Curriculum Connections A free online publication for K-12 educators provided by ADL’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute. www.adl.org/lesson-plans UPDATED ISSUE SPRING 2018 Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018 2 In This Issue In response to the lack of representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in school curricula and disproportionate incidents Contents of bullying and violence against LGBT youth, ADL, GLSEN and StoryCorps have collaborated to create Unheard Voices, an oral history and curriculum project Correlation of Lessons to the that will help educators to integrate LGBT history, people and issues into their Common Core State Standards .... 4 instructional programs. At the core of the program are brief audio interviews with individuals who bore witness to or helped to shape LGBT history in some way. Each interview Lessons is accompanied by a backgrounder with discussion questions and activities for Lesson 1: Grades 8 & Up ................. 6 educators, and a student reading with biographical information about the The Invisibility of LGBT interview subject and historical background on the era. People in History: “Peculiar In addition, several lesson plans are included for middle and high school Disposition of the Eyes” students that explore broad themes—such as silence and invisibility, inclusion Lesson 2: Grades 6 & Up .............. 15 and exclusion, and name-calling—as well as specific topics related to the The History and Impact of interviews, such as marriage equality and gender identity. One or more oral Anti-LGBT Slurs histories are integrated into each lesson plan. Lesson 3: Grades 8 & Up .............. 25 According to GLSEN's 2009 National School Climate Survey, less than a fifth of The Exclusion of LGBT People the seven thousand students surveyed (17.9%) reported that LGBT-related from Societal Institutions: In- topics were included in their textbooks or other assigned readings. When Group, Out-Group asked whether they had been taught about LGBT people, history or events in school, a vast majority (86.6%) of students reported that these topics were not Lesson 4: Grades 8 & Up .............. 28 taught in any of their classes, and only about a tenth (11.7%) of all students Winning the Right to Marry: were exposed to positive representations of LGBT people, history, or events. Historic Parallels The consequences of this invisibility can be devastating for young people. The Lesson 5: Grades 10 & Up ........... 36 survey cited above indicates that 84.6% of LGBT students were verbally Understanding Gender Identity harassed and 40.1% were physically harassed at school in the past year, three- fifths (61.1%) felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and about a third (30%) skipped a day of school in the past month because of Additional Resources feeling unsafe. In such environments, all students are restricted by rigid sexual Discussing Marriage of Same-Sex and gender norms and narrow conceptions of humanity. Couples with Students .................. 45 Conversely, the GLSEN study indicates that in schools with positive Resources on Lesbian, Gay, representations of LGBT topics in the curriculum, LGBT students were less Bisexual and Transgender likely to report hearing homophobic remarks or experiencing victimization at History ................................................. 47 school, and more likely to report that school personnel and their peers LGBT Terms and Definitions intervened when homophobic remarks occurred. Less than half (42.1%) of LGBT students in schools with inclusive curricula felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation, compared to almost two-thirds (63.6%) of students in Interviews schools without this resource. Consequently, less than a fifth (17.1%) of LGBT Unheard Voices Interviews and students with inclusive curricula reported missing school in the past month Transcripts compared to almost a third (31.6%) of other students. Unheard Voices Interview Understood within this context, the resources in Unheard Voices can serve as a Backgrounders lifeline for LGBT youth and a potent bullying prevention tool. More generally, LGBT inclusive curricula can help educators to create more honest and accurate instructional programs, as well as safer and more affirming environments for all youth. Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History © 2018 Anti-Defamation League CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018 3 A Note about the Language in this Unit There are many terms that are used to describe what is commonly known as the “gay community.” Since the word “gay” most often refers to homosexual men, we have chosen to use the more inclusive “LGBT,” which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Though this term may sound unfamiliar at first, we encourage you to use it consistently with your students and to avoid reflexively using “gay” to describe the broad spectrum of sexual and gender identities. There are many people within the LGBT communities who use a variety of other terms to describe themselves, including queer, questioning, and same-gender loving. Though we have chosen to use LGBT consistently here, we encourage you to respect the terms that individuals in your community have chosen to describe themselves. While it is important to increase young people’s awareness about the damaging effects of anti-LGBT language and to discourage the negative use of words like “gay” and “queer,” it is also important to reinforce that these are not “bad” words in and of themselves and are perfectly acceptable when used in appropriate contexts. When discussing history, it is also important to note that words like lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender are modern terms that we use to describe people today, and that many historical figures would not have used these labels to describe themselves. For the sake of expediency, the labels “gay,” “lesbian,” “transgender” and “LGBT” are often used to describe people who—according to the historical record—had same-sex romantic or emotional attractions or relationships, or transgressed societal expectations with regard to gender. If you choose to use modern labels to describe historical figures, it may be useful to preface the discussion with the above explanation. Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History © 2018 Anti-Defamation League CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018 4 Correlation of Lessons to the Common Core State Standards Content Area/Standard Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Reading: Key Ideas and Details Standard 1: Read closely to determine what the text says X X X X X explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Standard 2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and X X X X analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. Reading: Craft and Structure Standard 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in X X X X X a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. Standard 6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the X content and style of a text. Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Standard 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in X X X X X diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. Reading: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity Standard 10: Read and comprehend complex literary and X X X X X informational texts independently and proficiently. Writing: Production and Distribution of Writing Standard 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which X X X the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Writing: Research to Build and Present Knowledge Standard 7: Conduct short as well as more sustained X X research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Standard 8: Gather relevant information from multiple X print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History © 2018 Anti-Defamation League CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2018 5 Content Area/Standard Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Writing: Range of Writing Standard 10: Write routinely over extended time frames X X X (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration Standard 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a X X X X X range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Standard 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented X X X X in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas Standard 4: Present information, findings, and supporting X X evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Standard 5: Make strategic use of digital media and visual X displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. Language: Conventions of Standard English Standard 1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of X X X standard English