Talking about Race and Privilege: Lesson Plans for Middle and High School Students

Mission of Organization

“The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) represents and supports the profession of school psychology by advancing effective practices to improve students' learning, behavior and mental health, and by maintaining essential standards for ethics and practice.”

Curriculum Description

Students work to define privilege and identify how privilege operates in their lives and communities. Through lectures and discussions, students will be able to understand the effects of privilege across contexts.

Curriculum Materials Reviewed
  • Privilege Aptitude Test
  • General Outline of Lesson
Source of Funding

N/A

Learning Resources
  • Self-Report Surveys
  • Privilege Aptitude Test
  • Readings
Target Population/Grade Levels
Cost Per Classroom
Free
Training
N/A
Domain Presence
Critical Consciousness

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: The purpose of the curriculum is to recognize the privilege in the students’ own lives and communities.

Social Action

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: The curriculum only encourages students to increase their social awareness of privilege and take action.

Reciprocal Community Relationship

Presence Evaluation: Not Present

Evaluation Notes: In the lessons reviewed, there is no evidence of a reciprocal relationship between the students and the community.

Systems Wide Approach

Presence Evaluation: Some Presence

Evaluation Notes: The curriculum asks students to consider examples of privilege at different levels of society. 

Explicit Teaching of Social Justice Principles

Presence Evaluation: Some Presence

Evaluation Notes: The lessons define privilege and provides examples of it in history.

Self-Reflection

Presence Evaluation: Some Presence

Evaluation Notes: The students work to understand their own privilege through activities such as the privilege walk and privilege aptitude test.

Evidence Based

Presence Evaluation: Not Present

Evaluation Notes: To date, there has been no empirical study of this curriculum to evaluate its effectiveness.

Inclusion and Equity

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: The curriculum addresses privilege in the community through a few lessons to promote inclusivity and equity. 

High Expectations

Presence Evaluation: N/A

Evaluation Notes: We are unable to evaluate this domain since it is best measured through observation.

Social Identities

Presence Evaluation: Some Presence

Evaluation Notes: Several lessons look at how different aspects of identity intersect to create privilege.