Engage and Empower: Expanding the Curriculum for Justice and Activism

Mary Amanda Stewart · Christina Salazar · Victor Antonio Lozada · Christina Thomas

Dec 2021 · Rowman & Littlefield

About this ebook

This edited book provides ready-to-use engaging curriculum units for an integrated approach to teaching English language arts and U.S. history in grades 4-12. The purpose is to promote social justice and activism while building critical literacies students need in the 21st Century. Through implementing the curriculum units in this book, teachers and students can challenge inequities and promote activism.

A central goal of this project is to represent and empower marginalized students. The traditional curriculum presents one view, one story as the only story, and one people as the norm. This book intentionally centers the experiences of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized communities. In addition to expanding the curriculum to include all people, educating students about issues of injustice in the U.S. will enable them to enact change.

Additionally, this book serves to educate all students by exposure to central issues in past and present society. By creating space for a multicultural perspective, this curriculum may reduce the friction that occurs when encountering those whose lived experiences and perspectives do not align with one’s own. By educating students about the privileges they have not examined, teachers can foster empathy and empower allies.

About the author

Mary Amanda (Mandy) Stewart is Associate Professor of Literacy at Texas Woman’s University and the co-author of But Does This Work English Learners? A Guide for ELA Teachers, Grades 6-12.

Christina Salazar is school librarian, former high school teacher, and doctoral student at Texas Woman’s University.

Christina Thomas is a teachers and doctoral student at Texas Woman’s University.

Victor Antonio Lozada is a music educator and doctoral candidate at Texas Woman’s University