Recognizing the full humanity of other people involves seeking to understand the diverse perspectives and experiences they may have, which may be similar to or different from our own.
In this unit, we ask you to explore the experiences that make up who we are and think about how they compare to other people’s experiences. How do our identities shape how we perceive others? How do we recognize inequality and injustice? How do these experiences of injustice affect how we and others feel? What does it mean to fully respect the humanity of others? As you think about these questions, we encourage you to consider how to deal with harm through empathy.
Some of the content in this curriculum includes topics that could be uncomfortable for some. As you engage with this content, we encourage you to take care of yourself in whatever way works for you.
This unit aligns with the following standards and concepts:
Learning For Justice
- Identity 4: Students will develop positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society.
- Diversity 6: Students will express comfort with people who are both similar to and different from them and engage respectfully with all people.
- Diversity 7: Students will develop language and knowledge to accurately and respectfully describe how people (including themselves) are both similar to and different from each other and others in their identity groups.
- Diversity 9: Students will respond to diversity by building empathy, respect, understanding and connection.
- 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.
- Action 16: Students will express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their identities and concern when they themselves experience bias.
Critical Consciousness
Critical Motivation: The perceived capacity to effect social and political change by individual and/or collective activism. It follows that people will be much more likely to engage in critical action if they feel that they can create change.
CASEL 5 Social Emotional Learning Competencies (Equity Elaborated)
Social Awareness: Involves the ability to take the perspective of those with the same and different backgrounds and cultures and to empathize and feel compassion. It also involves understanding social norms for behavior in diverse settings and recognizing family, school, and community resources and supports.