Lesson Plan - Standing Up for Diversity

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will identify central ideas in an article about a young changemaker who is fighting back against bullying and colorism.

Curriculum Connections

• Racism and Discrimination

• Anti-Bullying

• Entrepreneurship

• Advocacy

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Study individual development and identity

• Understand multiple perspectives from different cultural vantage points

• Consider how individuals can promote civic ideals

English Language Arts:

• Identify central ideas and key details

• Cite textual evidence to support analysis

• Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1

Essential Questions

  • How do racism and colorism affect people?
  • How can people stand up against bullying?
  • What are some ways that young people can make a difference?

1. Preparing to Read

Engage and Build Vocabulary

Ask students to respond to this prompt: What’s one of your favorite items of clothing? Why? What does wearing it tell others about you? Discuss responses. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms ethnicity, discrimination, emblazon, and nonprofit.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to think about the central idea of each section.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What is colorism? How has it affected Kheris Rogers? (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Colorism is a kind of discrimination against people with darker skin tones that often occurs among members of the same racial or ethnic group. It has affected Kheris because classmates bullied her and adults made her feel self-conscious about her skin color.

• How has Kheris worked to spread a message of empowerment? (Text Evidence)
Kheris has spread a message of empowerment through her company, Flexin’ In My Complexion, which sells clothing with her grandmother’s phrase and other uplifting messages. She’s also appeared in a Nike ad, voiced a character on Middle School Moguls, signed a record deal, and given talks about colorism and bullying.

• How does Kheris balance everything in her life? (Social and Emotional Learning)
Kheris says she uses a planner to make sure she can take care of everything she needs to do for her business and her schoolwork. She also sets daily goals to ensure she keeps up with all her responsibilities.

3. Skill Building

Determine Central Ideas

Assign the Skill Builder Heading Hashtags to have students determine the central idea of each section and brainstorm hashtags that summarize each idea.

Watch a Video

Before students watch “Flexin’ In My Complexion,” share this prompt for them to consider as they watch: What stands out most to you about what Kheris has to say? Why? If you had the chance to interview her, what would you ask her? Discuss responses.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Differentiate and Customize

For English Learners: Explain the idioms set her sights and give back. Point out words with multiple meanings, such as tone, viral, sported, conflict, and foundation, and discuss which meanings are used in the article.

For Distance Learning and SEL: Discuss how remote or hybrid learning has affected bullying at your school. Ask students to share ideas about how they can combat bullying and safely intervene online.

Printable Lesson Plan

Interactive Slide Deck

Text-to-Speech