Ethnic Studies
Curriculum: History
Department Address
1299 E. 32nd St.
Signal Hill, CA 90755
Department Phone
(562) 997-8000 x 7142956
Ethnic Studies in LBUSD
This page contains information on the following topics. Please scroll down to learn more.
- AB 101 Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement
- LBUSD Ethnic Studies Courses
- AB 101 Timeline
- Ethnic Studies: Our American Histories instructional materials and curriculum
- Dual Enrollment
AB 101 Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement California law (2021)
How can districts provide approved Ethnic Studies courses:
- An existing ethnic studies course.
- An ethnic studies course taught as part of a course that has been approved as meeting A-G requirements of the University of California and California State University (UCOP).
- A locally developed ethnic studies course approved by the governing board of the school district.
- A course based on the model curriculum developed pursuant to Section 51226.7.
LBUSD Courses
- New 11th grade Ethnic Studies/US History blended course:
Ethnic Studies: Our American Histories
- LBUSD continues to offer a standalone Ethnic Studies elective course option and dual enrollment opportunities with local colleges and universities.
AB 101 Timeline
Ethnic Studies: Our American Histories Instructional Materials and Curriculum
Ethnic Studies centers the following four core groups:
- Native Americans
- Black and African Americans
- Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x Americans
- Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Our curriculum extends to include these additional identities:
- LGBTQ2+
- Jewish Americans
- Americans with disabilities
LBUSD Ethnic Studies Tenets that is woven across the curriculum
- Identity: Drawing strength from historical and ancestral origins, intersectionalities, and community potential.
- Critical Consciousness: Evaluating power dynamics, systems of oppression, and seeking justice through historical inquiry.
- Resilience and Agency: Cultivating empathy, hope, self-worth, communication, collaboration, and envisioning a brighter future.
- Civic Engagement: Promoting community responsiveness, solidarity, resistance, and self-determination for social justice.
Textbook and Instructional Materials
- This new course uses the same core textbook and instructional materials adopted in 2022 with additional digital resources provided in curriculum.
- Care to ensure the course covers:
- Ethnic Studies tenets and increased diverse representation
- US History standards
Dual Enrollment Ethnic Studies Courses
The district is proud to collaborate with Cal State Long Beach in offering free dual enrollment Ethnic Studies Courses to Long Beach Unified 11th and 12th graders. Students who successfully complete courses earn both Long Beach Unified and CSULB credit toward graduation.
The primary course, US Diversity and the Ethnic Experience, is a survey of four major ethnic groups (Native American, African American, Chicano/Latino American and Asian American) from the earliest periods of Native American history, through migrations to the Americas, into the present conditions of U.S. society. Special attention is given to the formation and transformation of each ethnic group and their individual and collective roles in the development of the United States.
Additional classes may be available for students that complete the primary course and wish to gain deeper knowledge in the specified content areas.
Contact Info
For more info about the Ethnic Studies classes contact Alan Sheppard at ASheppard@lbschools.net
