Roots to Routes: Black Resistance, Organizing, and Change

Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

Students will be able to investigate BYP100 NYC organizers’ experiences with trust-building, cross-neighborhood coordination, participant risk, and backlash to define an evidence-based civic design need

Students will be able to analyze primary and secondary evidence about maroon communities, abolitionist organizing, the Underground Railroad, self-emancipation, and Black political networks to explain how historical context shaped resistance strategies, risks, and outcomes

Students will be able to compare the goals, strategies, communication practices, and contributions of the NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC and the perspectives of Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Stokely Carmichael to explain continuity and change in Black freedom organizing

Students will be able to synthesize historical evidence and organizer testimony to distinguish transferable strategic patterns from context-specific practices

Students will be able to ideate and prototype historically grounded strategy cards that translate user needs into testable scenarios, choices, and reflection prompts

Students will be able to test and refine a collaborative strategy card deck using stakeholder feedback and performance evidence to improve its usefulness, clarity, accessibility, historical accuracy, and ethical design

Students will be able to justify and self-assess civic design decisions, collaboration practices, and conflict-resolution choices to identify limitations and responsible next steps for the tool

Products

individual

Organizer Research Portfolio and Strategy Card Prototype

Each student produces an independently authored portfolio containing an ethical organizer consultation artifact, source analyses, a historical-to-present comparison, a defined user need, multiple concepts, and one testable strategy card prototype. The portfolio concludes with a written justification and self-assessment explaining evidence, design tradeoffs, limitations, and proposed revisions.

team

BYP100 NYC Strategy Card Deck and Stakeholder Defense

Teams deliver and facilitate a tested strategy card deck for BYP100 NYC that uses historically grounded cases, scenario choices, and reflection prompts to support trust-building, cross-neighborhood planning, and responses to opposition. Teams present a shared problem statement, demonstrate the deck, document testing and revisions, and defend their decisions to authentic stakeholders while naming limitations and next-step testing.

Rubric

Mastery-Based Rubric Standards-first rubric

Category	Standard	Beginning (1)	Developing (2)	Proficient (3)	Exceeding (4)
New York	3C.5b - Work cooperatively with others to plan, implement, and evaluate a civic capstone project that addresses a social injustice identified in the local or global community.	I can contribute to a civic capstone project with support by sharing ideas, asking questions, and completing assigned tasks to help our team address BYP100 NYC’s challenge I can use provided sources and partner feedback to identify a basic connection between Black resistance traditions and the needs of youth organizers, while recognizing that I still need help making the tool clear, accurate, and useful.	I can work cooperatively with my team to plan, build, and revise a strategy card deck that responds to BYP100 NYC’s needs for trust-building, cross-neighborhood coordination, and responding to backlash I can explain how specific historical examples and organizer input informed my choices, and I can use feedback to improve the deck’s clarity, historical grounding, and practicality.	I can collaboratively plan, implement, and evaluate a historically grounded civic project that uses Black resistance traditions to help BYP100 NYC think through real organizing decisions I can compare multiple historical and contemporary perspectives, justify design choices with evidence, and revise the tool so it is accessible, context-sensitive, and useful for campaign planning and training.	I can lead and strengthen our team’s civic capstone work by helping us plan, test, evaluate, and refine a polished strategy card deck that meets BYP100 NYC’s identified need I can synthesize evidence from sources and partner feedback to create an ethical, historically accurate, and highly usable tool, and I can clearly defend how it supports informed decision-making without oversimplifying the differences between past and present struggles.
New York	11.10.a - After World War II, long-term demands for equality by African Americans led to the civil rights movement. The efforts of individuals, groups, and institutions helped to redefine African American civil rights, though numerous issues remain unresolved.	I can identify some examples of Black resistance traditions and, with support, explain a basic connection to a current organizing challenge in NYC I can contribute to a group discussion about trust, coordination, or backlash, but my ideas may be general, incomplete, or need help from peers and adults to become useful for a strategy tool.	I can explain how selected historical examples such as the NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, Malcolm X, or Fannie Lou Hamer responded to injustice and compare at least one strategy, risk, or outcome to a present-day BYP100 NYC challenge I can help my group gather information, consider different perspectives, and draft parts of a strategy card deck with some historically grounded prompts and reflection questions.	I can analyze multiple Black resistance traditions to identify transferable strategic patterns and clear limits between historical and present-day conditions I can collaborate effectively to design a historically grounded strategy card deck with scenario choices, planning prompts, and reflection questions that supports BYP100 NYC’s needs, and I can revise my work using feedback from organizers to improve clarity, accuracy, and usefulness.	I can synthesize evidence from historical sources and organizer feedback to justify why my strategy card deck is historically accurate, ethically designed, and practical for cross-neighborhood planning and response to opposition I can communicate my reasoning clearly, facilitate a prototype test, and make thoughtful revisions that show strong collaboration, reflection, and civic judgment in support of BYP100 NYC and MXGM.
New York	11.10.a.5 - Students will examine the role of groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the movement, their goals and strategies, and major contributions.	I can identify at least one major goal, strategy, and contribution of Black resistance organizations or leaders such as the NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, or Stokely Carmichael, with support from teacher-provided sources I can contribute to my team by sharing a simple idea for a strategy card deck, but my explanations may still be general, limited, or not yet clearly connected to BYP100 NYC’s current organizing needs.	I can compare the goals, strategies, networks, risks, and outcomes of several Black resistance traditions and explain some ways they relate to trust-building, coordination, or responding to opposition today I can work with my group to draft historically grounded prompts, scenario choices, or reflection questions for the card deck, though connections to present-day organizing may still be uneven or partially developed.	I can analyze primary and secondary sources to explain how groups like the NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC and leaders such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stokely Carmichael used different strategies to address injustice, build relationships, and respond to conflict I can use feedback from BYP100 NYC or MXGM to revise a strategy card deck that is historically accurate, practical, and clearly supports cross-neighborhood planning and response to backlash.	I can synthesize evidence from Black resistance traditions and current organizer input to design, defend, and refine a strategy card deck that helps BYP100 NYC make context-sensitive decisions about trust, coordination, and opposition I can clearly justify why each card is historically grounded, ethically designed, and useful for training or campaign planning, while explaining the limits of historical comparison and reflecting on how our team’s choices support civic collaboration and social justice.
New York	3C.5a - Participate cooperatively with others to plan, implement, and evaluate civic capstone projects to meet identified school needs.	I can participate in a civic capstone project with my group by completing assigned tasks, sharing ideas when prompted, and using feedback from peers or adults to improve my part of the work I can identify a basic need for the BYP100 NYC client and use simple historical information about Black resistance traditions to help shape the strategy card deck, though my ideas may still need significant support to stay accurate, clear, and useful.	I can work cooperatively with my group to plan, implement, and evaluate our civic capstone project by contributing ideas, asking questions, and revising my work based on client or peer feedback I can use evidence from historical and contemporary sources to make a strategy card deck that responds to BYP100 NYC’s needs, and I can explain how at least some historical lessons connect to present-day organizing while noting important differences.	I can collaborate actively and reliably to plan, implement, and evaluate our civic capstone project by helping the group organize roles, solve problems, and make decisions that support the client’s goals I can analyze evidence from Black resistance traditions and BYP100 NYC/MXGM feedback to create a historically grounded strategy card deck with clear prompts, choices, and reflections that is practical, accessible, and responsive to real organizing challenges.	I can lead and sustain cooperative work in a civic capstone project by helping my group plan, implement, and evaluate our process with shared responsibility, thoughtful negotiation, and reflection on growth I can synthesize historical research, organizer consultation, and user testing to produce and defend a highly effective strategy card deck for BYP100 NYC that is historically accurate, ethically designed, context-sensitive, and clearly supports trust-building, cross-neighborhood coordination, and response to backlash in current campaigns.
New York	2D.5b - Practice using negotiation skills to reach solutions that value identities, relationships, and promote social justice.	I can name a few basic negotiation moves and, with support, use them to respond to a simple organizing problem, but my choices may not yet fully consider identities, relationships, or social justice I can contribute ideas from historical examples or partner feedback, though I may need help connecting evidence to a practical decision-making tool.	I can use negotiation skills to suggest solutions that consider different identities, relationships, and fairness in a BYP100 NYC planning scenario I can explain how at least one historical Black resistance example informs my choice, and I can revise my thinking with feedback from peers, organizers, or source evidence.	I can practice negotiation skills to compare multiple solutions and choose one that balances trust-building, cross-neighborhood coordination, participant safety, and social justice I can clearly connect relevant historical patterns, organizer input, and evidence to my design decisions, and I can self-assess my collaboration and conflict-resolution habits to improve my work.	I can skillfully negotiate among multiple perspectives to co-create a strategy card deck that helps BYP100 NYC reach inclusive, context-sensitive solutions I can justify my decisions with accurate historical evidence, organizer feedback, and reflection on limits of transferability, and I can communicate my reasoning clearly while supporting respectful collaboration and shared leadership.
New York	2D.5a - Self-assess conflict-resolution skills and develop a plan to strengthen them.	I can identify basic conflict-resolution skills I use in group work and name at least one area I want to improve when planning with others I can describe a simple next step for strengthening that skill with some support, but I may need help connecting it to respectful communication, shared decision-making, or the project challenge.	I can self-assess my conflict-resolution skills and explain how they affect collaboration in planning a civic project I can develop a realistic plan to strengthen those skills by using feedback, practicing communication strategies, and trying out ways to handle disagreement that support relationships and group goals.	I can consistently self-assess my conflict-resolution skills, use evidence from team interactions to identify strengths and growth areas, and revise my plan as needed I can apply communication and negotiation strategies to resolve disagreements, support inclusive group decisions, and explain how my choices help the team address the organizing challenge effectively.	I can thoughtfully and independently self-assess my conflict-resolution skills across different situations and use that reflection to strengthen my collaboration over time I can adapt my plan based on feedback and experience, model respectful negotiation and conflict management for others, and help my group reach decisions that protect relationships, honor different identities, and advance our civic project goals.
New York	11.10.a.6 - Students will examine the roles and impact of individuals such as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X on the movement and their perspectives on change.	I can identify a few key ideas, roles, or strategies used by leaders and groups such as the NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, Malcolm X, Dr King, and Fannie Lou Hamer, but my explanations may be incomplete, generalized, or missing important historical context I can contribute to a prototype strategy card deck with support, yet my choices, discussion, or reflections may not yet clearly show how to connect history to the needs of BYP100 NYC.	I can describe the roles and goals of major civil rights leaders and organizations and explain some ways their strategies addressed conflict, trust, coordination, or opposition I can use evidence from sources and partner feedback to help build a strategy card deck that is mostly historically grounded and useful for BYP100 NYC, though some connections or design choices may still be underdeveloped or need revision.	I can analyze the perspectives, roles, and strategies of civil rights leaders and organizations, including how their approaches shaped change, coalition-building, and responses to resistance I can create and revise a clear, historically grounded strategy card deck with scenario choices, prompts, and reflection questions that supports BYP100 NYC’s planning needs and shows thoughtful collaboration, communication, and self-assessment.	I can compare how individuals and groups such as Malcolm X, Dr King, Fannie Lou Hamer, SCLC, SNCC, and the NAACP used different strategies, and I can explain which ideas transfer to today and which do not I can independently and collaboratively design, test, defend, and refine a highly usable strategy card deck for BYP100 NYC that is historically accurate, ethically designed, responsive to feedback, and effective for real organizing decisions across neighborhoods and in response to backlash.
New York	2D.4a - Analyze how communication strategies help to navigate conflicts.	I can identify at least one communication strategy used in Black resistance traditions or in BYP100 NYC organizing and describe, with support, how it may help or hinder conflict navigation I need frequent guidance to explain my choices, connect ideas to the challenge, and revise my thinking when feedback shows gaps.	I can analyze more than one communication strategy and explain how it helps navigate a conflict by considering relationships, trust, audience, and likely risks I can use evidence from historical examples, organizer feedback, or scenario details to make a clear connection to the strategy card deck I am building.	I can compare communication strategies across historical and current organizing contexts and evaluate which ones are most effective for trust-building, coordination, or responding to backlash I can justify my choices with relevant evidence, explain trade-offs, and revise my ideas based on partner feedback and testing.	I can synthesize evidence from Black resistance traditions, organizer consultations, and prototype testing to evaluate how communication strategies navigate conflict across different contexts I can clearly defend nuanced design decisions for the card deck, showing how my choices are historically grounded, ethically responsible, and responsive to BYP100 NYC’s needs.
New York	3C.4b - Plan, implement, and evaluate their participation in service learning to build greater social justice within their local community.	I can participate in a service-learning project by helping my group identify a real organizing need, gather information from BYP100 NYC and historical sources, and contribute ideas for a strategy card deck with teacher and peer support I can name at least one relevant challenge and one historical example, but my connections, decisions, and explanations may still be simple, incomplete, or need frequent guidance.	I can work with my group to plan and revise a strategy card deck that addresses a meaningful social justice need in NYC, using some evidence from Black resistance traditions and input from BYP100 NYC or MXGM I can explain how at least one historical strategy may help with trust, coordination, or responding to opposition today, and I can reflect on my own teamwork and communication with some specificity.	I can collaborate to plan, implement, and evaluate a historically grounded strategy card deck that helps BYP100 NYC think through trust-building, cross-neighborhood coordination, and backlash I can use multiple sources and partner feedback to make clear, context-sensitive choices, explain the strengths and limits of historical comparisons, and communicate my reasoning in a well-organized way.	I can independently and collaboratively lead the planning, testing, and evaluation of a strong service-learning product that addresses BYP100 NYC’s organizing challenge with accuracy, creativity, and ethical judgment I can synthesize historical evidence, organizer feedback, and reflection to justify design decisions, evaluate impact, and communicate how the tool supports informed civic action while respecting the differences between past and present struggles.
New York	1C.5a - Identify personal and systemic resources to mitigate barriers to achieving goals, including those related to oppression, power, and privilege.	I can identify a few personal supports or community resources that could help address a challenge in organizing, but I need support to explain how power, privilege, or oppression affect the barrier I can contribute to a group discussion or prototype by sharing ideas, though my choices may not yet connect clearly to BYP100 NYC’s needs or to historical examples of Black resistance.	I can identify relevant personal and systemic resources that may reduce barriers such as mistrust, unequal access, or backlash, and I can explain a basic connection to power, privilege, or oppression I can use some historical evidence and partner feedback to help shape a strategy card deck, though my reasoning or recommendations may be incomplete or not fully specific to the campaign context.	I can identify and compare several personal and systemic resources that could help BYP100 NYC mitigate organizing barriers, and I can explain how oppression, power, and privilege influence those barriers I can use evidence from Black resistance traditions, organizer input, and reflection to make thoughtful design choices for the card deck that are practical and mostly responsive to the client’s needs.	I can independently and insightfully identify and prioritize personal and systemic resources that BYP100 NYC can use to mitigate barriers to organizing, and I can clearly explain how power, privilege, and oppression shape what is possible I can synthesize historical evidence, client feedback, and my own reflection to create and defend a context-sensitive strategy card deck that supports inclusive, ethical, and effective decision-making in real campaigns.