Different Santa

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/12/03/black-santa-solidarity/

The Kennedy family live in Arkansas, USA. They put up their Christmas decorations this year, as they do every year, in front of their house. The decorations include a large inflatable Christmas tree and inflatable Santa next to twinkling lights. But this year after a week the family received a letter saying they should take the Santa down. The letter claimed to be from Santa and said, "I am a white man to you and have been for the last 600 years." At the end of the letter the writer suggested the family move to a different neighbourhood.

The family wondered if they had made the right choice and if they should move. They shared the letter on social media  but they were immediately deluged with messages of support from their neighbours. What do you think the neighbours did next? Slowly, one by one, Black Santas started appearing all over the neighbourhood. 

One of the first people to put up a Black Santa was 70 year old Chip Welch. Chip said the letter was, "not reflective of the kind of country I want to live in. We were all pretty concerned about it and we decided it would be poetic for everyone to get Black Santa's."

Will and Paula Jones live across the street and have put up a Black Santa. Paula said when she heard about the letter, "My first thought was, 'Where can I get one?"

Neighbour Ben Keller had a two year old son who is black. Ben says their son is "absolutely thrilled to see some Santa's that reflect back to him."

People have also sent donations to the Kennedy family, who have donated everything to charity. They have received over $1000.

- why would someone write that letter, what was their aim?

- how do you think the Kennedy family felt when they first read the letter?

- Chip Welch says the letter is "not reflective of the kind of country I want to live in" what does that mean?

- why do you think Paula immediately thought, "Where can I get one"?

- why do you think so many neighbours put up black Santas and shared photos?

- what does this story show about lots of people in America today and their attitude to diversity and difference?

- how do you think the Kennedy family felt when they saw their neighbours' reactions?

- Ben Keller says his Black son is "thrilled to see some Santas that reflect back at him" what does this mean?

- what does representation mean and why is it important today?

- Do you think it matters what skin colour Santa has?

- what can we learn from the Kennedy family?

- what can we learn from their neighbours?

- why is this about No Outsiders?

- Which British value is this about?

 No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

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Train lines

 

https://londonist.com/london/transport/london-overground-line-names-now-out-in-the-wild

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2024/february/london-s-overground-lines-to-be-given-new-names-and-colours-in-historic-change-to-capital-s-transport-network

What do you see in the picture? Where is this taken? What does it mean?

This photo is taken on a platform at a London overground train station.

Last month, London train maps had 6 new names added. Train lines have been renamed or rebranded.

The new names are:

Suffragette Line

Liberty line

Lioness line

Mildmay line,

Weaver line

Windrush line

When a train line is changed, it takes a lot of work. Think about where passengers see those names as they travel on the trains; what things need to be changed (timetables, maps, signs on platforms and in carriages, announcements at stations.)

The aim, when London Transport looked for new names, was to honour histories and communities and choose names to showcase London's rich history, heritage and diversity."

What do you think that means?

How might they do that?

Do you know where each of the names come from?

Suffragettes line celebrates how people fought for votes for women and paved the way for women's rights. The line runs to Barking, which was where the longest surviving suffragette lived. Annie Huggett died there aged 103.

Windrush line- runs through areas of London with strong Caribbean communities and honours the contributions that people who arrived in England on the Empire Windrush ship that arrived in England from the Caribbean in 1948. People on the ship had been invited to Britain to help rebuild the country after World War 2.

Mildmay line honours a small hospital in London that for years has cared for people for many years, particularly LGBT people.

Weaver line honours diverse migrant workers in Bethnal Green and Hackney who built up London's textile trade.

Lioness line honours the achievements of the England's women's football team who continue to empower the next generation of women and girls in sport.

Liberty Line celebrates "the freedom that is a defining feature of London"

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said; "The new names and colours have been chosen through engagement with passengers, historians and local communities, reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city."

- Why do you think London transport decided to do this?

- Why choose names of events and people that happened a long time ago, why not look forward instead?

- What do you think "The freedom that is a defining feature of London" means?

- Is freedom a defining feature of our town, our school? How do you know?

- Why didn't they choose more names like liberty; why not choose names like "Equality" or "Democracy" or "Welcome line"? Why choose real people/ real events?

- What does this show about the UK today?

- What can we learn from London transport?

- Why is this about No Outsiders?

- Which British value is this about?

 No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (new for 2024)

Watch CPD films showing schools in 2024 using No Outsiders to teach community cohesion 

Astronaut

 

She was working at McDonald's at 17. Now, she's become the first Mexican-born woman in space - Scoop Upworthy

What do you see in the picture? Who do you think is in the space suit, what do they look like in person? What kind of person becomes an astronaut?

  

This is Katya Echazarreta, Katya was an immigrant in America who was working in McDonalds serving fries aged 17. Today she is the first Mexican born woman to travel to space. 

- What is an immigrant?

- What is a stereotype and how is Katya challenging stereotypes about immigrants?

Katya is an engineer and science communicator. 

-What is an engineer?

- What do you think a science communicator is?

Katya says travelling to space has a huge impact on her and she wanted others to have the experience; "The only thing I could think of when I am back down was that I need people to see this. I need Latinas to see this. And I think it just completely reinforced my mission to continue getting primarily women and people of colour up to space and do whatever  it is they want to do."

Lot's to discuss in that quote- what do you think of what Katya says?

- What is a Latina?

- Why is she saying she wats to get primarily women and people of colour in to space; is that fair?

"Our greatest wish is that this experience encourages young people and children to dream and to dedicate themselves to STEM and to build a better future for all."

- What is STEM? (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics?

- How can STEM build a better future for us all?

- why does Katya want young people to dream and dedicate themselves to STEM?

Katya was an immigrant as a 7 year old when her family moved to America. She felt like an outsider because she couldn't speak the language. A teacher at the time told her she was not making progress and would have to be held back in class; "It just really fuelled me, and I think ever since then, ever since third grade, I kind of just went off and have not stopped."

- What made Katya feel like an outsider; her language or something else? (it was the other pupils not making her feel welcome)

- Do you think the teacher was right to say that?

- why didn't Katya give up in school?

Aged 17 Katya was determined to go to college so she had four jobs, including one at McDonalds, to earn enough to pay her bills and feed her family. 

- why do you think college so important to Katya?

Katya is now doing a masters degree at John Hopkins University and she works at NASA. She wants to be a role model for others.

- what is a role model?

- who do you think she wants to be a role model for?

Katya says, "Throughout my journey in engineering school, I was very aware of the lack of women in the field. I've been given the opportunity to help guide those girls and women who, like me, are looking for someone with experience in what they are going through. in the field"

- why do you think there are a lack of women in STEM?

- do you thin there are still stereotypes about scientists today?

- what can we do about this at our school?

- what can we learn from Katya?

- Why is this about No Outsiders? 

- Which British Value is this about?

 No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (new for 2024)

Watch CPD films showing schools in 2024 using No Outsiders to teach community cohesion