THE PLAN
Unit Relevance
With detentions, suspensions, and expulsions on the rise in schools (especially among students of color) and more money being spent on school discipline and "safety" each year, are our schools really safer? This unit challenges students to face the realities of discipline in schools and racial profiling. On a broader national level and within their own school, students will look at instances of injustice through statistics and data collection. They will become the change makers and hopefully be called to action by their findings.
Grade: 9th & 10th Course: Algebra I (inclusion and co-taught)
Duration: 8 days Period Length: 47 minutes
Essential Questions
- What are the current realities of school discipline in the United States and in our school? Who wins? Who loses?
-Who makes decisions about punishments in schools?
- How can we impact these realities?
- Why is data collected and analyzed and by whom?
- How do people use data to influence others?
- How can predictions be made based on data?
-Who makes decisions about punishments in schools?
- How can we impact these realities?
- Why is data collected and analyzed and by whom?
- How do people use data to influence others?
- How can predictions be made based on data?
Essential Threads
- culture -gender -oppression -race(ism) -resistance
Gains & Understandings
Local: Students have expressed that they see racial profiling and discipline as a problem in our school. Through our work, the hope is that others can be made aware of what happens in our school community. Students could then work with stake holders in the building to impact change in discipline policies and school culture.
Global Connections: The school-to-prison pipeline is a reality in American schools. Students will gain an understanding of what the pipeline is and how it may apply to their own school. They will also be able to better contextualize the current racial climate of the country and how recent high profiles cases of injustice impact perceptions and actions.
Global Connections: The school-to-prison pipeline is a reality in American schools. Students will gain an understanding of what the pipeline is and how it may apply to their own school. They will also be able to better contextualize the current racial climate of the country and how recent high profiles cases of injustice impact perceptions and actions.
Culminating Learning Product
Students will have a choice in how they express their final findings. Students will create an infographic from the final data that is collected through their YPAR work. They get to chose the subject that they create an infographic for. The final rubric summarizes expectations for this project.
The hope is that these infographics will be put together and shared in a meaningful and useful way with the school community.
Alternate idea: Have students make a video similar to this one about the Discipline Gap to illustrate how policies and experiences affect students.
The hope is that these infographics will be put together and shared in a meaningful and useful way with the school community.
Alternate idea: Have students make a video similar to this one about the Discipline Gap to illustrate how policies and experiences affect students.
Applicable Disciplines
- Language Arts -Mathematics -Media/Technology -Social Sciences
Main Texts
Mathematics content adapted from: Algebra I (McDougal-Littell 2007)
Lesson 13.1 Find Probability and Odds
pages 933-935 Circle, Bar, and Line Graphs
Beyond Zero Tolerance: Discipline and Policing in Pennsylvania Public Schools
How the School to Prison Pipeline Ruins Lives Before They Start
Lesson 13.1 Find Probability and Odds
pages 933-935 Circle, Bar, and Line Graphs
Beyond Zero Tolerance: Discipline and Policing in Pennsylvania Public Schools
How the School to Prison Pipeline Ruins Lives Before They Start
Key Vocabulary
MATH FOCUSED
bar graph, line graph, circle graph, probability, outcome, event, sample space, experimental probability, theoretical probability
JUSTICE FOCUSED
Zero tolerance discipline, school to prison pipeline, racial profiling, racial disparities
bar graph, line graph, circle graph, probability, outcome, event, sample space, experimental probability, theoretical probability
JUSTICE FOCUSED
Zero tolerance discipline, school to prison pipeline, racial profiling, racial disparities
Standards Addressed
Pennsylvania Core Standards
Mathematics Standard Area - CC.2.4: Measurement, Data and Probability
High School Standard - CC.2.4.HS.B.7: Apply the rules of probability to compute probabilities of compound events in a uniform probability model.
Assessment Anchor - A1.2.3: Data Analysis
Anchor Descriptor - A1.2.3.3: Apply probability to practical situations.
Eligible Content A1.2.3.3.1: Find probabilities for compound events (e.g., find probability of red and blue, find probability of red or blue) and represent as a fraction, decimal or percent).
Anchor Descriptor - A1.2.3.2: Use data displays in problem solving settings and/or to make predictions.
Eligible Content A1.2.3.2.1: Estimate or calculate to make predictions based on a circle, line, bar graph, measures of central tendency, or other representations.
Common Core Standards - High School: Probability and Statistics
Interpreting Categorical & Quantitative Data
Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single count or measurement variable.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.1
Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).
Making Inferences & Justifying Conclusions
Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.IC.B.3
Recognize the purposes of and differences among sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies; explain how randomization relates to each.
Using Probability to Make Decisions
Use probability to evaluate outcomes of decisions.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.MD.B.7
(+) Analyze decisions and strategies using probability concepts (e.g., product testing, medical testing, pulling a hockey goalie at the end of a game).
Mathematics Standard Area - CC.2.4: Measurement, Data and Probability
High School Standard - CC.2.4.HS.B.7: Apply the rules of probability to compute probabilities of compound events in a uniform probability model.
Assessment Anchor - A1.2.3: Data Analysis
Anchor Descriptor - A1.2.3.3: Apply probability to practical situations.
Eligible Content A1.2.3.3.1: Find probabilities for compound events (e.g., find probability of red and blue, find probability of red or blue) and represent as a fraction, decimal or percent).
Anchor Descriptor - A1.2.3.2: Use data displays in problem solving settings and/or to make predictions.
Eligible Content A1.2.3.2.1: Estimate or calculate to make predictions based on a circle, line, bar graph, measures of central tendency, or other representations.
Common Core Standards - High School: Probability and Statistics
Interpreting Categorical & Quantitative Data
Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single count or measurement variable.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.1
Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).
Making Inferences & Justifying Conclusions
Make inferences and justify conclusions from sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.IC.B.3
Recognize the purposes of and differences among sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies; explain how randomization relates to each.
Using Probability to Make Decisions
Use probability to evaluate outcomes of decisions.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.MD.B.7
(+) Analyze decisions and strategies using probability concepts (e.g., product testing, medical testing, pulling a hockey goalie at the end of a game).
Primary Instructional Approaches
- Collaborative Group Work
- Small Group Instruction
- Teacher Led Instruction
-Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)
- Small Group Instruction
- Teacher Led Instruction
-Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)
Modifications & Differentiation
- Small Group Instruction (with either co-teacher)
- Scaffolding for project throughout unit
- Multi-step processes written out
- Scaffolding for project throughout unit
- Multi-step processes written out
Community connection?
Ideas so far include:
- Taking students to a presentations by the School Discipline Advocacy Service to discuss school discipline and
the school to prison pipeline
- Present findings to stakeholders in the building (ie administrators, parents, student leaders, community members)
- Visit a local school that has a Youth Court program to learn more about how they operate
- Taking students to a presentations by the School Discipline Advocacy Service to discuss school discipline and
the school to prison pipeline
- Present findings to stakeholders in the building (ie administrators, parents, student leaders, community members)
- Visit a local school that has a Youth Court program to learn more about how they operate
Scope and Sequence
Lesson 1:
- Small group analysis of ACLU of PA data
- Collaborate with group members to answer questions in Google Doc provided
- Large group discussion of graphs
- Develop YPAR survey for distribution
- Collaboration through Google Docs to finalize survey
- Discover probability through culturally relevant, justice driven examples
- Problem pose around school arrest rates
- Discuss the difference between experimental and theoretical probability
- See how this applies to the circle graph from Lesson 1
- Compile data using Google Forms
- Make infogram accounts to compile data
- Analyze data from YPAR survey
- Create infographics to display data
- Synthesize infographics with similar themes
- Discuss school to prison pipeline in more detail
- Circle of Power and Respect (CPR)
- Discuss topics and finalize class action
Cover photo from: http://studentrightsalliance.org/school-to-prison-pipeline.aspx