Writing for Change: An Intermediate ELA Resource by Inés Poblet & Sajonna Sletten is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Cover image ©Chris Villanueva shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
1
Front Matter:
To the Educator
Creating Our Classroom Culture
Getting Ready to Write
Our Identities
Low Intermediate Chapters:
Black Lives Matter
Malala Yousafzai
Building Bridges, Not Walls
High Intermediate Chapters:
Melati and Isabel Wijsen
Billy Frank, Jr.
The Nap Ministry
Larry Itliong
Back Matter:
Answer Keys by Chapter
Works Cited by Chapter
This reading and writing resource is a labor of radical love. It is part of a continued goal of building English language learning resources (please see Writing for Change: An Advanced ELA Resource), to gather up what we have learned about anti-racist, culturally responsive, and decolonized approaches.
We consider this to be part of the collective path alongside fellow colleagues in the work of rewriting the myths and false narratives of our field. We know the work requires all of us and goes well beyond one discipline. It is a call to all educators and all institutions to choose love in action; to choose change.
The chapters in this OER resource are organized in an intentional sequence, gradually transitioning from low to high intermediate proficiency readings, activities, and reflections. Reading topics center adult learners of English. Chapter activities are constructed with the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education for reading and writing in mind (offering a range between levels B and C). ATOS readability levels are as follows for each reading.
Please note that we intentionally capitalize the terms Black and Indigenous in order to majoritize these historically minoritized racial, ethnic and cultural identities. Also, we acknowledge that multiple definitions of “feminist” exist among scholars, and we conscientiously define this term as “a person who believes that women, men, and non-binary people should have the same rights.” Finally, we avoid phrases like “in your home country” and “in your (first) language” which may inadvertently other or exclude. In the book Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching, p. 65-69, the othering of English language students is described in further detail (Motha). We welcome more ideas about inclusive, asset-based phrasing we can incorporate into this and future texts.
Every chapter has three vocabulary exercises to prepare intermediate students to read about topics which are suitable for adult learners of English. The first exercises are formatted in such a way that instructors may prompt students to preview vocabulary with their own preferred methods. Some suggestions for how to use the space, depending on student and teacher population, are:
The topics presented are by no means exhaustive or complete. We imagine future OER contributions from fellow educators to add more resources for (re)humanizing English Language Acquisition. Together, we can continue to lift up the power of the collective within an anti-racist and decolonized framework.
This OER text includes:
As you work through this text, please do not hesitate to reach out with your questions, comments, and ideas for future collaborations. We are so honored to continue building community with you in the work and movement of change.
Sincerely,
Inés Poblet (she, her, ella), M.A. TESOL
inescristinapoblet@gmail.com
Inés Poblet (she, her, ella) is an Associate Professor in the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program at Whatcom Community College which resides on the traditional land of the Coast Salish Peoples. Her passion for language teaching comes from her own experience as an immigrant from Buenos Aires, Argentina and from her Mexican-American heritage. Her bilingual identity has fostered her interest in code-switching, code-meshing, and the learning experiences of “systemically non-dominant” learners (Jenkins, 1995-present). Her research interests include sociolinguistics, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the decolonization of English Language Teaching.
and
Sajonna Sletten (she, her, siya), M.Ed. TESOL
sajonnamarie@gmail.com
Sajonna is the biracial daughter of her Filipino American mother and white American father. She grew up in Washington State, USA, and studied both Spanish Language and Literature as well as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at Seattle University. She has taught English language to adult immigrants and refugees and international students in community colleges and language institutes throughout Western Washington. Currently she teaches in the English as a Second Language program at Bellevue College, which resides on the traditional land of the Coast Salish Peoples where dxʷləšúcid (Lushootseed) has been spoken since time immemorial. Her areas of focus are collective care, culturally sustaining andragogy, conscientization apprenticeship, and rehumanizing assessment.
Reflect on the following questions to begin thinking about the parts of your identity.
Review some of the resources listed below. As you do so, consider the following guiding question: How can learning more about intersectionality and identity as well as its impact on our lives, support your own work and growth as an English language teacher?
Having reviewed some of the resources above (and possibly finding additional resources to inspire this conversation), take a moment to write about the pieces of your own identity and intersections:
Note: This activity is based on a “Social Identity Wheel” activity from the University of Michigan – Inclusive Teaching (Pabdoo).
With a partner or in a small group, discuss what you wrote down regarding the different pieces of your identities. Depending on your context, you may be able to locate colleagues who are also engaging in identity work at your institution (perhaps through the office of diversity), in your community (perhaps through the library), or through TESOL International Association. You may choose to use or modify the following questions to guide the conversation:
The inner work of unpacking our identities and how they play out in our lives is a constant process of listening, reflecting, and growing. It is about naming how we either benefit from systemic oppression or suffer from systemic oppression. There is no neutrality.
Often, when we feel a strong reaction to something, when we feel triggered or activated, it is a signal that there is something to unpack. It takes honesty and humility to go there, to go where things are nebulous, muddy, and uncomfortable, to the heart of things. Often, it is in this space where we grow most. Notice how your body responds to the material.
Find strategies for practicing self and community care as you do the work. Social activist Mushim Patricia Ikeda writes about being “brave in a sustainable way” creating a “Great Vow for Mindful Activists” that she asks her social justice activist students to make, as they begin their journey (Ikeda). We may consider doing something similar. Taking care of ourselves and of our communities is radical. It is anti-capitalist. It is disruptive in that it places value on both wholeness AND social justice.
The practice of noticing and working gently with yourself is the first step towards disrupting patterns that harm us all. We will mess up. And we can commit to trying again and again, not allowing white supremacy culture to control the narrative of our collective healing and growth.
In the end, we all suffer when we contribute to and perpetuate a system that does not serve all. We invite you, dear colleague, to consider how you might continue learning and growing in the work of identity, with your fellow English language acquisition colleagues. We have so much further to go. We have so much more to change about what and how we teach. Together, we can work to tear down a foundation of white supremacy and coloniality in English Language Teaching and build up something we can feel proud to be a part of, to be anti-racist English language teachers.
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Welcome! This section is about making our classroom culture. This will help us learn and grow together.
Do you know the word “collective”? Search for the word on the internet or in a dictionary. Translate the word to another of your language(s). Write down your definition and translation(s) below. Check your definition with your classmate(s).
This class will work as a collective. This means we will:
We can build community and succeed together!
Work by yourself first.
Work with a partner or small group. Share your list. Create a poster (or another type of visual aid) in the classroom to show the values that you share together. Values are things you think are important. Talk about the questions below:
Keep your shared values poster(s) in a common area. Use the poster(s) to help you work together as a collective.
Self care means staying healthy. Let’s take care of our minds and bodies while we learn.
Work with a small group or partner. How can you take care of yourself while you study? Make a list of actions.
Share your ideas with your instructor and the class. How many actions did you list together? Use this list of actions to help you stay healthy as we learn!
A goal helps us to be successful. Think about your goals for this class. Write down 1-3 goals for your learning.
Now think about how you can reach these goals. Write down steps you can take to reach your goals.
Think about your classmates, teacher, and/or community. How can everyone help you to reach your goals? These ideas help us to work as a collective.
Note: Your instructor can do this goal setting activity too! We all have goals that we want to reach!
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Let’s get ready to write paragraphs! This section includes these topics:
Before you write a paragraph, do you spend some time thinking about the topic? How do you come up with ideas about your topic? Talk about this with your classmate(s).
Before you write about a topic, it is helpful to think about your ideas. You can write your ideas down, you can draw your ideas, you can talk about your ideas. Teachers sometimes call this “brainstorming.”
Tip! You can brainstorm in any language you choose. You can also brainstorm in English and in another language together.
When you brainstorm, do not worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Thinking about rules stops our thinking. Brainstorming is all about getting ideas.
There are many ways to brainstorm. You can try different ways to see what you like. Here are some brainstorming styles:
Style 1: Listing
List your ideas. Use bullet points or numbers. Use short phrases or words.
Style 2: Clustering
Use a web diagram with circles. Write your topic in the middle circle. Then, write ideas and add more circles.
Style 3: Freewriting
Write about the topic without stopping. You can time yourself. You can write for 5-10 minutes.Do not worry about grammar, punctuation or vocabulary.
Here are more ways to brainstorm:
Note: If you feel confused about the topic you are writing about, ask for help! Your classmates and teacher can help you!
Choose a topic from the following list. Then choose a brainstorming style from Part C. Brainstorm for 5 minutes. Share your ideas with your classmate(s). How did it feel to use the brainstorming style?
What is a topic sentence? What is a paragraph? Share your answer with your classmate(s).
A topic sentence has a subject and a verb. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about (the subject). It also tells the reader what you will say about the topic (the verb). Note: Sometimes, teachers call this verb/verb phrase the controlling idea.
Topic Sentence = Topic (Subject) + Controlling Idea (Verb phrase).
Read the examples below. Does each topic sentence tell you the topic? Does each topic sentence tell you what the writer will say about the topic?
Tip! Imagine you are driving a car. As the driver, you are the writer. You are in charge. The car is the topic sentence. Where you drive the car is the controlling idea. It shows where you are going with the topic.
Write a topic sentence for each of the topics below. Share your topic sentences with your classmate(s). Help your classmate to check for a topic and a controlling idea.
A paragraph is made of a group of sentences. It usually has a topic sentence. There are many ways to organize a paragraph (Pearson). There is no one right way. There are some styles that are more common. There are some styles that are more familiar. Here are some examples of how you can organize a paragraph.
I will write about rest and why I need to rest more in my life. First, rest makes me feel peaceful. I can feel calm. Second, rest helps me to help others. When I rest, I can help others try to rest too. Third, rest means I do not need to push my body. If I push my body too hard, I can get hurt.
First, rest makes me feel peaceful. I can feel calm. Second, rest helps me to help others. When I rest, I can help others try to rest too. There are many reasons why I need more rest in my life. Rest means I do not need to push my body. If I push my body too hard, I can get hurt.
First, rest makes me feel peaceful. I can feel calm. Second, rest helps me to help others. When I rest, I can help others try to rest too. Rest means I do not need to push my body. If I push my body too hard, I can get hurt. This is why I need more rest in my life.
I will write about rest. First, rest makes me feel peaceful. I can feel calm. Second, rest helps me to help others. When I rest, I can help others try to rest too. Third, rest means I do not need to push my body. If I push my body too hard, I can get hurt. This is why I need to rest more in my life.
First, rest makes me feel peaceful. I can feel calm. Second, rest helps me to help others. When I rest, I can help others try to rest too. Third, rest means I do not need to push my body. If I push my body too hard, I can get hurt.
Note: Sometimes paragraphs do not have a topic sentence. This is also OK! Talk to your teacher about topic sentences for this class.
Talk to your classmate(s) about the questions below:
Supporting details are sentences in a paragraph that explain your topic more to the reader. Supporting details make your paragraph interesting. They also help your reader understand your ideas. Here are some ways to write supporting details. You can:
Read the sample topic sentences below. Can you write several supporting details about each one?
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Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Advantage
Cisgender
Disadvantage
Dominant Culture
Identify
Injustice
LGBTQ+
Non-binary
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place. Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
How do you identify? Identity is a very important part of our lives. It is who we say we are. There are many parts of our identity. Here are some examples:
Francisco, Sita, Brian, and Christina have different identities. Some identities we can see. Some identities we can’t see. For example, we may try to guess a person’s gender by looking at their clothes. But what if we are wrong?
Instead of guessing, we can share about our own identities and then ask: “How do you identify?” This shows we care about their story. We do not know about a person’s identity. Each person decides for themselves. Each person is in charge of their own story.
Our identities are not the same. Our experiences are not the same. Some of our identities are the same as dominant culture. This brings advantages in society. Some of our identities are not the same as dominant culture. This is not bad, but it brings disadvantages in society. For example, in the United States, English speaking, U.S.-born, Christian people with college degrees have benefits in society (The MSW@USC). White people have a higher chance to find work, go to college, and buy a house, because they are white (Kendall). And men have a lower chance of being hurt by their spouse (“Statistics”).
We can learn more about our identities and talk more about our different levels of power. We can see the good in making connections with people, and we can see the bad in unfair disadvantages. Then, we can work to stop injustice in our communities.
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers?
Note: This activity is based on a “Social Identity Wheel” activity from the University of Michigan – Inclusive Teaching (Pabdoo).
Talk to your partner or small group about your answers in Part G. What did you learn about your identity in this exercise?
I
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Activist
Go Viral
Hashtag
Operator
Post
Protect
Volunteer
Weapon
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place. Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
On February 26th, 2012, Trayvon Martin was walking to his father’s house. He was a teenage child. He was Black. George Zimmerman was Martin’s neighbor. He volunteered to watch the neighborhood. He was not Black. Zimmerman saw Martin walking. He followed him. He called 911.
The 911 operator told Zimmerman to wait. The 911 operator said that the police were on the way. Zimmerman did not listen. Zimmerman shot Martin. He killed him. Zimmerman said that he was protecting himself. But Martin did not have a weapon. He was not dangerous. He was Black.
Zimmerman did not go to jail. The judge said he was not guilty. Many people were shocked about the news. Many people thought Zimmerman should go to jail. Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors are activists. They heard the news. Garza posted on Facebook: “Black people. I love you. I love us. We matter. Black lives matter” (Zakarin). Cullors added the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to the post. The post and the hashtag went viral.
People everywhere started saying Black Lives Matter. There were too many murders of Black people then. There are still too many now. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter reminds people to notice the injustice.
Black Lives Matter is for everybody. We can say the names of the Black people that we lost. We say that Black Lives Matter (“330 Names”).
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers?
Find a quote online or on social media, a song, an art piece, or a poem about Trayvon Martin. Tell why you chose this. Explain it to a partner or in a small group.
Create an art piece to express your reaction to Trayvon’s story. It can be a poem, song, or post on social media in English or in another language. Or it can be a drawing, painting, or sculpture. Explain it to a partner or in a small group.
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Against
Ban
Charity
Deserve
Extremist
Feminist
Nobel Peace Prize
Surgery
Survive
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place. Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
Do you know who Malala Yousafzai is? Malala is famous. She is a feminist activist. She thinks that all girls deserve an education. Malala was born in Mingora, Pakistan. She went to a girls’ school. Her father was a teacher there. But one day the Taliban came to her village. They were extremists. They banned school for girls. Girls could not go to school anymore. Malala was eleven years old. She felt sad and angry. She loved to go to school. The Taliban banned many other things, like television and music. They punished people for not following the new rules.
Then, Malala made speeches in Pakistan. She spoke against the Taliban’s rules. She wanted girls to be able to go back to school. The Taliban heard about her speeches.
In response, they attacked Malala in 2012. On the bus, they shot her in the head. She was hurt, but she survived. A helicopter took her to England for her safety. She had many surgeries and worked hard to get better.
She decided to keep fighting for girls to go to school. She wants girls all over the world to be able to go to school. She made a charity to help girls go to school. In December 2014, Malala won a Nobel Peace Prize. At seventeen years old, she became the youngest person to win this prize (“Malala’s Story”).
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers?
International Women’s Day is a feminist holiday. Do an internet search to find out about International Women’s Day. Try to find answers to these questions:
Share your information with your classmate(s). Did you find the same answers?
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Border
Bridge
Cello
Detention Center
Nature
Seesaw
Unity
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place. Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
Did you know there are seventy-four border walls in the world? There are more border walls now than in the past (Vallet). But why? Walls separate children and families. Walls are bad for nature. Walls cost a lot of money to build and to guard.
Four artists went to the Mexico-U.S. border. They made art to show their opinions about the wall.
In September 2017, an artist named JR made a large picture of a child. The child is looking over the border wall in Tecate, Mexico. The child’s name is Kikito. He is one year old. JR wants to show that the child does not see a wall the way an adult sees a wall (Stewart). He wants people to know that children are in detention centers.
On April 13, 2019, Yo-Yo Ma played a cello concert. He is a classical musician. He played on both sides of the Mexico and U.S. border. One concert was in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Mexico. The other concert was in Laredo, Texas, USA. He wanted to send a message about the border wall. That is, he wants us to build bridges, not walls (Martinez et al.).
In the summer of 2019, two artists named Virginia San Fratello and Ronald Rae worked together. They made pink seesaws as art. The art was on the border wall between El Paso, Texas, USA and Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Children from both cities played on the seesaw. The artists wanted to show that unity is better than a wall. They also wanted to show that children should be playing. They should not be in detention centers (Cascone).
Art is a bridge. The four artists showed that bridges are better than walls.
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers?
Find a quote online or on social media, a song, an art piece, or a poem about border walls. You can choose something from the reading, or something else. Tell why you chose this. Explain it to a partner or in a small group.
Choose a country or area. Find out more about immigrants and refugees. Use the internet to find information about these questions. You can use English or another language to read/listen. Explain your information to a partner or in a small group.
II
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Environment
Hunger Strike
Inspire
Invisible
Petition
Recycle
Signature
Social Media
Toxic
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place (i.e., your environment and the position of your body). Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
Plastic bags are common. Most stores give plastic bags to their customers. But these plastic bags are bad for the environment. Over time, the plastic breaks into very small pieces, but it never goes away. The small, invisible pieces become toxic and they go into the ground and the water. They kill plants and animals.
So, how can we stop using plastic bags? Young sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen asked this question in 2013. At that time, they were only 10 and 12 years old. They lived on the beautiful island of Bali, in Indonesia.
They decided to tell Bali’s store owners about bags made from cloth, net, or recycled newspaper. One by one, stores stopped using plastic bags, and the sisters supported those stores. They gave the stores a sticker with the words “Bye Bye Plastic Bags” for their windows. They put the stores’ names in popular magazines and on their website.
In addition, Melati and Isabel started a petition. They wanted the government to pay attention and make laws about plastic bags. The sisters collected signatures in the airport, at events, and online. Many children in Bali helped them to get about 100,000 signatures (Jordan). Then they asked to meet with the governor of Bali.
Unfortunately, the governor said no to the meeting again and again. But Melati and Isabel did not give up. They decided to go on a hunger strike, and they announced it on social media. A few days later, the governor said yes. The governor met with the sisters and promised to support laws about plastic bags. In 2019, he announced a ban on plastic bags in Bali (Erviani).
Melati and Isabel Wijsen worked hard and inspired the people of Bali to stop using harmful plastic bags. Today, the sisters and the people of Bali are still working to make a healthy environment.
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers? Show (quote) the answers from the reading if possible.
Research more about plastic bags or plastic bans around the world. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast.
Research more ways to help the environment. You can answer one of the questions below or choose your own topic. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast. Then, explain your answer to your classmates.
Start a petition. With a group of people, brainstorm ways your community (school, town, neighborhood) can help the environment. Create a petition to get the attention of your community leaders (school leaders, local government, business owners, neighborhood leaders). There should be a title, 1-3 paragraphs to explain the petition, and space for signatures. Set a goal for how many signatures you need. Make a plan to collect signatures in person and/or online. Present your petition, with signatures, to your community leaders, and ask them to make the change.
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Civil Disobedience
Fishery
Fish-in
Indigenous
Nisqually
Protest
Rights
Sit-in
Treaty
Tribal Land
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place (i.e., your environment and the position of your body). Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
Billy Frank, Jr. fished on his tribal land almost every day. One day, in 1945, the police arrested him for fishing in his own river! As they took him away, he said, “Leave me alone… I fish here. I live here!” (Davis). Billy Frank, Jr. was Indigenous. He was from the Nisqually tribe in Washington State, USA. The Nisqually people are fishing people. They protect and take care of the rivers and fisheries. The water and fish are important to the Nisqually spiritual traditions and culture.
The government said that it was illegal for him to fish in the Nisqually River. Billy Frank, Jr. did not accept this. After he came out of jail, he continued to fish. The state continued to arrest him and his friends. This happened over and over.
Billy Frank, Jr. was a leader of civil disobedience. He was arrested more than 50 times for fishing on his own people’s river. He and his tribal community organized protests. They knew about sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement, so they created fish-ins and other demonstrations. They had to fight for their rights because the U.S. government did not honor the treaty they made.
After many years of activism, a federal judge made a decision. Judge Boldt stated that the tribal communities had the legal right to fish. They always had the right, and they would never lose it again. Billy Frank, Jr. received many awards and honors for his activism. He continued to work with local fisheries to protect the waters, fish, and treaty rights.
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers? Show (quote) the answers from the reading if possible.
The reading shows that “fish-ins” were similar to “sit-ins” during the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Do an internet search about the famous sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Find information in English or in another language.
Find answers to the questions below. Share your notes with your partner or small group:
This reading talks about the Nisqually River. What bodies of water are in or near your community? How do people protect the waters and the fish? What are some ways you can help protect bodies of water in your area? Research about the waters and fish and then share your ideas with your classmate(s).
Research more about acts of civil disobedience in history. Find one more example of a protest and civil disobedience. This could be from any country you choose. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast.
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Alert
Boundary
Capitalism
Exhausted
Meditate
Mood
Organization
Pressure
Refresh
Resist
Spread
Suffer
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place (i.e., your environment and the position of your body). Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
Capitalism encourages people to work, make money, and get power over other people. The United States and Great Britain are examples of capitalist countries, and they are powerful countries. From the 1600’s to the 1800’s they even kidnapped and forced Africans to work in order to become rich and powerful countries. Now, technology and the internet make it possible for people around the world to work 24/7. People all over the world, and especially people in capitalist countries, feel pressure to work hard. Often, people work so hard that their bodies, minds, and relationships suffer.
The Nap Ministry points out these effects of capitalism on human beings. This organization encourages people to rest, to respect our bodies, and to take naps. They even have group nap events! The home city of The Nap Ministry is Atlanta, Georgia, USA, but their nap events and their workshops are spreading to more and more cities.
Tricia Hersey started The Nap Ministry because she was exhausted. She was working two jobs, going to graduate school, and raising her son. The murders of Black Americans by police, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and many more, were in the news. She was exhausted in every way. Then she realized how many people felt like her. She decided to resist this exhaustion and capitalism with rest and sleep (Lee).
During sleep, our bodies heal, and our minds refresh. With enough sleep, we are more alert and we make better decisions. We treat ourselves and one another better. Without enough sleep, we are in bad moods, we can’t focus, and we make more mistakes. We even risk death from accidents like car accidents or illnesses like diabetes and heart disease (Watson and Cherney).
The Nap Ministry reminds us that we need to rest, and we can do it in many ways. We can sleep, nap, or daydream. We can take a long bath, meditate, or listen to calm music. Healthy boundaries at work and school can help us to rest, too. For example, we can stay home when we are sick.
The organization also points out that some people can rest more than other people. People with family money don’t need to work the same as people without family money. In capitalist countries like the United States and Great Britain, the group with the most family money is white people. The groups with the least family money are Black and brown people.
The Nap Ministry works to inspire exhausted people to rest and resist capitalism. As Tricia Hersey says, “Exhaustion will not save us. Rest will.” (The Nap Ministry).
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers? Show (quote) the answers from the reading if possible.
Read several social media messages from The Nap Ministry. You can use dictionaries and translators to help you.
Then talk about some of the posts or tweets with a partner or small group. What did The Nap Ministry say? What did the messages mean? What is your opinion of the messages?
Take a nap for 30-40 minutes. Don’t look at any screens. Don’t do any work, and don’t meditate on work.
If you can’t sleep, it’s OK to just lay down, sit in a comfortable seat, take a bath, or rest another way. You can listen to a calm meditation or to calm music (for example, the Nap Ministry Spotify playlist).
After your nap/rest, notice the feelings of your body and your emotions. Pay attention to your thoughts and actions that day. You can write about the feelings of your body and your emotions, thoughts, and actions, to help you remember. You can add more details, too; for example, any dreams or new ideas.
Then talk to a partner or a group about your experiences. How did the nap/rest affect you?
What is the difference between capitalism and socialism? Find out more about these two money (economic) and power (political) systems. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast.
Remember that this class will work as a collective. This means that we will show care for everyone, help one another learn, help one another understand, work together, talk together, share our ideas, and work to trust one another.
As a whole class, review your shared values. Use these during your discussions.
Think about the questions below. Talk about your ideas with your classmate(s).
In this section, you will preview the vocabulary from the reading. You can check your answers to Exercises 2-3 afterward by visiting: Answer Keys by Chapter.
These are the words that you will learn in this chapter. How many words do you already know?
Agricultural Worker
Boycott
Divide
Establish
Hardship
Healthcare Benefits
Pesticide
Strike
Working Conditions
Union
Choose the best word or phrase to match each definition. Use a dictionary to help!
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence. Please note: screen readers will read the blank spots as “underscore.”
Get comfortable in your seat. Pay attention to your body and your place (i.e., your environment and the position of your body). Take three slow breaths. Now you are ready to read.
Picking fruits and vegetables is a difficult job. Agricultural workers have to bend, reach, and lift all day long. The weather outside can be extreme—very hot or very cold. Workers can get sick or injured easily. In Delano, California, USA, in the 1960s, there were many agricultural workers from the Philippines and Mexico. They needed better pay and better working conditions.
Larry Itliong was a Filipino American leader. He only finished the sixth grade in Pangasinan in the Philippines. But he spoke thirteen languages such as Pangasinense, English, Japanese, Cantonese, and Spanish (History.com Editors). He moved to the United States because he wanted to become a lawyer, but instead he worked on farms. He had a tough personality, and he smoked cigars. Itliong inspired agricultural workers in Delano to join unions. Together, they asked for more pay. Unfortunately, the farm owners said no again and again.
In September 1965, Itliong led a union called the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC). Most of the members were from the Philippines. They decided to strike. They stopped picking grapes, and they asked again for workers’ rights. But the farm owners hired Mexican workers instead.
Itliong realized that the grape strike needed the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). Most of the workers in that union were from Mexico. Itliong went to the NFWA and asked them to join the grape strike. The leader of the NFWA, César Chavez, asked his union members to vote. They decided to join the grape strike! Then the AWOC and the NFWA united and became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW). In this way, the farm owners could not divide the Filipino workers and the Mexican workers again.
For many years, the agricultural workers striked. “To go on strike, you suffer a lot of hardship. Maybe you get hungry. Maybe you gonna lose your car. Maybe you gonna lose your house,” explained Larry Itliong in an interview (“Filipino”). Most of the agricultural workers lived on the farm owners’ land. The farm owners even turned off the water and sent people to beat up the strikers. In 1967, the UFW union asked people everywhere, all over the world, to stop buying grapes from Delano. News of the grape strike spread to television and radio stations, magazines, and newspapers worldwide. After a long time and a lot of hardship, the strike and the boycott finally worked. In 1970, the farm owners agreed to give the workers more pay, healthcare benefits, and protection from pesticides (Janos).
Larry Itliong led a long and difficult grape strike that united immigrant farm workers, got the attention of the world, and established farm workers’ rights in the United States.
You can choose to talk about your reactions or not. Maybe you want to think or write quietly, or maybe you want to talk. Our reactions teach us about our beliefs and experiences.
Read the questions below, then look at the reading again. Talk about the questions with your classmate(s). Where did you find the answers? Show (quote) the answers from the reading if possible.
Think about the products that you buy. What do you know about the companies and farms that make those products?
Research more about César Chavez. Find information in English or in another language. You can read a website, an article, or an infographic, or listen to a video, an interview, or a podcast.
Choose a country or area to research labor laws. Do an internet search to find information about the questions below. Find information in English or in another language. Share your notes with a partner or in a small group.
1
Exercise 2:
1a, 2c, 3b, 4c, 5c, 6b, 7c, 8a
Exercise 3:
1b, 2a, 3c, 4b, 5b, 6a, 7c, 8c
Exercise 2:
1c, 2a, 3b, 4c, 5b, 6a, 7b, 8b
Exercise 3:
1c, 2c, 3a, 4c, 5b, 6b, 7b
Exercise 2:
1a, 2c, 3b, 4c, 5c, 6c, 7a, 8c, 9b
Exercise 3:
1c, 2b, 3b, 4a, 5c, 6c, 7b, 8b, 9a
Exercise 2:
1c, 2b, 3c, 4b, 5b, 6a, 7c
Exercise 3:
1b, 2c, 3a, 4b, 5c, 6b, 7a
Exercise 2:
1b, 2c, 3a, 4c, 5b, 6a, 7a, 8b, 9c
Exercise 3:
1c, 2c, 3a, 4a, 5c, 6b, 7b, 8a
Exercise 2:
1c, 2b, 3c, 4c, 5b, 6c, 7b, 8c, 9a, 10a
Exercise 3:
1b, 2a, 3b, 4a, 5c, 6a, 7a, 8b
Exercise 2:
1b, 2c 3a, 4b, 5b, 6a, 7c, 8b, 9a, 10b, 11c, 12b
Exercise 3:
1b, 2a, 3b, 4c, 5a, 6b, 7a, 8c, 9c, 10b, 11a, 12b
Exercise 2:
1a, 2b, 3c, 4c, 5a, 6c, 7c, 8b, 9c
Exercise 3:
1b, 2a, 3c, 4b, 5a, 6c, 7b
2
Citations for images and texts are listed by chapter alphabetically on this central page, as footnotes are inaccessible to most screen readers, and lengthy image citations can be cumbersome to screen readers as well.
Crenshaw, Kimberlé, director. The Urgency of Intersectionality. Kimberlé Crenshaw: The Urgency of Intersectionality | TED Talk, TED Talk, 2016, https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality. Accessed 17 Mar. 2023.
Gustafson, Amy. Photograph of Sajonna Sletten. 3 February 2023. Author’s personal collection.
“Inclusive Teaching Resources and Strategies.” CRLT, https://crlt.umich.edu/multicultural-teaching/inclusive-teaching-strategies.
Inoue, Asao B. “Teaching Antiracist Reading.” Journal of College Reading and Learning, vol. 50, no. 3, 2020, pp. 134–156., https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2020.1787079.
Ikeda, Mushim Patricia. “I Vow Not to Burn Out.” Lions Roar, Lion’s Roar Foundation, 11 Aug. 2022, https://www.lionsroar.com/i-vow-not-to-burn-out/.
Jenkins, D. (2018). Critical Lens to Rethinking Power, Privilege, and Inequity: “Systemically Dominant” and “Systemically Non- Dominant. Share the Flame LLC: Camas, WA.
Monita, Bell K. “TEACHING AT THE INTERSECTIONS.” Learning for Justice, 2016, https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/summer-2016/teaching-at-the-intersections. Accessed 17 Mar. 2023.
Motha, Suhanthie. Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching: Creating Responsible and Ethical Anti-Racist Practice. Teachers College Press, 2014.
Pabdoo. “Social Identity Wheel.” Inclusive Teaching, https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/social-identity-wheel/.
Pearson. “Part Two Reading, Writing, and Organizing: Paragraphs Topics, Main Ideas, and Topic Sentences.” https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/us/en/higher-ed/en/products-services/course-products/mcwhorter-2e-info/pdf/sample-chapter–ch03.pdf
TimAlosi.com “Lotus Flower.” Flickr. 12 August, 2009, https://www.flickr.com/photos/timalosi/4134594245/in/album-72157606024371741/. Accessed on 5 Feb. 2023. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Tippett. Krista, narrator. “Resmaa Menakem ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence’,” On Being. 16 April, 2021, https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/
Villanueva, Chris. Photograph of Inés Poblet. 3 March 2021. Author’s personal collection.
Casablanca, Phillie. “Change direction.” Flickr. 6 Jun. 2008, https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonydowler/51722696. Accessed Mar. 17, 2023. CC BY 2.0.
Dowler, Tony. “idea.” Flickr. 12 Oct. 2012, https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonydowler/51722696. Accessed Jan. 6, 2023. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Flazingo Photos. “Career-Mind-map-Chalk.” Flickr. 28 April, 2012, https://www.flickr.com/photos/124247024@N07/13903383227. Accessed on Jan. 20, 2023. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Forsythe, Giulia. “#Freewriting.” Flickr. 10 Aug., 2017. https://www.flickr.com/photos/59217476@N00/36319120342. Accessed on Mar. 11, 2023. CC BY 2.0.
Verch, Marco. “List of goals written in notebook. ” Flickr. 5 June 2019, https://www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/. Accessed Feb. 21, 2023. CC BY 2.0.
Donovan, Brian. “grow” Flickr. 21 May, 2011, https://www.flickr.com/photos/58621196@N05/6173372813. Accessed 16 March, 2023. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Kendall, Frances E. Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships across Race. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2013.
Pabdoo. “Social Identity Wheel.” Inclusive Teaching, https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/social-identity-wheel/.
“Statistics.” The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, https://ncadv.org/STATISTICS. Accessed 17 March 2023.
The MSW@USC. “Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power and Privilege.” University of Southern California. 5 November 2020, https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/diversity-workshop-guide-to-discussing-identity-power-and-privilege/. Accessed 20 March 2023.
Køpper. “Black Lives Matter.” Flickr. 29 July, 2016, https://www.flickr.com/photos/94086509@N00/28529325522. Accessed 8 March, 2023. Public Domain Mark 1.0.
“330 Names.” Say Their Names – Spotlight at Stanford, 4 Aug. 2020, https://exhibits.stanford.edu/saytheirnames/feature/330-names.
Zakarin, Jordan. “How Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi Created the Black Lives Matter Movement.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 27 Jan. 2021, https://www.biography.com/activists/patrisse-cullors-alicia-garza-opal-tometi- black-lives-matters-origins.
“Malala’s Story.” Malala Fund, https://malala.org/malalas-story?sc=footer.
“Shinzō Abe and Malala Yousafzai” Wikimedia Commons. 24 March, 2019, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81616823. Accessed on 12 February, 2023. CC BY 4.0.
Cascone, Sarah. “Artists Briefly Bridge the US-Mexico Border with a Heartwarming Seesaw Linking Kids in Both Countries.” Artnet News, 1 Aug. 2019, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/us-mexico-border-teeter-totter-wall-1612897.
Martinez, Norma, et al. “Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Plays Bach in Shadow of Border Crossing.” NPR, NPR, 13 Apr. 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/04/13/713092703/cellist-yo-yo-ma-plays-bach-in-shadow-of-border- crossing#:~:text=Ma%20played%20the%20opening%20notes,the%20U.S.%20and%20Mexican%20cities.
Stewart, Jessica. “Street Artist JR Ends Mexico Border Installation with Picnic on Both Sides.” My Modern Met, 12 Oct. 2017, https://mymodernmet.com/jr-street-art-us-mexico-border/.
Vallet, Élisabeth. “The World Is Witnessing a Rapid Proliferation of Border Walls.” Migrationpolicy.org, 15 Mar. 2022, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapid-proliferation-number-border-walls.
Wonderlane. “The Wall, US border, separating Mexico from the US, along Highway 2, Sonora Desert, Mexican side” Flickr. 20 March, 2009, https://www.flickr.com/photos/58621196@N05/6173372813. Accessed 7 March, 2023. CC BY 2.0.
Duff, Fairy. “Apples in plastic bag.” Flickr, 3 Oct. 2017, https://www.flickr.com/photos/145874413@N08/40628161174. Accessed 16 March 2023. Public Domain Mark 1.0.
Erviani, Ni Komang. “Bali wins plastic-ban battle in Court, steps closer to being plastic-free island.” The Jakarta Post, 15 July 2019, https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/07/15/bali-wins-plastic-ban-battle-in-court-steps-closer-to-being-plastic-free-island.html.
Jordan, Alex. “The Schoolgirls Who Held a Hungerstrike to Save Their Island.” Culture Trip, 16 December 2019, https://theculturetrip.com/asia/indonesia/articles/the-schoolgirls-who-held-a-hungerstrike-to-save-their-island/.
Davis, Jennifer. “Treaty and Fishing Rights Activist Billy Frank: The Fish Wars: In Custodia Legis.” The Library of Congress, 3 Nov. 2022, https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/11/treaty-and-fishing-rights-activist-billy-frank-the-fish-wars/.
Wonderlane. “River rock, gound, Nisqually River basin, Nisqually, Washington, USA.” Flickr. 7 Aug., 20013, https://www.flickr.com/photos/58621196@N05/6173372813. Accessed 4 Feb, 2023. CC0 1.0.
Kendal, Oliver. “Rest here.” Flickr, 17 April 2006, https://www.flickr.com/photos/41032839@N03/3777040907. Accessed 16 March 2023. CC BY 2.0.
Lee, Trymaine, host. “A Word from the Nap Bishop.” Into America, Ep. 142, MSNBC, 5 November 2021, https://into-america.simplecast.com/episodes/a-word-from-the-nap-bishop-LD5dx6KV.
The Nap Ministry [@thenapministry]. Exhaustion. Instagram, 25 Sep. 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci7uabcOLUk/.
Watson, Stephanie, and Cherney, Kristeen. “The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body.” Healthline, 14 February 2023, https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body.
dignidadrebelde. “Fourth drawing for my #inktober practice celebrates the visionary, and often overlooked, Filipio leader Larry Itliong. “Larry Itliong was a Filipino American labor union leader. In 1965, he lef the Filipino Strike of Coachella Valley grape growers which.” Flickr, 5 Oct. 2016, https://www.flickr.com/photos/28987073@N08/29495086484. Accessed 16 March 2023. CC BY 2.0.
“Filipino American Farmworkers | Asian Americans.” Produced by S. Leo Chiang, Geeta Gandbhir, and Grace Lee, WETA and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) for PBS, 2020, kcts9.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/filipino-american-farmworkers/asian-americans-video/?student=true. Accessed 15 March 2023.
History.com Editors. “Larry Itliong.” HISTORY, 29 October 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/larry-itliong. Accessed 17 March 2023.
Janos, Adam. “How Cesar Chavez Joined Larry Itliong to Demand Farm Workers’ Rights.” History, 22 January 2021, https://www.history.com/news/chavez-itliong-delano-grape-strike. Accessed 15 March 2023.