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Abstract

This study guide provides a set of activities for teaching abolition through Season 1 of the speculative fiction TV series Star Wars: Andor (2022). Through the practice of critical literacy (viewing, reading, and analysis), we offer various ideas on how to engage Andor as a relevant pedagogical tool for studying and teaching abolitionist movement histories and methodologies. By guiding students through a critical analysis of this widely-circulated, mainstream cultural text, we seek to activate an abolitionist pedagogical lens that can be applied across various genres and media – making tangible connections between popular culture and political struggles writ large. These activities are relevant for students and educators wherever abolition is being taught and engaged – including high schools and undergraduate classrooms, as well as non-institutional, community- based, and/or popular educational contexts. In this article we will detail a few of the most salient connections that we see between the show and the key terms and concepts of abolition – as well as possible pedagogical activities to guide students’ discussion and inquiry.

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