The book Wonder follows the story of a boy with visible facial differences. The book can be used to discuss disabilities and encourage students to engage with students who look different than them. There is also a movie to view after reading the book.

Palacio, R.J. (2012). Wonder. Alfred A. Knopf.

Changing Perspectives curated a disability curriculum for middle school students that discusses disabilities like Autism, deafness, learning disabilities, and more. The curriculum includes videos, stories, and activities to help students understand disabilities of all kinds.

Changing Perspectives. (n.d.). Middle School Disability Awareness Curriculum. https://changingperspectivesnow.org/middle-school-disability-awareness-curriculum/

The Hate U Give is a book written about police brutality and the aftermath of a young girl witnessing a police shooting. The book discusses privilege, race, and the experiences that many young black people have in predominantly white areas.

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. Balzer + Bray.

The paper ball activity is an easy way to discuss privilege with students. Students can be given fake personas and asked to move closer to the basket based on their persona. For example, if the student is able-bodied, they would move one step closer, etc. The activity opens discussion and can be adapted to any age group.

See Different. (n.d.). Paper basket exercise (parts 1 and 2). https://globalgeek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Basket-Game.pdf

Students can experience different cultures at a cultural fair in the community or held in the classroom. The fair can include information about holidays, religion, race, and even food. Students can host this event by learning about their own culture or attend an event put on in the community.

Jabali, E. (n.d.). 25 Activities to teach and promote diversity in the classroom. SignUpGenius. https://www.signupgenius.com/School/classroom-activities-to-promote-diversity.cfm

Students will be tasked with making a documentary that highlights a problem in the community, like inaccessibility, homelessness, or evidence of other discrimination. The students will have to gather information about the topic and propose solutions to fixing the issue. This allows students to connect with the issues and bring them to reality.

Hernandez, M. (2016). Social justice projects in the classroom. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-justice-projects-in-classroom-michael-hernandez

This film covers the experiences of three black women who played major roles in the success of NASA. The film discusses racism and gender discrimination in a story fit for high school students. Displaying the stories of the three main characters can open discussion about history and how it is often whitewashed.

Melfi, T. (2016). Hidden figures. [Film]. Fox 2000 Pictures.

This book discusses gender stereotypes in a kid-friendly way. The book includes pictures of kids of all genders and races participating in activities together. The book does not specify activities as masculine or feminine, encouraging students to participate regardless of the gendered stereotypes.

Pearlman, R. (2021). Pink is for boys. Running Press Kids.

Students make decisions about how to respond to scenarios they may encounter. Students choose if they would ignore the situation, say something, fight back, etc. based on scenarios like bullying, fighting, or exclusion. Students can learn about the experiences of their classmates by asking questions that pertain to the culture of your classroom or city.

Welcoming Schools. (n.d.). Making decisions: Ally or bystander. Human Rights Campaign Foundation. https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/welcoming-schools/documents/WS_Lesson_Ally_or_Bystander.pdf?mtime=20200713131904&focal=none

This anthology contains stories from and about various members of the LGBTQ community. The stories are not focused on gender as the main topic, serving more as representation for students. By including this book in a classroom library, students can see how members of the LGBTQ community can be included in stories.

Locke, K. & Melleby, N. (2023). This is our rainbow. Yearling.