1. Content: The resource that I chose is a field trip to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. On Thursday May 14, 2026, the museum will feature a special exhibition; We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth. I found this museum while searching online for field trips in Virginia. (Website: https://secure.virginiahistory.org/4217/4947) (Additional website that provides examples of what is to be expected at the exhibition: https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/sponsored/explore-the-history-of-immigration-in-virginia)
2. Context: This resource will work best for middle/high school (ages 12-18) students that are currently attending an American/Virginia history class. Since it is exploring the positive impact that immigrants have brought throughout Virginia’s history, I feel that this topic is more advanced than elementary school level. This will also work in an informal setting due to it being a field trip.
3. Implementation/Ways to use this resource:
   • Goal- For students to discover the impact of how immigrants have helped to shape Virginia to the unique place it is with the use of finding stories, objects etc. throughout the museum.   
   • Time- 60 minutes
   • Materials- Pencil, paper, clip boards.
   • (40 minutes) Instructions for scavenger hunt sheet (top 3 students who gets the most points in the end gets a prize):
     • Find a journey story (+5 points)
       • Who is it?
       • Where did they come from?
       • What was their impact?
     • Pack the suitcase (+5 points)
       • What is an object some brought/invented
       • Why is it significant?
     • Find an object that represents culture (+7 points)
       • What culture is shown?
       • How did it influence Virginia/America
     • *Bring everyone back to the classroom*
     • (20 minutes) Ask the group discussion questions such as:
       • “What does immigration mean to America”
       • “What story or person stood out to you the most, and why?”
       • “Why do you think it’s important to learn about different backgrounds and experiences”
       • “How do these stories connect to identity and belonging?”
       • “What can people do to make immigrants feel more welcome?”
       • “How can you support people from different backgrounds in your school or community?”
   • ***(If you don’t have the ability to go to the museum, you can also do this in a classroom setting by putting pictures and objects around the classroom to mimic an exhibit setting)***.
4. Goal:
   • Types of education that are most supported by this resource:
     • Multicultural peace education- Students learn about different identities and experiences which will help them be able to build more just and inclusive communities.
     • Human rights education- Students are able to learn about basic rights and freedoms. They learn to respect human dignity and equality while also being able to recognize injustice and discrimination
     • Experiential Learning- Students will actively explore artifacts, find answers, and actively engage rather than just listening. The museum turns into an interactive learning space.
     • Constructivist Learning- They are able to build their own understanding on what they observe and interpret in the museum, rather than passively receiving information.

This activity was inspired by personal participation in the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Student Forum: https://www.cciu.org/student-activities/student-forum

Summary: Students come together to discuss issues relevant to them, their schools, and their peers and discuss what they could do about it.

Time: 60 to 90 minutes (depending on topic and size of group)

Materials: Space large enough for 20 to 25 students and 1-2 teachers to gather in a way for easy discussion.

Context: This activity works best with groups of 20 to 25 high school students that know each other well. This activity can be adapted to any age group from elementary school to professional adult groups, but depending on the topic, does require maturity and willingness to listen to one another. 

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to…

• Practice participating and holding difficult conversations
• Clearly define and describe complex social issues
• Analyze how the issue affects different groups and make connections between large-scale issues and their local and personal contexts
• Consider and engage with multiple perspectives including those they may not agree with
• Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions to deepen discussion and understanding
• Identify opportunities for involvement at the school and community levels

Preparation:

• Determine topic of discussion – if it is the first meeting, preset the topic; after each meeting, have the group determine the topic for the next meeting
• Determine and prepare any background context needed for students to be able to engage with the topic
• Prepare community norms and, during the first meeting, have all members discuss and adapt the norms as needed
• Set a location for the meeting that provides space for all participants to engage in conversation
• Determine 1-2 teachers that are respected by the students to guide the dialogue process – teachers are there to ensure conversation does not get heated and guide participants when asked

Example Topics:

• Environmental Sustainability
• Amazon Rainforest and Deforestation
• Gun Violence
• Cost of College Education
• Voting Rights and Youth Political Participation
• Criminal Justice Reform and Mass Incarceration
• Social Media and Mental Health
• Misinformation and Fake News
• Data Privacy and Digital Surveillance
• Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation
• Corporate Responsibility and Ethics
• Equity vs Equality

Community Norms: These are agreed upon by everyone as ways to behave and keep the space safe for all to express their opinions. Have students offer ideas first and ensure all needed norms are there allows them to discuss what each norms means, how they are shown, and how to ensure compliance. This gives them community ownership in the process. Examples can be seen below that are recommended to incorporate.

Community Norm Examples:

• Respect all opinions
• Disagree with ideas, not people
• Allow others space to explain when you are confused
• Listen to understand before seeking to be understood
• Do not speak over each other or interrupt each other
• Speak from your own experience and use “I” statements
• Respect confidentiality – while ideas from this room can be implemented outside of the room, keep discussions and what was said exactly confidential
  • Depending on the topic, limits on safety concerns and mandated reporting must be informed to the students prior to the start of the discussion
• Give everyone space to talk if they wish

Activity Instructions:

1. Review Community Norms and edit as needed
2. Introduce the topic and provide any needed context for the discussion
3. Open the floor to students to discuss with the guiding questions of:
   1. What is the issue?
   2. How is it impacting us, our school, our community, etc?
   3. What can we do about it as students?
4. Have students speak one at a time, asking questions and following up on each other
5. As conversation wraps up, take the time to highlight the last question of ‘what can we do about this as students’ and determine the next meeting topic

Debrief: This activity is meant to invoke deep discussions between participants with the debrief incorporated throughout. For an ideal situation, the formal debrief should be made as the final meeting of the academic year. Centering the topic of discussion around ‘Communication and Feedback’, or something similar, will allow students to discuss how talking in these open settings and listening to understand each other has impacted their lives. Debrief may be especially important for high school teenagers in their communication with peers and those of other generations. 

Potential Debrief Guiding Questions: Pick questions from the general guiding questions below or prepare different questions.

• Was this activity easier or harder than you expected? Why?
• How has participating influenced your engagement with others in the group?
• How has participating influenced your engagement with others outside of the group?
• Were you surprised by anything in this process?
• How does listening to understand differ from listening to others?

Instructor Tips on How to Use Resource:

• It works best to have this be a continual program that meets monthly throughout the academic year, but this can be adapted to meet the group’s needs.
• Mixing of grade levels to include all years allows for the program to flow easily between academic years with multi-year participants gaining capacity to lead, organize, and facilitate sessions.
• Incorporating students from different schools together provides increased viewpoints and speaking with others outside of normal interactions.
• Having these sessions occur during the school day allows for the most student participation while minimizing the chance of scheduling conflicts; this also works best as a voluntary participation program which gives students leeway to miss sessions if required for classes.
• This activity incorporates multiple pedagogies including but not limited to:
  • Inquiry-Based Learning – through having students ask questions to each other to fully understand each person’s points and opinions 
  • Socratic Seminar – it is a student led, collaborative discussion designed to foster deeper understanding and respectful dialogue
  • Place-Based Learning – it uses the local community, culture, environment, history, and understanding to guide discussion topics
  • Culturally Response Pedagogy – student-centered framework that uses their knowledge, cultural, and experiences as frames of reference to make learning more relevant and effective
  • Restorative Dialogue Practices – structured and voluntary conversation designed to address topics that harm or cause conflict in the students’ lives by focusing on what is happening and how to address it 
  • Problem-Based Learning – participants learn about the topics through discussing how to solve real-world open-ended problems

MR | CONF 408

Audience

Employees, managers, students, members of a community

Goal of the Exercise

To understand the implications of conflict scenarios while developing an understanding of how to approach conflicts in work, school, or other institutional settings.

Key Learning Objectives

• Identify common problems that emerge in group situations and critique the motivations, intentions, and of stakeholders involved in conflicts.

• Demonstrate empathy, active listening, and the ability to identify the multifaceted implications of everyday problems and conflicts in group settings.

Required Materials

• Pens
• Index cards

Total Time

90 minutes

Preparation for Role-Playing

• On each index card, write out a scenario that could manifest in school, the office, or another institution.

• Create small groups to play the game.

Role-Playing Session 1

• Each member of the group receives one card outlining a particular scenario.

• Each participant reads the scenario out loud and takes two minutes to describe and assess the scenario.

• Each participant assumes the role of a stakeholder in a conflict.

• Each player writes down the thoughts, sentiments, or emotions that the stakeholder could experience in a conflict.

Transition to next phase

Small Group Discussion

Over the span of 20 minutes, discuss why each character behaves in a certain way, the potential outcomes, and what can be done to diffuse the situation.

Transition to next phase

Role-Playing Session 2 (Repeat Session 1)

• After the first role-play, each participant takes on a new role.

• Each group member discusses the conflict, scenario, and motivations of each character.

• Each participant assumes the role of a stakeholder in a conflict.

• Each player writes down the thoughts, sentiments, or emotions that the stakeholder could experience in a conflict.

End role playing – transition to next phase 

Group Reflection

Each small group spends 10 minutes reflecting on each conflict, discussing the broader implications of the situations, and developing interventions to diffuse each of the conflicts.

Transition to next phase

Small Group Presentations

Each group takes 10 minutes to present the conflicts that they discussed, the perspectives of each group member, and what they learned about conflict management in different situations.

Debrief

• Bring the groups together, assess the challenges associated with conflict in group situations, and identify takeaways that reflect the larger exercise.

• Identify what steps and interventions can be designed to address these controversies in group settings.

1. Audience

Members of a diverse community

• Game Goal

To teach participants how to apply problem-solving skills to real life community problems.

• Game Objectives

1. Present the intricacies and dimensions of common conflict scenarios that occur in diverse communities.

• Motivate game participants to view conflict through the lens of other stakeholders.

• Encourage players to embrace the perspectives, rights, and needs of others in complex conflicts.

• Help players conceptualize what works and what does not work in the context of “building bridges” with opposing quarreling in diverse communities.

• Game Materials

1. Large sheets of paper

• Colored markers, colored pens, and sticky notes

• Preparation for the Game

1. Draw a fictional community with make-believe “spaces” for different stakeholders in the conflict.

• Introduce a fictional community conflict scenario involving multiple individuals or groups.

• Choose a scenario that reflects the values and constructs of pluralist societies (HOA, zoning, environment/pollution, noise ordinance)

• Playing the Game:

• Present the visual representation of the community and explain the conflict to the game participants.

• Identify the stakeholder groups involved in the conflict.

• Create separate groups that represent the interests of the fictional community. Possible stakeholders include HOA, small business owners, members of the township, the mayor, etc.

• Perspective Mapping

• Each stakeholder group is given a sheet of paper, markers, and pens to map out their part of the community. For instance, the HOA might draw a fictional master plan community. Another group, the township, could draw a fictional government building.

• Game players in each stakeholder group write down their grievances, expectations, motivations, demands, and possible solutions to the problem.

• Stakeholder Group Rotation

• Rotate from one group to another clockwise in order to give each stakeholder group the opportunity to assess the perspectives and viewpoints of the other groups.

• Each group is encouraged to write any notes on the sheet belonging to other groups.

• Building bridges

• The group facilitator introduces the idea of building bridges to create synergy and understanding between the groups.

• Each group draws “bridges” on their papers to connect their own perspectives to the ideas written by other groups.

• Community Talk

In the final phase, each group presents their “bridges” and how they plan on creating synergy while fostering understanding with opposing stakeholder groups.

• Debrief

• Hold a roundtable discussion to discuss the difficulties associated with building bridges between quarreling parties.

• Discuss the most effective strategies in building bridges with opposing stakeholder groups.

• Delineate some of the key motivations and demands that are least likely connected to potential bridges.

Content and Instructions:

• The resource used to develop our final group facilitation activity called _____ was adapted from the following website titled SessionLab: (link:http://www.sessionlab.com/methods/open-quesitons-role-play)

• This roleplay was inspired by the theater of the oppressed, where actors try to use language in various ways to either deliver or receive a certain message in a manner that would bring clarity and reasoning without any complication.

• This facilitation resource that is being introduced is an activity that involves a group of students working together to understand the facilitation tool of open-ended questions. First, set up chairs around in a horse-shoe manner – facing towards an empty chair where an individual who will be asked questions will be seated. Secondly, have the individuals that will be asked questions by the group leave the room. While they are waiting outside, have a group of people (preferably 10-12) decide on a fact that they would like to learn about the individual. Next, once the group has decided on the question, invite back the individual to sit in their designated seat and allow them to make a general statement. The group of people will go around asking one question to the individual based on the statement, to slowly get them to answer the question that the group is seeking. For example, if the statement that the individual gives is “Over the weekend, I spent playing football with my colleagues.” Then, the group will ask open-ended questions that revolve around the first statement and hopefully by the end of the round, have the individual asked a question that will deliver the answer. If the group is not able to steer the questions to the topic of interest to get the individual to provide the facts, then another round will be initiated and timed. This activity takes approximately 10 minutes. In addition, please be advised that there will be no random participation. In case a person from the group asks a closed-ended question, then it is the job of the facilitators to correct them. In between rounds, students are allowed to jot down notes for a debrief at the end of the activity to understand how the activity went and if there were any difficulties.

Goal:

• The learning objectives of this activity are the following: To practice listening to enhance understanding and responding. This workshop will ensure that future specialists in the field of Conflict Resolution know how to: (a) focus more on listening to and understanding facts before making further assessments, increasing their knowledge of emotional and factual aspects of a dispute. (b) Develop the ability to redirect unproductive assessments through strategic questioning. (c) Utilize questions to guide the conflict resolution process toward a mutually satisfactory outcome. (d) Practice asking questions that promote a deeper and more meaningful understanding of each party’s needs and interests.

In what context can this exercise be useful? And for which field is this activity ideal?

• This resource is best for any age level, as well as it is possible to incorporate into formal and informal settings, including in the field of diplomacy, and mediation, as well as other non-political fields that involves listening and understanding, including the field of psychology, or the field of law practice.

• This exercise possesses a wide range of fields, since listening and asking questions is applied in our everyday lives; from our time in our offices working with colleagues to being trialed in court.

Skills: Place-taking Empathy Mirroring Respect Responsibility

Time: 25 minutes | 5 for preparation / 10 for activity / 10 for debrief

Inspiration: This activity is modeled after a dialogue workshop depicted in the documentary Two Sides, produced by the Palestinian Israeli Bereaved Families for Peace organization. While the activity was used as an icebreaker for the group of adults ranging from their twenties to their fifties, the discussions that it elicited ran much deeper than expected and gave the facilitators insight into the group dynamics they were about to manage.

Audience: This activity’s important aspect is its discussion prompt and time limit. Each can be crafted to suit a specific age and group! For example, younger participants would benefit more from simpler or more generation-specific discussion prompts and can be expected to retain less information than their older counterparts. For this reason, sharing phases should be kept shorter than you would for an older group of participants.

Room Setup Recommendations: The participants are recommended to be arranged in a circle so that the participants can switch to different pairs easily by looking in the opposite direction. The room can have chairs or not, depending on available furniture, the time allotted for the exercise, and the preferences of the participants. NO other materials are needed for this activity!

Preparation: It is best for the facilitator to know what they information and experiences that they want to have shared between partners and in the wider group! General questions are best for the first round and deeper questions are best after the group has built a good model of representation and have established trust and respect for each other. Please consider these factors as you sequence your discussion prompts. If this activity exceeds 2 rounds, please end the activity with each participant introducing themselves as themselves to clarify who they are!

Procedures: 

1. Facilitators will introduce themselves and explain that the group will be split into pairs. 
   • Pairs will be formed by asking the participants to look in the clockwise direction.
2. When everyone has settled on their partner, the facilitators can now give the participants their discussion prompts.
   • Prompts can also be written on the board for easy reference.
   • Sample Prompts:
     • Name
     • Hometown
     • Plans for the weekend
3. After 60 seconds have been spent, the facilitator will now ask the group if each partner has had the chance to share about their prompts.
   • If all have shared, please feel free to move to Step 4
   • If all have not shared, please repeat Step 3 to give everyone the chance to share with their partner
4. Now that everyone has shared, it is time to spring the suprise! Each participant will introduce themselves as their partner, Sharing Out to the class the information that they received from their partner moments ago!
   • Participants should be encouraged to speak in the first person
5. Now that everyone has had the opportunity to represent their partner, the group can be reshuffled and the facilitators can introduce new discussion prompts and/or longer time limits.

Debrief:

• If this is the end of the activity, please feel free to use the following prompts to decompress and review the activity!
  • How did it feel to be represented by someone else?
  • How did it feel to represent your partner?
  • Did you feel a difference between the experiences?
  • Are there responsibilities involved with representing someone else?
    • If so, name a few?
  • What makes for an accurate, respectful representation?
  • How did you feel about your partner after you had represented each other?
  • How did it feel to Share Out to the group?

Exploring Conflict Resolution Concepts Through Expression

Learning Objectives

• Participants will demonstrate the ability to creatively and effectively portray conflict resolution concepts through non-verbal communication
• Increased awareness of the role of non-verbal communication in conflict resolution.
• Understanding how individuals interpret concepts differently based on gestures and expressions.
• Development of empathy by considering multiple perspectives in conveying and interpreting non-verbal cues.
• Encourage participants to interpret concepts individually and collaboratively construct meaning through debrief discussions.

Content

I developed this paired charade workshop, inspired by the classic game of charades, to delve into essential concepts related to conflict and peacemaking. Drawing directly from the structure of charades, my goal is to create an engaging activity that emphasizes the diverse interpretations people have, particularly when communication is restricted to non-verbal cues.

The activity incorporates words and phrases related to conflict and peacemaking such as:

• Power dynamics
• Negotiation
• Inequality 
• Compromise
• Disagreement
• Advocacy
• Resistance
• Neutrality
• Process
• Misunderstanding

Context

This resource is adaptable to a variety of educational settings, spanning different age groups and subjects. It is suitable for middle school, high school, college, and community contexts. The activity’s flexibility allows it to seamlessly integrate into conflict resolution courses, communication workshops, or community-building initiatives. Its experiential nature makes it valuable in both formal classroom environments and informal community settings.

Materials

• Small pieces of paper with concepts (as listed above) written down
• Timer
• Space

Implementation

Introduction (1-2 minutes): Begin by introducing the activity, drawing a parallel to the game of charades. Explain that this exercise will focus on non-verbal communication in the context of conflict resolution. 

Pairing (1-2 minutes): Ask participants to pair up and decide within their pairs who will take on the role of the guesser and who will be the actor in the first round. Encourage discussion and ensure that both participants have a clear understanding of their roles. 

Concept Distribution: Once pairs are established, distribute small pieces of paper with concepts related to conflict resolution (as listed above) to each person. Instruct the participants to not share the content of their paper.

Timer Set-Up: Set a timer for one minute, and instruct participants to act out their assigned concept using non-verbal communication. Remind them to be creative and use gestures, body language, and expressions effectively.

Round 1 (1 minute): Begin the timer and allow pairs to engage in the first round of the activity. Observe the dynamics and non-verbal interactions within each pair.

Once the timer concludes, give pairs a few moments to discuss the concept portrayed and the interpretations (1 minute)

Round 2 (1 minute): Set up the timer again, allowing the second person in each pair to be the guesser in the second round. Repeat the process. 

After the second round, invite everyone to a debrief session. Encourage reflection on feelings and challenges in both roles. Ask participants to share examples of effective or ineffective gestures, body language, and expressions in conveying concepts.

Debrief

Pose debrief questions such as:

• Were there specific gestures or expressions that were particularly effective or ineffective in conveying concepts?
• Do you think your partner accurately portrayed the word or phrase? Explore why it might be accurate or inaccurate. How would you have done it differently?
• Does anyone want to share an example of specific gestures, body language, and expressions that were particularly effective or ineffective in conveying concepts?

Goals

As participants engage in creative acts of expression, the activity goes beyond theoretical discussions, offering a hands-on experience that bridges the gap between understanding and application. Throughout the debrief and discussion sessions, it becomes apparent that effective communication plays a crucial role in understanding diverse interpretations. Encouraging participants to reflect on the gestures, body language, and expressions used by their partners prompts them to recognize the nuances of non-verbal communication. The activity underscores that what may seem clear to one person might be interpreted differently by another, emphasizing the need for clarity and precision in communication. The incorporation of various pedagogies, such as experiential learning, reflective practice, and inquiry-based learning, adds depth to the educational experience. These pedagogical approaches not only strengthen the learning outcomes but also promote the development of essential skills, including creativity, empathy, and effective communication.

Background

The Fower of Identity activity is adapted and sourced by the Council of Europe. Founded on May 5, 1949, the Council of Europe is an organization that values human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Today, 46 states are members of the Council of Europe, and of these 46 states, 26 make up the European Union.

Source(s):

The Council of Europe

The Flower of Identity

Teambuilding.com

Diversity, a ‘source of strength’ | UN News

Context

The Flower of Identity activity is best suited for college-age students and adults. This activity can be achieved in 30 – 45 minutes and is usually conducted as an informal icebreaker and/or teambuilder. The Flower of Identity activity explores DEI initiatives: diversity, equity, and inclusivity.  Although this activity can be done with youth groups, it is recommended for a more mature audience as it requires vulnerability and a deep dive into one’s identity.

Implementation

Set Up: Activity should be set up in advance. Cut construction paper sheets (the colorful kind) in the form of petals. You will need to cut one petal per group. Split participants into groups of 4-6. Each group will get one petal and numerous markers. Each individual participant will be handed a piece of scrap paper. This activity can be done on desks or on the floor, but preferably it should be conducted on a flat surface.

Introduction (5 minutes): The facilitator should define identity. Explain to participants that identity can be thought of in terms of a flower. During this activity, each group will make up a petal, which is a part of the flower. At the end of this activity, all of the petals will be combined to form our flower. The flower at the end will represent the larger group and/or community. Before we get started, ask participants to take a minute to brainstorm elements of identity.

Individual Draw (5 minutes): The next part of this activity asks that each participant take out their scrap piece of paper. Using the markers provided, participants will individually draw a flower – participants will just need to draw the center of the flower and the petals attached to the center. Once they have drawn a flower, they will now write elements of their own identity in the petals. Note for the facilitator(s): the participants can use region, gender, education, values, family, jobs, etc to represent elements of their identity.

Fill in group petal (15 minutes): Ask each participant to share their flower with their group members. Once each participant has shared, the group will decide on a common element(s) of identity. The group will then write the element(s) in their group’s petal.

Present the petals (5 minutes): Bring all the groups together and have one member from each group present their petals to the larger group.

Creating a flower (5 minutes): The facilitator will collect the petals from each group to create a flower. The facilitator will then close the activity by asking the larger group what elements of identity they all share.

Debrief (10 minutes): Below are debrief questions that could be asked following the Flower of Identity activity.

• How did you choose what went into your flower (the flower drawn individually on the scrap paper)?
• Did anyone learn anything new about your groupmates?
• Were any of you surprised to find common elements of identity amongst group members?
• What does it mean to be a part of a group? Why is being a part of a group important?

Goals

• To think about the different components that shape identity.
• To explore one’s own identity.
• To find commonalities in the identities of a group.
• To practice making group decisions

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/banned-books/

Context & Audience:

This lesson plan has been designed to be taught in high school and college classes and community arts centers.

Implementation:

The format is flexible and can fit into a three-hour class, two one-and-a-half hour sessions, or the exercise can be broken down into four parts: the erasure and discussion, making the collage, the public component, and the class discussion. 

Materials Needed:

Sharpies + red pens (1 per each student)

Paper (+ access to a printer)

2 poster-boards

Glue sticks or tape  

1 pair of scissors

Goals: This is a demonstrative lesson that draws on the conceptual framework of Freire’s Theater of the Oppressed. The class is designed to let participants reclaim their own stories by creating a collaborative story.

Lesson/Facilitation Plan:

One week before class: participants will be provided with the following resources: PBS Storied, Harvard Library Guide to Banned Books, History, and Censored Texts (and the pages within it) and the Library of Congress digital collection of governmental/historical texts. Participants choose and email the instructor/s a 3-page extract from a banned book or story that they feel is important or relevant to themes or issues they have special investment in. The instructor/s will print out two copies of the selections ahead of class.

The class is designed engage with oppression and erasure in two ways: by using redaction to reclaim and subvert censorship by reconstructing redacted work to make a new narrative, and By recreating oppression through redacting all non-challenged elements of a story and creating a new narrative using only the censored text.

Session 1:

The class will begin with a conversation on Benjamin Graves definition of Derrida’s Deconstruction.

Students will discuss examples of poetic work that address oppression and erasure through varied processes by reading extracts and reviews of Layli Long Soldier’s Whereas, Nicole Sealey’s  The Ferguson Report: An Erasure, Zong! As Told to the Author by Setaey Adamu Boateng  by M. NourbeSe Philip, and Travis Macdonald’s The O Mission Repo (free download of the full book here).

30 minutes: Using the sharpies provided, the participants will make an erasure by blocking out all the challenged speech and content (overview of what is challenged most frequently here: https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217686).

On their second copy of their texts, students can erase everything but the challenged text, using the red pen to underline the text that is personally significant to them or that represents contested topics.  

15-20 minute debrief: The class will then turn in the texts to be laid out altogether. The class will look at the erasures as a group: each person’s chosen text will remain anonymous unless they otherwise expressly state that they don’t want it to be. There will then be a group discussion on the nature of inequality.

Questions to ask the participants include:

Looking at the pages, is it clear that some stories have had more taken away than others?

What stories, if any, were left unchallenged, and which narratives were taken away almost completely?

Do you think differently about your intersecting identities, relationships, experiences, and right to tell your own stories after this?

Looking at the pages where only the unchallenged text was erased, what remains? What does what remains say?  

This conversation will be intended to provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on privilege, narrative, and whose stories are told. The exercise is designed to show the experience of oppression and who gets their narrative erased.

After the discussion concludes, the lesson will pivot to considering ways to counteract oppression. Drawing from Theater of the Oppressed, the class will focus on ways to reconstruct narrative and divert/reenact the experience of oppression. Two options will be provided (option two is geared to a smaller class, though both could fit depending on the size of the group and dynamic present).

Option 1:

Participants will be instructed to take the censored text and use the words left uncensored (or even the censored text cut into shapes or repurposed any way they like) and work in a group to reclaim their voices by making a new story through collaging the found texts on a piece of poster-board.

Option 2:

The other option is that all participants will choose a line from the texts provided and place the lines in envelopes to be shuffled then drawn randomly like an Exquisite Corpse to create a story.

Option 3:

Participants can construct a collage piece using only the censored work.

After making the story, the participants will debrief with a 15-minute conversation.

Questions to ask participants include:

Did you feel like you got to reclaim what was taken from your narrative and make a new story?

Why, or why not?

Was the experience of having to make a new piece with the remaining words and texts from the erasure empowering or disempowering?

How, why?

Looking at the poster now, how do you feel?

Session 2:

Sharing their work: It is important for the class to have a choice about who they approach to discuss their project with. Depending on the class size and environment, the class will have two options:

Option 1:

Present their narrative reconstruction and initiate a conversation with 1 or 2 people outside of school (there is no specification for who, how, or where) and take notes on the differing reactions and responses to their project. Participants will take a photo of the text, and be instructed to ask the conversation partner of their choosing about the piece (here, participants are strongly encouraged to come up with their own questions and framing for how they approach this conversation). For a 1-session class, the notes and takeaways from the conversation can be emailed to the group, uploaded on Blackboard, or sent to the instructor/s, depending on format.

Option 2:

This option works best in schools or an arts center, and fits well with either a multi-session class or one longer session.

Participants will put the poster board up next to a blank poster board with sharpies and pens in a public educational space (in a study lounge, school library, hall outside the classroom) for people to anonymously respond to. The class chooses how they want to display their piece and for how long (for example: displaying it in a study room during lunch hour, or leaving it up for one day and then returning to gather the materials).

The participants will engage in public pedagogy by taking note of the reactions—positive, negative, or lack thereof—that the piece elicited and have a final 15-minute conversation on their findings before the session ends.

Primary in-class resources:

PBS Storied: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpKqRC-9Avc

Harvard Library Guide to Banned Books, History, and Censored Texts (and the resources and lists within it): https://guides.library.harvard.edu/c.php?g=1269000&p=9306840

Library of Congress free digital collections: https://www.loc.gov/discover/

The O Mission Repo by Travis Macdonald:

https://fact-simile.blogspot.com/2009/09/o-mission-repo-free-online.html

https://www.under-erasure.com/artists-writers/travis_macdonald/

Review of Whereas by Layli Long Soldier: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/interrogation-transmigration-layli-long-soldiers-whereas-mai-der-vangs-afterland

Review of The Ferguson Report: An Erasure by Nicole Sealey: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/07/31/the-ferguson-report-an-erasure-nicole-sealey-poem

Benjamin Graves definition of Derrida’s Deconstruction: https://www.postcolonialweb.org/poldiscourse/spivak/deconstruction.html

Rey Chow, “Reading Derrida on Being Monolingual”: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20058066

Zong! As Told to the Author by Setaey Adamu Boateng by M. NourbeSe Philip: https://engleskaknjizevnostodrenesansedoneoklasicizma.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/zong-as-told-to-the-author-by-setaey-adamu-boateng-by-m.-nourbese-philip-z-lib.org_.pdf

“Redact to React: Deconstructing Justice with Erasure Poetry” by Sarah-Jane Coyle in the Liverpool Law Review: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10991-023-09346-6

Other resources:

https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/exquisite-corpse

https://poets.org/glossary/erasure

https://www.associationforpublicart.org/what-is-public-art/

https://uel.ac.uk/our-research/research-school-education-communities/international-centre-public-pedagogy-icpup#:~:text=Public%20Pedagogy%20is%20a%20relatively,popular%20culture%20and%20political%20struggle.

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fight-censorship?utm_source=ala&utm_medium=topbanner&utm_campaign=redesign

https://www.bookweb.org/aba-right-read-toolkit#:~:text=The%20ABA%20Right%20to%20Read%20Toolkit%3A%20How%20Booksellers%20and%20Readers,to%20the%20sections%20you%20need!

https://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217686

https://mofa.fsu.edu/erasure-poetry/