Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

25 minutes	Part B: Exploring Forgiveness In History
5 minutes	Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1.

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be looking at forgiveness. They will begin by completing a 3-2-1 BRIDGE routine around the term forgiveness (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Three thoughts/ideas
Two questions
One metaphor/simile

If students are stuck getting started, consider prompting them with the following questions:

What is forgiveness?
Who is forgiveness for?
What is required to forgive?
What is the value of forgiveness?
How can we create conditions for forgiveness?
What are some examples of forgiveness that you have seen in the news?
What are some examples of forgiveness in your own life?

You could also pose the following questions to students, bearing in mind that these questions can lead students to more challenging scenarios. However, it is important to acknowledge that some students may not be in a position of safety in relation to their own experiences, and being safe is essential for contemplating forgiveness. For these students, non-forgiveness can be an important consideration:

Why might someone choose not to forgive?
Are there any circumstances that are unforgivable?
What might you struggle to forgive?

It could be useful to prepare some of your own examples as answers to these questions that you feel comfortable sharing with the class.

Allow students several minutes to work independently, recording their thoughts on the Student Worksheet. It is essential that students have some time to tune into this topic without being rushed to the next task.

Step 2.

Now invite student volunteers to share some of their thoughts about forgiveness with the class. Be mindful that not all students may feel comfortable sharing personal stories; use your own examples to facilitate the discussion if necessary.

Through this process lead students to the following points, explaining that these will be explored in more detail through the use of case studies in the remainder of this lesson:

Forgiveness means "to stop blaming or being angry with someone for something that person has done, or not punish them for something" (source)
Forgiveness is a process
Forgiveness is both for the person being forgiven and for the person doing the forgiving
It takes strength to forgive
We can’t demand forgiveness from another person; they need to arrive at a place of forgiveness for themselves
Forgiveness is a skill we can practise
Forgiveness is an inside job: the person being forgiven doesn’t always need to know, or they may have already died.

Note: The following clip may also be useful in exploring how to forgive:

How To Forgive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-K5btaxEFY)

Part B: Exploring Forgiveness In History

Step 1.

Explain to students that there are many extraordinary examples of forgiveness, both from the present day and throughout history.

In this lesson, students will be exploring some examples of forgiveness from the apartheid system in South Africa.

Digitally distribute one copy of the Apartheid Factsheet to each student. Invite them to read through the factsheet.

Students should then navigate to the questions on the Student Worksheet (see below). Once they have read through the factsheet ask students to respond to these questions. Students can work in pairs to discuss their answers; however, each student should record their own answers in their own words.

Briefly describe the system of apartheid in your own words
What stands out to you? Describe and explain why it stood out.
What is new to you? Select one example.
What do you want to know more about? Generate a list of questions that you could answer through independent research.
How is the information presented in this factsheet connected to what you already know? Select one or more examples.
Identify terms/words you are unfamiliar with and research to define them. Select three of these words and create your own sentence with these words.

Step 2.

Once complete, engage students in a class discussion around their answers and to clarify any questions. Explain to students that although this factsheet doesn’t address the topic of forgiveness they will shortly be watching two clips with stories of forgiveness from this time: it is important to understand what forgiveness might mean in the context of such a brutal regime.

Step 3.

Students will now watch two IMAGI-NATION{TV} clips about forgiveness relating to the system of apartheid. As they watch, invite them to record notes or keywords about each clip and anything they notice that relates to forgiveness:

CLIP 1:

Rory Steyn (https://vimeo.com/228774879)

CLIP 2:

Candice Mama (https://vimeo.com/279773156/463e7b9bac)

Once complete, invite students to share their observations, either through class discussion or in pairs or small groups. Use the following questions to guide the discussion.

Based on what you observed in these clips…

… who do you think forgiveness is for?
… what do you think might be required to forgive?
… how can we create conditions for forgiveness?
… what do you think is the value of forgiveness?

Part C: Digging Into Forgiveness

Step 1.

Students will now write a reflective piece about forgiveness based on the following question:

Does to forgive mean to forget?

The aim of this piece is for students to explore their own ideas about forgiveness and to think about the reasons for those ideas. Explain to students that when presenting a position in this reflective piece they should justify their argument and can include supporting evidence in support of their argument (remembering to include references).

Students should choose two of the following quotes to respond to in their text (also available on the Student Worksheet):

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” ~ Lewis B. Smedes
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.” ~ Hannah Arendt
“A broken friendship that is mended through forgiveness can be even stronger than it once was.” ~ Stephen Richards
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.” ~ Alexander Pope
“Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.” - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” ~ Nelson Mandela
“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“One of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself is [to] forgive.” ~ Maya Angelou

This reflective piece needs to:

Be between 300 and 500 words (no more that one handwritten page). Alternatively, this piece could be presented as a spoken word piece delivered to camera or an audience
Be presented as a structured argument with:
- A statement of the major perspectives or concerns relating to the issue
- An overview of your arguments
- A major point for each paragraph with succinct elaboration
- A conclusion with a summary of the main issues or recommendations.
Include personal opinions with justifications
Be checked for spelling and grammar (allow students time to proof and edit their work before submitting).

The piece may:

Use examples from the Apartheid Factsheet and clips viewed earlier in the lesson OR
Use examples students source themselves (including personal experiences if they wish, and if safe to do so).

Note: Consider that while it may be safe for a student who chooses to share their own story of forgiveness, it may be triggering to another student. Think carefully about allowing students to share personal stories.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the 3-2-1 BRIDGE thinking routine they started at the beginning of this lesson. Ask students to refer back to their initial responses and to then complete the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Three new thoughts/ideas
Two new questions
One new metaphor/simile
Explain how your new responses connect to your initial response.

Differentiated Learning

Extension - Students requiring extension could undertake research to determine the differences between the acts of forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation and forgetting. Students could provide a definition and an example for each term that helps to explain how they are similar and how they are different.
Provisions for Learning Support - Students requiring support could work in pairs to complete the reflection task. This could be presented as a peer-to-peer interview session or a series of questions and answers that each student responds to in writing.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

IMAGI-NATION{TV} - Forgiving the Unforgivable

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