15.8 – Module Project and Reflection
Let’s talk about which people U.S. policies are helping!
You and your classmates will review historic United States laws–who do they support OR hurt?
1) Look at the Module 15 Project: U.S. Policy Analysis Activity handout. Talk as a class – give examples of groups that have faced inequality, social injustice, and racism in the United States and in other countries. Go over the directions at the top of the handout.
2) As a class, read the example policy. Think about and discuss whom the 1830 Indian Removal Act policy would benefit, or help. And in contrast, whom would it hurt, or not benefit? What does this law mean for future generations: for both those that the policy helped and those that it hurt?
| EXAMPLE POLICY: 1830 Indian Removal Act
This law forcibly relocated (moved) Cherokee, Creeks, and other eastern Indians to live west of the Mississippi River to make room for white settlers.
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3) Work in small groups – your teacher will assign one policy to each group (or you can choose them). Just like the example policy that your class worked on together, your goal is to discuss WHOM this policy would help, WHOM it would hurt, and what effect it would have on future generations.
When finished, groups may present their policies and answers with the whole class.
Discuss as a class: What patterns do you notice when you compare the different groups’ answers? History is the study of patterns, causes and effects. We can learn from the past, and try to fix and avoid discrimination and social inequality in current and future generations.
Watch this reflective video that emphasizes the power of equality.
Big Questions
We are at the end of Module 15! Based on your learning, how would you answer these questions?
Do a 3-5-minute “quick write” about one or more of the questions below OR be prepared to discuss one/both of them.
Questions #1-2: How do individuals and communities build social movements to help change systems? What strategies do they use?
Question #3: How do different groups of people respond to changing systems, positively or negatively?
Extend Your Learning!
People with disabilities (and others) advocated and fought for themselves to enact change, determine solutions, and overcome barriers. Solutions to problems can be simple (like building a ramp to access a building) or they can be far-reaching and affect a lot of people, like the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a government law that protects people with disabilities in many areas of public life.
Watch this video about a disability rights activist named Judy Heumann (4 min).
Discuss the following questions in small groups OR as a whole class.
- Judy Heumann said that society sometimes sees people with disabilities as a threat (or something dangerous), “but the question is, is it because one has a disability, or because society itself has constructed itself in such a way because they haven’t seen us?”
Why do you think she says that society doesn’t see people with disabilities? Do you agree or disagree, and why?
- When fighting for disability rights, Judy Heumann says that “diversity is something that makes our companies stronger, that diverse businesses provide better services for customers.”
What are some examples of “diversity” when we talk about different kinds of people who can work for a business? If businesses think about these differences, how might it make those companies and their services better?
