Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, considered by many to be a seminal piece of American literature, contains many complex literary themes that carry through United States history. Use a series of discussion questions and classroom...
Curated OER
The Struggle Against Segregation
Students use vocabulary related to the history of segregation in the United States. They study about the history of segregation in America and recognize the challenges and prejudice that many African Americans faced in the 1950s....
Curated OER
Center Stage—Focus on Poverty
Middle schoolers explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students examine stereotypes and discrimination based on socio-economic status. Middle schoolers prepare to work with people of diverse backgrounds in...
Curated OER
A South African Storm
Students read a letter titled "A South African Storm" on her experiences of discrimination in the country. Individually or as a class, they answer questions about the author's purpose in writing the piece was and how she made herself...
Curated OER
Timely Tolerance
Eighth graders work together to focus on an oppressed group of society. Using the information they gather, they create a museum exhibit to educate their community on the group. They present their PowerPoint presentation to the class to...
Anti-Defamation League
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas became a quick hit in the young adult literature genre before its adaptation in the 2018 film of the same name. Use a thorough lesson, discussion guide, and series of activities to discuss the social...
Anti-Defamation League
Understanding and Analyzing “The U.S. of Us” by Richard Blanco
Current immigration issues and the rhetoric surrounding the controversies come into focus with a lesson that uses Richard Blanco's anthem, "The U.S. of Us," written after the August 2019 attack in El Paso, Texas, to open a discussion of...
Curated OER
Timely Tolerance
Eighth graders examine issues of prejudice and intolerance in the context of historical and comtemporary events. They discover the structure and tools necessary to plan, write, and create a museum exhibit.
Curated OER
Who Participates? Identifying Diversity
Learners listen to sound bite of producer/director Nick Giannopoulos, and discuss issue of stereotypical portrayals of cultural groups presented in the media. Students then use questionnaires and view popular television shows to observe...
Curated OER
Outside the In-Group
Students pretend they are the person who is kept out of a group. As a class, they examine the behaviors of each person in a group situation and discuss how the role-play made them feel. They examine situations in which they kept...
Curated OER
The Power of Words Anti-Semitism and Hate Speech
Students investigate words associated with Anti-Semitism and hate. They view and discuss a video about teaching tolerance focusing on language usage.
Curated OER
Free Speech Comes At a Price
Students use communicative activity strategy, Go, Ask and Tell, or more traditional whole text comprehension activity to read, discuss and explore issues in article, Free Speech Comes at a Price, by Hugh Mackay.
Curated OER
Maniac Magee
Seventh graders read Mania Magee as a shared literature experience. This lesson plan presents some ideas to use after certain chapters in the book as a way of supplementing student learning and involvement in the story.
Curated OER
Triangles Are Not Bad!
Learners investigate stereotypes and diversity by performing a play about shapes entitled, "Triangles Are Not Bad!" They role play as the shapes who each feel they are superior to the rest.
Curated OER
Behind the Scenes -- Closing the Curtain on Stereotypes
Middle schoolers examine stereotypes in their community. They discuss the implications of having stereotypes and being prejudice against a group of people. They use a five step process in which to create another outcome to an experience...
Curated OER
Stereo What?
Students define words associated with stereotypes. They identify the difference between stereotype, prejudice and discrimination and give examples of each. They discover their own personal biases.
Curated OER
Using History to Teach Tolerance: A Ripple of Hope
Students investigate the prejudice and racism that has existed in the U.S. for centuries by attending a field trip. In this equality instructional activity, students visit the Tolerance Museum and discuss the history of the U.S....
Maryland Department of Education
The Concept of Diversity in World Literature Lesson 6: Culture Clash
To prepare for a Quickwrite on the question, "How do different points of view create cultural conflicts?" class groups draw examples of religious, cultural, and political conflicts from Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible to use...
Curated OER
What is Sensitivity?
Young scholars examine the difference between internal and external differences in people. They identify prejudices in society and explain how important it is to be sensistive to others. They discover types of sensitivity in "To Kill A...
Curated OER
World War II: Internment in Hawaii
Learners examine world history by writing an essay in class. In this World War II lesson plan, students identify the attack on Pearl Harbor, the response from the U.S and the effect it had on Japanese-Americans. Learners define Japanese...
Curated OER
To the North: A Black Family Leaves Arkansas to Find Work in Michigan
Upper elementary and middle school scholars study the economic factors that caused so many Arkansans to migrate to different parts of the country looking for work. Use this history lesson plan to help your charges gain a better...
Thalian Association Community Theatre
West Side Story: Teacher Resource Guide
West Side Story is widely known as a modern-day Romeo & Juliet. Learners read a list of characters from the play and list their counterparts from Romeo & Juliet before completing a vocabulary enrichment activity and word jumble....
Curated OER
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Lesson: Immigration
Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...
Curated OER
Setting the Stage for Service Related Learning Relationships
Students understand the stereotypes and realities of older people. In this philanthropic lesson, students in groups read and report on the positive images of older people in children's books. Students address the needs and wants of older...