Learning About "The N-Word" Black History Empathy SEL Videos Discussion MiniUnit

This high-interest, 3-day mini-unit answers questions like: who can say the n-word? Who can't? What do experts in race, linguistics, and psychology believe about the n-word? What words do I use if I want to avoid being hurtful or hateful during discussions about racism?

These interactive lessons are meant to teach empathy and establish clear expectations for discussions about racism in professional environments. Use it as an anti-racism activity during Black History Month. Use it to teach social/life skills to your students with behavioral or emotional struggles. Use it before reading books like To Kill A Mockingbird, A Raisin in the Sun, Stamped, The Hate U Give, The Nickel Boys, The Bluest Eye, Children of Blood and Bone, Sing Unburied Sing, Just Mercy, and more. Use it in US History or social studies when talking about Jim Crow, slavery, civil rights, or modern racism. Or use it as professional development among staff.

My students consistently tell me from year to year that this lesson is meaningful to them. (That's huge praise coming from teenagers!)

What you'll receive:

- A unit plan doc containing essential questions, CCSS, and suggested daily lesson plans

- Student activity - note-taking organizer

- Answer key to student activity

- Links to 2 videos that offer students a total of 5 expert perspectives on the topic of "the n-word"

- Optional article to help more closed-minded student populations ease into a conversation about this tough topic

- Discussion questions and prompts throughout unit to help foster critical thinking

- List of "words that show sensitivity toward the issue of racism" and "words that are hurtful/hateful to use when talking about race"

This resource has been purchased 50+ times!

Here's a recent customer review:

"Fabulous resource, thank you! I used this during my To Kill a Mockingbird Unit."

If you and your students enjoy this lesson:

- You might also want to check out my lessons exploring microaggressions and how to respond to them, the birth of the Black press, what racism reparations could look like in the US, or my Contemporary Black Poet zine!

- Please leave me a review. TpT is a tiny but VERY helpful source of income for me, and reviews about positive experiences really do make a difference in this community (and they make me smile! Sometimes delivering great lessons like these to blank-faced teenagers can really take the air out of your tires!).

...Yes, my students do tell me I'm "extra." And yes, I take it as a compliment.

Check out my other lesson plans and materials! I'm an award-winning English/creative writing teacher and a serious perfectionist. My lessons aim to be high-interest without compromising on the rigor.