A curriculum focusing on issues of justice, fairness, and mislaid blame
September 25, 2001-In response to the terrorist tragedy of September 11 and subsequent attacks against Arab-Americans, EDC (the Education Development Center Inc.) based in Newton, Massachusetts, has developed a free 30-page curriculum for middle and high school students focused on issues of justice and mislaid blame.
Beyond Blame: Reacting to the Terrorist Attack, which is co-sponsored by The Justice Project and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), was designed by a team of EDC researchers and curriculum writers who were concerned that the terrorist attacks have created a hostile climate for Arab-Americans--much like the climate Japanese-Americans faced following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
"Coming to grips with the trauma of the tragedy is the first step," said EDC Vice President Eric Jolly, Ph.D., one of the lead writers of the curriculum. "Helping our youth make meaning of the tragedy is the next step. We need to make sure that in the process of making meaning, we do not create a second wave of victims."
The curriculum features three lessons, designed to stimulate student reflection, discussion, and writing. Lesson 1, "What is Justice? What is the Injustice Here?", guides students through a discussion of the events of September 11th and reports of subsequent attacks and threats made against innocent people perceived to be of Arab descent. Lesson 2, "Has the Past Been Just?", examines parallels between today's events and the internment of Japanese-Americans in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Lesson 3, "How Can You Prevent Injustice?" leads students through a discussion of the kinds of actions they can take to prevent injustice, discrimination, and mislaid blame.
Click here to get a printable copy of Beyond Blame in PDF format. [Note:In order to access and print the document, you need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 3 or higher) installed on your computer. You can download the free Acrobat Reader (version 5) from the Adobe site: Get Acrobat Reader.]
Other ways to get copies of Beyond Blame for educational use
* The Teacher Vision website has made the curriculum available in a series of printable files, broken down by lesson.
* We can send you a hard copy of the curriculum. Call and leave a message at: 617-618-2700. Allow three to seven business days for delivery.
Sponsors of Beyond Blame: A Reaction to the Terrorist AttackThe Justice Project is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fighting injustice and to creating a more humane and just world. The Justice Project was founded by Vietnam Veterans who have joined like-minded women and men to extend the reach of justice.
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) is an international humanitarian organization that addresses the causes, conduct, and consequences of war through its rehabilitation projects for victims of war, its landmine survey projects, and its public education and advocacy programs.
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