Curriculum

The following is a sample syllabus of the Filipina/o American Studies classes taught by PEP:

COURSE SYLLABUS

FALL: In the fall, we will take a journey through Filipina/o American history. The focus of the semester will be on the stories of Filipina/o American struggle and survival. The PEP course provides a fun yet academically challenging space where we can discover more about our ethnic background, work with others in the Filipina/o American community, and also share their cultural production with those at our school, in San Francisco, and the larger Filipina/o American community.

SPRING: In the spring, we engage Filipina/o American social movements, community activism, and cultural work. The curriculum affords an exciting opportunity for students to apply their knowledge through service learning and community building, and to share their cultural production with those at our school, in San Francisco, and the larger Filipina/o American community. Students will learn about multiple forms of activism through the study of political/ social/cultural movements in which Filipina/o Americans have participated. They will also be exposed to a problem-solving teaching style that encourages students to develop strong analytical skills.

COURSE PURPOSE AND ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

The students who complete this course will acquire the following academic, cultural, and leadership skills and knowledge:

Historical/Cultural
Students will gain the following historical/cultural/social knowledge:
• a brief history of the Philippines
• history of immigration of Filipinas/os from 1587 to contemporary times
• historical and contemporary moments and movements that have affected Filipina/o Americans
• contemporary issues and cultural production of Filipina/o American youth
• a culminating project/event that encompasses the knowledge the students have
learned from the past semester

Leadership/Self-Determination
Students will learn to strengthen their leadership potential, motivation, and self-esteem. The students will engage in a community service project that will provide them the opportunity to apply the information and knowledge they receive in the classroom. They also gain experience in community oranizing, public speaking and teaching.

Academic
Along with our focus on having fun, this course will be academically challenging. Students
will write at least twice a week and participate in both individual and group projects.
We will begin with a pre-test about Filipina/o American history and finish with a
post-test at the end of the school year to assess knowledge that the students have gained
from their experiences in this course. We also aim to monitor the students’ achievement
in their other courses and their academic motivation in general. We will focus on these
academic skills:

• reading and writing
• organizing/leadership
• history and social science
• effective note-taking
• college preparation
• time management
• public speaking skills
• critical thinking