Revised!
An Unnatural
Disaster 2.0: A Critical Guide for Addressing
the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Classroom
includes new
sections such as
-The Rebuilding Process,
-Personal Narratives, and
-Grassroots Organizations Working on Rebuilding.
When NYCoRE first released Unnatural Disaster, days after Hurricane
Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, we asked educators how they would help
their students to make sense of the storm’s aftermath. The feedback
was powerful. While we received reports of the guide’s usefulness
and words of encouragement from across the continent, we disproportionately
observed silent classrooms. Three months later, stories of displaced
families, re-building efforts and a congressional investigation trickle
into mainstream news reports. Hurricane Katrina continues to be both
a horrible reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans, and a critical
chapter in U.S. history to be examined in every educational setting.
We hope to encourage and support educators to use this revised edition
of the resource guide and build an on-line community through dialogue
at http://nycore-katrina.blogspot.com.
As teachers are increasingly forced to teach to standardized tests,
we hope that they will also find creative ways to incorporate these
resources into lessons that will both strengthen students’ academic
skills and encourage a critical understanding of the power imbalance
that made itself evident through this tragedy. Classrooms that avoid
discussions about the Katrina disaster may feel that they are neutral,
or protected from the harsh reality of this event, but we applaud
the brave and memorable educators who invite their students to question
the world around them.
Read
the introduction to the original version.
An Unnatural
Disaster: A Critical Guide for Addressing
the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Classroom
" When
the American public is told that the residents of New Orleans and
the gulf region are finally accounted for and the media re-focuses
on the next event, the disaster will continue for the hundreds of
thousands who have lost their homes, families and the lives they once
knew. Young people have seen the images, heard the rhetoric, and felt
the same sympathetic sense of helplessness that educators have experienced
in the days leading up to this school year. How will teachers support
their students to reflect on the enormity of this crisis in their
classrooms?" The attached resources are intended for educators
moved to guide their students through a deep exploration of the historical,
political and economic roots of the Hurricane Katrina disaster and
aftermath. Among other things, this crisis has revealed:
Teachers
and students must feel empowered to take action and demand social
change, rather than rely solely on contributing to a temporary relief
of conscience. Moving from a service/ charity framework to one of
social justice can make room for even the youngest of students to
make sense of the basic issues of fairness inherent in this catastrophe.
As education catches up with modernity, classrooms can use this event
to strengthen the next generation’s media literacy as students
struggle to make sense of the ceaseless bombardment of mixed messages
and half-truths produced to communicate the situation in the Gulf
region.
Also
included is a list of organizations in need of contributions to help
hurricane victims recover from this disaster. One of the many lessons
learned from recent events is that communities need to be prepared
to take care of themselves rather than rely on the government’s
assistance in the event of a catastrophe. The grassroots organizations
listed offer charitable giving alternatives to the massive NGOs utilizing
most of the contributions flooding their accounts for administrative
costs.
The
goal of this resource is to encourage teachers as they boldly raise
the bar of intellectual questioning in their classrooms. It serves
to make available information that will responsibly provide broad
and informed perspectives for students to ponder. Teachers must tackle
tough issues with students to uncover truths about the nature of power
in our society. This is an opportunity for the education community
to honor those that are suffering by refusing to ignore them.
Download
An Unnatural Disaster 2.0
PDF
