What is Scholar Activism?

Tch Laureate Geneviève Debose Akinnagbe teaches ELA at Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists (BSSWA) in New York City, a secondary school where teachers refer to their students as "Scholar-Activists." She's developed a unit on Scholar Activism for her middle school students so they have a better idea of what that title means and the honor it carries.

So, what is a Scholar-Activist? And why does a unit like this fit within the ELA curriculum at BSSWA?

Let's listen as Geneviève explains her rationale:

Engage Your Students

• Scholar-Activist Gallery Walk & Graphic Organizer - Students can walk around to see images of scholars and activists in action and complete a graphic organizer. This serves as a way to build background knowledge of scholars and activists. Genevieve also uses a Partner Discussion Guide to help her students have strong conversations about the images.

• Who are Scholars? Who are Activists? - Students can read descriptions of different kids who have some traits in common and work to determine what those traits are.

• Defining the Term Scholar-Activist - Students can work in groups to come up with definitions of what a scholar-activist is.

• Scholar-Activist Interview - Students can interview family members about scholar activists they know.

More on Scholar Activism for Educators:

• Bridging the Scholar-Activist Divide

• Time for the Scholar-Activist

• What is "Scholar Activism"?

• Teaching as and for Activism: Challenges and Possibilities

• Starting with Community: Sociological Practice in Building Scholar-Activist Coalitions

• NEA Activism Lesson Plans

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Geneviève is an educator, artist, and activist who has taught middle school for over a decade. She is a proud National Board Certified Teacher and U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow. Geneviève strongly believes that education is a tool for social justice and empowerment, and that learning experiences for children should be culturally relevant, student-centered, and interactive. She started her teaching career as a 1999 Teach for America corps member and currently serves as a commissioner on the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Geneviève is a seventh grade English Language Arts teacher at Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists in New York City. Connect with Geneviève on Twitter: @GenevieveDeBose.