Liberty and Justice for ALL Curriculum (For Classrooms with Students Divided on Election Results)

***This Curriculum has been put together to address the concern of speaking with a class that has both Trump Supporters and those from marginalized communities.  

I would begin before doing this curricula, if your class is strongly divided, by having students do a private reflection that you can take home with you and read that gives you information about how the students think of Donald Trump as President. Prompt: Do a free write about  what the next 4 years of Donald Trump’s presidency looks like for your students.

Then provide space privately for students who need the extra support and look to the #IAmNotAfraid Curriculum:

Activity #1: Liberty and Justice for All

Check-In: Write “LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL” out on a board or poster paper largely in the front of the room, or center of the circle. Have students reflect on what this phrase means to them as their check in. (Chart this)

We are going to be discussing the foundations of  what it means to be in a country that is based on the idea of having “Liberty and Justice for All” and what it means for a President to uphold and protect this.

Activity #2: My President Should…

When you imagine a person who leads you, who protects and defends your rights and freedoms, who is a representative of who you are and what you live for, who would they be? reflect on what a president should be like? what type of person would your president be? We will be reflecting on this together.

Small Group: Give each student this handout that helps to break down the role of the President and their ideal as to how they should lead.

My President.jpg

Large Group: Let them reflect individually with the hand out then bring them back to the big group.  Have a large silhouette charted out and write what comes up for them.

What came up for you? Share with us one of the most important things you wrote in your individual reflection. Have the students reflect on what platforms President Trump is standing on.

Put up another silhouette and have the students share the way in which Donald Trump has and says he will lead. Answer the questions the same as they are in the hand out but directed toward him.

  1. What knowledge has Donald Trump show he has to lead this country?
  2. What are things that a he has said? What kind of words has he spoken directed toward the people of the United States
  3. How has he/ has he not- shown love and compassion for the people of the United States? What would you want a president to feel about you, your friends, your family, your community?
  4. How is he standing up for all the people of the United States? How has he inspired courage from us?
  5. What has he said he would create to serve us to create progression for all the people of the United States?
  6. What example has he made? What actions has he done in his life, in the way he lives that he is leading by?

Have the students reflect on this comparison of what President they want  to lead them, and how Donald Trump is declaring he will and has already lead? What are things that they feel need to be addressed in his leadership and how can it be addressed?

Activity #3: Dear Mr. President….

Take a look at the things you would want to ask Donald Trump to consider, to change, to understand in order for him to be a President that a young person like you could look up to. How do you think he should act, speak- what do you think he should create to uphold the LIBERTY and JUSTICE of all People?

Write this letter as honestly as you can, in your own voice, tell him what you want from a president that represents you.

Give the students time to write on their own time and then have them share with the whole group.

Make room for discussion about the importance of holding a President, and all government and judiciary leaders to their DUTY of upholding the Liberty and Justice of us all. Talk to them about how important it is to act on an every day to also uphold these truths as a citizen of the US. How are we treating each other on a daily basis? How do we inspire fairness and compassion for everyone around us.

Closing: What is one thing you are taking away? What is something that you will do to uphold Liberty and Justice today, in the way you speak, your actions or the way you treat someone?

*Offer students the ability to check in with you individually, much will come up there after.

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