Around the World: Lesson Plans for Amanda Gorman's Inaugural Poem, Legacies of Chinese Exclusion, and More

Each week, we'll share a variety of videos, articles, webcasts, resources, and more from around the web — all curated by Asia Society Texas Center staff to reflect the broad interests and goals of our mission. In this digest, learn about resources and partner organizations to help supplement learning for students, families, educators, and adults.

Lesson Plan: Amanda Gorman's Inaugural Poem 'The Hill We Climb'

This PBS lesson plan guides students through a variety of activities to examine the poetry of Amanda Gorman. After an introduction of the 22-year-old poet, the lesson begins with her inauguration poem "The Hill We Climb." The lesson then continues to draw a comparison to Gorman's 2020 poem "The Miracle Morning." Students will be asked to think critically to understand the message and impact of the poems, and to observe the relationship the poems have in their moments in history and to the students' lives. The lesson plan consists of listening, reflection, and written portions.

This lesson plan works well for a variety of ages and can be given in one class period or several classes depending on the use of the provided extensions. It is an excellent resource for students to reflect on the power of their written and spoken word, as well as to celebrate the powerful voices of today.

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Facing History and Ourselves: The Legacies of Chinese Exclusion

Tackling the history of anti-immigration laws head-on, Facing History and Ourselves provides a thorough examination of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which was the first federal law to restrict immigration based on nationality. Students will examine why this period is considered a turning point in the history of the United States and draw connections between the exclusion era and today. The material is kept relevant by challenging the students to think about the consequences that the law had on the lives of immigrants and the notions of liberty and democracy. Juxtaposing the 1885 letter of protest from Chinese immigrant Saum Song Bo with a quotation from contemporary writer Rosemary Bray, these materials push students to reflect on the lessons we can learn from the past.

Facing History and Ourselves also stays self-aware by providing helpful content and guidelines for teachers who need help navigating the topics of race and racism. Overall, this is a great resource for teachers seeking to dive deeply into the history and impact of Asian American immigration and topics of social justice.

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K-Town '92 — Interactive Film

This interactive film allows students to explore how historical narratives are built depending on two factors: whose story is being told and who the narrator is. K-Town'92 shows different angles of the 1992 Los Angeles riots that resulted from four officers being acquitted after the video showed them beating Rodney King. This was one of the first widely filmed riots that had a significant presence from several racial and ethnic communities. The media portrayal at the time put each of these groups in a box, and this documentary shows the nuances of reactions within each group.

As the viewer places their mouse over a particular framing, they hear only the audio from that perspective. With this in mind, have students reflect on present issues such as racial injustice and how the narratives of these issues are impacted by modern access to smartphones and the internet.

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Civil Rights Teaching: Exploring the History of Freedom Schools

This short read explains Freedom Schools and provides supplementary material about their origins, students, teachers, and curriculum. These (summer) schools were started in the 1960s by the SNCC and offered education on the missing subjects and history lessons not taught in mainstream education. Some subjects included how to protest using nonviolent tactics, music, debate, and African history.

This is a good resource for teachers who want to encourage students to have a conversation on how underresourced and marginalized groups have historically organized to be agents of social change.

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Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and United Airlines, Presenting Sponsors of Business and Policy programs; Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, and Leslie and Brad Bucher, Presenting Sponsors of Exhibitions; Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Milton D. Rosenau, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts and Culture; Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsor of Education & Outreach; and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Presenting Sponsor of the Japan Series. General support of programs and exhibitions is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Hearst Foundation, Inc., Houston Endowment, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, McKinsey & Company, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as Friends of Asia Society.

About Asia Society at Home

We are dedicated to continuing our mission of building cross-cultural understanding and uplifting human connectivity. Using digital tools, we bring you content for all ages and conversations that matter, in order to spark curiosity about Asia and to foster empathy.

About Asia Society Texas Center

With 13 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and West. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.