The Humanities as An ICP 
A Brief Overview

            In our quest of bringing two content areas together in order to expand student literacy, the combination of the social studies and English content areas naturally worked hand-in-hand. Therefore, we have chosen the text The Autobiography of Malcolm, by Malcolm X (1964), as a central work of literature, as well as other supplemental texts dealing with the Civil Rights Movement.

This “unit of study” ties the elements of social studies and English through a culminating assessment that requires students to demonstrate an understanding of, as well as evaluate the ideas surrounding the Civil Rights Movement through the presentation of a thoughtfully researched speech. In support of the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), as well as the six shifts in literacy, students will be using multiple literacies, including whole group, small group, and online discussions based on texts and essential questions; reading and analyzing multiple forms of literature, such as poetry, speeches, and novels; viewing and analyzing various forms of media; participating in book club and literature circles; and researching for, writing, and performing a public speaking task. Through these learning experiences, students will have the opportunity not only to acquire valuable knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement, but also to develop the ability to think critically about controversial issues in society, and to speak out against those issues.

            To drive our interdisciplinary collaboration project, we have identified three overarching objectives. Objective 1: Students will use various forms of literacy to explore The Civil Rights Movement and other controversial topics. One way students will meet this objective is through an online search to find videos containing content that pertains to the project. Such exploration will encourage students to learn the language involved in using the Internet, reading written text, and viewing speeches. In addition to the aforementioned literacies, students will also be required to participate in oral discussions and an oral presentation as another form of literacy, as is supported by the CCLS.

            The second objective focuses on the ability to decipher between relevant and irrelevant information: students will learn how to effectively perform research. Before allowing the students to research independently, good teachers must define the word effective in regards to conducting research. One way of teaching how to research effectively is to model how to determine what a good resource is, including demonstrating how to identify credible Web sites and what Boolean phrases to use. The act of researching is a literacy in itself, because students have to learn the skills to successfully navigate databases.

            The final objective addresses how students will interact with texts in a mission to form their own opinions supported by research. Therefore, our third objective is students will respond critically to texts, including novels, poetry, and speeches, in order to develop their own fact-based arguments about issues in society through an oral speech. By responding critically to texts, we suggest that students will analyze the works of literature and persuasive writing to study the art of public speaking, the ability to formulate an opinion based on research, and ultimately synthesize those skills to persuade an audience. In order to prepare an effective speech, the members of the class will identify and break down rhetorical devices used within a speech. Through this study, they will then look to effectively use those devices in their own speeches about a controversial of their choice. Additionally, the incorporation of choice will add an element of ownership and ultimate motivation over the topic of study.

            While all of these objectives will help further instruction, the inclusion of an online discussion community will add a more dynamic element of learning. An online discussion community is beneficial for the following reasons: 1) introverted students, or those who tend to prefer gathering their thoughts before speaking, have the opportunity to contribute to the discussion when they may not be active participants in a physical discussion, 2) the students can either make their own videos or include published works to further demonstrate their understanding of the topic, and 3) the members of the class will have the opportunity to critique other’s speeches, based on how well the argument was presented. The online discussion community will work in conjunction with the physical class discussions to provide students with further opportunities to learn.

            Through this interdisciplinary educational endeavor, students will be able to critically analyze various texts, respond to literature, and formulate and express their own opinions. It is only natural that two subjects within the humanities lend themselves so well to one another for such a project. By exploring The Civil Rights Movement, students will have many opportunities to investigate the many literacies found in a demanding world.

References

Shabazz, H. M. (1964). The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York, NY: Random House.