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( May be a few more on this topic)

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Students will:

become familiar with a diversity of artists who have done self-portraits, representations of themselves.

analyze the different messages that can be conveyed through a self-portrait.

look closely at ourselves and consider the aspects of our identity we can show through a self-portrait.

In what ways is a self-portrait different from a portrait of someone else? What can a self-portrait show about someone or the person's sense of group identity?

How have self-portraits played a role in struggles for racial justice and visibility throughout history?

In what way is a self-portrait artist an activist/community leader?

This lesson is part of the series Art and Activism.

Overview

Just as portraits give us a window into how artists see their subjects and what messages they might be trying to send about a person or group of people, a self-portrait tells us a great deal about artists' self-concept, including how they see themselves in relation to society. Our self-image is important to our identities as activists! In this lesson, students will look at a few self-portraits of people of color and think about the role of art in struggles for racial justice. Then students will consider how they see themselves and what they might want to show about themselves or their various identity groups through a self-portrait.

Activities

1. Explain to students that just as a portrait is a picture of a person, self-portraits are pictures that artists do of themselves. Artists often use self-portraits to show how they feel about themselves in relation to society. Show students the following images of self-portraits (K-2, 3-5) by well-known artists, all of whom are also people of color. Ask students to think about which details in the portrait stand out to them and what ideas the artist might have been trying to get across in their work.

2. Ask students to work independently to make lists of things they would like to show about themselves through self-portraits. These might be individual characteristics, or they might be stereotype-fighting features with regard to a particular identity group they feel that they belong to. Give students the chance to share their lists with friends and talk about how they might use a self-portrait to show these messages or ideas.

Extension Activity

For the rest of the period, give each student paper, a small mirror (Note: Groups of students can also share a mirror if you do not have access to many of them), and colored pencils, paints or the art supplies of your choice. Allow them to work on self-portraits that show themselves, including aspects of themselves that are important for them to communicate. Give students time to share their work at the end of the period, even if it is a work in progress. Make sure to find time for students to complete these activist self-portraits, and display them in your classroom or school.

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Art and Racial Justice: What is in a Self-Portrait?

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In this lesson, students will look at a few self-portraits of people of color and think about the role of art in struggles for racial justice. Then students will consider what they might want to show about themselves or their various identity groups through a self-portrait.

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Vocabulary

curiosity [ kyoo r-ee- os-i-tee ] ( noun) the desire to learn about something

evidence [ ev-i- duh ns ] ( noun) something which shows that something else exists or is true

hypothesis [ hahy- poth- uh-sis ] ( noun) a possible explanation; an idea used to guide an investigation

identity [ ahy- den-ti-tee ] ( noun) the attributes that make a person an individual, such as gender, race or ethnicity, religion, role (for example, student or teacher), sexual orientation, nationality, ability

perseverance [ pur- suh- veer- uh ns ] ( noun) ability to stick with something

STEM [ stem ] ( noun) acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics

Procedure

Before Lesson Prep

Before teaching the lesson, prepare the floating wax discrepant event demonstration using the directions below. You may prefer to design your own demonstration if you're immersed in a science unit with a different focus.

1. Pour the rubbing alcohol into one of the jars. (It should be deep enough that the wax in step three will be completely submerged.)

2. Pour water into the second jar, filling it to the same height as the first jar.

3. Drop a chunk of wax into each jar.

4. Screw the lids on the jars and seal each with tape.

Teaching with discrepant events
Discrepant events are often used in inquiry-based science classrooms to introduce a new topic or to assess students' conceptions and misconceptions midway through a unit. As in the floating wax experiment above, there's a discrepancy or contradiction between what the observer expects (the two pieces of wax should behave in the same way) and what actually happens (one piece of wax floats and the other piece doesn't float). A discrepant event provides an opportunity for students to practice scientific thinking, ask questions about what's going on and suggest ways these questions might be answered.

Whether or not you follow through on students' investigative suggestions depends on the class time available, and this investigation can be deferred to another day. Note that if students suggest that the liquid in one jar might be different from the liquid in the other jar, you'll want to demonstrate safe ways to investigate. No tasting, touching or even directly smelling unknown substances! Opening the jars should be enough to prove that the liquids are not the same.

Explanation for the floating wax experiment
Here's the explanation for what students are seeing: Wax is less dense than water, which allows it to float, and wax is denser than rubbing alcohol, which makes it sink. There's no need to share this information with students! Density is a complex topic often not addressed until middle school or later-and students don't need to know the term density or the complete explanation for the experiment. If they're interested, they may want to explore what substances float in different liquids. (Water, oil and corn syrup have different densities.) See this article for more on density.

Introduction

Let students know that they're about to begin a series of lessons on STEM. Explain that STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Note that when you talk about people who work in these fields, you'll use the word scientists for short. Share the Essential Questions for the day, defining evidence and identities if needed.

Explain to students that they'll learn about what scientists do at work. Students may be surprised to know they have been doing similar work to scientists since they were little kids!

Explain that people who study the behavior of children think that kids may actually be better than adults at scientific thinking. Ask students to consider how this might be possible. Explain that they're about to watch a video of a 4-year-old boy to find out.

Video Viewing

1. Prepare students for watching a two-minute clip of a TED Talk given by Alison Gopnik. Explain that this video is part of a talk for adults who are watching together in a big auditorium. They will hear the adults laughing as they watch a video of a boy-and students will probably be able to figure out why. There is a researcher in the room with the boy, and she's asking him to solve a problem, "Why is one block lighting up and the other block is not?" No one else is in the room. The boy comes up with one hypothesis (an idea about what's happening) and then another and another.

2. Show students the video from 12:22-14:29.

3. After viewing, ask the following questions:

What problem was the boy trying to solve?

What did you notice about his approach to solving the problem?

What words would you use to describe him?

4. Explain that the recording they watched came from the laboratory of a scientist named Christine Legare. She repeated her experiment with many children. All the kids tried different things and explained what they were doing. Ask students if they think the boy found the only correct answer or if there were more ideas still to be tried. What makes them think so? Explain that this boy-and the other kids in the experiment-showed two very important characteristics of good scientists: They asked questions and they kept trying.

Discrepant Event

1. Tell students that you've prepared a scientific demonstration to share with them. Their mission is to review the evidence you'll present and come up with some hypotheses. Casually mention that the subject is pretty advanced, usually not studied until late in middle school. Remind students that as they make and listen to suggestions, you expect to see the behavior of scientists, particularly respect for others' ideas.

2. Display the jars you prepared before class. Say something like, "Before class, I dropped an object into each of these jars of liquid. Check them out. What do you observe? What do you think might be going on?"

3. Call on students for suggestions, making sure to solicit comments from a variety of students. List suggestions on the board, encouraging students to come up with as many ideas as possible. These might include ideas like maybe the objects are not made from the same material or maybe one object is heavier than the other. When all suggestions have been heard, ask:

Which of these ideas would you like to test first?

How would you go about it?

Where could you go for more information about this subject?

What keywords would you use for a computer search?

See tips for following through on students' investigative suggestions in the "Before Lesson Prep" section.
Debrief

Congratulate the students on their curiosity and perseverance. (Define curiosity and perseverance if needed.)

Write the following questions on the board and have students pair up to discuss:

Were everybody's ideas treated with equal respect? If not, whose ideas were considered most valuable? Why? What effect did that have on other students?

Do you agree with the idea that "scientist" could be part of your identity? Why or why not?

Reconvene the class and have them share their ideas with the larger group.

What, if anything, about trying to solve this puzzle was fun? What, if anything, was frustrating?

Do you agree with the idea that everyone has "scientist" as part of their identity? Why or why not?

Did it seem like everybody's ideas were treated with the same respect? What happens if/when some people are left out of the discussion? What can you do as a class to make sure this doesn't happen?

Reconvene the class and have them share their ideas with the larger group.

Wrap-up

Encourage students to describe the demonstration and share their hypotheses with a family member or friend. Follow up on students' questions and suggestions in subsequent class meetings if desired.

Ask students to complete an exit slip as their ticket out of the classroom. Write the following sentence stems on the board and have students copy and complete them.

One question I have about today's demonstration is ____________.

I feel like a scientist when ____________________________.

Alignment to Common Core State Standards/College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2
Lesson written by Kathy Kinsner.

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In this lesson, students get in touch with their "inner scientists," first by viewing a video of a 4-year-old solving a complex problem and then by working together to explain a discrepant event. Students also consider attributes shared by many scientists: curiosity, perseverance and the ability to problem-solve.

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Using Paper Plate Portraits to to understand prejudice. 

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Using Paper Plate Portraits to to understand prejudice. 

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This lesson is most effective if students have already begun exploring social justice issues like racism or gender stereotypes. You will need one paper plate per student. First, review the meaning of the word prejudice, breaking down the word into its parts, "pre" and "judge."

Begin brainstorming about the types of judgments people might make without getting to know someone. Ask, "What is something someone might think about you just from looking at you?" I usually model with an example about myself. Younger children often mention judgments based on gender, age, size or clothing. My students have said, "Some people might see I'm a girl and think my favorite color is pink," and "People might think that just because I'm a kid, I don't know a lot." Older students may mention stereotypes based on race, ethnicity, religion, class or sexual orientation. Chart students' responses, writing the broader categories on the board, such as "gender" and "age."

Explain that students will be reflecting on the difference between what others might assume about them and how they truly are on the inside. Students will draw their faces on the outside or "bump" of the plate. They will then write a few words or phrases that they think someone might assume about them. On the inside or "crater" of the plate, students color in a heart and write words or phrases that describe their character/personality-who they really are.

For example, I have seen boys write down "rough" and "violent" on the outside of their plates and "gentle" and "loves stuffies" on the inside of their plates. One of my students wrote down "small," "dumb" and "weak" on the outside of her plate, while she wrote down "strong," "curious" and "loves sports" on the inside. When students are finished, give them time to participate in a short "gallery walk" to admire the collective work of the class. Then facilitate a discussion about the activity, asking such questions as:
What did you discover? Were you surprised by anything? Did you make any connections between your plate and a classmate's? How did this activity help you understand the meaning of prejudice? What can we do if we notice or experience prejudice? How can we try to stop it from happening?
Creating these "paper plate portraits" is a powerful, concrete and hands-on learning activity that encourages students to reflect on prejudice. It also helps them see how multifaceted they are as individuals (thinking about their "outside" versus "inside" selves). The lesson helps students to better understand the complex, pervasive issues related to prejudice and stereotypes, revealing why it is important that we all challenge biased assumptions.

Read answers to common questions about prejudice before teaching this lesson.

This activity addresses the following standards using Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS SL.1

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Understanding Prejudice through Paper Plate Portraits

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This lesson is most effective if students have already begun exploring social justice issues like racism or gender stereotypes. You will need one paper plate per student. First, review the meaning of the word prejudice, breaking down the word into its parts, "pre" and "judge."

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"The Rich Tapestry of Religion in the United States" features three lessons that help students assess the religious diversity of the United States, explore different religious and non-religious worldviews, and consider how freedom of religion relates to their own lives and the lives of others.

The religious landscape in the United States is shifting rapidly. In the past, most Americans identified as Christian; today there are not only more Christian sects but also growing numbers of people who belong to other faith traditions-and many people who are unafilliated with any religion.

According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, religious affiliation in the United States is both very diverse and extremely fluid. Every major religious group is simultaneously gaining and losing members. With this series, students learn about many belief systems and consider the benefits of religious freedom.

However, teaching about religion can be controversial. According to the First Amendment Center's A Teacher's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools, "For most of our history, extremes have shaped much of the debate (about teaching religion). On one end ... are those who advocate promotion of religion (usually their own) in school practices and policies. On the other end are those who view public schools as religious-free zones. Neither of these approaches is consistent with the guiding principles of the Religious Clause of the First Amendment." Comparative religion studies need taught through a neutral position, by teaching, not preaching.

This series has been designed to focus on religion through the lens of understanding, awareness and tolerance. As teachers move through the lessons, their goal should be to academically inform students about all religious and non-religious worldviews.

Lesson One: One Nation, Many Beliefs introduces students to several different religions and asks them to examine data to determine how many people across the United States follow those religions as well as how many people do not have a religious affiliation.

Lesson Two: My Way Is Not the Only Way asks students to identify similarities and differences between different belief systems.

Lesson Three: Free to Believe! introduces freedom of religion to students and asks them to consider how they might respond in an authentic situation related to religious freedom.

Professional Development

10 Tips for Starting a World Religions Curriculum
Tips for developing a world religions curriculum with inclusion and sensitivity.

What's a Teacher to Do?
Tips for setting up a culturally sensitive classroom.

Maintain Neutrality
Illustrates how schools can teach religious tolerance-and stay within constitutional law.

Seven Principles for Inclusive Education
Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding provides principles for inclusive education.

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The Rich Tapestry of Religion in the United States

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"The Rich Tapestry of Religion in the United States" features three lessons that help students assess the religious diversity of the United States, explore different religious and non-religious worldviews, and consider how freedom of religion relates to their own lives and the lives of others.

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The overall goal of these lessons is to help students develop their racial or ethnic identities in a safe and open classroom environment. Each lesson capitalizes on a slightly different modality of learning. The lessons offer questions and conversation starters to help build understanding and community.

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Would be cool to do somehow remotely.

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Thirty-six children from diverse backgrounds sat before me in my sixth-grade inner-city class. Daily conflicts arose among them. How was I going to build an environment conducive to learning with this going on? I decided to use a quilt activity. Students would create quilt pieces that told the world something important about themselves. I brought in pieces of felt in various colors, different glues, sequins, glitter and scissors.

This activity had six components. For social studies, the students learned the historical significance of quilting for enslaved African-Americans. For science, we explored the adhesive qualities of different glues. For math, we found the perimeter and area of different shapes. For literacy, the students had to write a paragraph explaining what their quilt piece would be about and why it was significant for them. I modeled first, wrote my paragraph, drew my idea, chose felt pieces, then cut them out and glued down my pictorial representation. I displayed my piece and told the class what it meant to me.

I wondered how invested, how self-revealing my students would be. The students worked hard on their squares. One by one, they stood before the group to share their work. Dyesha created a unique square from a pair of jeans that showed her flare for fashion. Robert designed a car. Dante had a complex set of robots. Others showed equal commitment and satisfaction in their finished products. I even found students from other classes sitting quietly in the back of my class creating squares of their own! Somehow the word got around about our class project. I had to call their teachers and ask if they could stay.

After the pieces were done, we calculated the size to find the best place to display our quilt. We hung it with pride.

Did the conflict among my students subside? At first just a little, but the revelations brought new camaraderie among the students. That camaraderie grew over the months. No longer were we distant individuals forced into the same space every day. Each of us was a person with a context that others could understand. Each child's uniqueness and beauty shone through.

There was an additional benefit. The students' quilt squares guided me in finding curriculum topics that would interest them. That helped me make my lessons more culturally relevant.
Grace L. Sussman, Ed.D.
Formerly at Mifflin Elementary School
Philadephia

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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This lesson helps students develop an understanding of the importance of diversity in a community.

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Interviewing community members in a school community

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Interviewing community members in a school community

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Vocabulary

neighborhood | nābər hoŏd| (noun) an area where people live near one another

community |kə myoōnitē| ( noun) a group of people living together in one place; all the people living in a particular area or place

tiller |ˈtilər| (noun) a machine for breaking up soil; a plow or cultivator

chemical | kemikəl| ( noun) a substance used in or produced by a chemical process

litmus paper |ˈlitməs ˈpāpər| ( noun) a small strip of treated paper used in chemistry, which turns red in an acid and blue in a base

acid | asid| ( noun) a chemical substance that dissolves in water, has a sour taste and turns litmus paper red

base|bās| ( noun) a chemical compound that reacts with acid to form salt and turns litmus paper blue

Procedure

1. Think for one minute about all the places in our school community, all the places you go throughout the school day. Write down your ideas.

2. Share one of your ideas by coming to the front of the room and writing your idea on the board.

3. I'm going to draw a map of our school based on this list of places. As I do, let's identify and add any places we may have forgotten.

4. We're going to read a book called "The Gift" about a boy who goes in search of hidden presents in his community. As you read the book, use the strategies on the vocabulary handout and dictionaries to figure out the meaning of any difficult words.

5. What did Max learn about community? What were his community's gifts? Do you think we have gifts like those in our school community?

6. Over the next three days, I want you to interview at least two people - one adult and one student in our school. Find a partner and brainstorm questions we could ask to uncover the hidden gifts in our school. Draw on question words: who, what, when, where, why, and how (for example, What is something you like at our school? Why do you like it?)

7. Practice asking and discussing some of these questions with your partner.

8. Use your notecards to record the interview questions you use and the answers. Be sure to write your name, the person's name and their "job" title (for example, student, teacher, parent volunteer, cafeteria worker) on the top of the notecard. Leave space to draw a picture of the person you're interviewing.

9. For the next three mornings, you'll have a chance to share your interview findings with the class and tape your notecard to our school map. Each morning, we'll check our map to see if there are parts of the school in which we haven't interviewed anyone and come up with ways about how to fix that.

10. (On the final day, either as discussion or writing prompts) In "The Gift," Max realized that his community's gifts "were there all along." What does our map teach us about our school community and the people in it? How and why is our community special? What's one way we can be sure we make the most of our community's gifts more often?

(Refer back to the class's school community may as you continue to explore the theme of "neighborhood and community.")
Extension Activity

"The Gift" introduces several science themes appropriate for early grades exploration-with adult supervision, if course:

Ms. Price teaches Max, Chloe, Lei and Chen about acids and bases. Replicate the lesson using ProTeacher's Do Science activity.

Learn more about ways schools are using gardens to build community in A Bountiful Harvest.

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neighborhood | nābər hoŏd| (noun) an area where people live near one another community |kə myoōnitē| ( noun) a group of people living together in one place; all the people living in a particular area or place tiller |ˈtilər| (noun) a machine for breaking up soil; a plow or cultivator

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Developing standards for digital communities

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Developing standards for digital communities

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Vocabulary

community [kuh myoo nih tee] ( noun) a group of people who share something in common

inclusive [in cloo siv] ( adjective) welcoming to all kinds of people

empathy [ ehm puh thee] ( noun) the ability to understand other people's feelings and sometimes feel alongside them

Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, elementary students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities.

Lesson Overview

This lesson aims to help students learn to safely and respectfully participate in different kinds of digital communities. Students will listen to or read a story about what it means to use empathy and promote inclusivity as a member of a community. They will then translate these values and strategies to an online environment.

Students will also have a chance to role-play appropriate ways to identify and respond to bias and hate within a community. They will think about the particular challenges that might come up when these issues arise in an online environment.

Procedure

Being Inclusive and Showing Empathy in Communities

1. Ask your students, "What is a community?" Then ask, "What communities do you belong to?" Write their ideas down so everyone can see. Focusing on one of the communities listed, ask "What are things we need in a community to feel safe?" List students' ideas about the characteristics that make a community safe. Help students to think not just about physical safety but also about the things that help them feel safe emotionally.

2. Explain to your students that today you will be thinking about how to be inclusive and show empathy in communities. Ask them what they think of when they hear those terms, and chart their responses. Come up with working definitions of each word.

If the terms empathy and inclusive are unfamiliar to students, you will want to slow down this portion of the lesson. Choose to focus on one of the two concepts, and start with an example from your own classroom. Tell students about a time you saw them work to make others feel included or cared for, and use this to help them understand and tease out the definition of the concept you are discussing.

3. Have students read the story "Being a Friend Online." (Note: As an alternative, if you have a favorite short story or picture book about community, you can use that instead. As long as it gets at the themes of being inclusive and showing empathy, it does not matter whether it explicitly addresses digital participation for this portion of the lesson.) For students who struggle with reading, you can read the story aloud or pair them with partners who can read to them. Students can read independently or with partners. Once they are finished reading the story, bring them together to discuss the following questions, along with any other ideas that came up.

When were the characters being inclusive?

How did the characters show empathy in this story?

What experiences of your own does this story remind you of?

What does it mean for kids your age to develop communities?

What are some of the challenges and responsibilities that come with being part of a community?

What Are Digital Communities?

1. Now, your students are ready to think about some of the characteristics that make digital communities specific. First, using "Being a Friend Online"-or another story you chose-as a jumping off point, ask your students to name all of the different online communities they have ever heard of. Chart all of their responses, and make sure students help each other understand what each of these communities actually is. Some of your students may not have heard of online communities, and some likely will have. To bridge this gap, limit the number of responses you put on the chart and make sure to offer clear, succinct and accurate information about what each community is. Give students with less digital exposure a chance to list communities they know about or participate in, such as a soccer team, a neighborhood group, etc.

2. Ask students to work independently to create a list of three to five unique challenges they think might come up when participating in online communities. For example, it can be hard to communicate emotions or intent when you are not face to face; people might feel freer to say rude things when they are anonymous and spelling, grammar, and ability to type can get in the way of behaving how you want to in a community.

Then, have students pair up to share their challenges and brainstorm guidelines that might help them address these challenges. (Note: For students who are less familiar with online communities, you can ask them to list challenges associated with being part of a community in general.) When you bring students back together, ask them to speculate about whether these challenges would be the same or different in a real-world environment.

When People Are Not Inclusive and Don't Show Empathy

1. Break students up into five small groups and give each group one of the role-play situations included in the "Digital Community Role-play Scenarios" handout. Ask them to discuss the role-play situation and then act out what they feel is the best solution to the problem. Then, bring your class together and allow each group to share their role-play and the solution they came up with. Leave time for discussion, and emphasize the complexity of these situations to your students.

Do Something

Would your school benefit from a set of guidelines for participation in digital communities? Who better to create this than your students? Ask them to form working groups to brainstorm sets of rules that might guide participation with empathy and inclusivity. Facilitate research into guidelines that other schools have created. When you have a list of rules or guidelines, plan an assembly where your students can share these with other classes and teachers in your school.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.b
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Identity & Diversity Readings and activity ideas from Teaching Tolerance: 

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Identity & Diversity Readings and activity ideas from Teaching Tolerance: 

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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There are many classroom activities in which students explore family roots. This can be tricky for students who do not have information on their family's background. I wanted to develop an activity that would tie into guidance objectives on diversity and still allow kids to define their own identity as it relates to family.

I start by reviewing the terms diversity and identity with students. I then ask students to define family. I write these ideas down on the board. They usually have great ideas that produce discussion. For example, family can be a group of people who love each other or a group of people who are related, etc.

I tell the kids that each person might have a different definition for family. We discuss how, just like every individual has an identity, each family has its own identity. I share that each family has its own way of speaking, hobbies, number of members and place to live.

Next, I read aloud My Family by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. This book goes into detail about diversity in faith, housing, food, celebrations and education. But it also beautifully highlights the things families have in common. I ask students to notice the ways in which families are similar and different.

At this point, I teach the students how to translate their ideas about their own families into a coat of arms. I talk about the significance of coats of arms for families in the past. I then hand out a template with a fourportioned coat of arms. I tell them that today they will get the chance to show the world the identity of their family. I model a coat of arms that I created for my own family.

In the first box, I ask students to write the first letter of their last name in "fancy" handwriting. In the second box, I ask them to draw an animal that represents their family. In the third box, I ask students to design a family flag, consisting of colors and shapes they choose to represent their family. In the fourth box, I ask students to draw a picture of something that their family likes to do together.

At the end of the activity, I encourage students to explore their classmates' family identities. The coats of arms can then be displayed-a reminder that their family identities are respected and valued.
Anne S. Henry, M.Ed.
J.W. Alvey Elementary School
Haymarket, Va.
This activity addresses the following standards using the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. CCSS: SL.1, R.1

Do you have your own teaching ideas to share? Now is your chance to contribute to Teaching Tolerance's Activity Exchange. Click here for guidelines.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Our youngest students deserve a truthful, age-appropriate account of our past. These resources for elementary educators include a first-of-its-kind framework, along with student texts, teaching tools and professional development for anyone committed to teaching this hard history.

Download the Framework

Here are a few key elements of the framework and the accompanying resources:

Key Concepts
The foundation of the K-5 and 6-12 frameworks, the Key Concepts pinpoint 10 important ideas that all students must understand to truly grasp the historical significance of slavery. Explored through Essential Knowledge in the elementary grades and Summary Objectives in middle and high school teaching, the Key Concepts serve as tools educators can use to structure their teaching.

Essential Knowledge
Each of the 20 "Essential Knowledge" sections identifies an age-appropriate understanding for students to reach and outlines additional information that will help them get there. It also offers recommendations for supporting student learning. Essential Knowledge items 1-10 are designed for K-2 students, and items 11-20 are designed for students in grades 3-5.

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Our youngest students deserve a truthful, age-appropriate account of our past. These resources for elementary educators include a first-of-its-kind framework, along with student texts, teaching tools and professional development for anyone committed to teaching this hard history. Download the Framework

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For more information about the Six Elements, see this article:
Picower, B. (2012) Using their words: Six elements of social justice curriculum design for the elementary classroom. International Journal of Multicultural Education. Vol. 14 (1).
Thank you Sheryl Davis at San Francisco Human Rights Commission for creating this graphic!

Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for Elementary Education

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For more information about the Six Elements, see this article: Picower, B. (2012) Using their words: Six elements of social justice curriculum design for the elementary classroom. International Journal of Multicultural Education. Vol. 14 (1). Thank you Sheryl Davis at San Francisco Human Rights Commission for creating this graphic!

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Justice and Action readings and activity ideas from teaching tolerance

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Justice and Action readings and activity ideas from teaching tolerance

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Vocabulary

gender [ jen-dur ] (noun) refers to the social roles, behaviors and traits that a society may assign to men (masculine) or to women (feminine)

( Note: There are many different ideas about how to define the term gender. We provide a working definition, but one of the goals of Teaching Tolerance's work is for students to come to individual and collective understandings and criticisms of the term that make sense to them and their personal and developmental needs.)

gender identity [ jen-dur ahy- DEN-ti-tee ] (noun) the sense a person has of their own gender and how they relate to their gender

stereotype [ STER-ee-oh-tahyp ] (noun) an overly simple picture or opinion of a person, group or thing

social construction [ SO-shuhl kuhn- STRUKT-shuhn ] (noun) an idea or definition created and enforced by a society

Overview

Gender stereotypes are very common in children's literature. Classic children's books and even more contemporary stories frequently portray boys and girls in terms of specific socially defined gender norms. In recent years, some children's authors have made an effort to develop characters who exist as individuals, often in explicit defiance of stereotypes. This sort of literature can be helpful to students talking about any sort of difference, as well as to children who are beginning to understand the depth and harmful nature of gender stereotypes.

This lesson allows children to look at one or more picture books that counter gender stereotypes. After discussion of the book, children will engage in a creative writing activity geared to fostering individual identity and resisting social definitions of what and how a boy or girl "should" be.

Procedure

1. Explain to students that today you are going to be talking about how children's books can reinforce, or play into, gender stereotypes (i.e., ideas about how girls and boys "should" be) and also how children's books and the characters in them can stand up against such stereotypes. Introduce the idea that gender is partly a social construction and that books can contribute to this construction. Invite students to spend a few minutes perusing the picture books in your classroom library with a partner. Encourage them to make observations about how authors represent boy and girl characters. (Note: If this aspect of the activity feels too unstructured for your group, you can also provide them with two to three specific picture books to leaf through and discuss.)

2. Come together to allow students to share observations. Ask students how they think children's book authors might contribute to the construction of gender, and challenge students to question whether this is fair. Remind or explain to students what the word "stereotype" means. Help them talk about examples of children's books that play into gender stereotypes. Ask how it might make boys or girls feel to constantly see gender stereotypes reinforced in books.

3. Read aloud a children's book where the main character seems to resist or stand up against gender stereotypes. (Note: See Materials section for suggestions.) As you read, stop to elicit student responses to the question: What personality traits and behaviors show us that this character rejects gender stereotypes? Chart student responses. When you are finished reading, help students look back over the list they have come up with. Ask how it feels to read about a character who stands up to so many gender stereotypes. Do students think it is helpful for such character to exists, or is it confusing? Do they find the character appealing? Help them think about why or why not, and consider how characters like this contribute to or change a social construction of gender.

4. Explain to students that they are going to write a profile of a character who stands up against gender stereotypes. Provide students with the appropriate graphic organizers and have them work independently to begin developing their characters. Students who finish the graphic organizers early can synthesize them into a written composite description of their character. As students work, circulate and ask them questions that might push their thinking a bit further. (Note: Preliterate students may sketch instead of writing to describe their character, but if you use this option, try to make time to help them flesh out aspects of their character such as likes and dislikes that may be harder to show through a sketch than physical appearance.)

Note: Be mindful of the fact that students may use this activity to express aspects of themselves they wish they felt freer to show. If students choose to focus on characters whose gender expression is quite different from their own, congratulate them on their mature ability to take on a different perspective. Conversely, if students choose to focus on creating characters very similar to themselves, congratulate them on their bravery in self-expression. Allow students to talk quietly amongst themselves as they work. This is an activity where collaboration can push thinking to a deeper level. Finally, be alert to the possibility of students falling into "safe" aspects of gender expression. It is common, for instance, for girls to focus on "loving sports" as a representation of girls defying gender stereotypes. This is certainly valid and important, but if you feel your students are ready, you may want to probe them to think about more complicated ideas like "expressing anger" or "caring little about physical appearance." Students focusing on boys may have a harder time because there are often fewer safe ways for boys to defy gender stereotypes.

5. Come together as a class and allow students to share three to five things they are proudest of in their character. Ask the class: How would our ideas about gender identity be different if at least half the characters in children's books were like our characters? Help them use their answers to understand the extent to which gender is a social construction. After discussing this question, congratulate students on working so thoughtfully with complicated and difficult questions. You may want to have them publish their character profiles and create a "Standing Up Against Gender Stereotypes" display (Note: Encourage students to create their own title for the display.) in your classroom or school library.

Applying What You've Learned

Think about what you've learned about gender stereotypes in literature. Pay attention to how characters from different genders are represented in the books you read both inside and outside of school. In a reading notebook, respond to these questions:

Which gender stereotypes are most frequently reinforced by characters in books, and why? Give some examples.

Which gender stereotypes are most frequently resisted by characters in books, and why? Give some examples.

How do you wish children's books and young adult books were different in terms of how they contribute to the social construction of gender?

Extension Activity

Once they are done creating characters, partner students with classmates to write a story involving their two characters. Make sure their stories include a setting, a problem, at least three main events, and a solution or resolution. The stories may or may not explicitly deal with gender stereotypes. Once the stories are complete, allow students the opportunity to share them with their classmates.

ELL Extension

As they create portraits of characters, have students make a separate bilingual glossary of adjectives (describing words) that help describe a person. They can write each adjective they use on a separate note card, then write its translation on the other side. They should draw an illustration to go along with each word, then compile the note cards into a glossary.

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This lesson allows children to look at one or more picture books that counter gender stereotypes. After discussion of the book, children will engage in a creative writing activity geared to fostering individual identity and resisting social definitions of what and how a boy or girl "should" be.

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Create personal timelines.

So children can see they too have lived history and have the power to shape it, ask children to create personal timelines. Beginning with their date of birth, students should list key events in their lives chronologically. Then have students add the events from the Latino Civil Rights Timeline to their personal timelines. Next, students should envision the future, creating a timeline of goals for themselves for 2006-2011, and for the struggle for Latino civil rights.

Play a card game.

Break students into diverse groups of six and have them create illustrations for one event from each decade represented on the Latino Civil Rights Timeline. The illustrations should not include text. Gather the student drawings, and distribute a different set to each group, making sure the drawing sets are delivered in non-chronological sequence. Referencing the timeline, students should try to match the illustrations with events and put them in chronological sequence. Ask each group to share the story portrayed by the illustrations, illuminating ways the events build on one another.

Explore the "superpowers" of everyday people.

Ask students to name some superheroes (e.g. Superman.). What kinds of powers do they have? (Superman can fly.) Whom do they protect? (Superman protects the people of Metropolis.) What do they protect people against? (Superman protects the people of Metropolis from bad people like Lex Luthor.) Next, ask students to name historical icons who are Latino (i.e. Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta). What did they do? (Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta organized a union.) Whom did they protect? (They organized a union to protect farmworkers.) What did they protect people from? (The union protected farmworkers and migrants from exploitation by their employers.) Next, direct students to entries on the Latino Civil Rights timeline describing the actions of everyday people (i.e., 1968, 1970, 1986, 2006). What did they do? (They marched, protested, boycotted.) Whom did they protect? (They marched, protested, boycotted to protect themselves and/or Latinos.) What did they protect people from? (They marched, protested, boycotted to protect themselves and/or Latinos against injustice, exploitation, abuse.) As a closing activity, have students create illustrations or write essays about how they can be "heroes" for equal rights.

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Exploring the History of Latino Civil Rights

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

outline a short biography of César Chávez through the use of a graphic organizer.

describe how Chávez worked with others to struggle for the common good.

identify problems and solutions in their own community and explore how it can be more powerful to speak out as a group when working to solve those problems.

How might working with a large group rather than as an individual help to change unfair practices?

Why might it be important for workers to be treated fairly, given a fair wage, and kept safe on the job?

Enduring Understandings:

Working against unfair treatment and rules with the support of a group can be more effective and produce better results than working as an individual.

When workers are treated unfairly, exposed to unsafe work environments and paid low wages, they may get injured, become sick, or in other ways become unable to do their jobs.

Vocabulary

environmentalist (en-vahy-ruh n-men-tl-ist (noun) someone who works to protect the air, water, animals, plants, and other natural resources from pollution

migrant farm workers (my-gruh nt) (noun) farm workers who move from place to place to get work, especially those who harvests crops seasonally

prejudice (prej-uh-dis) (noun) an unfavorable opinion about an ethnic, racial, or religious group formed without knowledge or reason

union (yoon-yuh n) (noun) a number of persons, states, etc., joined or associated together for some common purpose

United Farm Workers (noun) a group founded by César Chávez in 1962, organizing agricultural workers, many of whom were Mexican-Americans, also referred to as UFW, a labor union for farm workers in the United States

Suggested Procedure

1. Challenge students to think of a time when they encountered a problem or a challenge that they tried to solve. Ask: "Would it have been helpful if others (kids or adults) had shown their support to solve the problem?" Give students time to do a quick free-write about their experiences.

2. As a class or as homework, have students read this biographical sketch of César E. Chávez

3. Provide students with copies of a problem-solution graphic organizer to support reading comprehension. Ask: What were the problems Chávez was trying to solve? How did he and others try to address that problem? What were the solutions? How did things turn out?

4. Then discuss the following questions with students:

What is a farm worker? How would you describe the kind of work a farm worker does?

What unfair or unkind things were happening to the farm workers? Why were those things unfair or unkind?

What changes did César Chávez and the farm workers seek?

How did forming a union help the farm workers speak out?

What actions did Chávez and the farm workers take to help make change possible?

Who supported Chávez and the farm workers? Why was their support important?

Would Chávez have been successful without the farm workers' support?

Would he have been successful without other people's support? Why or why not?

What changes occurred as a result of the farm workers' collective efforts?

Common Core State Standards: ELA-Literacy. CCRA. R.1; R.2; R.3; R.4; W.1; W.2; W.3; W.4; Sl.1; SL.2; SL.4.

Ask students to review their free-writes from the beginning of the lesson. Ask for volunteers to share experiences that relate to issues or problems that happened at school. Create a class contract with students committing to work together as a group like the farm workers and their allies to make change happen in your school.

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In this lesson, students will read a short biography of César Chávez-one of our nation's greatest labor leaders. They will examine how much of the success attributed to Chávez was the result of the efforts of thousands of other people helping and supporting him.

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In the essay "Magic Carpet," Mitali Perkins writes about learning to see her rich heritage through critical colonial eyes as a young girl in New York and her struggle to reclaim her history as an adult.

Get Started

1. Download the essay, " Magic Carpet," and distribute a copy to each class member.

2. Explain that the essay describes the author's experience of boundaries within her own identity.

3. Use the following discussion questions and writing activities to help your students explore identity and assimilation in the essay and their own lives.

Discussion Questions

1. Describe the author's childhood experience of cultural boundaries. How did she respond to these boundaries? How would she respond differently now? What might have happened to cause her to write about these experiences?

2. Have you ever been made fun of because of a cultural trait, such as your home language or traditional clothing or food? Describe the experience.

3. Have you ever made fun of someone - or witnessed others doing so - because of a cultural trait? Describe the experience.

4. What situations can you think of that force or encourage people to give up parts of their identity? Explain.

5. What does the author mean by "magic carpet"?

6. Do you have a "magic carpet" that you and only a few others share? What are the qualities of that "magic carpet"? With whom do you share it? What would enable you to share this secret part of your identity with more people?

Writing Activities

1. Share the essay with a parent, grandparent or other elder and discuss questions 1-6 with them. Prepare a written report on what you discover.

2. Choose one of these two topics:

1. Have you ever tried to hide your home language, religion or any other aspect of your family's culture from your friends or classmates? If so, why? Write an essay describing the experience, how it felt, and what, if anything, about the situation you would change if you could.

2. Have you ever discovered that one of your friends or classmates has been hiding some part of his or her cultural identity from you? If so, write an essay describing how the discovery felt, how you responded, and what, if anything, about the situation you would change if you could.

3. Imagine that a trait you "disown" now (a physical feature, a custom, a bit of family history, personal ties) will be gone forever at the end of today. Write a story, song or poem to say goodbye to this part of yourself. What do you remember about "it" and its role in your life? Describe your feelings. What advice would you offer to someone who feels forced to give up a part of his or her identity?

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Overview

Each lesson in this series is designed to help students think about how to resolve difficult ethical decisions related to injustice. The lessons empower students to stand up, take ownership of their
feelings and attitudes about unfairness, and become change agents in the world. This is the second lesson of the series "Dealing with Dilemmas: Upstanders, Bystanders and Whistle-Blowers." This is the second lesson of the series. Its purpose is to help students identify and recognize modern-day heroes-people who have made, and are making, a difference in their communities or in the world. Students will learn how local movements can become national, then global, movements through the activism and perseverance of upstanding individuals. Students will see that not all acts of heroism need to have a global effect to be defined as brave or courageous. Each hero's accomplishment
illustrates that having an idea and getting involved can lead to projects-large and small-that make the world better. The goal is to encourage activism and awareness and enable students to think about what they, as individuals, can do to make a difference in their own community.

Vocabulary

bravery [ brey-vuh-ree ] (noun) courage

hero [ heer-oh ] (noun) a person of distinguished courage or ability who is admired for brave deeds and noble qualities

change agent [ cheynj ey-juh nt ] (noun) someone who works toward change or helps make change happen

role model [ rohl mod-l ] (noun) a person whose behavior or example can be admired by others who try to be like them

Suggested Procedure

As a warm-up activity, have students discuss the following question with a partner. Ask: "If you had a superpower that you could use for good, what power would it be, and why?" Allow students a few minutes to share their thoughts. Ask for volunteers to share their responses with the class. Write the responses on a chart, making note of key descriptors. Then ask students what makes a hero different from a superhero. Chart responses, focusing on words that describe a hero's qualities.

1. Explain to students that while there are many types of heroes, this lesson will introduce them to everyday people who are currently engaging in work that others have deemed heroic. Students will research and take notes about individuals who are making a difference.

2. Before class, review the 10 profiles listed above (found on www.CNN.com) CNN Heroes-Everyday People Changing the World. Add additional profiles to the list, if desired.

Grades 3-5 Select two profiles for each of your students, keeping in mind the student's interests and reading level. (Provide hard copies of the profiles if necessary.) Allow the students 10-15 minutes to read through both profiles and select one to use later when completing their handout.

Grades 6-8 Let students access the link online. Give them 10-15 minutes to browse the profiles of the nine heroes listed above. Then ask students to select one person's profile to read in full. They will use this person later when completing their handout.

3. Have students break up into groups of no more than five and take turns discussing their heroes and their respective projects. If needed, students may refer back to the hero profiles.

4. After the discussion, instruct students to complete the Profile of an American Hero handout ( Grades 3-5, 6-8), using specific information from the reading. Help students compile their data onto the larger class chart entitled People Who Are Making a Difference ( Grades 3-5, 6-8).

Extension Activities

Ask the students to share the three adjectives they used to describe their heroes. Write the responses on a chart under the heading "Qualities of a Hero." Display the finished chart in a visible area of the room.

Guide students to review the online posters for the heroes. Invite students to work in pairs, selecting one poster and reflecting on the quotation and writing what it means to them. Invite students to share their work.

Review with students this comment by Maggie Doyne, who received the CNN award for 2015 Hero of the Year: "Please remember that we have the power to create the world that we want to live in." Ask students to write about what that means.

Alignment to Common Core State Standards/ College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards CCSS R.1, R.2, R.7, W.7, W.8, W.9, SL.2

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Modern-Day Heroes: People Who Are Making a Difference

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The purpose of this lesson is to help students identify and recognize modern-day heroes-people who have made, and are making, a difference in their communities or in the world. Students will learn how local movements can become national, then global, movements through the activism and perseverance of upstanding individuals.

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Students will learn how air pollution affects people of color and those living in poverty and will use a map to locate environmental injustice.

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Vocabulary

memorial [ mə ˈmôrēəl ] ( noun) something, esp. a structure, established to remind people of a person or event

monument [ ˈmänyəmənt ] ( noun) a statue, building, or other structure erected to commemorate a famous or notable person or event

martyr [ ˈmärtər ] ( noun) a person who loses his life for a cause

civil rights [ ˈsivəl rītz ] ( plural noun) the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality

social justice [ ˈsō sh əl ˈjəstis ] ( noun) movement toward a society based on principles of human rights and equality

social change [ ˈsō sh əl ch ānj ] ( noun) acts of advocacy that advance causes that are subjectively seen as more desirable for a society

symbol [ ˈsimbəl ] ( noun) a thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract; a shape or sign used to represent something such as an organization, e.g., a red cross or a Star of David.

Procedure

1. Find a reading partner. Read "The March Continues" excerpt. Work together to discuss difficult vocabulary or confusing parts.

2. Fill out the Describing Wheel. Focus on the impact of the Civil Rights Memorial. Who does it honor? Why should they be honored? Why was a memorial needed?

3. Share some of your describing words with the class. Explain why you selected them.

4. Discuss the words presented to the class. Write a couple of sentences. In them, explain why you think the Civil Rights Memorial was created.

5. Count off from one to five. Form a group with classmates who have the same number.

6. As a group, review the information in your timeline. Discuss ideas for creating a monument or memorial. What events or people should be remembered?

7. Think about the Civil Rights Memorial as you discuss your monument. Consider:

What message(s) do you want your memorial or monument to convey?

What should it look like? Should it be big or small? What colors, materials, textures and shapes might be best?

Should there be words on your memorial or monument? Should there be symbols? If so, what words and symbols would you include?

Where should your memorial or monument be placed? Why?

8. Create a sketch of your memorial or monument. Take turns sharing your drawings with the class. Explain why you came up with your design.

9. Write for three minutes on one or both sides of a note card. Think about what you have learned while designing your monument. Then think about this quote from J. Richard Cohen, the head of the Southern Poverty Law Center. "It's up to each of us to ensure that the march for justice continues." How does creating a monument help the march for justice? What other things can people do?

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Vocabulary

dispel [ dih-spel ] ( verb) to put an end to something

perpetuate [ per-pech-oo-yet ] (verb) to make something last or continue for a very long time; reinforce

stereotype [ ster-ee-uh-tahyp ] (noun) an overly simple picture or opinion of a person, group or thing

Overview

This lesson is intended to help guide children who are already working in such groups to respond to literature with an eye toward social justice. Reading critically does not necessarily involve reading texts dealing explicitly with particular social issues; rather, it means reading with a lens of understanding and responding to the social issues inherent in any text. This lesson works well as part of a unit on book clubs, but can be modified for use in a more general context. The activities can be used during the school year or to support a summer reading program.

Procedure

1. As a class, discuss the word "stereotype." Talk about what this word means to you, and brainstorm any examples. (Note: A good way to give examples is to explain that stereotypes are statements about groups of people that begin "All..." such as, "All girls like pink," "All Asians are good at math," and so on. It is important to emphasize to students that articulating stereotypes aloud as a way of talking about them is not the same as agreeing with them.)

2. (Note: If you want to further explore the concept of stereotypes, divide the class into two groups. Each group should have a big piece of chart paper with a big box drawn on it. One group's chart says "boy box," and the other says "girl box.") Take 5 to 10 minutes to write in each box everything that you think is stereotypically connected with either girls or boys. For instance, in the "boy box" you might write, "likes sports." Then take another two minutes, and on the outside of the box on the chart paper, write a few things that make boys or girls feel "outside the box." For instance, outside of the boy box you might write, "likes to play with dolls." Come together as a class to discuss what you think makes boys and girls feel inside or outside of the box. How does this connect to your earlier discussion and understanding of what a stereotype is?

3. Brainstorm a list of topics (race, ethnicity, class, gender or sexual orientation) that are common areas for stereotypes. Create a chart for each category, with the heading at the top. Create a separate chart for "other stereotypes."

4. Discuss what it means for a book, author or character to perpetuate (reinforce) or dispel (end) a stereotype. (Note: Talk about the idea that authors often do this implicitly, by sending subtle messages by the way of character, plot or other story elements. Come up with some examples from read-alouds your class has done in the past.)

5. Get together with your book club, and talk about stereotypes that your story is either perpetuating or challenging. Write each example on a sticky note.

6. Place your sticky notes on the appropriate charts. For example, if you feel your author reinforces gender stereotypes, and you have a specific example on a sticky note, place your note on the chart labeled "gender."

7. As a whole class, look at the charts you have come up with. Discuss what this activity has taught you about stereotypes in literature. What is your opinion about the implicit messages authors sometimes send in their books?

8. In your reading notebook, write a letter to your book's author expressing your opinion about the stereotypes perpetuated or challenged in the book.

Extension Activity

1. Reading and thinking critically don't end when the school day does. As you read over the weekend (or summer), continue to think about stereotypes in literature. Use the Handout, Examining Stereotypes in Books, to help guide your thinking. You may want to keep track of your answers to these questions in a special journal or notebook. If you can, discuss these questions with your family and friends.

2. In order for your voice to be heard you need to take action, and writing to the author is an excellent beginning. Individually or with a partner, write a letter to one of the authors whose book you think perpetuates a stereotype or effectively dispels a stereotype. Your letter should be well written, be friendly and effectively support your perspective. Research your author on the Internet to find out the best way to contact them, including any background information you learn to help make your letter more relevant. Send the author your letter, and share any responses with your friends and family.

3. Spend some time reading a blog or another website you regularly enjoy. Make notes about how the blog or website perpetuates or fights stereotypes. Reading this kind of media is both similar to and different from reading books, but it is important to think critically. Post any comments or thoughts you have to the website, and share any responses you get with your classmates.

4. Create a piece of visual artwork representing the stereotypes or social justice issues that have come up in your reading. Make sure your artwork expresses your own point of view on the issue. You may want to write a poem or reflection statement to go along with your artwork. Share with family and friends.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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People sometimes look the other way when they see an act of discrimination because they do not know how to stop it. This lesson provides students with real-world examples to help them identify peaceful ways to respond.

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Overview

Art and Activism is a series of 12 mini-lessons in which students look at, think about and make art together. Each lesson prompts children to examine how art relates to community, leadership, and activism. Note: These mini-lessons can be used individually or together, and are not dependent on sequence.In this lesson, students are introduced to the concepts of art and community activism and have a chance to discuss their understanding of these terms.

Most children have some experience with being part of a community through connections with their family, their school, and their neighborhood. They need opportunities to think about what community means before they are able to think about the leadership roles in a community. Talking about activism, activists and leaders, helps children understand how change can happen in a community. This lesson will give students a chance to think about what these concepts mean and to consider the relationship between community activism and the visual arts.

Vocabulary

activism [ak-tuh-viz-uh m] (noun) vigorous action or involvement as a way to achieve political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations or protests

activist [ak-tuh-vist] (noun) a person who is very involved in supporting a cause, especially a political cause

community [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] (noun) a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and may have a common cultural and historical heritage

Suggested Procedure

1. Assign students to work in three small groups. Give each group a piece of poster board with one word written in the middle of each: community, activism, art. Instruct students to work cooperatively and write as many words as they can think of that connect to, define, or question the word on their chart. (Note: Students may also draw pictures or you may choose to lead this lesson as a whole group shared writing activity.)

2. Allow each group to share the poster they have created with their classmates. Then help students come up with definitions of the three terms. Guide them by explaining that these words are not easy to define. Offer some variation of the following explanations: "We often think of community as a group of people living or working together and sharing some common ideas. Activism is a way of working for change or for what you believe in. And we can say that art is a creative way of showing people, feelings, stories and ideas." Continue the discussion until your students are comfortable using these terms.

3. Optional: Assign students to work in pairs, matching each student with someone who had a different term. (For instance, if a student was part of the "activism" group, pair him with a student from "art.") Note: If you did the first step as a shared writing activity, you can pair up any students. Ask each pair to collaborate on sketching a picture that shows how the two terms relate to each other. Ask: "How does activism relate to community? How does art relate to community? How does activism relate to art?" Encourage students to be creative and take risks with the their picture. Emphasize that the questions do not have right or wrong answers. Challenge your students to think of examples from their lives to illustrate relationships or connections. After students have had ample time to create their illustrations, ask them as a whole group to discuss the illustrations each pair created.

Common Core State Standards: ELA-Literacy. CCRA. W.2; W.4; SL.1; SL.2; SL.3; SL.4; L.1; L.2; L.4

Extension Activity

Encourage students to be more aware of the art that they see in their everyday lives and think about the role it might play in the different communities they are part of. Ask students to think about the way community, art, and activism relate to each other. Ask them to return to school ready to share examples of the way the three different ideas can be connected.

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Talking about activism, activists and leaders, helps children understand how change can happen in a community. This lesson will give students a chance to think about what these concepts mean and to consider the relationship between community activism and the visual arts.

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Overview

Art and Activism is a series of 12 mini-lessons in which students look at, think about and make art together. Each lesson prompts children to examine how art relates to community, leadership, and activism. Note: These mini-lessons can be used individually or together, and are not dependent on sequence.This is Lesson Two of Art and Activism. In it, students will develop an understanding of community and consider what attributes make someone a community leader or activist. Activism can take place in every community in various ways, but it is often unacknowledged or unrecognized. Children will be better able to see themselves as activists and leaders when they understand the process behind activism and how it can be meaningful. Students will identify leadership qualities using art and writing to describe leaders and activists in their own life. This lesson gives students a chance to reflect on activists in their communities and think about the importance of leadership skills.

Vocabulary

activism [ ak-tuh-viz-uh m ] (noun) energetic action or involvement in a movement to get something changed or achieved. Activities may include participating in (or leading of) demonstrations, protests, or passive resistance.

influence [ in-floo-uh ns ] (noun) the ability to affect the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.

leadership [ lee-der-ship ] (noun) the ability, position or function of a person who guides or directs others.

Suggested Procedure

1. Share a personal story of someone who exemplifies leadership. Describe, for example, a member of your family, community or school, or someone students have learned about from history.

2. Ask: "What makes that person a strong leader? What kinds of qualities do you think she has?" Chart students' responses until you have come up with a list of attributes or leadership qualities (Examples: honesty, vision, competence, ability to inspire, intelligence, persistence, charisma, passion, emotional intelligence, curiosity and creativity).

3. Encourage students to share examples of people in their families, neighborhoods, school, religious organizations, or other communities that exemplify some of these traits. You can also have students work in pairs. Circulate to listen to group discussions and to generate a chart based on what you hear. Students who have trouble thinking of people might be inspired by classmates' stories of what makes people in their own lives activists. Draw attention to the potentially local and even very micro nature of activism, including children who are activists if this idea comes up.

4. Ask students to choose 1-3 qualities from your collective brainstorm and think of a person in their community who exemplifies these traits/qualities. Allow students to discuss their ideas with a partner, sharing who they will focus on and why. Then give everyone paper and oil pastels (or a different drawing material if they prefer) and have them draw a picture of this person in a scenario where he or she is demonstrating the trait. For instance, if a student feels that his grandmother exemplifies bravery, he might draw her standing up to someone who is being unfair. If someone thinks his youth group leader exemplifies determination, he might draw her working really hard to finish painting a floor on time. Students can get abstract with their representation if they prefer, by using symbols, colors or shapes that they feel represent what they are trying to show.

Common Core State Standards: ELA-Literacy. CCRA. W.2; W.4; W.5; SL.1; SL.2; SL.3; SL.4; L.1; L.2; L.4

Extension Activity

When students finish their drawing, ask them to write 1-6 sentences describing what they have drawn. Their writing should show who the person is, what trait(s) they are exemplifying ( Note: For more advanced writers, encourage students to show why this trait makes their person a leader or activist in their community). Give students a chance to share their drawing and writing with the rest of the group and ask one another questions. When everyone has shared, ask students if their classmates' work has made them view the question of what makes an activist in a different way.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school.

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(Click here for a printer friendly version.)
Our Out of Eden Learn community brings together young people from diverse backgrounds and places. This diversity is one reason why our community is so exciting and valuable. Interacting with other young people is an important part of your learning journey. We need your help in keeping our community a safe and respectful place for all members. As you participate in Out of Eden Learn, we ask that you follow the guidelines below, which are highlighted in this video:

Be Yourself: Share your thoughts, ideas, and personal stories. Out of Eden Learn is a place for sharing who you are, where you are coming from, and what you think. The community wants to hear from you!

Be Respectful: In addition to being yourself, please be sensitive and respectful so that no one in our diverse community feels hurt or offended. We do not tolerate negative posts or comments about an individual or one's nationality, religion, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political views, or cultural practices.

Be Reflective: Before you share a post or comment, think about all the people who will be able to read it (students in your class, other students in your walking party, teachers, Paul Salopek). A few things to think about: How could your post or comment be interpreted by different members of the community? What kinds of online comments might upset you? Could someone feel uncomfortable with or hurt by something you are posting? How could you change the wording or content of your post to prevent any concerns?

Speak Up: If you notice a post that seems insensitive, hurtful, or inappropriate, please tell a teacher or parent. Your teacher or parent can then email us at learn@outofedenwalk.com. If you see a comment that is insensitive, hurtful or inappropriate, please click the "Flag" button next to the comment. If you report a post or comment, other students will not know that you reported it. A teacher or parent will be asked to talk with the student, who will edit or remove the post.

Be Compassionate: We all make mistakes. If someone has posted something hurtful or inappropriate, they may have not realized their mistake but will be asked to think about and edit their post. Please tell your teacher if you see any concerning posts but also try to be forgiving if someone has reflected on and apologizes for an inappropriate post. Be compassionate to yourself, too, if you make a mistake.

Listen Carefully: When reading other young people's work, pay close attention. Notice details about what they are saying and sharing. Try to understand their point of view.

Be Brave: Share your point of view, even when it's different from what other people are saying. Disagreeing can be uncomfortable but it offers a great opportunity to learn different perspectives. We encourage you to challenge one another to think more deeply and in different ways. Just remember to express your thoughts respectfully.

Engage Thoughtfully: When commenting on other young people's posts or comments, please write in full sentences and be thoughtful. See the dialogue tools and thinking routines embedded in each comment box for ideas of different kinds of comments you could make.

Please note: The following types of posts/comments are considered inappropriate in our community.

Posts that tease others, including people who are members of your class.

Posts that are cruel or bullying.

Posts or comments that include negative statements about a person or whole groups of people (e.g., a nationality, a race or ethnicity, a gender, a religion, etc.)

Posts that will likely make others feel uncomfortable - e.g., a sexually suggestive photo.

Posts that include personal information about the student who is posting and therefore break our privacy guidelines - e.g., one's own or another person's email or Facebook address, home address, photo.

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(Click here for a printer friendly version.) Our Out of Eden Learn community brings together young people from diverse backgrounds and places. This diversity is one reason why our community is so exciting and valuable. Interacting with other young people is an important part of your learning journey.

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Prior to using these biographies, educators should ensure students possess prior knowledge about the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II (Margaret Gunderson), segregation and the Civil Rights Movement (Jack Greenberg and Myles Horton) and/or the needs of immigrant students today (Laurie Olsen).

Biographies

Margaret Gunderson

It was 1942. The United States was at war with Germany and Japan. The U.S. government worried about Japanese Americans. The government thought they would be loyal to Japan. The government made many Japanese Americans leave their homes. The government made them live in prisons. It was wrong to treat citizens this way. Margaret Gunderson knew this. She became a teacher at one of the prisons, Tule Lake. Margaret's students did not have enough food. They did not have doctors to take care of them. Margaret taught her students about injustice. She taught them that the government was wrong. Margaret's student, Walter Miyao, remembers her. "She told us ... we shouldn't be there. ... It was a violation of the Constitution." Margaret was proud to be a teacher at the prison. "No teaching experience can compare to the joy and satisfaction of work at Tule Lake."

Jack Greenberg

Jack Greenberg was a 27-year-old lawyer. It was 1954. He was standing in front of the most powerful court in the land. His friend, Thurgood Marshall, stood next to him. They told the Supreme Court that it was wrong to keep black and white children separate. They told the Court that black and white children should go to the same schools. The Court agreed. The case was called Brown v. Board of Education. It changed America forever. Black and white children could finally be together. Jack later worked as the director of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Education Fund. It is one of the most powerful civil rights organizations in the world. He argued more than 40 civil rights cases. He also helped start a civil rights organization for Asian Americans. Today, Jack teaches at Columbia University.

Myles Horton

Myles Horton grew up in a Southern white family that didn't have a lot of money. As a young man, he dreamed of uniting black and white people to end poverty. In 1932, Myles' dream came true. He opened the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. Myles and his school were controversial from the start. In Tennessee, it was against the law for white people and black people to study together. But Myles ignored these laws and welcomed students and teachers of all races. In the 1950s, some Southern states made people take reading and writing (literacy) tests before they could vote. So, the Highlander Folk School started a literacy program. Myles and his friends taught thousands of black people how to read and write. Myles' school taught people how to stand up for civil rights. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Fanny Lou Hamer were his friends. In 1960, Tennessee courts told Myles to close his school. They didn't like that Blacks and Whites were working together. Myles did not close his school. Instead, he renamed it the Highlander Research and Education Center. Myles died in 1990. His friend Paulo Freire said, "[Myles'] presence in the world is something which justifies the world." The Highlander Research and Education Center continues today.

Laurie Olsen

Laurie Olsen cared about immigrant students. She cared about how they did in school. She started the Immigrant Students Project in California. It was 1986. Laurie talked to students and their families. She talked to teachers and principals. Laurie learned that many immigrant students felt left out at school. Students bravely told their stories -- more than 400 students in all. Laurie shared their stories. She talked to schools and to the California government. She asked them to improve how immigrant students were treated. They agreed. Immigrant students felt safer at school. Today, Laurie is the director of California Tomorrow. The organization makes sure all students are treated fairly.

Biography Activities

Create the context:

Divide students into small groups. Assign each group one of the following topics: the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II; segregation and the Civil Rights Movement; and the educational needs of contemporary immigrant students. Small groups should conduct research. Groups with the same topic should then collaborate on a verbal and visual classroom presentation about their findings. Alternatively, students can write short essays about their findings.

Connect the people:

Working in small groups, students can research and write companion biographies for other individuals referenced in the stories: Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Fanny Lou Hamer and Paulo Freire. Students also can create biographies of Japanese American children who were imprisoned during World War II.

Fill in the blank:

In classrooms where the Internet is available, teachers can remove key facts from the biographies and send students on an online treasure hunt to locate information. If the Internet is not available, educators can compile resources, and students can conduct the treasure hunt using provided information.

Browse these literature recommendations to help young white children see racism and bigotry and understand how to take a stand against it:

The Legend of Freedom Hill

($15.95) tells the story of two young friends in 1850s California -- Rosabel, an African American, and Sophie, who is Jewish. When Rosabel's mother, Miz Violet, is captured by a slave catcher, the two young girls put their heads together to win back her freedom. The lively text and colorful illustrations enliven this moving tale of friendship and bravery. (Grades K-4)
ISBN # 978-1-58430-169-1 (paperback)
Lee & Low Books

The beauty and perils of being different are highlighted in Wings ($16.95). Ikarus Jackson, a new boy on the block, surprises his neighbors one day by flying above the rooftops with his "long, strong, proud wings." People start to whisper, though, and soon those whispers turn to taunts, disdain, and finally even dismissal from school. One quiet girl, someone who knows loneliness herself, doesn't think the winged boy is strange and finds the courage to speak against prejudice and discrimination. (Grades 1-3)
ISBN# 0590033778
Scholastic Press

Molly Bannaky

($17) tells the true story of a dairymaid exiled from England for the crime of spilling milk (considered "stealing" in 1683) to work as an indentured servant in America. Upon completing her seven-year sentence, she staked a land claim -- unheard of for women in those days-and further defied societal norms by marrying an African slave. In the revealing conclusion, Molly inscribes a new Bible with her grandson's name, Benjamin Banneker. (Grades 1-5)
ISBN# 039527287X
Houghton Mifflin Co.

Sara knows she lives in a place where "Jim Crow" laws, which kept African Americans and whites apart in almost all aspects of life, exist. Yet, Sara goes to the front of the bus out of curiosity and an emerging sense of injustice. Sara's curiosity and bravery lead her on a crusade that changes the laws where she lives. In the novel The Bus Ride ($16.95), a young girl discovers that she can make a difference. The book is a timely reminder for readers of all ages that no act is too small when it comes to confronting injustice. (Grades K-5)
ISBN# 978-1-880000-60-1
Lee and Low

A Good Night for Freedom

($16.95) is the story of a young girl named Hallie who finds out her neighbors are a stopping place for runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. Should Hallie turn them in or help them? (Grades 1-4)
ISBN# 0-8234-1709-3
Holiday House

Set in South Carolina in the 1920s, Darby ($16.99) is partly derived from oral history interviews conducted by the author between 1997 and 2000. Assisted by her friend Evette, 9-year-old Darby writes a funny story about toads for the local newspaper. Next, Darby and Evette submit a much more controversial piece, which raises questions about racism. When the story is published, it leads to turmoil and transformation throughout the community. (Grades 5-8)
ISBN# 0-7636-14173
Candlewick Press

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White Anti-Racist Biographies: Early Grades

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For young white students, explorations of fair and unfair, just and unjust, can go a long way in advancing anti-racist white identity. Purposeful use of literature and basic study of white anti-racists are among the key ways educators can advance such aims.Teaching Tolerance presents four short biographies for early grades classrooms, with activity ideas.

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Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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The history of racial segregation in western and northern cities is an often overlooked topic in the study of American history. In these cities, many factors-including social custom, federal and local housing policies, and real estate practices such as restrictive covenants, blockbusting, and contract selling-contributed to residential and school segregation. While there are important commonalities between the North and the South, including the presence of racial animus and acts of racial terror, the history of segregation looks different from either side of the Mason Dixon line.

This teaching idea uses one episode of student activism in Chicago, the 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott, as an entry point into this complex history. The history of the boycott, ignited by the segregationist policies of school superintendent Benjamin Willis, offers some insights into the parallels between northern and southern segregation, but it is by no means exhaustive. We advise you to pick and choose from the following activities, and also to encourage your students to conduct more independent research on the boycott and the history of northern segregation.

Analyze an Image of the 1963 School Boycott

To open the lesson, project or distribute copies of this photograph from the 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott to students. To provide students the opportunity to draw their own conclusions about the image, do not provide any context at this time.

Lead students through a See, Think, Wonder activity, pausing after each prompt to give them time to record their thoughts. Consider asking students to add 1-2 more ideas to each response before moving to the next question. This step can push students to examine the image more closely, perhaps making a new observation or inference or posing a new question.

Ask students to debrief with a partner using the Think, Pair, Share strategy. Alternatively, if you projected the image, you might invite students one at a time to the board to share their "sees" and "thinks," having them point to details in the image as they present. You might also list some of their "wonders" on the board or chart paper to refer to later in the lesson.

Place the Boycott in Historical Context

Explain to students that the image they just analyzed was an image of the 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott. Before students learn more about the school boycott, let them know that while school segregation was formally outlawed by law in Illinois in 1874, a combination of federal, local, and state policies kept schools segregated. In Chicago, school officials adjusted boundary lines during the years after World War II to ensure that school districts remained as segregated as the city's neighborhoods. Benjamin Willis, who was the school's superintendent from 1953-1966, resisted desegregation efforts, even in the face of massive overcrowding in the city's predominantly African American neighborhood schools. Under his watch, the school district dealt with cramped classrooms by building what were called "Willis Wagons"-portable trailers for black students-rather than sending them to under-capacity white schools.

Next, have students watch a video clip from the documentary '63 Boycott, Today is Freedom Day, featuring eyewitness accounts from CPS students attending the boycott. As students watch the film, ask them to take notes on the clip that will help them answer the following question: What conditions were CPS students protesting in 1963?

Ask students to read the Chicago Magazine article When 200,000 CPS Students Walked Out of School In Protest. Since the article may be challenging for some students, consider previewing some vocabulary in advance, or using the Read Aloud or the Annotating and Paraphrasing Sources teaching strategy to promote students' understanding of the ideas and arguments presented.

Use the following questions to guide a class reflection and discussion after reading:

What were CPS students protesting in 1963? (Students can build on their answers from the previous activity.)

What parallels does the article draw between the 1963 boycott and today? Why does this history matter today, in your opinion?

Why do you think youth are often on the front lines of social movements? Why does youth participation matter?

Reflect on Dr. King's Advice to a Chicago Student Activist

Tell students that they will now be listening to an audio recording of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving advice to a disillusioned high school student activist in Chicago who participated in the 1963 boycott. Ask students to take notes in response to the following question:

What is King's message to the student about social progress and the role of nonviolent protest in achieving societal change? Do you agree with his message?

How would you respond to this student's question?

Ask students to share their answers, first in a Think, Pair, Share with a partner, and then with the whole class.

Finally, close the lesson by asking students to reflect on the following quotation from scholar Ethan Zuckerman, either privately in their journals, in an exit card, on a graffiti board, or in a class discussion:

If you feel like you can change the world through elections, through our political system, through the institutions we have-that's fantastic, so long as you're engaged in making change. If you mistrust those institutions and feel disempowered by them, . . . I challenge you to find ways you can make change through code [technology], through markets, through norms [unspoken rules], through becoming a fierce and engaged monitor of the institutions we have and that we'll build. The one stance that's not acceptable, as far as I'm concerned is that of disengagement, of deciding that you're powerless and remaining that way.

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The history of racial segregation in western and northern cities is an often overlooked topic in the study of American history. In these cities, many factors-including social custom, federal and local housing policies, and real estate practices such as restrictive covenants, blockbusting, and contract selling-contributed to residential and school segregation.

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Gordon Quinn Returns Home; AIDC Masterclass Available

The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) has released the audio of Gordon Quinn's producing masterclass, held in Melbourne in March 2020. For over 50 years, Gordon and Kartemquin Films have been at the forefront of documentary making in the US, not only embracing but also epitomising collaborative practices, championing new voices, and leading the way in the fight for independent media.

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Gordon Quinn Returns Home; AIDC Masterclass Available The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) has released the audio of Gordon Quinn's producing masterclass, held in Melbourne in March 2020. For over 50 years, Gordon and Kartemquin Films have been at the forefront of documentary making in the US, not only embracing but also epitomising collaborative practices, championing new voices, and leading the way in the fight for independent media.

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Talking About Race (Smithsonian Resource) 

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Talking About Race (Smithsonian Resource) 

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Whether you are teaching infants, adults, or any age in between, you are an influential part of your students’ learning and development. Educators too have an important role in communicating of our history and culture. What and how the history of race in America is presented is an opportunity to eng…

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Developmentally appropriate ways to talk about Race at each age level

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Developmentally appropriate ways to talk about Race at each age level

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Please Note: I originally received this letter in 2014. I am revisiting it in light of recent events.

Dr. Laura... In the past few weeks, I have had several conversations with parents, both in person and through social media, about whether we should talk with our children about the deaths of black men and women at the hands of the police, and if so, how?

My community of parents are different races (and genders, and sexualities), but we are all feeling devastated. This is made worse by our memories, not so long ago, of the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, followed by the acquittals of the police officers who shot them.

Some of us have gone to protests; some of us have not, although we feel solidarity with those who are protesting.

Our questions are: At what age can we start to talk with our children about this frightening, complex issue? When are children old enough to handle such an intense topic? For children who are old enough to discuss it, how can we talk about it with them? (Most of us have elementary-aged children.)

I realize it may be difficult to give one answer. After all, a parent of a 10-year-old African-American boy would need to approach it differently than the parent of a 4-year-old Asian-American girl.

I read your work because I am trying to better parent my children. Your positive parenting model represents a gentler, more conscientious method of parenting than what I grew up with. But it also lays the groundwork for a better world, where people better empathize with each other and try to work together towards solutions.

My friends and I want to be honest with our kids about the very real inequalities and prejudices they may encounter, experience, and/or witness, but we also don't want to overwhelm our kids before they are developmentally ready to comprehend these situations, nor do we want to terrify them. Thanks!

If we want to raise our children to be compassionate people who participate as responsible citizens in a democracy, we need to find ways to talk with them about the thorny issues that we struggle with as a country. Race, fairness, and how to create change in a democracy are three of those issues.

I don't think there is ever one conversation about such a big issue; I think we need to talk repeatedly about these tough issues on an ongoing basis as they arise. Sometimes current events will create the opportunity or the need for such discussions; sometimes our personal lives will. But if we want things to be different in the next generation, we need to begin those discussions in our homes. Below, I'll give you an age by age guide to talking with your kids.

Graphic too small to read? Click here for the higher res version. (Thank you to Debbie Irving and Children's Community School!)

Because we as adults struggle with these issues, we will often find ourselves struggling to know how to talk to our children about them. But that doesn't mean we don't have a responsibility to do so.

You're right that we need to talk about this differently with children of different ages and races. Unfortunately, the experience of racism is a daily occurrence for families of color, so it's a frequent discussion in many African American and Hispanic homes. I'm not the person to give advice on that conversation, but I want to acknowledge how heart-breaking it must be to have to explain to your child that the color of his skin means he may not be treated fairly by our society, that he runs even the risk of death if he happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It would be facile--and just plain not true--to say "Stay out of trouble and you'll be fine." It's easy to give examples of unarmed African American men who have been killed during encounters with police; George Floyd is only the most recent. Cory Booker, US Senator from New Jersey, was my son's age when he graduated from Stanford, was honored as a Rhodes Scholar, and later was jumped by six police officers with their guns drawn. They held him for half an hour as a dangerous criminal, barking at him "I said don't move!" while he was praying and shaking. My children, who are protected from such situations because of the color of their skin, would have been shaking and praying too, but would probably have tried to assert their rights. Booker didn't dare to do so.

White families often ignore the issue of racism because it makes us uncomfortable, and because we assume that it doesn't affect our children. But racism dehumanizes all of us. We can only end racism by talking with all of our children about how it unfair it is, by admitting that all of us have a tendency to judge people based on appearance, by pointing out the terrible cost to people of color but also to our entire society, and by teaching our children that treating all people fairly matters.

Many White parents talk about heroes like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, and about slavery. We also need to talk about institutionalized racism and about privilege. After all, no one is born a racist. Racism is the product of a racist system that is perpetuated with racist assumptions that permeate our institutions and shape our belief systems.

These are tough issues to discuss, even with adults. Maybe the easiest way to teach children about them is with stories. So, for instance, my son told me today that he remembers a time when we ran to catch a bus, when he was ten. After we got on the bus, I told him that African-American friends of mine had forbidden their son to run in public, even to catch a bus. They were afraid that a police officer would assume that he was running from a crime and should be apprehended. (Former Attorney General Eric Holder tells a story of how this happened to him when he was already a federal prosecutor.) This evolved into a discussion about privilege, which he remembers ten years later. Of course, over the years that ongoing conversation was amplified by my children's own experiences, such as learning that their of-color friends were sometimes stopped and searched by police officers, when neither of my children were ever searched.

So how can we talk with our children about these recent incidents? Obviously each parent will have a somewhat different perspective, so what we choose to say might be different. I can only tell you what I as a White psychologist would say to my own children. Let's take this by age.

Toddlers

You won't be talking to your Toddler about current events, but you will be talking to your toddler about race and diversity, in positive terms.

Toddlers' brains are rapidly developing in response to their environment and are highly sensitive to scary images and situations. So toddlers should never be exposed to TV news. I would not recommend talking in earshot of toddlers about any upsetting issue, even if you assume they won't understand. Toddlers are acutely sensitive to our tone of voice and are easily alarmed.

Many White parents avoid mentioning race because it makes them uncomfortable. However, research shows that toddlers already notice race and are drawing conclusions about everything, including race, all the time. They notice social status. They notice their parent's cues, such as friendliness or stiffening up when someone approaches. They look to parents to "approve" when someone initiates at the playground. So notice your own reactions that may be influenced by race and what cues you're giving your child. And remember that if you don't address race in a positive way -- how wonderful that everyone brings their own unique contribution to the world! -- your child will draw inferences that might not be what you had hoped.

Preschoolers (3 to 5)

Preschoolers are very concerned about fairness and believe that everyone should be treated fairly. They also definitely notice race and draw conclusions based on what they perceive, so it's important to have ongoing discussions with them about race, the value of diversity, fairness, and standing up for what's right. For instance, you might mention that schools in affluent (more likely to be mostly White) neighborhoods have more money than schools in neighborhoods with more children of color, so they can build better playgrounds: "That's not fair, is it?"

But preschoolers are still too young to feel safe in the face of grownups clearly being out of control, which is why they should be protected from TV coverage and scary household conversation about current events. So you probably won't be talking to your Preschooler about the recent events, because they shouldn't hear about them.

If your child does ask about the current news events, ask what they have heard. Listen and acknowledge: "Yes, that could feel pretty scary, to hear that."

Then give basic facts. For example:

"A police officer was arresting a man named George. He pressed his knee onto George's neck for a long time and it hurt George very badly. That's horrible, right? The officer was very wrong to do this.

The police officer was White, and George was Black. It is much more common for police officers to hurt people of color. Some people think that the officer would not have hurt George if he had been White. That would be terrible, right? That maybe if he had not been African American, the officer might not have hurt him? Naturally, that makes people very angry, and they are marching to say this needs to change.

Preschoolers see conflict in simplistic terms. They know that good guys often "get" bad guys, so they may ask you who is the bad guy here. My answer would be: "The job of police officers is to protect people, even when they are making an arrest. This police officer hurt a defenseless person, which is against the law. And (in the case of George Floyd) then the police tried to hide what had happened. As you know, it's never okay to hurt someone's body, and if our friends do something wrong and hurt someone, it's our job to stop it--not to lie about it."

Use the opportunity to ask your preschooler how they feel when they get angry. Explain that when a person gets angry, we think we're right and the other person is wrong, and we want to lash out. But when we're angry, we aren't thinking clearly. Later, we are often sorry if we have acted on our angry impulses. Because the police carry weapons, they have a special responsibility to be very careful not to hurt other people, even when they get mad.

Your preschooler probably won't know about the protests, since their only information is coming from you. If they do ask, you can talk about how important it is to stand up when you see something unfair happening, and how important it is to do that peacefully.

For your child's emotional well-being, it's important to close the discussion with hope: Most police officers want to "protect and to serve" (the police motto in the US) and don't want to hurt anyone. Most of the protesters are peaceful. Change is possible, many people are working to make things better, progress is slow but real, and there are things they can do to help.

It's also important to reassure your child that she and the rest of the family are safe. I realize that in an African American family in this country, it can feel hard to reassure a child that everyone will be safe. I can only advise parents to calm themselves before talking with very young children, so as not to unwittingly communicate their own fears. (For more support for parents having conversations about race and ethnicity with their Latinx American, Asian American, African American, and Black children, check out One Talk At a Time.)

I would close with something that preschoolers grapple with every day: Violence is not the way to solve problems between people. "This is a terrible tragedy. That's why it's so important that we use our words instead of hitting or hurting when we're mad."

Elementary Schoolers

Children age six to ten are old enough to hear about what's happening from friends or online, so don't avoid the discussion. You'll want to ask what they've heard and open a discussion about it. They're also old enough to talk about all the issues here: race, guns, protests.

BUT obviously you will have to tailor your explanation to your child's developmental understanding. Your child may seem very sophisticated, but research shows that elementary schoolers do have nightmares in response to new reports, because the news shows them a world that's scary and chaotic. Reading the newspaper together is educational, but children under the age of twelve still should not be exposed to news coverage, which is purposely sensationalized to be gain audience share.

Calm yourself before speaking with your child so your own outrage and fear doesn't scare your child. Always reassure your child that he and the rest of the family are safe.

With all ages, start by asking your child what he's heard. Listen to his answers before jumping in to explain. Repeat to be sure you've understood. It's okay to say you don't know in answer to a question -- you can tell your child you need to research that question and you will let them know what you find out. (Given the inflammatory nature of news on the internet, it's usually best to do some research before looking online with your child.)

Give the basic facts as you understand them. For example:

"A police officer in Minneapolis was arresting a man named George Floyd. After Mr. Floyd was in handcuffs, the officer pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck for a long time and it killed him. That is called "deadly force" and it can only be used if the officer or someone else is in danger -- otherwise it is illegal. So since Mr. Floyd was already in handcuffs and subdued, the officer was very wrong to do this, and it killed Mr. Floyd.

It's a terrible thing, but young Black men are 20 times more likely to be hurt by police than young white men. One of the reasons for that is that many White people, including police officers, assume that an African American man might have done something wrong, more often than they assume that about a White man.

And since people of color are much more likely to die while in police custody, many people think that sometimes police officers assume that they can use illegal force against an African American person and get away with it, when they wouldn't do so to a White person.

Many people are very upset about this incident and the many other times that something like this has happened, so they are protesting to stand up against the unfairness and to demand change. That is a very good thing. The Constitution of the United States gives Americans the right to protest peacefully. Most of the big changes that have happened in the world have come when people stand up and demand change.

Some of the demonstrators are so angry, though, that they are destroying property, including attacking police stations, or breaking into stores. In one city (St. Louis), someone even shot bullets at the police; luckily the injuries were minor. And we don't know who did the shooting, so it might not have been a protester. But is that ever okay? ( Wait to see what your child says.)

Of course, it is never okay to burn property or take things that aren't yours. But it's important to remember that m ost of the protests have been peaceful and t he leaders of the protests have been working hard to keep the demonstrations peaceful.

The other problem is that many police departments are not handling the protests well. So some are misusing their power and hurting demonstrators, even when the demonstrators are trying to be peaceful in their protests. There are many accounts from reporters who have seen police officers assault peaceful protesters.

But you should know that there are many police officers across the country who are showing solidarity with the peaceful protesters by taking a knee (kneeling) in memory of George Floyd. And there are many police departments across the country who have successfully decreased incidents like this. They do this in two ways -- by training police officers to de-escalate tense situations. And by firing the officers who are repeatedly involved in such incidents."

Your child may wonder about the protests. Acknowledge that any violence is frightening. Use the opportunity to talk about how change happens in a democracy, and about the long and respectable history of peaceful protest and civil disobedience which has created change in the face of entrenched power structures. Your child may already have heard about Gandhi and the Civil Rights Movement, but together you can google other examples. You can also note that it was the initial protests about George Floyd's death that prompted the arrest of the officer who killed him.

Ask your child how they feel when they get angry, and how to handle anger responsibly. Acknowledge that when people get angry they may want to destroy things, but emphasize that violence always makes things worse. Explain that it is never okay to destroy property. Ask your child how they think the message of the protests changes when looting starts.

I would take the opportunity to talk about safety in a few ways here:

If a police officer tells you to do something, do it immediately. Police officers are not always right by any means, and they can be challenged in court after the fact. But the law does not give you the right to challenge them in that moment, so you have no power in the situation.

Toy guns can look just like real guns. Some young people, even kids, have been shot by the police when the police thought their toy gun was real. It is never okay for you to take any gun, even a toy gun, out in public. If you want to play guns, make a pretend gun out of a stick.

Guns are very dangerous. Never touch a gun, and if anyone shows you one, leave the room immediately.

Violence is not the way to solve problems between people. "This is a terrible tragedy. That's why it's so important that we use our words instead of hitting or hurting when we're mad."

Always end the discussion positively. Reassure your child that they and the rest of the family are safe. Assure them that change is possible, that many people are working to make things better, that progress is slow but real, and that there are things they can do to help.

It's important for children to think they can make even a small difference in addressing the injustices they see. In the next section, there are some ideas on taking action that your child may find inspiring.

Preteens and Teens

With Preteens and Teens, you can go into even more depth with ongoing discussions, and you should. Read over the information above to get ideas about how to frame your discussions. Then share information and ask questions, beginning with:

How can we make sure that deaths like George Floyd's don't happen?

Martin Luther King, Jr., said "A riot is the language of the unheard." What do you think about that?

If you were in charge in a city and people were outraged and protesting, what would you do?

What do you think the responsibility of the police is in a demonstration? For instance, one video shows a man with his hands up in a surrender pose holding his press ID. The police responded by holding him down, pulling off his face mask, and spraying him in the face with pepper spray. Do you think that was the right thing to do? Why or why not? What should the police officer have done?

When something unfair happens and people are very angry, does it make sense to react by attacking the police department building? What about looting a nearby store?

If you were at a peaceful demonstration and some people started to break into a store, what might you do?

Can you think of examples of our individual or group actions and perceptions being shaped by racist ideas that we might not even notice?

Preteens and Teens are exploring their identities, working out how they fit into the world, and how they can make a contribution. Taking positive action to address problems they perceive and make the world a better place helps empower teens and keeps them from becoming cynical. Talk with your child about how he or she can take a stand against racism. Brainstorm with them. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Join a peaceful protest in your town.

Donate to organizations trying to make change, protecting Black lives, or educating people about racism. Your teen can do the research to find an organization whose mission they admire.

Send a letter to your local mayor or government asking what they are doing to prevent police brutality in your town.

Send a letter of condolence to the family.

Watch Jay Smooth's Ted talk "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race.

There are many resources online to educate ourselves and our children. Some listings to get you started are below. For most White parents, this is an educational process for us as well, so don't be afraid to say you also are just learning and are trying to understand.

Hopefully, this will be just the beginning of an ongoing discussion in your family. Good for you for being brave enough to start it!

***

Thanks to the Children's Community School for the graphic used in this article and all their resources. If the graphic is too small to read, click here for the higher res version. (Thank you to Debbie Irving!)

When community activist Kenneth Braswell's 6-year-old son asked him about the Baltimore protests surrounding the indictments of Freddie Gray's death, Braswell didn't know how to answer. But he just began, and his explanation grew into a beautiful children's book, Daddy, There's a Noise Outside. This is the story of two children who are awakened in the middle of the night by noises outside the window of their inner-city home and spend the next morning talking to their mom and dad about the protests in their neighborhood. It explains the protests and rioting in a way that even young children can understand.

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Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests

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Please Note: I originally received this letter in 2014. I am revisiting it in light of recent events. Dr. Laura... In the past few weeks, I have had several conversations with parents, both in person and through social media, about whether we should talk with our children about the deaths of black men and women at the hands of the police, and if so, how?

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Watch the entire CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall | CNN

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CNN's Van Jones and Erica Hill partner with "Sesame Street" for Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, a town hall for kids and families. Watch the town hall in its entirety below:

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Materials from Teaching for Black Lives/Rethinking Schools for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action

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Lonnie Chavis of 'This Is Us' Writes about Racism

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Explore the concept of racism with young people through the perspective of This Is Us young actor Lonnie Chavis. Help students analyze the interpersonal and institutional ways that racism manifest and reflect on their own experiences.

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Challenging Gender Role Stereotypes (K-2)

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Challenging Gender Role Stereotypes (K-2)

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Through review and examination of videos, articles, data research and hashtag campaigns-#1000BlackGirlBooks and #WeNeedDiverseBooks, students learn about and discuss the importance of diverse literature.

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More than 100 carefully selected lists of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators. When you find a book at this site, please purchase it here. Our titles are linked to Bookshop. A portion of your book purchase helps sustain our work. New Releases Activism and Organizing Africa Afro-Latinx American Indians Arabs […]

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Zinn Education Project 3-5 resources. Searchable by other topics. 

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Zinn Education Project 3-5 resources. Searchable by other topics. 

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Book - Non-fiction. By Tonya Bolden. 2014. 138 pages. One of the few non-fiction texts on Reconstruction aimed at young readers, Cause is a strong alternative to the textbook treatment of the era.

Time Periods: Reconstruction Period: 1865 - 1876

Themes: African American, Reconstruction, Racism & Racial Identity

Read More

Book - Non-fiction. By Andrea Davis Pinkney. 2013. Mini-biographies for upper elementary and middle school of 10 African-American women.

Themes: African American, Organizing, Women's History

Read More

Book - Fiction. By Lynn Rubright. 2008. 89 pages. Historical fiction inspired by incidents in the early life of sharecropper Owen Whitfield, the organizer of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union.

Time Periods: Prosperity, Depression, & World War II: 1920 - 1944

Themes: African American, Labor

Read More

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Teaching Materials - Zinn Education Project

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Book - Non-fiction. By Tonya Bolden. 2014. 138 pages. One of the few non-fiction texts on Reconstruction aimed at young readers, Cause is a strong alternative to the textbook treatment of the era. Time Periods: Reconstruction Period: 1865 - 1876 Themes: African American, Reconstruction, Racism & Racial Identity Read More Book - Non-fiction.

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In my article " Don't Say Nothing," I warn about the dangers of teachers being silent on the issue of racial violence. And what I love about this profession is that, when teachers do speak, when we take a stance and choose to engage in the political, we plant seeds for the next generation. When we teach in ways that promote respect, love, empathy and understanding-despite the difficulties we may face in doing so-we have the power to influence young people who will eventually become doers and leaders in this world.

Teaching about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement allows each of us to chew on multiple injustices simultaneously. We are able to teach not only about racism, its history and its present manifestations, but we also are able to point to solutions and methods of action so our students don't become disillusioned. When students are overcome with doubt, we can draw parallels to Standing Rock and say to them, "This is how people are fighting for change in spite of the obstacles they are experiencing." We can talk about sexism and patriarchy, but we can also leverage conversations about sexuality using gender-neutral and affirming language.

Teaching about BLM isn't just about police brutality and the ways an organization is seeking to end it. Bringing this movement to the classroom can open the door to larger conversations about truth, justice, activism, healing and reconciliation.

The work required to teach about Black Lives Matter is extensive and heavy, but this topic can be addressed effectively in classrooms-at any grade level.

Elementary Applications

Trinity Thompson and her colleagues, who teach second grade in Harlem, knew they wanted to teach about the BLM movement. However, a couple of false starts made it clear that, for their efforts to be sustained and successful, they needed to establish safety and provide students with context. They decided to form a Cultural Competency Committee to educate themselves about social justice issues, build lesson plans and incorporate family input. The committee developed a six-month curriculum that focuses on education professor Bree Picower's six elements of social justice curriculum design: self-love and knowledge, respect for others, issues of social injustice, social movements and social change, awareness raising, and social action.

"I think for me the biggest thing was providing both windows and mirrors," Thompson explains, "having their community and their history, even in Harlem, reflected in what they're learning ... but also providing them windows. We looked at Stonewall, we looked at South Africa and we looked at Palestine."

Thompson used text-based culture circles to initiate conversations about police violence and Black Lives Matter-a format she had already used with them throughout the curriculum. She began by reading to her students an age-appropriate text about what to do when bad things happen, then guiding them through a discussion, providing them the space and language they needed to process what they were experiencing. Thompson even took her students through Campaign Zero, a data-driven platform dedicated to ending police brutality in the United States. She admits that this was a difficult task, but she was able to make it work by referring to pictures on the Campaign Zero website.

Karen Shreiner, a second-grade teacher in Oakland, California, is another example. Shreiner works for a charter school network committed to equity and social justice. Because her students-like Thompson's-are so young, Schreiner has found creative yet age-appropriate ways to immerse them in the discourse necessary to understand and process such serious subject matter. She embeds current topics into pre-planned units, allowing her to meet content and curriculum demands while also teaching pressing issues in meaningful ways. To introduce students to her unit on activism, she used an activity her students were familiar with: gallery walks. In this case, she used images that captured moments of resistance.

"I have pictures of everything from the March on Washington to when the Bay Bridge was shut down because of Black Lives Matter protesters a couple years ago," Shreiner says. She has students go to each photo, then use questions and sentence frames they've practiced. "They can say things like, 'I notice that _____' or 'I wonder why this person is _____' or 'I think this person feels _____ because _____.'"

Schreiner is careful not to tell her students what to think about the images, letting them come to their own conclusions. "A lot of them will notice things like, 'Some of these pictures are from a long time ago. Some of them are from now,'" she recalls. "'A lot of these pictures involve the police. A lot of the pictures involve the police treating people in ways that aren't nice.'" If she hears students say things that reflect assumptions or implicit bias, she interrupts them to ask that they provide evidence. Her approach works, she says, because she establishes trust in her classroom and prepares students all year to talk about issues of identity, diversity, justice and action.

A Middle School Approach

Middle school students attending after-school programming through Breakthrough Providence learn about Black Lives Matter not from classroom teachers but from other students. Dulari Tahbildar is the executive director of this Rhode Island-based chapter of a national collaborative focused on the needs of middle-level students from low-income households. The organization offers supplementary curriculum developed and taught by high school and college students who are preparing-with the support of Breakthrough-for careers in teaching. Tahbildar says the organization was unanimous in its decision to focus on Black Lives Matter during the 2016-17 school year.

"A lot of people don't really recognize the voices and contributions of our youngest students," Tahbildar says. "We're working with 16- to 22-year-olds who don't have any formal teaching experience, and we basically give them a crash course in 'What is a lesson plan? What is an objective? How do you develop trusting relationships with students?'" The organization also emphasizes to its young teacher-students the importance of driving critical thinking and not telling students what to think.

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Bringing Black Lives Matter Into the Classroom | Part II

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In my article " Don't Say Nothing," I warn about the dangers of teachers being silent on the issue of racial violence. And what I love about this profession is that, when teachers do speak, when we take a stance and choose to engage in the political, we plant seeds for the next generation.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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If your feed looks anything like mine, social media has been a treasure trove lately of resources and tools for educating yourself on Antiracism.

From the curated lists of books and documentaries to those little shareable sliders (seriously, some of those have been real good) we don't have much of an excuse for ignorance.

But, perhaps it feels like drinking from a fire hose. Where do you even get started? Not all these recommendations are made with the same audience in mind. And because racism poisons everything, there are so many different topics to cover.

Others have done the work of putting out good, curated lists. I thought I would help by offering some flowcharts to help you find the right starting point for you. Plus, some of us learn best from books, while others through podcasts, documentaries, even fiction. Hopefully these can help! Here are a few things to know:

⚫️ I chose to sort these into the categories of race, privilege, and bias; faith (mostly Christian); American history; policing & mass incarceration; environment & housing; work & education; the current moment; & Black joy. Had the groups I interact with most on here in mind.

🔴 Black joy (along with Black love and Black excellence) is definitely a dimension of Antiracism. Obviously there's a plethora of great Black art out there, and this is just a small sample. Even though there's fun stuff on there like Into the Spiderverse, they're there deliberately. Not to distract but to capture the imagination.
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🔵 If you see a book on here, you might as well check on the author on Twitter. I tried to condense this list, but some things take multiple forms; a podcast AND a newsletter. A book AND a documentary. And check the final slide to see where each film can be streamed.

Race, Privilege, Bias

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The Beauty of Antiracism - Philippe Lazaro

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If your feed looks anything like mine, social media has been a treasure trove lately of resources and tools for educating yourself on Antiracism. From the curated lists of books and documentaries to those little shareable sliders (seriously, some of those have been real good) we don't have much of

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Black Lives Matter Instructional Library Click on each book to hear a Read-Aloud!

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Use to teach about the structure of power as a framework and how to use person power to fight against abuses of Power. This is only the first half of the book. I assigned partners sections to concept map and then we made a big concept map in the classroom about Power.

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Link to author/educator Tiffany Jewell's website

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Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned In School

The Antiracist Kid

Nicole Miles is the amazing illustrator of this book.

THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST

Aurélia Durand is the amazing illustrator of the book.

​

Download the Educator Guide Here!

Download the Family Guide Here!

​

#1 New York Times Best Seller

#1 Indie Best Seller

USA Today Best Seller

6 THINGS ANTI-RACIST EDUCATORS WANT GROWN-UPS TO KNOW ABOUT TEACHING AND RAISING KIDS (KQED)

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Tiffany Jewell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Book Is Anti-Racist and The Antiracist Kid. She is a nationally recognized anti-bias antiracist educator.

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Website for teacher learning

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Collected and donated over 11,000 books featuring black characters

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Teen activist Marley Dias on her new mission for racial harmony

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A 10-year old's vision for healing the planet | Genesis Butler | TEDxCSULB

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Kid president tells how to change the world through spreading love. (has some old info at the end 2014 so may make shorter)

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Kid president tells how to change the world through spreading love. (has some old info at the end 2014 so may make shorter)

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How To Change The World (a work in progress) | Kid President

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Children give speeches inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.

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Examples of kid activists around the world (some violent examples, fyi) 

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Examples of kid activists around the world (some violent examples, fyi) 

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Anti-gun activist

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Young Gun Control Activist Naomi Wadler Visits Ellen

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How Young Climate Crisis Activists Changed the World | NowThis

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On National Child Day, meet clean water activist Autumn Peltier | CBC Kids News

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Marley Dias Talks Encouraging Kids To Read, Getting Kids Involved In Activism | The View

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Malala and teen activists on learning to speak out

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7 year old raises 18,000 for BLM

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7YO Kid Activist Leo of Dance for Justice! Over $18K for BLM!

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Can start after introductions at :45

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Civil Rights Era example of a 7 year old that participated in nonviolent acts. Explained in kid-friendly language. 

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Civil Rights Era example of a 7 year old that participated in nonviolent acts. Explained in kid-friendly language. 

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What It Means to Be an Ability Activist | World of Children Award + GLAMOUR

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Octavia Spencer visits MLK's home with his granddaughter, who also is an anti-gun activist. 

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Octavia Spencer visits MLK's home with his granddaughter, who also is an anti-gun activist. 

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Octavia Spencer and Martin Luther King Jr.'s Granddaughter Visit MLK's Home - Little Big Shots

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Family travels to all 50 states interviewing 75 kids that have helped their community. 

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Family travels to all 50 states interviewing 75 kids that have helped their community. 

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Kids can change the world | Matt and Jack Webb | TEDxLakeTravisHigh

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Click on the kids to see interviews of 75 kid change makers from around the country. Related to post above. 

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Click on the kids to see interviews of 75 kid change makers from around the country. Related to post above. 

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One year road trip interviews of kid change makers from around the country. 

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One year road trip interviews of kid change makers from around the country. 

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Follow the multi-media film project, OneYearRoadTrip, and track the Webb family in real time as we criss-cross America, visiting each state and DC, in search of children making the world a better place to live. Our hope is to illuminate the stories of the kids we meet, and through those stories, inspire other children to go change the world.

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OYRT Change-Maker Joshua Williams of Joshua's Heart Foundation

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Micah Briggs- teaching others about Civil Rights

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Micah Briggs- teaching others about Civil Rights

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OYRT Change-Maker Aidan Anderson of Aidan Cares

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Future Women of America: Meet Mari Copeny

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Epic book on MLK and the Sanitation Strike

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Epic book on MLK and the Sanitation Strike

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Read Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop on Epic

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Author - Alice Faye Duncan , Illustrator - R. Gregory Christie

Illustrator - R. Gregory Christie

Create an Epic account to start reading!

The story of Lorraine Jackson, who witnessed the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice.

Read this Book on Epic!

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Read Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop on Epic

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Author - Alice Faye Duncan , Illustrator - R. Gregory Christie Illustrator - R. Gregory Christie Create an Epic account to start reading! The story of Lorraine Jackson, who witnessed the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice. Read this Book on Epic!

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(Debby and Erin will likely include this in an upcoming lesson)

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The world belongs to those who shape it. And however uncertain that world may feel at a given moment, the reassuring reality seems to be that each new generation produces more of what these kids-five Kid of the Year finalists selected from a field of more than 5,000 Americans, ages 8 to 16-have already achieved: positive impact, in all sizes.

Read about how we picked the Kid of the Year here. And watch TIME's Kid of the Year broadcast special on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.

Kid of the Year: Gitanjali Rao, 15
Lone Tree, Colo.
"Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate." That is what the brilliant young scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao told actor and activist Angelina Jolie about her process, over Zoom, from her home in Colorado, during a break in her virtual schooling. Just 15 years old, Rao has been selected from a field of more than 5,000 nominees as TIME's first ever Kid of the Year. She spoke about her astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, and about her mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems the world over. Even over video chat, her brilliant mind and generous spirit shone through, along with her inspiring message to other young people: don't try to fix every problem, just focus on one that excites you. "If I can do it," she said, "anybody can do it."
Jolie, a TIME contributing editor, is an Academy Award-winning actor and special envoy of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
ANGELINA JOLIE: When did you know that science was a passion of yours?

GITANJALI RAO: I feel like there wasn't really one specific aha moment. I was always someone who wanted to put a smile on someone's face. That was my everyday goal, just to make someone happy. And it soon turned into, How can we bring positivity and community to the place we live? And then when I was in second or third grade, I started thinking about how can we use science and technology to create social change. I was like 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water quality research lab, and my mom was like, "A what?" [Editor's note: they are cylindrical molecules made of carbon atoms that are very sensitive to chemical changes, and thus are good for detecting chemicals in water, among other uses.] It was just that changing factor of, you know this work is going to be in our generation's hands pretty soon. So if no one else is gonna do it, I'm gonna do it.

AJ: I love that. So much of what my generation should be doing is just making sure we do as little damage as possible to ensure that the next generation can take the lead.

I know one of your latest innovations helps prevent cyberbullying. Could you tell me about that?

GR: It's a service called Kindly -there's an app and a Chrome extension-which is able to detect cyberbullying at an early stage, based on artificial-intelligence technology. I started to hard-code in some words that could be considered bullying, and then my engine took those words and identified words that are similar. You type in a word or phrase, and it's able to pick it up if it's bullying, and it gives you the option to edit it or send it the way it is. The goal is not to punish. As a teenager, I know teenagers tend to lash out sometimes. Instead, it gives you the chance to rethink what you're saying so that you know what to do next time around.

AJ: So you just put it on your kids' phones?

GR: Yeah. I put out a survey to parents, teachers and students, and I honestly expected that students don't want to be micromanaged.

AJ: Right. My kids would be like, "Don't touch my phone, I'll do it myself."

GR: No, exactly, that's what I would be like. But a lot of the teenagers were telling me that, you know, it doesn't seem like I'm being micromanaged; it seems like I'm being given an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. So that's what I was superexcited about, that they understood what the goal of it was.

AJ: The way you're talking about technology as a tool to remind people and help them to grow seems like a very new and different thing. It's so exciting to have such a forward-thinking young, and female, inventor.

Does that affect you in any way? It's surprising because I think of women as being brilliant, but there are so few women in the science and tech fields.

GR: I don't look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it's an older, usually white man as a scientist. It's weird to me that it was almost like people had assigned roles, regarding like their gender, their age, the color of their skin. My goal has really shifted not only from creating my own devices to solve the world's problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. Because, from personal experience, it's not easy when you don't see anyone else like you. So I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it.

AJ: I know you have these "innovation sessions." Tell me about those.

GR: I just looked at what worked for me and decided to share it with everyone else. So I made this process that I use for everything now: it's observe, brainstorm, research, build, communicate. It started with a simple presentation and lesson plans, and then I started adding labs and contests that students could do. Now I've partnered with rural schools, girls in STEM organizations, museums all across the world, and bigger organizations like Shanghai International Youth Science and Technology group and the Royal Academy of Engineering in London to run innovation workshops.

The students that I work with, they just don't know where to start. I think that if you give them that spark that they can then build off of, then that changes everything. That means one more person in this world wants to come up with ideas to solve problems.

At the end of every workshop, everyone has something that they can start working on. If you can do this in 45 minutes to an hour, imagine what you can do if you spend months and months working on it. I'm so excited when I get an email like, "Hey, I attended your workshop four months ago and here's my finished product, I really love it, it's a shoe that calls 911."

AJ: That is insanely impressive. For so many young people, it takes a lot to find the confidence to be able to put an idea forward. You have a brilliant mind, clearly, but you are very, very generous with that mind, and that's just really wonderful. What are you working on now?

GR: I'm currently working on an easy way to help detect bio-contaminants in water -things like parasites. I'm hoping for this to be something that's inexpensive and accurate so that people in third-world countries can identify what's in their water.

And I recently hit my goal of 30,000 students who I have mentored, which is superexciting. It's like creating a community of innovators. I really hope the work that all of these kids are doing identifies innovation as a necessity and not something that's a choice anymore. I hope I can be a small part of that.

AJ: I think you are. Your generation is unique. You don't just accept what's being put forward, but really question it, and that's so important. I know there are many, many issues we're facing today. With your work on water contamination, is the environment something that's very much on your radar?

GR: Yeah. Our generation is facing so many problems that we've never seen before. But then at the same time we're facing old problems that still exist. Like, we're sitting here in the middle of a new global pandemic, and we're also like still facing human-rights issues. There are problems that we did not create but that we now have to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with the introduction of technology.

I think more than anything right now, we just need to find that one thing we're passionate about and solve it. Even if it's something as small as, I want to find an easy way to pick up litter. Everything makes a difference. Don't feel pressured to come up with something big.

Most of my work with the bio-contaminants is based on a gene-based therapy solution which I'm still trying to figure out. I'm also working on a product that helps to diagnose prescription-opioid addiction at an early stage based on protein production of the mu opioid receptor gene. I've been really, really interested in genetics. That's what I like, so that's what I'm deciding to work on.

AJ: You know, one of the things you pointed out which is so important is that there is so much, you can get overwhelmed. When I started working in refugee camps, there are so many different issues to deal with within a displaced situation. You get overwhelmed, and you don't really move. I love what you're saying: find what you're passionate about, and don't try to solve everything. Every solution is a part of the bigger picture of what we have to do. I really hear that and appreciate you saying that.

Where do you get your news or do your research?

GR: My pop-culture news is actually MIT Tech Review. I read it constantly. I think that's really where inspiration strikes: hearing about all these amazing people at schools like MIT and Harvard who are doing such amazing work with technology. And I try to connect it back to what I see out there and put it together in a way that no one's seen before.

AJ: When you're not doing all of these amazing things-because I feel like I'm speaking to a 60-year-old scientist in Geneva-what do you do that's just a 15-year-old thing?

GR: Actually I spend more time doing 15-year-old things during quarantine. I bake an ungodly amount. It's not good, but it's baking. And, like, it's science too.

AJ: So the science of the kitchen is not your specialty?

GR: I guess not, no. To be fair, most of the time we don't have eggs at home, or like flour, so I have to like go online and search eggless, flourless, sugarless cookies, and then I try to make that. I made bread recently and it was good, so I'm proud of myself.

AJ: Well, I'm just so happy to get to know you a little bit. I'm sure I'll be using your inventions in years to come and just being in awe of you as I watch you do more and more in your life, and I can say, "I met her once."

Tyler Gordon, 14
San Jose, Calif.
High school freshman Tyler Gordon has faced more challenges than some people experience in a lifetime. He used a wheelchair for nearly two years after breaking bones in his legs and hips because of a vitamin D deficiency. He was born deaf and underwent a surgery at age 5 that gave him some hearing, but he still speaks with a stutter. In elementary school, he got bullied so much that he barely spoke.

"His escape was to not speak at all; he'd nod his head or point, he was so afraid," says Gordon's mother Nicole Kindle.

But at 10, Gordon found his artistic voice. After watching his mom paint, he decided to try it himself and won first place in a school art contest with a portrait he'd made of the principal. In the four years since, he's painted more than 500 portraits of Black icons who inspire him, most recently Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who called him right before Thanksgiving to tell him he's "amazing" and has a "gift."

"Sometimes I can't talk and get words out, so I speak through my art," Gordon says. Painting helps him move past the bullying, which he still experiences; he lost a front tooth in one incident earlier this year. "It helps me take my mind somewhere else. I don't want to keep thinking about that same moment for the rest of my life."

His big break came in 2018, when his portrait of NBA star Kevin Durant went viral and caught the eye of the player's mother, who bought it for $300. Celebrities started calling for commissions. Among the stars he's painted and met are Janet Jackson, Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. In 2019, a portrait of the Central Park Five fetched more than $100,000 at auction, and he won a 2020 Global Child Prodigy Award. This past summer, in the wake of George Floyd's death, Gordon used his canvas to raise awareness about victims of police brutality, feeling a particular affinity to 23-year-old Elijah McClain, who also had special needs and an artistic side.

Media interviews and speaking engagements have helped Gordon combat his fear of public speaking, and he hosts virtual painting classes every Wednesday on Instagram, where he boasts nearly 50,000 followers.

"Since he started painting, I can't get the kid to be quiet," says Kindle. "He's not afraid of the stutter anymore." Now, by starting his own online platform for video tutorials called Tongue Tye'd, he hopes he can show other kids how to overcome their challenges with art as well. - Olivia B. Waxman

Jordan Reeves, 14
Columbia, Mo.
For Jordan Reeves, having a limb difference has helped her envision a more accessible world. The 14-year-old designer and activist was born with a left arm that stopped growing beneath her elbow, a physical difference that helped ignite her passion for design. In the past four years, Reeves has created a 3-D-printable prosthesis for kids that shoots out biodegradable sparkles, consulted for companies like Mattel to create toys that affirm limb difference and even co-written a memoir about what she's learned from growing up with a disability.

Reeves sees good design as an avenue to empower those with disabilities, which is why she and her mother co-founded Born Just Right, a nonprofit that celebrates kids with physical differences and gives them design and STEM resources so they can come up with their own solutions.

"A lot of kids with disabilities have a different point of view on the world, because the world isn't made for us really," she says. "We have this great design mindset because we grow up problem-solving. It's a pretty cool thing." But one of the biggest barriers she sees kids facing is finding the confidence to innovate. "It's so important to believe in yourself," she says. She found her confidence with the help of her mother, and by seeing the positive results of some of her early work. "[When I started,] I was just 10 and I was able to make an impact, which is so cool," she says. "Go for it, don't doubt yourself, don't think about what other people think-you can make change no matter how big or how small."

Although 2020 has brought new challenges, it hasn't slowed Reeves down. She's been hosting digital-design workshops for Born Just Right, appeared at the United State of Women conference to advocate for gender equity, and was the youngest of 30 global leaders recognized this summer at a 30th-anniversary commemoration of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also co-founded the Steam Squad, an online organization that gets kids involved in science, technology, engineering, math and the arts. Up next: working with Microsoft to design a guitar that anyone with mobility challenges can play.

She's inspired, she says, by the tenacity of her generation. "It's so sick knowing that I'm a part of a group of people who are working toward the future," Reeves says. "The world needs a lot of work at times, and it's important to be there to do as much as you can." - Cady Lang

Bellen Woodard, 10
Leesburg, Va.
Bellen Woodard is only 10 years old, but she's on a mission for inclusion. She has created her own line of crayons in tones that reflect the wide spectrum of skin colors she sees in the world, claiming the title of world's first crayon activist.

The idea came when one of Woodard's classmates asked her for a "skin color" crayon. Woodard, who was the only Black student in her grade, says she knew the classmate meant the peach-color crayon. When she told her mother Tosha Woodard about what had happened, Tosha suggested that she pass her classmate a brown crayon instead next time. "But I didn't want to do that," Woodard says. "I told her next time I was actually going to ask what color they want because it could be lots of different colors." Then she got to work making a set of 12 "skin color" crayons.

Although research shows that children can begin to understand and believe racial stereotypes by age 4, an August study by researchers at Skidmore College and Boston University found that parents often delay conversations about race with children because they under-estimate children's ability to understand the concept. Tosha says her daughter's crayons have proved a great age-appropriate tool to spread a message of inclusion.

In spring 2019, Woodard launched More Than Peach, a nonprofit that has donated more than $40,000 worth of multicultural crayons and sketchbooks to schoolchildren across the country. Her packet of crayons has been added to the permanent collection at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Woodard says she was surprised by how quickly her message spread. She started by simply talking to her teacher about the crayons, then they were picked up by the rest of her school, and now she gets calls to speak-and distribute her crayons-at schools across the country. In March, she received a special recognition from the Virginia state legislature for her work.

Woodard's crayons are named for things found in nature-there's "Sahara" and "Reef," "Koko" and "Serengeti"-but each is also clearly labeled "skin color."

"I wanted to have crayons for a purpose," she says. "The peach crayon is a skin color ... but is it the only one? No, it isn't. My different shades of peaches and browns can hopefully match everyone including me and my friends and my classmates. Just everyone." - Jasmine Aguilera

Ian McKenna, 16
Austin, Texas
Ian McKenna was in third grade when he learned that nearly a quarter of the kids at his Austin school weren't getting enough to eat at home. He wanted to help, but local volunteer organizations turned him away, saying he was too young. So he decided to find his own solution. For years, he had been gardening with his mother, and they often distributed their extra vegetables to the neighbors. Why not give the produce to a soup kitchen? "Then I thought, I'm good at gardening," says McKenna, now 16. "Maybe I could try to start a garden that's meant solely to help feed these people who are in need." Better yet, he thought, why not plant a garden at school, so that kids in need could take food home?

McKenna persuaded his school to set aside space for a garden, then he asked the community for donations of seeds and equipment. Other students donated their time. Within months, McKenna's garden was producing lettuces, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash for students and their families. Now, seven years later, McKenna's Giving Garden project has expanded to five area schools in addition to his own backyard garden, and he has provided more than 20,000 lb. of organic produce (enough for 25,000 meals) to Austin families and food pantries.

For most of his gardening activities, McKenna wears the same T-shirt in different colors, emblazoned with what has become a personal motto: BE A GOOD HUMAN. To him, that means helping in any way you can, no matter your age. Even a smile can make a difference in someone's life, he says. "It lets them know that they are important. It can change their day."

When COVID-19 hit the U.S., McKenna redoubled his efforts, cooking up to 100 meals out of his home to distribute to the hungry on the weekends, so that he could give them one less thing to worry about. When social distancing meant that volunteers couldn't work on community garden plots, he started offering online tutorials and a gardening hotline so families could grow at home. Once he realized that some people didn't know how to prepare the more unusual vegetables in his gardens, like the 100-lb. bullet head wax melons he distributes by the slice, he started offering virtual cooking classes (the melons cook, and taste, like zucchini). While gardening is his core focus, McKenna says he is always looking for new ways to help the hungry. "Hunger doesn't stop," he says. "So I won't stop until it does." - Aryn Baker
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The world belongs to those who shape it. And however uncertain that world may feel at a given moment, the reassuring reality seems to be that each new generation produces more of what these kids-five Kid of the Year finalists selected from a field of more than 5,000 Americans, ages 8 to 16-have already achieved: positive impact, in all sizes.