Use these activities to bring the history, culture and experience of the Jewish people and community to your classroom.
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Teach students about what gossip and rumors are and the impact they have on others, especially those identity groups which may be more vulnerable to and marginalized by rumors and gossip.
Teach students about the difference between intent and impact and why it matters.
Teach students about Bellen Woodard, how she became a "crayon activist," and how they can change something they think is unjust.
Teach high school students about Indian boarding schools and their impact on the lives of Indigenous children, assimilation and loss of human lives.
Use these activities to bring the history, culture and experience of the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) people and community to your classroom.
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language
SEL STANDARDS*: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision Making Using Video and Film in the Classroom
Short evocative videos and films can be a great way to engage young people in conversations about identity, diversity, bias and social justice. This lesson plan includes compelling and powerful, short films…
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language
SEL STANDARDS*: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making What does the FINA ban of the soul cap in the Olympics say about inclusivity and representation, especially in competitive swimming?
The “Soul Cap,” invented in England by two friends, Michael Chapman and Toks Ahmed-Salawudeen, provides Black swimmers with a…
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…
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language
SEL STANDARDS*: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision-Making Baseball and Segregation
In December 2020, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that they will correct a longtime injustice in the game’s history by officially elevating the Negro Leagues (of 1920-1948) to “Major League” status. For historical context, in the…
Civics Lessons
GRADE LEVEL: High School What are Anti-immigrant Bias (Xenophobia), Nativism and Nationalism?
What are Historical and Current Immigration Policies?
How Do Anti-immigrant Sentiments Impact Immigration Policy?
Immigration is a recurring topic in the current events cycle, and has been throughout this nation’s history. While immigration has been a central feature of America’s growth, it has also been a divisive topic, with differing views…
Covid Pandemic
Covid-19, an infectious disease that was first identified in Wuhan, China, quickly began spreading worldwide early in 2020. In March 2020, it was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Across the globe, researchers worked tirelessly to develop vaccines that would provide immunity against the disease.
Development and Dissemination of a Vaccine for Covid-19
In December 2020, several countries including the U.S. approved the Pfizer vaccine for…
Civics Lesson
GRADE LEVEL: High School What are Ways to Enter the United States with Documentation?
What are the Experiences of those with Green Cards?
Against the backdrop of the recent refugee crisis and the overall increase in immigration, people have asked how one enters the United States with documentation. One way is to apply for a Green Card which leads to formal naturalization and citizenship in the United States if the application is approved. Gaining Green…
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language
SEL STANDARDS*: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris
On November 7, 2020, it was announced that Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris won the 2020 Presidential election. Biden won with the most votes ever cast for a U.S. Presidential…
Recommendations on Slavery Reparations
In September 2020, California passed a bill to establish a task force to study and make recommendations on slavery reparations. The bill (AB 3121) is the first of its kind in any state. While California is the first state to pass such legislation, the issue of reparations has a long history in the United States. Since 1989, federal legislation has been introduced many times, including H.R. 40, the “Commission to Study and Develop Reparation…
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language Using Bitmoji to Build a Virtual Backdrop
As soon as teachers received the news that many schools would start the 2020-21 school year in virtual spaces, educators across the country began creating “bitmoji classrooms” to share with their students. These virtual classrooms, created on a Google or PowerPoint slide, enable teachers and others to design and…
GRADE LEVEL: High School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Language The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution granted women the right to vote and was ratified on August 18, 1920.
Women's Suffrage Movement: Seeking the Right to Vote
Suffrage is the right or privilege of voting. In 1848, hundreds of mostly women and some men attended the first woman's rights convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y. to “discuss the social, civic and religious condition…
Racism: A Unique Point of View from a Young Black Actor
In June 2020, Lonnie Chavis, the twelve-year old actor who stars in This Is Us, wrote and published an essay called “America Needs to Change” about his experiences with racism. He wrote the essay in the wake of an ongoing public conversation and reckoning about the ongoing issue of police violence against Black people and systemic racism. Chavis has a unique point of view as a Black actor and as a young person who speaks…
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language Masks Have Been Used for Protection and Expressing One's Identity
In April 2020, wearing masks became an important part of our attire and everyday lives due to the global pandemic. The CDC strongly recommends wearing a cloth face covering or face mask to slow the spread of COVID-19. Masks can be used to express one’s cultural or ethnic identity…
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Speaking and Listening, Language Seeing a Positive Reflection of Yourself in Media
O’Plérou Grebet, a 22-year-old digital artist from the Ivory Coast, was recently in the news because he created his own emojis, reflecting life in contemporary West Africa. In an interview with CNN, he stated, "I noticed that media and most articles about Africa were talking about the bad sides of the continent only. They reduced the…