Socially Transformative Teaching

In the March/April, 2022, issue of National Science Teaching Association’s (NSTA) journal for middle school teachers, Science Scope, authors Laura Blue and Sarah Redick provide a framework for teaching science through the lens of social justice. This was inspired by a resource called Facing History (see below).  Standards for the program were derived from the work of an organization known as Learning for Justice. This activity provided an entry point for teachers to incorporate a sociotransformative approach to teaching in the context of life science.

The curriculum incorporates four key elements of the social justice approach:

• Identity: The curriculum begins by exploring the multifaceted nature of what makes each of us unique. Using any medium they choose (such as a piece of paper and colored pencils, Google draw, or a concept webbing tool called Bubbl.us), students describe themselves. 
• Diversity: Students research how people greet one another around the world and then create a greeting of their own which is safe and culturally sensitive.
• Action: Students explore bias, stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and privilege in the context of epidemiology. Using the “See, Think, Wonder” strategy, students are asked to critically evaluate pandemic-related data exploring the number of confirmed cases of COVID per 100,000 residents.
• Justice: Students explore the potential inequities of online learning in interviews with family and peers. 

The authors describe further details of the program. Also helpful are their references, including background for the project. See the resources below for more information on these topics.​

Resources:
Facing History identity map activity
Learning for Justice
Socially Transformative Teaching

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