Cultural Snapshot

In the wake of Mike Brown's death, there has been a lot of controversy about the way that blacks have been portrayed in the media.  The hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown became increasingly popular as people posted photos of themselves asking which the media would use to portray them/justify their death of they were shot by police.  This hashtag came about after the media started using a photo of Mike Brown looking slightly threatening, and throwing up a "gang sign" as opposed to a more innocent photo of him in his high school cap and gown.  I think that this Twitter movement says a lot about how the media influences our perception of African Americans, especially young male African Americans.

It would seem that a lot of people are fed up with the way African Americans have been portrayed in the media.  In researching news articles about white Americans, and then comparing them to articles about black Americans, I found that most of them use very different terminology.  In the case of Justin Bieber, after assaulting camera men, insulting fans, and allegedly using drugs, news articles state that he "behaved inappropriately".  But in the case of Richard Sherman, a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, who started trash talking after running one of the biggest plays of his football career, was called a "thug".  This video from The Daily Show  talks about this after Justin Bieber and Rob Ford were described in news outlets as "Canada's Bad Boys", and "you kind of have to love them anyway.  We still love them."  But the guy who yelled too loudly at a post game celebration is a thug, as opposed to the people who committed actual felonies.

African Americans also have a distinct lack of representation in television.  I went and looked at cast photos of some of the most popular television shows of the last couple of decades.

What I found was startling.  I had watched all of these shows before, but I had never noticed the distinct lack of African Americans in the cast before.  Earlier shows, like Friends and Seinfeld, have none at all.  But it's nice to see that in our more recent shows we've managed to increase the number of African American (or POC) actors to one per show.

Marvel's new cinematic universe has become one of the most popular franchises today, with dozens of movies, and more on the way.  Kids look up to these characters as their heroes, and aspire to be like their favorite icons.  And yet, to date, we only have two African American heroes, Nick Fury and Sam Wilson/The Falcon.  

African American children need black heroes to look up to.  These heroes inspire kids to do better, to be better, so that they can be like their heroes.  Being constantly flashed with images of shiny white heroes sends a message to these kids that they can't be heroes.  That's not their job.

The same goes for girls with the Disney Princess lineup.

To date, there has only been one African American Disney Princess.  

Kids look fr heroes who look like them.  Those are the heroes and characters that they identify with.  Being bombarded with images of whitewashed media gives them a perception of who they are, and what role they're supposed to play.  It also influences how others see them, further influencing their behavior.

It's important for teachers to be aware of how the media is portraying different groups and how that portrayal effects the children in their classroom.  It's important that teachers give them positive examples to look up to, especially in a history class.  If the media won't give them heroes, then I will.

Survey Responses

(Images Courtesy of Google)

I would use a Senatorial setup with the desks.

I would hang up historical memes around the classroom.

There would be a row of computers for students to use in their research and projects.

I would also hang up historical quotes around the classroom.

I would also use a bookshelf with historical novels and books students could use to do research that the school library might not have.

You are preparing to be a teacher. Imagine a typical lesson that you might teach in the future. Below, create a sketch or a description of a typical lesson in your future classroom. 
We would open up with a Bell Ringer, and then an activity to act as a hook to get the students engaged.  Then we would go through the lesson using a mix of lecture and activities to keep the students engaged.  The lesson would end with some kind of formative assessment to make sure the students retained the information.

Imagine the students in the classroom and describe them in more detail. Who are the typical students? What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? Where are they during the lesson?
If I was teaching back in Florida, most of the students would probably be from a rural background.  There would probably be about an even mix of white and black students.  Most kids in secondary education I've found would be more interested in the blood and gore apects of history, rather than the bills and laws part.  Most of the students are probably in their desks or sitting in groups, depending on the activity.

Imagine the surroundings in the classroom and describe them in more detail. What does the room look like? What resources are available to the students? How are those resources used during this lesson?

The room has a wall of windows to help the students feel less like they're "in prison", and to give the room a lighter atmosphere.  The desks are arranged in a way that makes it easier to walk around as I teach, but also encourages class discussion.  There's computers and a projector for presentations, and for students to use to do research.  There's also a bookshelf that students can use to do research.

Imagine the lesson and describe the topic in more detail. What are you teaching? What is the main thing you would want students to learn during this lesson? Why are you teaching this lesson?

I am teaching the students about why we learn about history.  I want students to understand the overall objective that I want them to learn over the course of the year, and that it's important, but I want them to come to that conclusion relatively on their own and with little nudging.  I feel like a lot of students feel like history is extremely boring and unimportant, and something that they can overlook, but it's not.

Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson and describe it in more detail. What are you doing during the lesson? Where are you in during the lesson? 

I start off at the front of the classroom, but as the discussion goes on, I'll start walking among them.  I'll have a ball or some kind of stuffed animal that I can toss to different students as a way to "cold call" on them.  This makes sure everyone is paying attention and is contributing.  I want students to present their ideas and opinions on whether or not history is important.

Imagine the various lesson activities and describe them in more detail. What are the students doing during the lesson? Why have you chosen these activities?

For this particular lesson, students are discussing why they study history.  This would probably be the first lesson of the year, and it helps give purpose to what they're studying.  I would also probably have them toss the ball or the stuffed animal (probably the mascot of the school) around to each other.  It would help the students get to know who's in the class, and I've found that students are pretty good at calling on people who need to be kept alert.