[1]

Julie Mann is a teacher at Newcomers High School in NYC. When she saw the Not In Our Town Video,  Charleston, The Days After [2], and the accompanying lesson ideas [3], she decided to adapt it for her English Learners.

The beauty of Julie's lesson plan is that she scaffolds the experience for her students, beginning with understanding the horrific hate crime that happened this summer where a white supremacist murdered nine African-American people during Bible Study at the AME Church in Charleston, SC.

From there she brings to life the people who were killed in a way that builds understanding and empathy and allows students to express their feelings.

But she does not stop there, she makes a call to honor the victims by asking students to take action in their communities and through signing the Not In Our School Pledge.

Download the lesson plan [4] and try out the activities. We would love it if you share the results with NIOS.