Know History, Know Self. No History, No Self.

Dr. José Rizal

Our Philosophy

REALSOUL’s philosophy is deeply rooted in the revolutionary spirit of the Third World Liberation Front, which birthed the Ethnic Studies movement. For decades, this work has largely lived in homes and higher education. We believe that meaningful change begins by making Ethnic Studies accessible through K-8 curriculum, arts education, and public programming that are relevant to everyone.

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Our Framework

Our A.R.T. teaching framework, developed with advisor and Ethnic Studies leader Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, is embedded across all REALSOUL lesson plans and programs, regardless of subject or grade level. This interdisciplinary framework supports K-8 students in engaging with social justice, community-based learning, and critical thinking through arts-integrated curriculum.

REALSOUL’s curriculum is grounded in collaboration with artists, activists, leaders, and educators. This ensures that all lessons are rooted in community-based knowledge and reflect the lived experiences of marginalized communities. We believe that through understanding ourselves, students can begin to imagine and work toward collective liberation.

 
 

  • Through multimedia sources, storytelling, and arts-based activities, students analyze the histories and experiences of marginalized communities. Our lessons introduce complex social issues in age-appropriate ways, supporting critical thinking in elementary and middle school classrooms.

  • When students enter the classroom, they bring their own lived experiences. By honoring diverse cultural backgrounds and identities, our culturally responsive curriculum creates inclusive learning environments where students see themselves reflected in the content and in one another.

  • Our work is action-oriented. Students connect historical learning to present-day issues and develop projects that create change within their own communities — locally and beyond. This approach supports project-based learning and encourages students to apply knowledge in meaningful, real-world ways.

 
 

Pallavi Sarup presenting her work with Artisan’s Table: Distance Between.

Integrating Our Lessons into Your Classroom

 

We recognize that every educator brings a unique approach to their classroom. Our K-8 lesson plans are designed as flexible 60-120 minute sessions that support arts integration, interdisciplinary learning, and culturally responsive teaching. Educators can adapt each lesson to meet their students’ needs and classroom context.

For deeper engagement, our Transform & Act sections offer opportunities to extend learning into longer-term, project-based experiences connected to students’ local communities.

To support implementation, we provide comprehensive educator guides, adaptable resources, and teaching tools that help integrate Ethnic Studies and social justice education into everyday classroom practice. These lessons build critical thinking, cultural awareness, and student agency.

REALSOUL in Action #IRL

  • Handwritten note on yellow sticky note mentioning the importance of the Chinese Dream, referencing its construction by Jade, and comparing it to the American Dream.

    Ms. Cho, Grade 5 in San Francisco, CA

    We used the "Even If Made in Jade" poster, worksheet, and Know-Wonder-Learn as an introduction and then really dove deep. Students researched different topics and are presenting to each other.

    Some kids saw the Even If Made of Jade poster with "ICE" in the top corner and they were reminded of their topic and what is happening today, even if Angel Island isn't a thing anymore. They were able to tie it back to their projects and that was really cool.

    I feel like just the illustrations were really captivating for the students and were a great introduction to Angel Island.

  • Child creating a craft project with colored paper, scissors, and a glue stick on a wooden table, with art supplies and an open book nearby.

    Ms. Emma, Grades 2-3 in Berkeley, CA

    This year, I am excited to pilot poetry lessons that Katie has specifically designed for early elementary. I usually design all of my own curriculum so it was such a time saver to adapt lessons Katie designed to the unit I am teaching.

    The lessons combine community gardening, poetry and art. It is helpful to think about teaching poetry in a new way so I can enrich my students' learning. The lessons also encouraged me to engage in collaboration with my colleagues. The culminating project involves creating a 3D poem out of clay.

    I spoke with the art teacher, and she is excited to work with our students on this part of the project.

  • A worksheet with a list of global and societal problems, including pollution, racism, debt, taxes, and poverty. It also contains a section where five values are selected, such as honesty, wisdom, creativity, respect, and happiness, with some circled. The worksheet further instructs to create ten demands to address these problems, with some handwritten demands written below.

    Mr. M, Grades 6-8 in Oakland, CA

    For 7th grade, before they go to China, we discussed Huey Newton’s trip to China. I kept bringing it back to this idea: “You’re in this position now. There used to be a view that wasn’t too different from what’s happening now. The reason why you’re here is because views changed through action. It doesn’t matter who you are. There was a group fighting for it.”

  • A colorful illustrated collage featuring people, quotes, and symbols representing Vietnamese culture, family, refugee camps, and memories, including a handshake, a birthday cake, and mountains.

    Ms. Wileen, Grades 9-12 in Chicago, IL

    I love the poster and all the links to more resources. We used the list of Historical Players in jigsaw groups. Students in groups were each given a topic from the list and introduced that topic to the class. Having these topics listed really helped me (as a non-history teacher) to narrow down what they needed to focus on to understand the context of the memoir in The Best We Could Do.

    We watched several videos from Project Yellow Dress, and they particularly liked "What I Wish My Teachers Knew About My Southeast Asian American Experience." We looked at the poster and discussed what parts of the poster related to the experiences in the book.

    We also used the Reflection questions as journaling, in whole-class and small-group discussions, and in reflecting on the events in the book.

    Overall, though, I really appreciate having all these resources because it gave me a solid starting point in framing this book for the students.