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Writing a Bill

Lesson Plan
Close up on a notary public hand signing a document
Civics Lesson GRADE LEVEL: High School How Do I Write a Bill? When a change in the law is desired, whether at the community, state, or national level, people need to understand the processes of making that desired change, a bill, into a law. Submitting a bill for consideration by the legislature involves writing, revising and sharing bills with a focus on passing them in a Senate hearing. About the Lesson Plan In this lesson, students will brainstorm to identify changes they…
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The Supreme Court and the Right to Marry

Lesson Plan
John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney during a Marriage Equality Rally stand in front of the U.S. Supreme Court
Civics Lesson GRADE LEVEL: High School What Were the Multiple Perspectives of the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court Based on During the Repeal of DOMA? According to the Supreme Court Decision, Who Has the Right to Marry? What Assurances Do We Have that the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are Able to Be Non-partisan and Avoid Bias When Deciding a Case?   The Judicial branch of the U.S. government is headed by the Supreme Court. This court analyzes and judges cases…
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What is the Electoral College and Why Is it Controversial?

Tools and Strategies
Electoral College Map Numbers by State in the U.S.
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current EventsThe Electoral College is an election topic that inspires confusion, controversy and conflict. Many people know that the Electoral College is part of the Presidential election process but may be unsure about its importance and how it works. In the early days of our country’s formation, deciding on the process for electing a U.S. President was a controversial topic. Some suggested that Congress should choose the President. Others…
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Studying the Holocaust

Lesson Plan
Jews Forcibly Pulled Out of Dugouts, 1943
Echoes & Reflections is dedicated to reshaping the way that teachers and students understand, process and navigate the world through the events of the Holocaust. They partner with educators to help them introduce students to the complex themes of the Holocaust and to understand its lasting effect on the world. GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening This unit introduces students to the Holocaust by providing a…
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Books Matter™: The Power of Children's Literature

Article
Kids Reading Books
Anyone who has ever read to or with a child—parent, family member, teacher or friend—knows books leave lasting impressions. Beyond the educational benefits, books have the power to instill empathy, affirm, teach, transport and inspire action. Books matter. EmpathyIn exposing children to other people’s stories and the motivations and feelings behind those narratives, children begin to connect with others on an emotional level, which is the foundation for bridging differences…
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7 Engaging Picture Books about Voting and Elections

Tools and Strategies
Collage of books about voting and elections
September 17, 2020 Talking with young children about voting and elections can open doors to conversations about fairness, democracy, citizenship and participation. As children grow, it is critical to help them understand how government works, the importance of civic participation and how voting is a key way to make your voice and your opinions heard. These picture books, some fiction and some non-fiction, provide discussion starters about voting, equity, gender, race,…
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Gaining Momentum: Lobbying for Change

Lesson Plan
Young woman shakes hands at interview
Civics Lesson GRADE LEVEL: High School How Do Lobbyists Impact the Democratic Process? What are Effective Ways of Lobbying? How Might I Lobby for My Bill?   “Lobbying” is an effort by individuals and groups to influence government decisions and actions, and specifically the writing of laws. Lobbying can take different forms including writing letters, making phone calls to legislators and meeting with people in the administration. As student activism in…
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Online Poll Results Provide New Insights into Incel Community

Article
September 10, 2020 If someone touched your mouth with her mouth voluntary you are not an incel. If you had unpaid sex you are not an incel If you had a relationship you are not an incel. This forum is full or trolls or fakecells. (post on incels.co responding to poll results)      Incels, or involuntary celibates, are probably the most infamous segment of the “manosphere” – the online morass of misogyny that includes…
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ADL’s Global 100 Survey: What Does it Actually Say about Muslim Attitudes toward Jews?

Article
September 09, 2020 By David Andrew Weinberg ADL’s Global 100 survey is one our greatest tools for measuring, assessing and fighting antisemitism.  First launched in 2014, this unique study documented levels of public acceptance of antisemitic beliefs in 100 countries around the world, and we have since updated it with follow-up surveys in many of these countries in 2015, 2017, and, most recently, in 2019. One outcome from the survey that has received particular attention was…
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Survey of U.S. College Students Shows Holocaust Education is Effective in Building Empathy, Tolerance and Open Mindedness

Press Release
Survivor Testimony Has Profound Impact on Students New York, NY, September 8, 2020 – A new national survey shows that Holocaust education in high school reflects gains not only in historical knowledge but also manifests in cultivating more empathetic, tolerant, and engaged students. The results also indicate that exposure to Holocaust survivor testimony is strongly associated with numerous positive outcomes in early adulthood including higher critical thinking skills and a greater sense…
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Let’s Talk about Voting!

Tools and Strategies
Hands hold a piece of paper with the message "Your Vote Matters"
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current EventsIn its simplest terms, voting is an act of expressing your opinion. Whether you participate in a poll, take an online survey or vote in the Presidential election, you are expressing an opinion or point of view with your vote. Merriam Webster defines voting as “to express one's views in response to a poll” or “to express an opinion.” In political elections, people vote for a variety of offices and laws. This includes…
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BitChute: A Hotbed of Hate

Article
bitchute
August 31, 2020 Under the guise of anti-censorship and free speech, video-hosting service BitChute has become a hotbed for violent, conspiratorial and hate-filled video propaganda, and a recruiting ground for extremists. BitChute founder Ray Vahey’s concept for the platform came from, in his words, “seeing the increased levels of censorship by the large social media platforms in the last couple of years. Bannings, demonetization, and tweaking algorithms to send…
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ideas for Educators

Tools and Strategies
U.S. Army South Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Flags
National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the achievements, contributions, culture, and history of Hispanic and Latin American people. The month-long celebration begins on September 15 commemorating the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. The 2025 theme for National Hispanic Heritage Month…
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Lead with Empathy, Teach with Anti-Bias

Article
Teaching High School Students in a Classroom During COVID-19
by: Scotland Nash August 26, 2020 Now more than ever, we need to build the capacity for empathy and compassion with our students and school communities.   The health crisis of COVID-19 highlighted again the racial disparities across the country. The racial violence embodied in the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and George Floyd re-ignited our understanding of the systemic racism that plagues our nation.  We can’t deny the staggering statistics that…
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Intolerant Responses to the UAE Peace Deal

Article
Intolerant REsponses
August 20, 2020 By David Andrew Weinberg Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced a historic agreement on August 13th to move toward full normalization of relations, the first such accord between the State of Israel and an Arab state since 1994.  However, peace always has its opponents, and this agreement is no exception. Whenever Israel and Arab governments take important steps to engage and reconcile with each other, extremists throughout the region routinely demonize both…
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ADL Partners with Bites Media to Launch New Anti-Bias Civics Curriculum for High School

Press Release
Curriculum is available free to high schools across the U.S. New York, NY, August 19, 2020 ... Every generation can lay claim to the shared experience of a divided nation. Yet many young people, especially Gen Z, are learning about polarization in today’s society through a barrage of soundbites, headlines and social media posts. This means that, now more than ever there is a critical need, as evident in the latest NAEP Civics Assessment, for young people to learn how to participate…
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QAnon Conspiracies on Facebook Could Prompt Real-World Violence

Article
QAnon
August 13, 2020 As Facebook continues to grapple with hate speech and violent extremism across the platform, QAnon conspiracy theorists are using public and private Facebook pages and groups to spread disinformation, racism, and thinly veiled incitement to violence. QAnon, the wide-reaching conspiracy theory popular among a range of right-wing extremists and supporters of President Trump, follows an anonymous personality “Q.” Followers of Q believe a pedophiliac global elite…
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The El Paso Attack, One Year Later: Extremist Threat Remains High

Article
July 31, 2020 On August 3, 2019, white supremacist Patrick Crusius’ deadly shooting spree at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, took the lives of 23 people and injured 23 more, making it one of the deadliest domestic terror attacks and deadliest hate crimes in U.S. history. It was also the most horrific attack against the Hispanic community in the U.S. in modern memory. In the twelve months since El Paso, right-wing extremists have not carried out any deadly mass shooting attacks –…
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Addressing Anti-Immigrant Bias in Times of Uncertainty Confirmation

Webinar
Preteen girl excluded from group struggles with loneliness
Presenters: Julia Chang Wang and Kathy Lu, Immigrant History Initiative; Adam Strom, Re-imagining Migration; Andrea Neighbors, Smithsonian Asian American Pacific Center; and Deb Chad, ADL Education This webinar highlights resources and strategies for educators to help address the wave of anti-immigrant and anti-Asian bias that has spread with the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar addresses: Why is this important? What is the impact on young people, those who are targeted,…
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