ADL Logo
ADL Logo

93 Results

8 Ideas for Teaching National Hispanic Heritage Month

Lesson Plan
Extended Latino Family in Park
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Language, Speaking and Listening Commemorating National Hispanic Heritage Month In commemoration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we present this resource to help teachers engage students in thinking broadly and critically about the Hispanic American experience in all of its complexity. In highlighting the significant events as well as people that have made a substantial contribution…
Read more about 8 Ideas for Teaching National Hispanic Heritage Month

Name-Calling on the Campaign Trail and in the Schoolyard

Article
Schoolyard Bullies
June 20, 2016 This is not the first presidential election where candidates have engaged in name-calling and put-downs. Throughout history, name-calling has been used on the campaign trail to label, define and control the public’s perception of rivals. However, this year’s campaign is widely regarded as unparalleled in the degree and regularity of the put-downs. From “Low Energy Jeb” to “Crooked Hillary,” “Crazy Bernie,” “Insecure…
Read more about Name-Calling on the Campaign Trail and in the Schoolyard

Biking—and Walking—to Fight Hate

Article
by: David Robbins May 11, 2016 Ed Blumenthal is fighting anti-Semitism and hate with everything he’s got—including his legs. His late father, Ernie Blumenthal, escaped from Nazi Vienna in 1938, but luckily found a home in Philadelphia. His grandfather barely escaped some time later. To honor the memory of his father, who died recently from pancreatic cancer, and to raise awareness of that illness and of anti-Semitism and hate, Ed rode his bike from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, a…
Read more about Biking—and Walking—to Fight Hate

Labeling Behavior, Not People

Article
Definition of Language image
May 03, 2016 With 22% of students ages 12 – 18 years old currently reporting having been a target of bullying, concerns about bullying in schools have motivated hundreds of books to be written and a wide variety of programs to be designed and implemented with the goal of turning the tide of bullying. Many of these books and programs aim to change the behavior of “bullies.” And herein lies one of the problems that makes it so challenging to change the dynamic of bullying. …
Read more about Labeling Behavior, Not People

Respect is a Summer Camp Essential

Tools and Strategies
Summer Camp Diverse Kids Sitting on Grass
A Guide for Counselors and Camp Administrators For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Summer camp is a wonderful time in children’s lives when they get to spend time outdoors, meet new people, have novel experiences and gain insight into themselves. There are about 12,000 day and resident camps in the U.S. and each year more than 11 million children and adults attend camp. According to an American Camp Association (ACA) report, parents cite the following reasons as the…
Read more about Respect is a Summer Camp Essential

6 Ways to Be an Ally (In English and en Español)

Tools and Strategies
Female and Male Students Holding Cellphones Debating
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers | For Students Here are some simple things you can do to be an ally to targets of name-calling and bullying. And remember—always think about your safety first when deciding the best way to respond. 1. Support targets, whether you know them or not.Show compassion and encouragement to those who are the targets of bullying behavior by asking if they’re okay, going with them to get help and letting them know you are there for them…
Read more about 6 Ways to Be an Ally (In English and en Español)

Finding the Balance: Countering Extremism and Combating Stereotypes

Tools and Strategies
High School Students Group Discussion
Young people are exposed to discussions of extremism every day through social media, news and overheard conversations between adults. As an educators, the topic can be challenging to teach because the situation is always changing and evolving and worse--classroom conversations can themselves lead to stereotyping, bias and bigotry when discussing perpetrators, targets and victims.  The following resources will help you teach about extremism while ensuring that the…
Read more about Finding the Balance: Countering Extremism and Combating Stereotypes

ADL Poll: Record Numbers of Israeli Youth Experience Anti-Semitism on Social Media and Online

Press Release
Jerusalem, February 24, 2016 … Nearly four in every five teenagers living in the State of Israel have encountered anti-Semitism on social media and online, the highest level recorded in three years, according to a new survey of Israeli Jewish teens released today by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The poll of 500 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18, conducted in Hebrew by the Israeli polling company Geocartography, found that record numbers of Israeli youths are being exposed to…
Read more about ADL Poll: Record Numbers of Israeli Youth Experience Anti-Semitism on Social Media and Online

ADL Commends Department of Education’s Renewed Commitment to Prevent Bullying and Harassment

Press Release
New York, NY, January 5, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed a Department of Education (DoE) letter sent to school districts and colleges and universities across the country which reminded them of their obligations to prohibit discrimination based on actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin. The “Dear Colleague” letter calls for schools to ensure safe spaces for students especially “at risk” during these times – including…
Read more about ADL Commends Department of Education’s Renewed Commitment to Prevent Bullying and Harassment

Now More Than Ever: Why We Need to Address Inequity and Justice in Schools

Article
Diverse Students Holding Sign, "Can We Talk About Equity"
October 28, 2015 We live in an increasingly pluralistic, multicultural and connected world. In order to prepare students to live, learn and eventually work successfully in society, we need to prepare them.  Diversity in the United States is rapidly increasing, especially among young people entering our school system. 2014 was the first school year when more children of color were enrolled in U.S. public schools than white children. However, the diversity of our teaching force is…
Read more about Now More Than Ever: Why We Need to Address Inequity and Justice in Schools

Voting Rights Then and Now

Lesson Plan
American Voters Stand in Line
GRADE LEVEL: High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Racial Discrimination and Safeguarding the Right to Vote In August 2015, we commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. The Voting Rights Act is landmark federal legislation that was enacted during the Civil Rights Movement and was intended to prevent racial discrimination in voting. Prior to that, even though Black…
Read more about Voting Rights Then and Now

Why Is It Important to Teach Young Children to Appreciate Diversity?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Although children are not born with prejudice, by early childhood they have already acquired stereotypes or negative attitudes toward those that they perceive as “others.” An article in The Buffalo News reports that about 85 percent of the brain develops between ages 3 and 5, and that impressions and ideas formed between ages 2 and 4 are lasting (Lessons in Respect, 2003). Researchers tracking the…
Read more about Why Is It Important to Teach Young Children to Appreciate Diversity?

How Can Outdoor Play Increase Children’s Anti-Bias Skills?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Children’s outdoor play offers many opportunities to teach and reinforce anti-bias behavior. To get you started, incorporate some of the below tips excerpted from Bias-Free Foundations: Early Childhood Activities for Educators (2005, 28): Take advantage of these opportunities by helping children to learn skills such as taking turns, sharing toys and inviting new children to play. For example,…
Read more about How Can Outdoor Play Increase Children’s Anti-Bias Skills?

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Civil Rights: Relevancy for Today

Lesson Plan
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr March on DC
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, History/Social Studies In commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this curriculum for grades 3–12 provides grade-specific lessons, resources and extension activities to provide your students opportunities to examine civil rights in the United States past and present. The lessons provide an opportunity for students to delve deeper into Martin Luther King Jr…
Read more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Civil Rights: Relevancy for Today

Identity-Based Bullying

Lesson Plan
Girl Student in Class Being Bullied
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School, Middle School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Writing, Speaking & Listening SEL STANDARDS*: Self Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making Bullying is a major problem in our schools. When it targets aspects of a person’s identity, it is called identity-based bullying, and may include bias about appearance, race, culture, gender and gender expression, language, religion, socioeconomic status,…
Read more about Identity-Based Bullying

National Bullying Prevention Month

Tools and Strategies
Pupils Friends Teasing a Pupil Standing Alone
October is National Bullying Prevention Month National Bullying Prevention Month is an opportunity to reflect on the classroom and school culture and assess the extent to which bullying is part of that culture. It is a time to examine best practices when it comes to creating respectful school environments that foster inclusion and respect. The large body of research on effective responses to name-calling and bullying concurs that schools and other educational institutions can best…
Read more about National Bullying Prevention Month