About Unit 6

Essential Question: How has systemic oppression related to housing, economic power, political representation, incarceration, and education developed over time, and why does this legacy matter in the United States today?

Unit 6: The Enduring Legacy of Systemic Oppression invites students to investigate how systemic oppression has developed over time and why its legacy continues to shape life in the United States today. Through the lenses of causation, historical significance, and continuity and change, students will engage with various examples of systemic oppression. Explorations include how policies, institutions, and power structures related to housing, economic power, political representation, incarceration, and education were created and sustained. Students begin by building shared background knowledge across these systems, identifying how historical decisions produced unequal outcomes for different groups. They then engage in a sustained research project, selecting one system of oppression to study in depth as they trace its origins, analyze key policies and turning points, and evaluate its lasting impact. Throughout the unit, students practice disciplinary research skills like corroborating sources, refining claims, and organizing evidence to construct a meaningful historical argument. The unit culminates in a public research showcase, where students share their findings and reflect on how acknowledging the legacy of systemic oppression deepens understanding of the past and informs conversations about justice and change today.