understand that it is crucial in our global society that students develop their cultural competency and are able to function effectively with people of different cultures and backgrounds. Our shared goal is to help build awareness of their cultural worldview, develop cross-cultural skills, and positively embrace cultural differences. In a quest to mold our students into lifelong learners ready to face the rapidly evolving world, eighth grade English language arts students engage deeply with the topic of social justice. At the beginning of their second semester of the 2021–22 school year, they began their journey in social justice reading, writing, and inquiry centered around cultural competence.
SS oo cc ii aa ll JJ uu ss tt ii cc ee UU nn ii tt :: PP oo dd cc aa ss tt ss ff oo rr CC hh aa nn gg ee By DIDI HARI KRISHNAN Communications Writer What are some social justice issues we face today? How can students guide their own journey toward understanding these issues on a deeper level? Eighth grade English language arts students share how their social justice unit has helped them understand the paramount importance of these topics to cultivate a just society. At Singapore American School we are committed to being a world leader in education, cultivating exceptional thinkers who are prepared for the future. This tall task is accomplished through our identified learning aspirations. While all seven learning aspirations are essential, educators at SAS 35
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Eight broad social justice topics from the Learning for Justice website were used to frame students' understanding of social issues: race and ethnicity, religion, [socioeconomic] class, immigration, bullying and bias, rights and activism, gender and sexual identity, and ability. Each student then chose a subject area of interest to them such as migrant workers’ rights and inequalities, access to health care, mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.
Social issues have to be talked about. Society as a whole tends to forget others due to the extreme focus we place on our own problems. However, when we learn (about the social issues present today), we rise to a place where we can act. Isn’t that the end goal? KAREN O., 8A STUDENT
STUDENTS WENT THROUGH A FOUR-STEP PROCESS TO PREPARE RESEARCH In order to gain some background knowledge on their chosen topics, students conducted specific research to align with the different perspectives they explored. This step was an iterative process as students developed the skills to research when they discovered something new throughout the unit. For example, some students gathered new findings during the interview, leading them to conduct new research to gather more insights on the particular topic.
My learning process began with a deep dive into the state of the war in modern society—the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This, in turn, gave me a greater insight into the current state of just how prevalent violence is in the world right now. In addition to the desk research, I also interviewed experts. I interviewed SAS social studies teacher Dr. Scott Oskins to connect past wars to modern conflicts; Matt Friedman, a human rights activist, to sharpen my focus on how the lives of individuals are affected by violence; and finally, Chaitan Rao, an investment analyst, to understand the relation of war and economics. VIR R., 8B STUDENT
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I think that our research process wasn't particularly challenging when it came to gathering information because what we needed was readily available. I truly believe that the independent research we conducted was a crucial factor that changed the result of our final product. It encouraged us to take our own initiatives and to discover diverse sources that we would curate and interpret.
Students were given a list of fiction or nonfiction books on social justice issues in our world today, which they read in class book clubs. They then had productive conversations about how human rights and equity intersect with the themes of their chosen books—taking on a variety of perspectives, engaging in their own inquiry process, and building empathy.
ALEX L., 8C STUDENT
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