CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideThe African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Course of Studies is a one credit, year-long elective in which students will consider the scope of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/ Latino contributions to U.S. history, society, economy, and culture. It utilizes Connecticut’s Social Studies Framework themes and inquiry-based approach already familiar to social studies teachers to deliver a content rich and personalized learning experience.The course is an opportunity for students to explore accomplishments, struggles, intersections, perspectives, and collaborations of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino people in the U.S. Students will examine how historical movements, legislation, and wars affected the citizenship rights of these groups and how they, both separately and together, worked to build U.S. cultural and economic wealth and create more just societies in local, national, and international contexts.Coursework will provide students with tools to identify historic and contemporary tensions around race and difference; map economic and racial disparities over time; strengthen their own identity development; and address bias in their communities. This course will contribute to the critical consciousness and civic-mindedness competencies of a twenty-first century graduate, and ultimately facilitate students’ interest in pursuing further ethnic, anthropology, or human rights studies in the future.

Semester 1: Unit 2 At-A-Glance: How African Americans Persisted: Slavery and Freedom Stories of Resistance and AgencyIn this unit, students will:• Analyze how Africans, African Americans, and their descendants have struggled to gain freedom, equality, and social justice.• Explore the ways in which slavery was embedded in legislation.• Investigate how multiple racial and cultural perspectives influence the interpretation of slavery.Compelling Question: How were some Africans from the global diaspora able to assert their agency to resist slavery; why were other Africans unable to do this?Pre-Assessment: Before beginning this unit, students complete a poll to survey understanding of local and global slavery that existed, the prevalence of slavery in Connecticut and the Caribbean, and the importance of slavery to the U.S. and local economies

In this unit, students will:• Explore Latinos’ and Puerto Ricans’ identity;• Examine the collective and individual identities of Latinos and Puerto Ricans and demonstrate understanding of how this influences the perception and realities of Latino and Puerto Rican;• Explore Latinos’ understanding of race;• Understand how Latinos “show up in the color line that created a Black and White bin”;• Examine Puerto Rican Migration; and • Learn about the strengths and contributions of the African diaspora in Latin America and in the CaribbeanCompelling Questions: How has Latino and Puerto Rican identity evolved over time? Is there a single “Latino identity”? Is there a Latino “race”?Pre-Assessment: Students engage in a gallery walk to gauge information on definition of culture, Latino/Puerto Rican identity, and migration of Latinos/Puerto Ricans.

In this unit, students will:• Analyze reasons that individuals from Puerto Rico and other Latin Americans migrated to Connecticut.• Explore the accomplishments and contributions of these individuals and their descendants to Connecticut history and culture.• Understand and examine the misconceptions and negative beliefs that have been normalized and excluded the contributions of Latinos and Puerto Ricans.Compelling question: What impact have Puerto Ricans and Latinos had on Connecticut, and what impact might they (and you) have on the future?Pre-Assessment: Students re-engage with the charts created in Semester Two, Lesson 1.0 and add to the charts using Gallery Walk protocol.