foreign policy, and state-sponsored oppression, among others). Using brief biographical sketches of 20th and 21st century figures in the region, participants will connect these themes with recent middle grade and young adult fiction that brings these concepts and histories to life. Participants will leave the workshop with a deeper understanding of the themes that define Central American history and current events, ideas for how to introduce these concepts through new and engaging children's literature, plus a list of new and diverse titles for classroom libraries!

Presenter bio:

Anna Lapera

Anna Lapera is a Guatemalan-American author and public school teacher. Her debut novel, Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, was named one of the “Most Anticipated Middle Grade Reads of 2024” by the School Library Journal. She is a Pushcart prize nominee, a Tin House and Macondo Writers Workshop alum. When she’s not writing or teaching, you can find her drumming or searching for the best plátano frito in the DMV. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband, two daughters, and a rescue dog named Leo.

 
Aileen TapiaEvent, Professional Development