Single-Group Approach

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Single-Group Approach

• Presented by
• Mallory Selznick

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Goals

• Promote equality and recognition of an identified
  group.
• Promote willingness and knowledge among students
  to work toward social change that would benefit
  an identified group.
• Empower oppressed groups and develop allies.
• Develop the abilities to think through issues and
  act in a way to transform unjust social
  conditions.

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Framework

• Dominate vs. Oppressed groups
• Schools should present multiple points of view
  and make explicit their own point of view.
• For true democracy, points of view of oppressed
  people must also be given full expression, and
  their concerns and experience must be addressed.
• Examine current social problems, and how they
  relate to past experiences

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How to use in classrooms

• Your own ideas may distort how other groups see
  themselves and their own experiences.
• Critique the social context that reinforces
  barriers because lessons that dont do not
  develop ideas that group members who have studied
  their own history and experience consider
  important about themselves.
• Teachers need to be creative to figure out how to
  teach state standards through Single-Group
  Studies.
• Teachers need to attend to the contexts in which
  students grow up, and how those contexts affect
  the self-esteem on intellectuals and the work
  they do.
• Teaching methods depend on the availability of
  materials and preparation of the teacher.

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Identities and Groups

• Stages of Identity Development
• Individuals need to learn as much as they can
  about his or her group.
• Help each other grow.
• When students learn about their heritage and
  contributions to society, they participate in
  growth in social consciousness.
• As students learn about their group, they grow in
  pride and knowledge and others learn about their
  group.
• Schooling is alienating when it is not about
  themselves, and is motivating when it it.

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Curriculum, Strategies, Practices, and
Implementation

• Build on students learning styles.
• Teach units or courses about the culture of a
  group, from the groups perspective.
• Make the classroom reflect and welcome members of
  the group.
• How the curriculum is presented can have
  political implications and imply a position the
  teacher as taken.
• Use authentic materials of targeted group.

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Topics-Elementary school

• Topics taught in isolation may contribute little
  to the formation of ideas. Young children learn
  best when taught in a holistic way.
• Studies help students know how each group
  interprets and views social realities (ex. The
  importance of knowing how to address a Hispanic
  adult).
• Life of homeless children, learning about people
  with disabilities, leaning about refugees,
  valuing our elders, learning about other children
  in the neighborhood (specific goals and questions
  should be decided for each group).

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Topics-Secondary school

• Include information about groups historical and
  cultural experiences in courses such as social
  studies, government, history, literature, art,
  and music.
• Key is to relate struggles and groups to society
  and help to solve problems.
• Targets include women, ethnic groups, such as
  Asian Americans, people with disabilities, or
  working class.

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Lesson Plans

• Now its your turn!
• Look at the two lesson plans on your table. Both
  are good plans, however, one uses the
  Single-Groups Studies in a better way than the
  other. Talk with the people in your group about
  the following
• Differences between the lesson plan
• Why one plan is better than the other
• What is the oppressed group that is in the plan?
• How is power given back to them in the better
  plan?

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Single-Group Lesson Plans

• Group 1 lesson plans
• Group 2 lesson plans
• Group 3 lesson plans
• Group 4 lesson plans
• Group 5 lesson plans
• Single-Group Studies lesson plans and Action
  Research (2010). Michigan State University TE
  891. Retrieved from https//angel.msu.edu/section/
  default.asp?idUS10-TE891-730-912574-EL-14-815

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Problems and Concerns

• Employ faculty of the targeted group(s).
• Incorporating every group of students in the
  classroom.
• Spends too little time on things that subordinate
  groups need most and too much time on things that
  will not help them.
• Fear that it will create tension and hostility.
• Single-Group programs do not work together.
• Any other questions or concerns about
  Single-Group Studies Approach?

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References

• Melendez, W., Beck, V. (2010). Teaching young
  children in multicultural classrooms Issues,
  concepts, and strategies, third edition.
  Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
• Single-Group Studies lesson plans and Action
  Research (2010). Michigan State University TE
  891. Retrieved from
• https//angel.msu.edu/section/default.asp?idUS10
  -TE891-730-912574-EL-14-815
• Sleeter, C. E., Grant, C. A. (eds). (2009).
  Making choices for multicultural education Five
  approaches to race, class, and gender, sixth
  edition. John Wiley Sons, Inc.