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From Selma to Ferguson: Standing Together for Justice

Article
We March With Selma
March 02, 2015 What do you know about the events in Selma, Alabama in the 1960’s? What part of that history speaks to you? This year marks the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. In the history books, we know this as Bloody Sunday, where 600 peaceful protestors were met with brutality. As events unfolded, the media captured photos and film of what would later become the impetus for thousands to become a part of the movement. Dr. King and his followers…
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Bittersweet Freedom

Article
by: Lorraine Array January 22, 2015 "After Auschwitz, the human condition is not the same, nothing will be the same." - Elie Wiesel   January 27th marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau Concentration Camp by the Russian army at the end of World War II.  For those who were able to survive the horrors of Auschwitz, finally hearing the words “We’re free! We’re free!” echoing across the camp barracks must have seemed…
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Beyond the Dream, Teaching King in Context

Article
Martin Luther King Hand Raised
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, January 16, and many educators will take the opportunity to teach about King and his enormous contributions to our society. As educators, how we approach the teaching of this holiday makes an impact on how students understand the larger context of the Civil Rights Movement and whether they make a connection between the past struggles to the current day and their own lives. Here are some thoughts about teaching the topic in a meaningful way…
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Bring Malala, Ferguson, Unaccompanied Minors and Ebola into the Classroom

Article
by: Oren Segal December 17, 2014 Malala.  Ferguson. Immigration. Ebola. Voter ID Laws. Climate Change.  These are just a few of the topics teachers are regularly and actively bringing into their classrooms.   Whether they teach English, Social Studies, Advisory or another subject and whether they have five minutes or decide to do a week- long study, teachers know that topics in the news will engage and interest students in a deep and meaningful way.  Research…
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Mo'Ne Davis and Gender Stereotypes

Lesson Plan
Mo'Ne Davis Little League World Series Baseball Pitch
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Speaking and Listening The First Girl to Pitch a Shutout in the Little League World Series In 2014 Mo’Ne Davis, a 13-year-old girl, made news headlines as the first girl to ever pitch a shutout in the Little League World series. At that time she was considered the “most talked about baseball player on earth right now” according to many observers in the sports world. Mo’Ne (pronounced Moh-nay…
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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…
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Beyond Ferguson and Staten Island: Where Do We Go From Here?

Article
by: Oren Segal December 05, 2014 In the wake of two grand jury decisions—in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island, NY—not to indict the police officers who were involved in the killing of black men, the time has come to ask ourselves: Where do we go from here? There are a myriad of ideas and legislation on the table--diversity training for the police, funding to provide body cameras for police officers and legislation to tighten standards on military-style equipment for local police…
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How Do I Create a Bias-Free Learning Environment?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers The early childhood program environment should look and feel welcoming for all children and should reflect the diverse world in which we live. In addition to being bright, colorful, safe and clean, it should include children’s artwork and show the diversity of the world through the program’s abundant supply of age-appropriate toys, dolls, books, magazines , pictures and musical instruments…
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Winter Holidays: December Dilemma or Teaching Opportunity?

Tools and Strategies
Candles in the Dark
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Winter is a festive time of year because so many holidays are celebrated by people from different religions, cultures and races. We spend time with family and friends, connect with our faith or culture, give and receive gifts and enjoy special foods and treats. However, this time of year—especially in schools and whether it's in-person, online or hybrid—can be a time where some children can feel uncomfortable, excluded, insulted…
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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…
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70+ Years Later: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education

Lesson Plan
Brown v. Board of Education School Segregation Protest
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Speaking and Listening, Language “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” These are the words of the landmark Supreme Court decision on May 17, 1954 that declared segregated schools unconstitutional. More than seventy years later, even though much progress has been made, there are…
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Who Am I? Identity Poems

Lesson Plan
Elementary School Students Group Standing
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Language Using Poetry to Teach about Identity Reading and writing poetry can provide an opening for young people to explore the various aspects of their identity, including their name, race and ethnicity, physical characteristics and more. April is National Poetry Month, a good opportunity to explore poetry with your students. Because poetry does not require strict sentence structure or the usual grammar rules…
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Embracing Technology, Challenging Cyberbullying

Article
by: Oren Segal July 29, 2014 If you have been reviewing any number of parenting or education blogs lately, you’ll see headlines proclaiming the menace and dangers of technology.  Technology, and more specifically, social media and mobile apps are often treated like “monsters” to guard against and the creators of all matter of social ills.  Even if technology is scary and daunting to some adults, for youth it is a necessary and positive part of life.  In…
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Teachers Teasing Youth is No Joke, It’s Bullying

Article
by: Mark Onofrio March 17, 2014 A teacher raises his hand in A World of Difference® Institute training and says, "I like to kid around with my students." He says, "I like to have fun in my class so they are more likely to come to me when they need help."   He calls one student his “favorite Mexican,” another student “Dopey” and the only African-American student “MLK” (short for Martin Luther King Jr.) This well-intentioned…
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Women's History Month Resources

Tools and Strategies
Women's History Month Resources
Use these resources to honor women around the world, explore women’s achievements and struggles throughout history, and acknowledge women’s contributions to our society.
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Stereotyped Theme Parties Are Way More than a Joke on College Campuses

Article
by: Oren Segal February 26, 2014   It happened again. College students dressed up like members of a “culture” for a stereotyped theme party. In the most recent example, sorority students at Columbia University were photographed wearing sombreros, thick mustaches, ponchos and holding maracas. They also portrayed other nationalities. What’s worse is that these types of parties are not anomalies, but common occurrences on college campuses. African-themed…
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Incident at University of Mississippi Concerns Racism

Letter
February 21, 2014 Daniel W. Jones, M.D. Chancellor The University of Mississippi Dear Chancellor Jones: We are writing to express our deep concern about the recent incident at the University of Mississippi in which two unidentified men placed a noose around the neck of the statue of James Meredith, the school’s first black student.  There have reportedly been other recent incidences of troubling acts of homophobia and racism. College is a unique and special time in a young person…
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