Social Justice, Critical Thinking, & Writing

Kate Van Roekel, UA Center for English as a Second Language

Amy Sams, UA Center for English as a Second Language

AZ TESOL – October 26, 2013

Our Inspiration

Chapman, T. K., Hobbel, N., & Alvarado, N. V. (2011). A social justice approach as a base for teaching writing. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy,54(7), 539-541.

A Social Justice Approach as a Base for Teaching Writing

Fosters “an awareness of societal challenges that affect students’ families, communities, and larger society” (p. 539)

Increases students’ abilities to “articulate their experiences, critique their world, and address those identified issues with subsequent action” (p. 539)

Students as individuals, community members, and citizens of a wider global

community

Me, My Community, and the World

What concerns you?

Which of these issues concerns your families and communities?

Do these same issues distress the world on the global level?

Me

Narrative

Show relationship between topic and self

Example Topics

My Community

Article suggested found poetry or self-created poetry; We used a cause/effect essay

How issue is manifested in community

The World

Expository writing with research support

How the issue is manifested in the larger global community

In our project, we had students write a letter to a decision maker who had power to make change

Peer Review

1. Affirmation

2. Solidarity

3. Critique

Students discuss definitions & how to know when someone is doing or enacting each word

Unit 1: Narrative Essay

The Assignment

Foundation for the entire unit

Purpose “launching point for research and argumentation” “the context motivating your research and

argument later in the course “

Challenges: Choosing a Topic

Students’ exposure to ‘social justice’ Lack of experience (age) Lack of critical thinking (accepting as ‘norm’) Lack of familiarity (Unfamiliar with world

issues)

Activities to raise awareness of social justice issues

Worksheet Definition: injustice / inequality Framing: as a child / as a teenager / as an adult Web: choose social justice issue from list –

brainstorm examples Free writing:

Things that don’t seem right to me in the US Things I’d like to change about my country

Analysis of Examples: The Atlantic article (“On purposely getting arrested

to get life-saving surgery” Mezrich 2013) NPR This I Believe Narratives

Examples of Student Topics

Corruption and Environmental Impact of Mining Operation

Campus Shutdown due to Potential Shooter

Corruption in Education

Bullying

Regional Discrimination

Cost of Healthcare

Peer Review

Affirmation

Solidarity

Critique

Student Response

Confirmed Chapman & Alvarado’s claims Developed “awareness of social

challenges” Prepared and motivated students for

subsequent projects

Student Response

I’m most pleased with this essay because… “This thing is true and happened near to

me. I have feeling about that and this is a problem in the world.”

“This essay makes me remind the details of the thing and re-learn something from that”

Unit 2: Cause/Effect Research Essay

The Assignment

Purpose “Develop a research foundation for argumentation” “Research causes/effects of an issue found in your

narrative” “Consider what you would like to change about the

issue, and what you would need to know in order to be able to do so”

Why Just Causes / Effects? Limited Scope Scaffolding research requirements

High-intermediate proficiency Very limited research experience

Scaffolding

Teacher Modeling Poverty

Research Topic Proposal Topic must be related to narrative and appropriately

focused

Supervised Web Research Extensive discussion of article credibility/reliability

Practice Working with Sources Quoting, Paraphrasing, Citing, Plagiarism

Process writing Outline, Drafts, Peer Review

Student Topics

Narrative Research Essay

• Corruption and Environmental Impact of Mining Operation• Campus Shutdown due to Potential Shooter

• Corruption in Education

• Bullying

• Regional Discrimination

• Cost of Healthcare

• Economic and Environmental Impact of Mining• Impact of Gun Control Laws

• Impact of Corruption

• Effects of Bullying

• Causes of Racism

• Causes of High Healthcare Costs

Unit 3: Argumentative Letter

The Assignment

Assignment: You now have the opportunity to argue your position on your issue, using research to support your argument. You will write a letter written to a person or specific group of people, such as a politician or official organization. Letters are succinct and always include a strong and specific call to action.

The letter must have a specific purpose, address a specific audience, consider counterarguments, and use at least 3 sources (cited on an attached Works Cited page).

Craft a Purpose. What should be done about your issue? Be clear and specific.

Cause and Effect Essay

Brainstorming

Audience Analysis Activity

Choosing an appropriate audience was very challenging for students

Select an audience. Once you decide what should be done about your issue, you must decide who should do it. Choose a specific person or organization. Do research to understand what they value and believe.

Do research to find what other people have said about this topic. You can use books, magazines, newspapers, the internet, or library resources. You need to have 3 sources. You may use the sources from Essay 2 if they support your current position.

Students used the sources they found for their Cause and Effect essay as a foundation for this letter.

How does purpose shape how we use research? Cause/Effect vs. Persuasion

Make an argument about your topic that states a claim and a reason. Your thesis must be concise and clear. It must connect to what is important to your audience.

Candy Bar Wars

Support your thesis statement, giving specific examples and details from each of your outside sources to support your claim. Use rhetorical appeals (emotion, logic, ethics) to connect to what your audience values.

Model Essays Connection of evidence to thesis Importance of connecting thesis to audience’s

values

Student Topics

Research Letter

• Economic and Environmental Impact of Mining Operation• Campus Shutdown due to Potential Shooter

• Corruption in Education

• Bullying

• Regional Discrimination

• Cost of Healthcare

• To Mining Corporation Advocating More Eco-friendly practices on the basis of economic gain• To Jan Brewer advocating stricter gun laws

• Public letter to fellow citizens advocating resistance to corruption• To Principle of former school advocating bully education• To fellow citizens advocating understanding between groups• To Pres. Obama calling for restrictions on costs

Conclusions/Future Implications

Conclusions

Extremely valuable in developing students’ ability to look critically at events surrounding them.

Students reported this was the first time they were able to voice dissent regarding issues in their home country.

Prepared students for university-level requirements – analysis/critical thinking

Built sense of community in the class because students shared topics of personal importance

Future Implications

Importance of choosing workable topic from the beginning (narrative)

Require students to send/post Argumentative Letter

Evolution of Peer Review