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Teaching Young Children About Bias and Diversity

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Teaching Young Children About Bias and Diversity

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This article gives teachers of students in early elementary ideas on how to tackle issues such as race, diversity, fairness, and equality using different types of media and socio-emotional development lessons.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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This article discusses racial and gender bias found in the classroom and how to eliminate these. I was most impressed with the inclusion of a section about gender bias against male students because I feel like the focus is often on biases against females. This article is good for a teacher of any grade as it mainly addresses how teachers can eliminate their own biases and prevent discriminating against students.

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Teacher Bias: The Elephant in the Classroom – Marco Learning

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The principle is the same—whether it’s gender or race, student preference or handwriting, any factor that causes a teacher to have higher…

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Resources for Teaching about Race and Racism

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Resources for Teaching about Race and Racism

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This article is great for teachers pre-k through grade 12. Included are links to articles and lesson plans that are appropriate for teaching students of every age about inclusion and diversity.

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It's important for adults to engage children in conversations about race, the history and perpetuation of racism in our society, and efforts to make our world more equal and equitable. To help educators and parents do this, we've gathered a list of topics with some of our favorite resources from PBS KIDS and PBS LearningMedia.

Resources for Adults Working with Young Children
13 Children's Books About Race and Diversity Grades: PreK-5
Children's books are one of the most effective tools to engage with young children on important issues. To encourage conversations about race and diversity with your children, check out this list of books to read together as a family.
How to Teach Children About Cultural Awareness and Diversity Grades: PreK-3
By helping your child understand and respect similarities and differences you will also help your child to understand who he is in the context of your race, ethnic group, culture, religion, language and familial history. In so doing, you will provide your child with personally meaningful information and also introduce concepts from anthropology, history, religion, geography, etc.

Use these tips to spark your children's curiosity about who they (and others) are in their world.
Learning to Appreciate Diversity Through Play Grades: PreK-1
Children will explore similarities and differences between themselves and others.
Talking to Kids: Families Come In All Shapes and Sizes Grades: PreK-3
It's normal for young kids to be curious about families. Usually, they don't need much explanation - rather, just the positive acknowledgment that families come in all different shapes and sizes.
Celebrating Family Diversity Grades: PreK-3
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Use this activity with a group of children (like an organized playgroup) to celebrate differences.

Bias
Confronting Bias: Ethics in the Classroom Grades: 9-12
The resources in this collection provide teachers with tools to incorporate ethics education in the classroom, promote understanding of differing viewpoints, and foster civil dialogue about bias.
Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle | Lesson Plan: Objectivity and Bias in Journalism Grades: 9-12
Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle, is an investigative look at the life and mysterious death of pioneering journalist Ruben Salazar. In this lesson, students will examine the principles of journalistic objectivity and advocacy journalism through the life and legacy of Ruben Salazar and investigate the complex factors that contribute to bias in reporting.
Who, Me? Biased?: Understanding Implicit Bias Grades: 6-12
In this interactive lesson, students explore the extent to which society (and they themselves) may discriminate based on factors they're not even aware of, implicit biases.
The Lowdown | How Good Are You at Detecting Bias? Lesson Plan Grades: 6-12
Cognitive bias affects us all. Even though we can fact-check information using phones and computers, we still fall for fake news and cling to outdated opinions. Why? When our cognitive biases take control, our ability to make logical judgments is limited, and facts take a back seat to deeply held beliefs.
Confronting Bias and Hate: Lesson Plan | And Then They Came for Us Grades: 6-12
During World War II, the United States government disseminated anti-Japanese propaganda designed to present persons of Japanese ancestry as comic buffoons, silent servants of Japan's Emperor, vicious villains, or subhuman. This lesson gives students the opportunity to analyze anti-Japanese propaganda posters through the framework of the Pyramid of Hate (Anti-Defamation League, 2008).
Stereotypes Grades: 9-12
This activity sheds light on stereotyping in students' lives...they will be asked to see if they notice anything that might be considered stereotyping in the video, but Native American stereotypes are not emphasized.

Black History and Notable Individuals
Georgia's Black History Grades 6-12
The history of African Americans in Georgia dates back to the earliest days of slavery in the colony. From the Antebellum era to the end of the Civil War slaves toiled on farms and plantations across Georgia. After freedom from slavery, African Americans waited nearly one hundred years for the promises of the 14th and 15th amendments to be kept. Along their journey, their cultural and economic successes and challenges became a part of their history.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Grades: 9-12
Explore educational materials from the series Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise. Embark with professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on a deeply personal journey through the last fifty years of African American history. Travel from the victories of the Civil Rights movement up to today, asking profound questions about the state of black America-and our nation as a whole.
Coded Geographies: The Green Book | Lost L.A. Grade: 11
The Negro Travelers' Green Book exposes Los Angeles as a place of coded segregation and resistance. Explore the challenges African Americans faced in the Jim Crow era and how they adapted to resist that adversity.
Lorraine Hansberry | A Raisin in the Sun: Jim Crow, Home Ownership, and the American Dream Grades: 6-12
Learn how Jim Crow laws impacted home ownership and the pursuit of the American Dream in this series of videos from the American Masters film, Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart.
Atlanta's East Lake Meadows: Redlining Grades: 9-12
During the Great Depression, many lost their homes through foreclosure and couldn't afford to pay rent, ushering in a national housing crisis. To combat this catastrophe, the Roosevelt administration created programs, including federally-funded public housing through the New Deal. These programs primarily benefited white families, with limited, few offerings in segregated areas for black families.
Stereotyping and the Narrative of the Welfare Queen Grades: 9-12
In the 1970s, America was introduced to Linda Taylor, a successful scam-artist who would eventually become known as the Welfare Queen. Taylor utilized 33 different aliases, 30 different addresses in various scenarios to defraud government welfare programs. She became a favorite example of welfare abuse at the expense of working Americans in the Ronald Reagan presidential campaign of 1976.

Although Linda Taylor was a real person, the myth of the welfare queen has been largely perpetrated by anti-welfare coalitions for years and caused prejudice against the poor that persists to this day with the media playing a big role in creating this narrative about public housing and welfare.
The Lowdown | What You Need to Know about Gentrification Grades: 6-12
Gentrification is a term used to describe the economic and cultural transition that often occurs when wealthier residents start to move into predominantly lower-income, urban neighborhoods. The shift typically pumps economic investment into the neighborhood, increasing its desirability and prompting rapid increases in rents and property values. While this boost in resources can result in improved safety and services, among a host of other positive changes, it also invariably alters the character and culture of an established community.
Sojourner Truth | Abolitionist and Women's Rights Activist Grades: 3-7
An abolitionist and feminist during the nineteenth century, Sojourner Truth demanded not less discrimination, but no discrimination. Truth escaped enslavement and, despite being unable to read or write, rose to be a leader in the fight for equality and fair treatment for both women and African Americans. Through two primary source activities and a short biographical video, students will understand the remarkable career of this persevering woman who lived up to her self-chosen name.
Grades: 3-7
Jackie Robinson was a sports hero who became a civil rights activist. When Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he became the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. Demonstrating skill as a professional baseball player and consistent dignity both on and off the field, Robinson became an advocate for civil rights, as well as a role model. Through two primary source activities and a short video, understand how Robinson rose to prominence, and explore the importance of courage in his life.
John Lewis Grades: 5-12
Raised on a cotton field in rural Alabama, Rep. John Lewis served on the frontline of the Civil Rights Movement to end systematic racial segregation. From speaking at the March on Washington to enduring severe beatings as he participated in the Freedom Rides, John Lewis now continues the fight for equality as a U.S. Congressman.
George Washington Carver | Scientist, Inventor, and Teacher Grades: 3-7
George Washington Carver was a world-renowned American botanist who devoted his life's work to helping farmers successfully grow their crops. A lover a nature, with a keen intellect and desire to help people better their lives, Carver used his knowledge to make American farms flourish, which helped the nation as a whole. By doing two primary source activities and watching a short video, students will explore the life of science and innovation led by George Washington Carver.

Protests
Grades: 9-12
This lesson uses video from Women, War & Peace: "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," to help students learn about nonviolent resistance movements that have taken place around the world.
Grades: 5-10
In response to the South's continued practice of segregation, a group of activists from all backgrounds and races rode interstate buses into the deep South. Met by violence and opposition, the Freedom Riders displayed true acts of courage as they peacefully sought to end segregation in the South and achieve civil rights for all people.
Youth Explain Why They March Grades: 7-12
Hear from young activists why they peacefully protest with this video and educational materials from PBS NewsHour.
Grades: 9-12
In this lesson, students conduct a Socratic seminar in preparation for creating a plan of action to submit to local bodies of government with suggestions for improving relations between police departments and the people in the communities that they protect and addressing other disparities in our country's criminal justice system.
Art for Change Collection Grades: 6-12
Use the following videos to learn about how artists are making a difference in their communities. Whether making murals to inform communities about the importance of a clean planet, or learning how to make your own political art, this collection can be used in your classroom to help your students learn how to use art for change.

Race
Racial Equality: How Far Have We Come and How Far do We Still Need to Go? Grades: 7-12
Martin Luther King dreamed of an America where people could "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Use this lesson plan to start a discussion in your classroom about where we are on the path to realizing this dream.
Grades: 9-12
Learn about the relatively recent invention of "race" and judge how well the concept applies to people today in this video from Finding Your Roots. Geneticist David Altshuler describes how people in the 19th Century developed a concept of race that had more to do with the social interactions and hierarchies of that time period than with biological differences. But even while the concept of race was forming, human relationships showed that race was less rigid than it was believed to be.
Grades: 9-12
We all know that people look different. Anyone can tell a Czech from a Chinese. But are these differences racial? What does race mean? Find the answers to these and other questions by exploring different interactivities within this site.
America After Ferguson: America and Race Grades: 9-12
Following the shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, a panel discusses the complexities around race in this country, in this video from America After Ferguson.
Race & Jazz in New Orleans Grades: 9-12
This lesson uses video excerpts from the PBS series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to explore the history of racial diversity and intermingling in New Orleans, and how it gave rise to the uniquely American art form of jazz.

Civil Rights
Civil Rights: Then and Now Grades: 3-12
While students today may think of the Civil Rights Movement as part of the distant past, it's clear that many of the problems that fueled that fight are still with us. This collection of videos, documents, and primary sources lends context to the events and leaders that defined the Civil Rights Movement's first three decades (1954-1985).
Civil Rights Movement Virtual Learning Journey Grades: 5-10
Brimming with comprehensive, cross-curricular content, including 14 videos, primary source images and documents, compelling photo galleries, interactive maps, artwork, music, and more, this virtual collection invites students into an engaging exploration of some of the most significant events of the Civil Rights Movement.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Grades: 9-12
These resources from the award-winning PBS series The Supreme Court chart the Court's unique evolution through archival footage, graphic techniques, and interviews with legal historians and experts. Together, they help unfold complex legal concepts and key Constitutional issues.
The Unfinished Business of the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement Grades: 6-12
The March on Washington is one of the most famous events of the Civil Rights Movement. Almost all of us have seen clips of Martin Luther King, Jr's famous "I Have a Dream"speech. But the demonstration, formally called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also had economic goals. This lesson explores those specific goals and asks students to analyze what's changed since King's momentous address more than 50 years ago.
The Economic Impact of Racial Discrimination Grades: 5-10
The Civil Rights Movement was about more than justice and equality for African Americans, it also was about economic opportunity. This story looks at the economic impact of the movement on local Georgians. Felder Daniels owns and works a 101 acre farm near Americus. The farm was passed to him from his sharecropper parents who saved enough money for its purchase. Tena Butler attended segregated schools in Savannah. She knew everything was different for African Americans, but it was accepted as the norm.
The Civil Rights Landscape Today for People of Color Grades: 9-12
Discover ways in which systemic inequality persists today in the lives of people of color, women, and those living in both urban and rural areas, in this video from Eyes on the Prize: Then and Now.

Current News and Events
Policing the Police: Perspectives on Police Encounters Grades: 9-12
Can police keep the community safe while still upholding citizens' constitutional rights? In these videos from FRONTLINE: Policing the Police, journalist Jelani Cobb explores this crucial question with several Newark, New Jersey, police officers. Their conversation reveals the issues that law enforcement and people of color encounter, including police use of weapons during routine questioning, racial bias, police accountability, and the need for police to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
How the Deck Is Stacked: The Recovery's Racial Divide Grades: 9-12
Find out why, as of 2016, the wealth gap between black and white households in the United States is the largest it has been in three decades, even as the economy is recovering, in this video from FRONTLINE's "How the Deck Is Stacked," produced in collaboration with Marketplace and PBS NewsHour.
The Return of School Segregation in Eight Charts Grades: 6-12
Changing demographics and controversial court rulings have prompted a return to levels of school integration last seen during the Johnson administration, as represented in this series of eight charts from the FRONTLINE: Separate and Unequal website. The charts convey the impacts of the declining role of the courts in enforcing integration plans. Among other findings, the charts show that gains achieved by black students in the South are significantly declining, that segregation tends to rise without court oversight, that segregation is as much about poverty as it is about race, and that attending an integrated school can lead to a healthier financial future.
Exploring Racial Barriers at NASA Grades: 6-12
Decades after the enrollment of NASA's first black astronauts, people of color are still a minority in aerospace. Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr., the first African American to perform a spacewalk, discusses challenging stereotypes with a young woman who dreams of planning a mission to Mars. This video is part of the series Moonwalk. The project brings people together for engaging conversations about the Apollo missions and their journeys in space exploration.
Affirmative Action: Should Race Be a Factor in College Admissions? Grades: 6-12
Affirmative action is back in the news, and with it comes the age-old debate over whether or not universities should consider an applicant's race when deciding who gets in. When it comes to higher education, affirmative action was originally intended as a way to level the playing field for women and minority students who have historically been discriminated against at these institutions. But now, many opponents say those discrimination days are over and affirmative action is actually itself a form of discrimination.
Death of George Floyd Sets off Massive Protests Grades: 6-12
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died while in police custody following arrest. The incident, captured on video, raises questions about the conduct of the specific police officers involved, as well as the department's broader relationship with citizens of color.
For more resources and ideas on how to engage kids in conversations about race and racism, follow GPB Education on Twitter and Facebook.

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Classroom Resources For Addressing Race And Racism

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It's important for adults to engage children in conversations about race, the history and perpetuation of racism in our society, and efforts to make our world more equal and equitable. To help educators and parents do this, we've gathered a list of topics with some of our favorite resources from PBS KIDS and PBS LearningMedia.

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This link has many resources, lesson plans for groups of all ages, and links to information about movements across the U.S. My favorite thing about this site is that it gives current connections and addresses issues as they are in today's society. This is important to children as they watch matters unfold daily on the news. While there are lesson plans for every age, I would us the resources from this site more for middle school or high school teaching.

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Teaching about Race and Racism: Lesson Plans and Resources

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5 Collection of 2020 Use these free prek-12 race and racism lesson plans and resources to educate students on challenging racism, police violence, implicit biases and more.

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This article focuses on gender bias against females and what teachers and parents can do to combat this. It is a good article for teachers of any grade level but specifically addresses elements popular with girls in elementary school such as fairy tales and Disney princesses.

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This is my favorite article about gender bias. It is appropriate for teachers of all ages and is very straightforward in detailing how to recognize you own gender biases and who you can take steps to aviod the problem.

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Combating Discrimination Based on Sexuality

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Combating Discrimination Based on Sexuality

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This article discusses the experiences of LGBTQ+ students in the classroom and talks about the things teachers and schools can do to become better at educating students about different sexualities and be better allies. This article is good for teachers of all ages but especially middle and high school teachers who are seeing students begin to have more of a mature or sexual identity.

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I love this website! There are multiple easy to use lesson plans for elementary students that focus on preventing bullying and understanding/supporting transgender and non-binary students. The lesson plans also focus on love, inclusivity, and non traditional families.

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Welcoming Schools teacher-friendly lesson plans are designed to help educators create classrooms and schools that are affirming of all students and their families. A key focus of Welcoming Schools is to provide comprehensive resources for educators to teach about LGBTQ+ people and topics to foster equity and belonging in schools.

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Lesson Plans for LGBTQ+ Inclusive Elementary Schools

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Welcoming Schools teacher-friendly lesson plans are designed to help educators create classrooms and schools that are affirming of all students and their families. A key focus of Welcoming Schools is to provide comprehensive resources for educators to teach about LGBTQ+ people and topics to foster equity and belonging in schools.

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This article is great for teachers of any age. It discusses recent hate crimes based on religion and addresses how to push back against cultural stereotypes.

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Hate-spurred tragedies like the recent Pittsburgh synagogue massacre make religion-related aggression in the U.S. difficult to deny. However, the increase in the subtler harassment children face at school based on the religion their families practice can more easily slip below the radar.

Anti-Semitic incidents in schools jumped a staggering 94 percent in 2017 - with 457 incidents reported by the Anti-Defamation League - making K-12 schools the place where the most such incidents occurred last year.

Scott Levin, a regional director of the Anti-Defamation League shared in a recent Chalkbeat article that he considers such anti-Semitism in schools a bellwether for other hate incidents, such as those involving Muslim students, students perceived to be immigrants, or students of color.

Pushing back on culturally biased thinking

Teachers addressing current events spurred by hate like the recent Pittsburgh synagogue massacre as part of their lessons are featured in the article.

New York City social studies teacher Andy del Calvo shares that opening discussion on topics related to these events in his classroom, which roughly reflects the city's diversity, provides students an opportunity "to navigate the issues in a way that is deeply important for our democracy - especially today."

The authors note that it's tricky for teachers to examine these events in the classroom without being accused of pushing a political agenda. Still, the school system has an important role in confronting the thought patterns behind hate-fueled incidents including the bias incidents common to schools, which usually occur as verbal insults or graffiti but unchecked can escalate to hate crime as shown in the ADL's pyramid of hate.

"First of all, we just can't wait until an incident happens, and schools now need to practice building cultures of respect," said Maureen Costello in the article. Costello is director of Teaching Tolerance, a Southern Poverty Law Center project that offers anti-bias education resources.

For many districts there's room for improvement when it comes to offering a curriculum that explores diverse cultures in a non-biased fashion and preparing teachers to work with the challenging issues likely to emerge. Even more neglected in K-12 education are classes that teach about religions.

"It's pretty difficult to see how you can understand anything about contemporary human affairs without understanding their religious dimensions," said Diane Moore, founder and director of Harvard Divinity School's Religious Literacy Project in an article by Kelsey Dallas on teachers calling for increased religious literacy in education.

In the article, Jodi Ide, who teaches world religions at Brighton High School, says, "It is so important for students to learn about religion and be taught the basic foundations of major religions. Education has the power to eliminate stereotypes, bias and prejudice."

Even in higher education, religion is often missing notes, Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, a nonprofit group that works with colleges on issues of religious diversity.

"In an era when colleges are expanding their engagement of diversity issues, and at a time when religion plays a central role in public life and global affairs, religion continues to be the dimension of diversity that many institutions leave out," he writes.

Controversy in terms of separation church and state

A key reason school systems at all levels traditionally shy away from including religious studies is to avoid problems associated with the misinterpretation of constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools.

A Pew Research Center survey showed that while 89 percent of adults in the U.S. understood that it's illegal for a public school teacher to lead students in prayer, only 36 percent knew that offering comparative religions studies in public schools is legal. A meager 23 percent were aware that studying the bible for its literary and historic qualities as part of a secular curriculum is also permitted by law.

"Any time we enrich the curriculum with religious studies, there's a potential for controversy," said Charles Haynes, vice president of the Newseum Institute and its Religious Freedom Center. The institute offers lesson plans and other resources for teachers.

Simply scanning the comments following articles on religion, including those cited here, demonstrates the extreme intolerance some readers possess.

Navigating religious discourse prepares students for real-world affairs

"Teachers can't be expected to provide an exhaustive overview of the world's religions in the context of a history or social studies curriculum, but they can train students to reflect on breaking news through a religious lens," notes Moore in the article by Dallas.

Martha Ball, a retired middle school teacher with extensive experience teaching about religion shares in the article that students who learn how to approach potentially controversial, religion-related topics with patience and respect are better prepared for the real world.

Next, we'll look at comparative religion courses that are flourishing at high schools in the United States.

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MultiBrief: Confronting religious bias with education

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Hate-spurred tragedies like the recent Pittsburgh synagogue massacre make religion-related aggression in the U.S. difficult to deny. However, the increase in the subtler harassment children face at school based on the religion their families practice can more easily slip below the radar.

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This article clearly defines the legalities of teaching religion in public schools, the importance of educating students about multiple religions, and some specific religious things that can be addressed in the classroom such as beliefs and holidays. It is good for a teacher of any age group as it addresses elementary, middle school, and high school students.

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This article is good for teachers of all grade levels. It addresses how teachers can create a welcoming classroom for all students and provide proper supports to struggling students.

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Examples

An instructor includes classroom policies in the syllabus that underscore respect, attentive listening, civil dialogue, honesty, and patience, regardless of background or appearance. The instructor addresses these policies on the first day, emphasizing that human worth informs intellectual exploration in class.

A mathematics instructor actively includes a diversity statement in her syllabus which acknowledges the various SES of students in class and reaffirms the value of diverse experiences for the learning environment.

A philosophy instructor provides pop-cultural examples and various revisions and representations to clarify sections of a dense philosophy text.

Rather than hold voluntary office-hour meetings which low SES students often avoid, a biology instructor requires one-on-one meetings with each student to discuss learning progress and personalized strategies for improvement.

Rather than assume students know how to succeed in the course, an art history instructor establishes clear class-participation norms, states explicit assessment expectations, and provides recommended resources/steps to improve performance.

Rather than ignore SES, a psychology instructor reminds students to measure, report and control for SES in research activities related to academic achievement.

A sociology instructor encourages students to contribute to the body of research on the educational and societal barriers experienced by students from various SES communities and the impact of these barriers on academic achievement and psychological well-being.

An English instructor allows for multiple paper rewrites and resubmissions so that students can focus on developing their writing skills.

Recommendations

Establish an Open Door Policy - Instructors can explicitly state, in class policies and in class, their willingness to support student learning outside of class. Instructors may structure out-of-class and in-class time to work with students, offer open office hours, or require students to meet at least once in office hours to make individual connections and affirm their commitment to each student's growth.

Variegate Representation - For many disciplines that involve the study, thought, or expression of human beings (history, English, philosophy, anthropology), traditional or canonical bodies of text and practice can remain culturally or economically homogenous while continuing to hold sway in the discipline. Instructors can integrate diverse cultures and peoples into curriculum content, ensuring that a variety of perspectives and representations are available in readings, case studies, and class examples. This approach can help all students recognize and imagine themselves within course content.

Variegate Difficulty - Instructors can consider offering popular, simplified, and varied language to explain important concepts. While learning styles have been proven to be a popular myth, offering several approaches to difficult content can improve student comprehension while meeting various levels of SES and academic preparedness.

Clarify Grading Expectations - Instructors can make expectations for performance, grading, and assessment clear in the syllabus, on the first day of class, and throughout term, by covering the syllabus and classroom policies, providing a rubric, and mixing formative and summative assessments. Doing so can obviate usual student complaints, while illuminating academic procedure for less familiar students.

Clarify Classroom Expectations - In addition to covering syllabus and classroom policies (see first bullet point), instructors can emphasize respect and the value of all earnest student opinion and commentary by moderating effective class discussion. Effective expectations and moderation protect all variety of student comments, from the "simple" to the "overly complicated," while helping all students improve their reasoning and articulation. A set of modules from Harvard's Instructional Moves provides techniques for responding to student comments.

Promote Collaborative Work - Instructors can activate diverse perspectives and experiences in class by staging collaborative projects and activities that get students engaging with each other. Group work, case studies, and team-based learning all provide opportunities for students to learn from each other via the zone of proximal development, to practice communication, and to consider other perspectives from their own.

Protect Emotion - Instructors can consider how to incorporate students' personal responses into course discussions. This tactic enables student honesty, reveals valuable insight, and enriches academic discussion with personal experience. Reading logs, reflective essays, careful moderation, and turn-based presentation can invite and protect individual student responses to class discussion.

Additional Resources

Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. (2012). Effective teaching and support of students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Practical advice for teaching staff.

Devlin M and O'Shea H. (2011). Teaching students from low socioeconomic backgrounds: A brief guide for University teaching staff. Higher Education Research Group (HERG) Deakin University.

References

American Psychological Association. Education and Socioeconomic Status.

Spencer B. and Castano E. (2007). Social Class is Dead. Long Live Social Class! Stereotype Threat among Low Socioeconomic Status Individuals. Social Justice Research 20(4): 418-432.

Stephens N., Hamedani M., and Destin M. (2014). Closing the Social-Class Achievement Gap: A Difference-Education Intervention Improves First-Generation Students' Academic Performance and All Students' College Transition. Psychological Science.

Yee A. (2016). The Unwritten Rules Of Engagement: Social Class Differences in Undergraduates' Academic Strategies. The Journal of Higher Education 87(6): 831-858.

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Examples An instructor includes classroom policies in the syllabus that underscore respect, attentive listening, civil dialogue, honesty, and patience, regardless of background or appearance. The instructor addresses these policies on the first day, emphasizing that human worth informs intellectual exploration in class.

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This article addresses the educational and psychological disadvantages of students who are economically disadvantaged and gives information about how you can get involved. This article is good for teachers of all ages as it is addressing any student who has this struggle.

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This website gives links to important information regarding those with disabilities of many kinds as well as links to lesson plans that teach inclusion and awareness. The information is good for children of all ages but the lesson plans are specifically for elementary school students.

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Activities to Teach About Disabilities

What better day than today to publish this post! Today is the first day of Developmental Disabilities Awareness month.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963

We're not quite there yet, are we? As far as teaching non-disabled children about their disabled peers?

According to the US Department of Education, 15-20% of our school children have IEPs. Why are we not teaching kids about disabilities on a regular basis? We owe it to our kids, both the non-disabled and disabled ones.

They have to learn how to interact, how to live and work together. This is their future.

Get the list: 25 Amazing Inclusion Books for Kids

Disability Awareness Month Activities

March and April are here. Disabilities Awareness Month and Autism Awareness Month. Both are great months and great conversation starters to start to share with the rest of the world how great our kids are.

Teaching kids about disabilities isn't that hard. It is important that we engage the actual disabled people in explaining disabilities to students. They should be the ones to determine the message conveyed.

Disability Awareness in Schools

I am proud to say that I approached my non-disabled child's preschool and asked her to include this in the upcoming months. Teaching preschoolers about disabilities is an opportunity not to be missed. Create understanding now when kids are young to avoid bullying and fear later. We met, we chatted online, and they are doing it!

His school does a bunch of MLK Day activities, and about people who are different from you. And, in February they do a whole thing on love and friendships and it will be discussed then. She (the preschool director) then shared with me a book she found in their library that they are going to use, and the whole thing inspired this post. {note, this post is frequently updated, he's not in preschool anymore!}

So here you go, not only do you approach your school or church or scout troop and say "I'd like to encourage you to teach kids about kids with disabilities, and I will help if you'd like" but now you have some resources to send to them as well.

Note, this is about teaching inclusion and teaching acceptance, and tolerance. This is not a teaching strategy for an inclusive classroom. This is to answer questions that kids may have about other kids who are different.

Understanding is the first step and it's OK for kids to be curious.
Amazon.com Widgets
So here you go, I combed the web and found many printables and downloads, and websites for you to use. I did not create any of these, merely sharing them.

Teaching Kids about Disabilities

When readers find this post, I am often asked about disability awareness activities for adults. Definitely needed! I hear you. But I was unable to find any disability awareness activities for adults, so you may want to adapt these to an older audience. I know it is very needed in the workplace.

1. Disability Awareness Packet (note: This packet is good, but it contains some outdated language and concepts. It contains the phrase "mental retardation" because that is the language used then. Adapt to modern philosophy as appropriate)

2. Learning About Disabilities- from Teaching Tolerance; different disability lesson plans for different age groups.

3. Disability Awareness Tips from the Huffington Post

4. Hasbro recently came out with some pretty cool stuff to teach empathy to kids

Teaching youth to share and accept each other's differences is part of building an inclusive culture that shields students with disabilities from bullying.
https://onlinegrad.baylor.edu/resources/teaching-children-disabilities-inclusion/

Disability Awareness Lesson Plans

Disability awareness in schools is starting to become more common, but there are limited resources out there. I am working with a few other moms and teachers to develop a disability awareness curriculum . When it is complete, I will definitely share.

Until then, here are some special needs lesson plans and activities that you can use and adapt for your classroom or setting.

This video is a bit dry, but it's all I could find. He has some good thoughts and ideas.

Even if your own child's teacher or troop leader won't do this, don't get discouraged. If you have non-disabled siblings in the home or nieces/nephews, the opportunity will present itself and you can use these tips then.

How to Teach Kids about Disabilities

As appropriate, let children be curious. Children are always learning, even if you are not consciously teaching them. So let's make sure they get the right information.

Focus on your (disabled) child's strengths. And what they like; find common ground with the other kids. Create understanding.

Allow them a safe place to ask questions. So they don't create fear-based hate later on. Allow open conversations in your own, invite them.

Disabilities Awareness Month Activities

Disability Awareness Activities are great to do in schools. However, real change begins at home.

Just yesterday, my family was at Longwood Gardens and I noticed several toddlers and preschoolers starting at Kevin. Teaching preschoolers about disabilities is important too!

Explaining disabilities to students at home can go a long way to improving a school's climate.

1. Move past awareness and into acceptance. I'm updating this post for 2015 and this one is going to the top! Let's move past awareness...is there anyone who is not aware that autism exists, or that there are children and adults living with either disease or disability? We don't just want you aware....we want to be accepted and included. And inclusion means contributing! Not just passively watching, participating.

2. Make an effort to change your vocabulary. It's not a matter of being overly PC. It's about being sensitive and respecting children. I'm not just talking about the R-word, though that is the next thing on the list. There are other phrases that also get said that are really cringe-worthy if you are a parent. Think about phrases like "they said she might only ever be a vegetable" or "they say she has the capacity of a 2-year-old" (and the child is 15). Now imagine what it would feel like if you were that person or parent! You know what, ask. Most special needs parents would rather open up the communication instead of having you guessing about what to say.

3. Take the pledge. Spread the Word to End the Word has an online pledge and other information to read and share. This is not an item up for discussion anymore. Plain and simple, it's not OK to say it. Don't try to justify it, just take it out of your vocabulary.

4. Offer to run an awareness program at a Sunday school class, scout troop, or other related groups. I did this with my son's preschool director. She actually helped me with some of the resources and they are going to do it as a unit at the preschool. How cool is that? Literally, hundreds of preschoolers in our community will be made aware of others' differences, which is just so awesome. You can make this happen in your community too.

5. Amazon.com Widgets Reach out to a special needs mom. This can be a very isolating life sometimes. I get tired of only talking about IEPs and medical appointments and would love to just talk about normal stuff or shop for an afternoon.

6. Make an effort to reach out to a neighborhood family or one you see at church and try to include them. Our kids don't often get invited to birthday parties and play dates. Our kids often lack the skills to make friends but would very much enjoy being around typical children even if the play doesn't look like normal play.

7. Add bullying and differences to your dinner table conversation. Bullying seems to be on everyone's radar these days so bring it to your dinner table conversation. Are your kids seeing other kids (who are different) being made fun of? Encourage them to reach out and be a friend, be a hero. Sometimes all it takes to end a pattern of bullying is for one strong person to stand up and say something. Encourage your child to be that person.

8. Support a charity and not necessarily just money! There are many ways you can support a cause. Of course, monetary donations are always welcome but it's not just money. You can sometimes collect bottle caps, Box Tops for Education, run a 5k or 10k that supports a charity, use a search engine (like GoodSearch) that supports a charity...even Amazon now has Amazon Smile which supports charities when you shop on Amazon.

9. Remember that everyone is better for this. There are many studies that show that children who are aware of the differences of others, who do participate in inclusive classrooms and extra-curricular activities, and who are the friend instead of the bully....they are better at life. Everyone, not just the child with disabilities but the typical child too, does better academically, and psychologically and scores better on overall happiness tests as compared to those who do not make the effort. Inclusion works, it really does!

10. Be You! Not everything you do is related to disabilities. Bust through those stereotypes and get out there, and show your community that your family is just like theirs most of the time. Being a positive role model and advocate is one of the most useful things you can do.

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25 Disability Awareness Activities for Kids of all Ages

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How to teach non-disabled children about their peers with disabilities: Awesome assortment Disability Awareness Activities and Lesson Plans for Kids.