PROJECT
CRITICAL
Introduction:
Imagine
you live in a neighborhood of thriving businesses, from bookstores to hotels to
restaurants to hair salons and barbershops. It has its own churches,
transportation system, and every year new homes are being built to supply
growing families and migrating people. Now imagine that all the business owners
are black. In fact, the whole town is black, from teachers to undertakers,
judges to doctors, singers to journalists, all living in the same neighborhood
owning or renting the land they live on. Now imagine that one night, you are
awakened from your sleep by your frantic mother who tells you to put on your
shoes and coat because the whole family is leaving now. You can hear something
like hail hammering outside, someone who sounds eerily like your best friend
from next door is screaming and you can smell something burning. What is
happening? You ask your mother. She replies “Your government is shooting at
us!”
Looking
back at this event which occurred over 80 years ago, you will be analyzing and
answering the following questions:
·
Why was
there such a violent response to the success of black Americans?
·
Should
there be an act of atonement from the federal and state governments?
·
Are
reparations an effective and viable resolution to this crime?
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BURN VICTIM OF RIOT |
TULSA 1926 |
Task:
You
will be assigned to an adolescent task force whose primary task is to research
and educate yourselves about the May 31, 1921 terrorist attack on the all-black
town of
You
will follow a particular set of instructions to produce a set of products from
the PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST. Your group will research as directed and complete
ALL worksheets for each step. Your group will then use these worksheets as a
basis for your brochure, essay and oral presentation. All the steps of the PPA
must be included in each product. Working together is a critical part of the
web quest assignment. This will be a major factor in the evaluation process.
STEPS OF THE PUBLIC POLCIY ANALYST
5. Comparative
Analysis A
6. Comparative
Analysis B
Process:
You will
be assigned to groups of five in which each person will be in charge of a
different aspect of the education and educating process.
Group Leader/Writer: Coordinate group activities; supervise
completion of all activities; take notes during lectures and film viewing
Researcher: Search
for data online that will support all data discussed and viewed in films;
provide info to answer all questions of group members;
Online Journalist: create online notifications about the
topic; develop links to a central website that draws more adolescents’
attention to this issue
Brochure Developer: create a paper brochure which can be
distributed in a variety of places to inform people about the topic and actions
they can take
Presenter: Present
the group’s conclusion to the question: Should the survivors of this atrocity
be rewarded with financial reparations? Why or why not? How and where should it
be distributed? If you disagree, then what should be done to redress this
issue?
Resources: 
1. The Basics of
Greenwood, OK
2. A Narrative
Description of Life in Greenwood, OK
3. Photos
of the Aftermath of the Tulsa Race Riot, 1921
4. A Summary of
the Events and Legal Actions
5. A Summary of the Events and
Legal Actions 2
6. Davey D's Commentary on
Black Wall Street
7. A
Video Commentary on a New Documentary of the Race Riot
8. A
Video Documentary of Life in Greenwood, OK
Evaluation: The
rubric, for these assignments, is linked to the web quest. Just click and you
will easily see your guidelines.
Conclusion:
At
the end of this project, you will have learned to use skills as a public policy
analyst to address a social problem – the malediction of some Americans – as it
relates to a historical injustice. You will have learned to use the internet as
both a research engine as well as an agent of educating and changing people’s
knowledge of American history. You have also critically argued amongst your
peers and presented your ideas on a real-life politico-economic issue. Thanks
for your participation. Possibly, your research will prevent another
STANDARDS BASED ASSESSMENT
ELA STANDARDS:
1. Read, write,
listen, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners and
readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas,
discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge
generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers
and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret,
apply, and transmit information. As speakers and writers, they will
present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their
opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
2. Read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze
experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety
of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral
and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and
judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS:
1. Use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate
their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning
points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety
of perspectives.
2. Study of the major social, political, cultural, and
religious developments in world history while learning about the important
roles and contributions of individuals and groups.
3. Use the skills of historical analysis to explain the
importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and
continuity over time.