Mississippi Whole School Initiative
Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open
For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...
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
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
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
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...
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
Learners 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.
Novelinks
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: Concept/Vocab Analysis
Considering using Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for book circles or whole-class study? First time teachers, and those who have used the text before, will find some interesting tidbits in this overview.
Curated OER
Mississippi Trial, 1955: Culminating Writing Project (Multi-Genre Final Portfolio)
Designed as the final project concluding a study of Mississippi Trial, 1955, readers select a character from Crowe's novel and craft a portfolio of six entries that reveal not only aspects of the character, but similarities between the...
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 instructional activity, discussion guide, and series of activities to discuss...
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
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
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!
Young scholars 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
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
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 lesson, students visit the Tolerance Museum and discuss the history of the U.S. Students write a poem...
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?
Students 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
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...
Curated OER
"Once Upon a Time": Tearing Down Fences
Ninth graders study how individuals take responsibility in reducing societal misunderstandings. They discover the irony in thinking that building fences provides security and solves societal problems. They consider the fences that every...
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....