Use the short evocative videos and films in this lesson plan to engage young people in conversations about identity, diversity, bias and social justice.
Short Online Experience to Learn about this Core Topic For Educators | Middle School, High School
About the Mini-Lesson
Only a small portion of an iceberg can be seen above the waterline. Similarly, understanding someone's identity is limited by what we see on the surface. This mini lesson explores the concept of identity and the importance of going "below the waterline" to challenge and avoid stereotypes and identity-based bias.
ADL's mini-lessons are short, interactive, online…
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language
SEL STANDARDS*: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making 7-Year-Old Morgan Bugg Advocates for More Diversity in Avatars
In April 2021, seven-year-old Morgan Bugg of Tennessee was using an educational gaming app called Freckle, which is used by more than 900,000 teachers in the U.S. This app gives students a chance to win coins while…
October 15, 2020 Nearly half of American adults experience online harassment and nearly one third experience severe harassment, but society still struggles with understanding the deep impact of online hate. Too often, we see “online hate” contrasted with “real world violence.” Trust us: to victims and targets of swatting, doxing, cyberstalking, and cyberharassment, the abuse they experience online is very real.
We know that digital abuse pushes targets offline…
by: Jonathan Greenblatt | April 06, 2020 The Times of Israel As the Jewish community prepares for Passover under quarantine, I’m reflecting on how this moment is so profoundly difficult for so many Jewish families as we head into the holidays.
The coronavirus pandemic has not only upended the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere, but it is going to have a profound effect on Jewish families preparing for the celebration of Passover, which begins on the night of Wednesday, April…
A Victory in the Fight Against Hate: Washington State Protects Targets of Swatting
Article
April 03, 2020 As our online lives have become even more central to the way we work, communicate and socialize in this unprecedented time, Washington state has shown tremendous leadership in enacting legislation protecting targets and victims of online hate and harassment, which can have serious and potentially fatal consequences. This significant anti-swatting law, signed by Gov. Jay Inslee today, holds accountable individuals who seek to weaponize law enforcement to attack others.
…
ADL, Religious Scholars Work with Oberammergau to Remove Anti-Semitism from its renowned Passion Play
Article
by: Rabbi David Sandmel January 21, 2020 Update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oberammergau Passion Play has been postponed until 2022.
In 1634, the residents of the picturesque village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps made a vow to perform a passion play every ten years as a sign of their gratitude to God for having been spared from a deadly plague. Today the Oberammergau Passion Play is performed every ten years, in years ending in zero, and will also be performed in 2034 …
ADL Letter to House Subcommittees Regarding the Trump Administration's Muslim Travel Ban
Letter
September 24, 2019 In a letter to the House Judiciary Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee and the Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, ADL provided views on the discriminatory Muslim ban and expressed support for the NO BAN Act. September 24, 2019
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren
Chairman
Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Ken Buck
Ranking Member
Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship
…
Important Books to Explore Bullying and Ally Behavior
Tools and Strategies
While bullying is still a problem in schools, the intersection of bias and bullying can be particularly harmful. Identity-based bullying is when a person is targeted based on an essential part of their identity (e.g., race, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, or gender identity). It is common in schools and not only impacts the targeted person but everyone else around them that shares their identity. Identity-based bullying can leave all students feeling unsafe and fearful that…
President Trump Tells Four Democratic Congresswomen to “Go Back” to Where They Came From
Article
July 19, 2019 Edition: July 18, 2019
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
President Trump directs “blatantly racist” tweets at four Democratic Congresswomen of color, telling them to “go back” to where they came from. Argentina marks the solemn 25th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 and wounded 300. White supremacists in Massachusetts have launched a coordinated fliering campaign, targeting area synagogues with propaganda…
It's Time for Congress to Restore the Voting Rights Act
Article
June 25, 2019 UPDATE: On June 26th, ADL submitted this statement urging passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act as part of House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties hearings entitled “Continuing Challenges to the Voting Rights Act Since Shelby County v. Holder.
This week marks six years since the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in Shelby County v. Holder gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the nation…
Increase your awareness of religious obligations and ethnic and cultural festivities that may affect students, colleagues and neighbors in your community.
Building a "Third Narrative" with Black and Jewish Religious Leaders in Israel
Article
January 07, 2019 By Rabbi David Fox Sandmel | ADL Director of Interreligious Engagement
I have traveled to Israel and the Palestinian territories a number of times with interfaith groups, including Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals and Muslims, among them some African-Americans. A recent trip that brought together rabbis and African-American pastors from around the country, however, was different because the African-American experience and Black-Jewish relations framed the entire…
December 21, 2018 64% of American households have a member that plays video games for three or more hours per week. And these gamers are not just kids. In 2017, the average age of a gamer was 31, and there were more gamers over 36 than between 18 – 35 or under 18. At ADL’s Center for Technology and Society (CTS) we know that video games can be a meaningful force for good in society. We think games can be incredible tools in helping to challenge bias and create respectful and…
The Fight Against Rising Hatred and Bigotry Must Begin with Teachers and Students
News
by: Jonathan Greenblatt | August 28, 2018 USA Today Last summer, as most teachers were still preparing their classrooms for students, the largest and most violent gathering of white supremacists in decades took place. Teachers were left wondering how they should discuss this horrific event with students and how students would react. For those teaching early grade students, many questioned whether they should have the conversation at all, and, if so, what kind of information was …
Remarks by ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to the 109th NAACP Annual Convention
News
Remarks, as delivered, to the NAACP Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas July 16, 2018 Remarks as delivered
Thank you, Gary, and good morning, NAACP! It is so great for me to be here with you today.
You know, two months ago, my friend – and your President and CEO – Derrick Johnson, addressed the Anti-Defamation League at our National Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. in a room a lot like this. And in a speech no one on our side will soon forget,…
What Bullying Is and Is Not (In English and en Español)
Tools and Strategies
Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current EventsBullying is a phrase we hear regularly and often: in the media, on TV shows and movies, in schools and in conversations among both adults and children. Parents, students and schools are rightfully worried about bullying. It is a problem and cause for concern but may not be as widespread as many think because the term “bullying” is often used as an umbrella to describe all kinds of mean behavior—from a rude comment to a…
Making the Holocaust Relevant through Visual History Testimony
Webinar
Building Respectful School Climates: Empowering Students to Combat Bullying For Educators Examine how the medium of visual history testimony plays an important role in Holocaust education through an exploration of video clips from Echoes and Reflections and IWitness.
Deborah Batiste, ADL and Brandon Haas, USC Shoah Foundation