Author:
Connecticut Department of Education
Subject:
Arts and Humanities, U.S. History, World History
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Level:
High School
Grade:
9, 10, 11, 12
Provider:
CT State Department of Education
Tags:
Language:
English
Media Formats:
Text/HTML

Lesson 5.8: Latino/Latina Challenges in the U.S.: Education and Incarceration

Lesson 5.8: Latino/Latina Challenges in the U.S.: Education and Incarceration

Overview

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms 

  • Importance of education 

  • What does the data tell us?  

  • Policies that hinder or enhance educational access  

  • Policies that increase incarceration rates 

  • Ramifications for African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latinos 

  • Breaking away from historical stereotypes and perceptions (e.g., NASA recruiting from University of Puerto Rico School of Engineering for the best candidates)  

Materials/Resources/Speakers

Unequal: Racism in American Prisons 

Latinos Are Essential | Still Standing Education during CoVID-19  

What the data says and (doesn't say) about crime in the USA 

FBI-Annual Data Collection  

10 Must-Read Hispanic News Sites Covering the U.S. and Latin America | Beyond Bylines 

Connecticut profile (Prison Policy Initiative) 

Hispanic Network Magazine | A Hispanic News Source - 

https://hispanicexecutive.com/ 

Highest to Lowest - Prison Population Total 

Colonial Lessons: The Politics of Education in Puerto Rico, 1898–1930 | The American Historian 

Top 10 Spanish-Language Newspapers 

Rios, V. (2011). Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. New York: New York University Press. 

Rios, V. (2011). Street Life, Poverty, Gangs and a Ph.D. New York: New York University Press. 

Rios, V. (2017). Human Targets: Schools, Police, and the Criminalization of Latino Youth 

Lebron, M. (2019). Policing Life and Death: Race, Violence, and Resistance in Puerto Rico. University of California Press. 

Davenport, B. (2016). Grit and Hope: A Year with Five Latino Students and the Program That Helped Them Aim for College. University of California Press. 

Nunez, E. (2014). Hanging out and Hanging On: From the Projects to the Campus. Rowman & Littlefield. 

Recommended Learning Activities, including UDL Principles/Scaffolded Supports and Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning Opportunities

Day 1 

Initiation: Provide national and state data regarding education and incarceration rates disaggregated by race and gender. (Education levels of recent Latino immigrants in the U.S. reach new highsToday’s newly arrived immigrants are the best-educated everReal America With Jorge Ramos - Jorgeramos.com)  

Activity: Students consider education and community policies that have contributed to stereotypes and oppression for African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino youth and reflect on Horace Mann quote, “Education is the great equalizer.”  

Day 2 

Activity: Students analyze how the media cover African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino youth/people who have been incarcerated. Students compare mainstream and Black/Hispanic/Latino-specific news articles or media news clips for stories, paying special attention to the contrast of the Black/Latino perspective.  Examples: 

Closing: Students identify major learnings to share with school community (e.g., Student Council, Board of Education, Town Council, State Board of Education, CT Black and Hispanic Caucus, etc.). 

Home Links/Reflections to Affirm Identity

Students have a discussion with their families using the following prompt: What can be done locally and nationally to make sure Latino voices are represented in important conversations about key legislation? 

Options for Content Continuity Across History Courses and Interdisciplinary Integration

English 

Humanities  

Political Science