W.11-12.6

“My Open Spirit,” © Annalisa Berrios (2023)

Native Poetry, Art and Film: Voices of Northern and Southern California

RL.11-12.7, W.9-10.6, W.11-12.6, ELD.PI.9-10.2.Br, ACC.VA:RE8

This unit introduces students to several Native cultures of the far northern and southern regions of California. Varied cultural expressions and life experiences are explored through poetry, reflective essay, art and film. These works illustrate: Native people’s connections to their environment and the world; the significance of ceremony and “home”; trauma, healing and hope for the future. The complexity of identity, Indigenous methods of land stewardship and the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are also addressed in multiple pieces. The teacher allows students to explore how these themes function throughout multiple works. Each work will be experienced to allow space for the expression of thoughts, feelings, and multiple interpretations. Students will closely examine the ways writers use structure, imagery, tone and cultural views to shape their work. As a culminating project, students will write poetry, a reflective essay, or create a visual art piece to express something culturally relevant to their experience. Technology, found objects and/or art supplies will assist the students in producing their work.

As immigration enforcement becomes more aggressive, schools have become increasingly risky places for undocumented students.

Deportation & Community Resistance

HSS 11.11, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.6

Students will trace the relationships and make connections between refugee trauma, criminalization, community organizing, and collective healing by critically evaluating narratives of assimilation or the model minority and engaging with primary source materials to create an infographic.

Famous composer Trần Chí Phúc, known for his work on “refugee music,” stands next to the Vietnam War Memorial in Liberty Park, Westminster, CA.

Vietnamese Refugee Stories and Music: Mini-Project

HSS 11.9, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.6, SL.11-12.5

Students will be able to analyze and interpret the historical and personal significance of the Vietnamese refugee experience by examining song lyrics and biographies of composers related to the refugee experience, as well as engaging in a several-week project that involves research, discussion, script-writing, video production, technology application, and a final presentation.

A few of the hundreds of participants at the 10th-annual Hmong New Year Celebration in downtown Chico, California, pose for their portrait taken by Carol M. Highsmith.

Hmong Communities in California

HSS 11.11, HSS 11.11.1, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.6

Through learning about the early settlement of Hmong communities in California and Central Valley, students will gain an understanding of highly populated locations/demographics and examples of civic engagement, economies, and cultural festivities of the Hmong communities.

A Cambodian dance company, known for its luxurious costumes and accessories decorated in gold and silver, accompanied by a soft dancing style.

Glimpse of Cambodian Culture through a Photo (Snapshot-High School)

RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.6

No specific prior learned background information is needed, but rather former knowledge of one's own and other cultures, based on previously viewed photos. Culture can be defined as shared behaviors, values, customs and beliefs in a society. Culture will shape how a group interacts with the world around them. However, the teacher should have a clear understanding of the Cambodian cultures presented through the previewed photographs to clarify and help guide students through analysis of the photographs. They can reference this resource if they need additional information https://www.britannica.com/place/Cambodia/Cultural-life.

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