Age Activities
Teach an adult how to read. Visit a local senior center and collect oral histories. Have a fund raiser to donate large-print materials and
books on tape. Read a fairy tale to a little kid.
Ask them questions and get to know them. Have a group discussion with your friends about
stereotypes kids face today, and whether or not you think they are true.
Child Abuse Prevention Services
http://www.kidsafe-caps.org/ Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS) is
a not for profit, volunteer organization to respond to the growing problem of child abuse and neglect on Long Island, New York.
Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.org/missingkids/servlet/PublicHomeServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US
This site provides information on if you sight a person who is missing and how to report if a person is missing
There is also plenty of legal information for the parents and families of missing children
Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrendefense.org/ Nationally recognized advocate for children's
rights. The mission of the children’s defense fund is to
leave no child behind and to ensure every child a healthy start, head start, fair start, safe start, and moral start in life and successful passage into adulthood with the help of caring families and communities
Helping Children
http://www.helpforkids.com/ This site helps children of divorce and adopted
children with emotional problems There are video training tapes and a clinical
therapy program
Age Discrimination in the Workplace
http://clem.mscd.edu/~steinhas/ This web site is designed to help
students, businesses and organizations learn about preventing age discrimination, successfully managing an age diverse workforce and increasing productivity by effectively utilizing older workers.
Religion
Develop a school/classroom calendar that respects and celebrates religious diversity
Attend a variety of churches, synagogues, and temples to learn about different faiths
Inform the class on the facts behind atheistic groups and Scientific Pantheism, and discuss some feelings and responses the students would like to share.
Read Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, and discuss feelings on religious persecution, and the effects the holocaust had on Jews.
Organize a non-denominational prayer service to hold before school one a month.
Facts About Religious Discrimination
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-relig.html This website goes over facts regarding
religious discrimination Talks about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 Mostly talks about employment discrimination
Religion Watch
http://www.religionwatch.com/ A newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary
religion How religion really affects, and is affected by,
the wider society unique because it focuses on long-range
developments that lead to, and result from, world current events
Religion Online
religion online Overview of several religions, teachings and
writings Topics include Old and New Testament,
Theology, Ethics, History and Sociology of Religion, Communication and Cultural Studies, Pastoral Care, Counseling, Homiletics, Worship, Missions and Religious Education.
Eliminating Religious Intolerance
http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/88-0217.htm "All religions teach that we should love one
another; that we should seek out our own shortcomings before we presume to condemn the faults of others; that we must not consider ourselves superior to our neighbors.“
welcome initiatives designed to increase respect for different beliefs and understanding among religions
Religious Movements Homepage:The Amish
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/amish.html
This website profiles the Amish giving the history of Amish people and their beliefs
There is also a section dedicated to current controversies regarding Amish people
Class Activities
List all the stereotypes you can concerning classes – positive and negative- Are these stereotypes reflected in your actions?
Have a “first class first?” discussion, on whether or not class first class passengers on “The Titanic” should have had a priority rescue.
Listen to songs like “Factory” by Bruce Springsteen, “Mr.Wendal” by Arrested Development, and “Seek Up” by Dave Matthews Band.” Discuss the messages you think the artists are trying to get across in the song.
Organized a school food drive to distribute to homeless people in your local community.
Volunteer for a local Habitat for Humanity organization to help build a house for a needy family.
National Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ Our mission is to end homelessness There are sections for breaking news, hot topics, and
“did you know?” There are many other links provided to explore
different directions– What’s new– Alerts– Facts about Homelessness– Personal experiences
ERIC- Poverty and Learning
http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/digests/digest083.html
A site that helps in the effort to offset the profound difficulties children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds encounter when they enter our public schools.
Talks about how many children are living in poverty, the costs, and what is being done
Commission on Homelessness & Poverty
http://www.abanet.org/homeless/home.html Developing policies and resources that will
help enhance pro bono (homeless programs) Educating members of the bar and the public
to legal and other problems of poor and homeless people and ways in which lawyers can assist in solving or ameliorating them
National Low Income Housing Coalition
http://www.nlih.org/ Study that shows the problems with housing Dedicated to ending America’s affordable
housing crisis
Gender Activities
Organize a girls sports day for sports that girls do not have at your school. Conduct a “diaper equity” survey of local establishments. Commend
managers who provide changing tables in men’s as well as women’s restrooms.
Write a few paragraphs about some childhood memories, and what it meant to be a “boy” or a “girl.” Who sent these messages to you, and how do you feel about them today?
Listen to the songs “Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure, “I’m Just a Girl” by No Doubt, and “Shaking the Tree” by Peter Gabriel. Have students discuss their reactions and interpretations on these songs about oppressed men and women.
Visit a local women’s center and discover issues that many women are forced to deal with daily. Discuss the things that surprised the male students, as well as female students.
Men’s Issue Page
http://www.menweb.org/throop/index.html Our mission is to cover the several
men's movements This website deals with abuse, false rape and
molestation, battered men, physical health, and fatherhood among other things
Gender Shock
http://www.ifge.org/books/gender_shock.htm Exploding the Myths of Male and Female Latest research in psychology, genetics,
neurology, and sociology Looking through three lenses of gender identity
- behavior, appearance, and science
The Fatherhood Project
http://www.fatherhoodproject.org/ national research and education project that is
examining the future of fatherhood and developing ways to support men’s involvement in child rearing
longest-running national initiative on fatherhood
UTM- Women's/Gender Studies program
http://www.erin.utoront.ca/~w3wgs/ Designed to give students an appreciation
of theories, issues, and methods relevant to the study of women and gender
Promote increased awareness among men and women
Celebrating Women’s Achievements
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/2/12/index-e.html This site focuses on womens achievements in
various areas– Arts– Sports– Activism– Science– Politics
Language Activities
Learn some American Sign Language, or at least the alphabet. Learn to say “I love you” in five different languages. Visit a local ethnic restaurant and try ordering food using the
authentic names. Ask your server about correct pronunciations and definitions.
Invite a bilingual adult of teenager to talk with the class about the challenges they have face in their community.
Invite a foreign exchange student to talk with the class about their culture, and have them share a few common phrases from their native language.
Translations
http://translation.langenberg.com/ This site can be used to help translate words,
phrases, and web pages in English, German, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and others.
National Directory of Early Foreign Language
http://www.cal.org/ericcll/earlyfl/ Provides public and private elementary and
middle schools in the United States and provide foreign language studies before grade seven
Helping the World Communicate
http://www.conversa1.com/ Whether you need an intensive week-long
course in Spanish, or just a business card translated into Japanese, Conversation Language Center can help - quickly and efficiently.
Online you can watch videos or take class or just have something translated
Central Institute for the Deaf
http://www.cid.wustl.edu/ A unique network of resources central to
knowledge and the progressive treatment of adult and childhood deafness.
Serve people with hearing loss Deals with your children, current research, and
testing/interpreters
Hyperlexia and Language Disorders
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/9402/ This site provides information on Hyperlexia
and other language disorders There are also links for you to explore things in
other directions
Race/Ethnicity Activities
Create a mural about cultural composition and heritage in your community.
Create a bilingual (or multilingual) calendar highlighting school and community activities.
Invite bilingual students to give morning announcements on the PA system in their home language.
Start a pen pal program to get in touch with students in different parts of the community, world, or country.
Hold a “diversity potluck” lunch in your classroom. Encourage students to bring in dishes that reflect their cultural heritage.
Countries and Cultures
http://www.coe.uf/.edu/courses/EdTech/Vault/Bearstone/Bearstone.html
Links to provide information on different countries and cultures
Allows people to learn about the customs and history of their ancestors
Eating Lessons From the Past
http://www.plainhealth.net/Health/Weight/lessons.htm
Talks about early nutrition, traditional diets, and lessons from the past
Link to contemporary diets
Interracial Voice
http://www.webcom.com/~intvoice/add_site.html
Promote tolerance of diversity through education
Dedicated to special interests of the mixed race interracial community
Corporate Diversity Search Inc.
http://www.corpdiversitysearch.com/ Specializes in placement of women and
minorities into professions Links for career opportunities
General Activities
Have students pick a partner and discuss their definitions and expectations of “respect.” This can be used as a basis for all later discussions.
Work toward bringing the stories of individuals to the fore in the multicultural experience. Have participants write and share stories about their names and nicknames, what they mean, why they were given them, and how they relate to them.
Explore definitions. language is a vital aspect of multicultural education and awareness. Participants discuss how they define words such as prejudice, discrimination, racism, sexism, classism and homophobia.
Assign kids to go to www.DoSomething.org and select an activity they find interesting. Assign the activity and a reaction paper.
Invite guest speakers to your class who represent diversity in gender, race and ethnicity, even if the topic itself does not deal with multi-cultural or diversity issues.
Celebrating Women’s Achievements
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/2/12/index-e.html This site focuses on womens achievements in
various areas– Arts– Sports– Activism– Science– Politics
UTM- Women's/Gender Studies program
http://www.erin.utoront.ca/~w3wgs/ Designed to give students an appreciation
of theories, issues, and methods relevant to the study of women and gender
Promote increased awareness among men and women
The Fatherhood Project
http://www.fatherhoodproject.org/ national research and education project that is
examining the future of fatherhood and developing ways to support men’s involvement in child rearing
longest-running national initiative on fatherhood
Gender Shock
http://www.ifge.org/books/gender_shock.htm Exploding the Myths of Male and Female Latest research in psychology, genetics,
neurology, and sociology Looking through three lenses of gender identity
- behavior, appearance, and science
Men’s Issue Page
http://www.menweb.org/throop/index.html Our mission is to cover the several
men's movements This website deals with abuse, false rape and
molestation, battered men, physical health, and fatherhood among other things
Resources Activities
Test for hidden biases you may have, and read about what you can do about them at http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html
Learn five interesting facts about the city or town you live in. Appreciate your "hometown.“
Use a random system for asking general questions or soliciting class participation so that every student has the same chance of participating.
If a difficult classroom situation arises based on a multicultural or diversity issue (or any difficult, value or judgment-based situation), ask for a time out while everyone writes down his or her thoughts/opinions about the incident. This allows everyone to cool down and allows you to collect your thoughts and plan a response.
Initiate a “Do Something” club, or start a local Key Club chapter at your school to help organize students in various different volunteer activities.
Do Something
http://www.dosomething.org/index.cfm This websites provides ways for you or your
school to get involved in various activities This site gives information on how to start a
“Do Something” club at your own school
Promote Tolerance
http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html
Test for hidden biases you may have, and read about what you can do about them
Provides activities you can do in your school to promote tolerance
Awareness Activities
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activityarch.html
Provides numerous links for teachers including activities and lessons for creating multicultural environments
The Behavior Home Page
http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/homepage.html
Working to make a difference for children with challenging behavior
Provides relevant links to professional organizations you may find helpful in dealing with the difficulties of a child with challenging behavior
I Love Teaching
http://www.iloveteaching.com/ This site has resources for new teachers that
include encouraging words, getting a teaching job, your first classroom, teachers and technology, mentoring teachers, and educational links
Exceptionality Activities
Speak to your guidance counselor about careers/jobs you're interested in. What do you have to do to get there?
Read the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, and discuss the different challenges the gifted character and learning disabled character experience.
Open a book on a desk or table in front of a mirror and ask your students to try to read the text by looking only at the mirror and not the book itself. This activity simulates the challenges learning disabled students experience.
Visit a special education or gifted classroom to discover the similarities and differences these students have with your student’s daily activities. What myths about these classroom were true or not true?
Guide a “Walk in Another Character’s Shoes” activity. Imagine you have a learning disability, or have a gifted intelligence. How would your life have been different today? Would you have been treated differently?
Freak the Mighty
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=41
Lesson plan for “Freak the Mighty” book
Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education
www.ericec.org Provides links for activities for disabled and
gifted children
Gifted Education/Dual Exceptionalities
http://www.ericec.org/gifted/gt-menu.html Provides links to fact sheets, articles, and other
resources regarding gifted education/dual exceptionalities
Gifted Development Center
http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/ A service of the Institute for the Study of
Advanced Development Serves parents, schools, and advocacy groups
with information about identification, assessment, counseling, learning styles, programs, presentations, and resources for gifted children and adults
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
http://www.ucc.uconn.edu/~wwwgt/nrcgt.html Allows you to ask questions Provides educational resource links, online
resources, and videotapes
Disabilities Activities
Organize a class project to improve your school’s compliance American with Disabilities Act
In a group of 4-5, assign each member with a disability such as being blind, unable to talk, loss of use of thumb, and loss of use of thumbs. Instruct the group to construct the highest free-standing structure they can with only drinking straws and scotch tape. Discuss the difficulties they experienced.
Select a volunteer to experience what it is like to have a muscular mobility disability. Place two heavy winter socks on their hands, and instruct them to tie their shoes and button their shirt.
Ask a local organization to donate a few wheelchairs to your classroom for a week. Select a few students each day that must stay in the wheel chair and experience life as a wheelchair bound person. Discuss the obstacles they ran into while in the wheelchair.
Select items to place in a bag that will require the use of many senses to identify. Choose different students to be blindfolded, and ask them to identify an object y using senses other than sight.
Job Accomodation Network
http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is
a free consulting servicethat provides information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the employability of people with disabilities.
Deaf Children in Public Schools
http://www.gallaudet.edu/ Information concerning deaf Children in Public
Schools Placement, Context, and Consequences by Claire L. Ramsey.
Gallaudet University is leading the world in education for dead, hard of hearing, and hearing students.
Attention Deficit Disorders, Hyperactivity & Associated Disorders
http://my.execpc.com/~calliope/ A Handbook for Parents and Professionals
concerning ADD, hyperactivity, and associated disorders.
Preparing Children with Disabilities for School
http://npin.org/library/pre1998/n00170/n00170.html
Information on preparing children with disabilities for the transition from home to school.
Preparing Children with Disabilities for School
http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed340147.html
This digest summarizes information on the roles of the Federal Government, the family,and teachers in preparing young children with disabilities for school.
Sexual Orientation Activities
Write a journal response imagining what your life might be like if you were a person of another gender or sexual orientation. How might “today” have been different?
Listen and read lyrics to song like Rod Stewart’s “The Killing of Georgie” and Indigo Girls, “Shaming of the Sun.” Discuss the meaning of the songs and your feelings about them.
Research “The Kinsey Scale,” a survey and scale reflecting an individual’s human sexual experience. Invite students to take the survey if they are curious.
Co-sponsor an activity with a minority, women's, gay, lesbian, or bisexual focused organization.
Stay silent for a day to demonstrate how the needs of LGBT people have gone unheard for so long, by wearing black and handing out "Day of Silence" cards. The National Day of Silence is April 10th.
Sexual Orientation Discrimination
http://discriminationattorney.com/orientat.html A web site that describes what you can do
when you have been discriminated against because of your sexual orientation
Provides laws regarding discrimination and things you can do if you have been discriminated against
Bisexual Resource Center
http://www.biresource.org/ Access to such resources as the bi-bookstore,
video store, and music store, and access to related links
I Think I Might Be a Lesbian
http://www.youth.org/yao/docs/i-think-article-lesbian.html A Brochure for Young Women Information written by lesbian youth for lesbian youth and
young women questioning their sexuality This addresses issues that women might be
facing when they think they might be a lesbian
Memphis Gay and Lesbian Coalition for Justice
http://www.gaymemphis.com/lgcj/ This site combats laws, policies, and attitudes
that segregate, discrimination. or foster prejudice against people based on sexual orientation
There are links to newsletter, government contacts, or how to get involved