Teaching Social Justice

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Describe conceptual frameworks related to issues of oppression and privilege.
• Identify the historical context of social justice education.
• Apply various pedagogical strategies for teaching about issues of social justice.
• Analyze the complexities of teaching about social justice.
• Evaluate challenges and rewards of teaching about issues of oppression and privilege.
• Create strategies that will be directly useful in future endeavors to teach about social justice issues.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Participation and Preparedness	15%
Reflective Sketchbook/Journal	30%
Leading Discussion and Reflection	20%
Final Project	30%
Self- Evaluation	5%

Letter grades will be assigned for class participation and assignments. Evaluative written feedback will be provided. Written work is graded on demonstrated insight, completion of expectations of the assignment, coherence of organization, and grammar and spelling.

A level work (90%-100%) is clearly excellent and reflects substantial effort. All aspects of the assignment are responded to in a cogent, organized, and cohesive manner. Well-chosen, supportive examples (and citations), and persuasive reasoning are utilized. Written work falling into this category will demonstrate clarity of purpose, organization, and communication with a high degree of demonstrated critical thinking. The mechanics of the paper are excellent; there are very few grammatical or spelling errors. “A” for participation signifies missing no more than two hours of class (unless make up work is provided for absences due to sickness, emergencies, and/or unavoidable work circumstances) along with a high level of participation demonstrated through verbal and nonverbal engagement, actively partaking in class activities, completing the readings, bringing notes consistently, and consistent collegiality.

B level work (80%-89%) is of good to very good quality. Most of the aspects of the assignment are covered in an adequate and organized manner. Supportive examples are given most of the time and arguments are organized and sensible. There is a clear structure to the paper. The mechanics of the paper are good; there may be some minor grammatical and/or spelling errors, but these do not detract substantially from the content of the paper. Significant demonstration of critical thinking exists. “B” for participation signifies missing two to four hours of class (unless make up work is provided for absences due to sickness, emergencies, and/or unavoidable work circumstances) along with a consistent participation demonstrated through verbal and nonverbal engagement, partaking in class activities, completing the majority of readings, bringing notes often, and collegiality.

C level work (73%-79%) is marginally satisfactory. The paper shows some weaknesses and/or minimal effort. The assignment is minimally addressed and/or the response is minimally coherent. There is some structure to the paper but the organization needs improvement for complete coherence. Critical thinking is apparent in some sections but mostly lacking. The mechanics of the paper detract from the content. “C” for participation signifies a student who misses four to six hours of class and/or is otherwise unprepared on multiple occasions and/or lacks collegiality.

F level work is unsatisfactory. The paper shows serious weaknesses and/or a lack of effort. The assignment is not addressed and/or the response is incoherent. There is little obvious structure to the paper. The paper lacks critical thinking. The mechanics of the paper are poor. Students will also receive an F when they engage in plagiarism, do not put any visible effort into an assignment, fail to comply after I’ve given council, or fail to complete a required course assignment. “F” for participation signifies a student who misses more than six hours of class and/or is unprepared for the majority of class sessions and/or frequently disrupts collegiality.

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
94-100	A
90-93.99	A-
87-89.99	B+
84-86.99	B
80-83.99	B-
77-79.99	C+
73-76.99	C
Below 73	F

Attendance/Participation:

“A” for participation signifies missing no more than two hours of class (unless make up work is provided for absences due to sickness, emergencies, and/or unavoidable work circumstances) along with a high level of participation demonstrated through verbal and nonverbal engagement, actively partaking in class activities, completing the readings, bringing notes consistently, and consistent collegiality.

“B” for participation signifies missing two to four hours of class (unless make up work is provided for absences due to sickness, emergencies, and/or unavoidable work circumstances) along with a consistent participation demonstrated through verbal and nonverbal engagement, partaking in class activities, completing the majority of readings, bringing notes often, and collegiality.

“C” for participation signifies a student who misses four to six hours of class and/or is otherwise unprepared on multiple occasions and/or lacks collegiality.

“F” for participation signifies a student who misses more than six hours of class and/or is unprepared for the majority of class sessions and/or frequently disrupts collegiality.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.