Missouri Department of Elementary
Color Your Community
Eighth graders work together to come up with a topic for a service learning project that engages all members of the school community. Groups then develop a dialogue and visit other classrooms to encourage other students to participate....
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My Name Is Osama
Young scholars read a short story about a young Iraqi boy, which opens up classroom discussion about the difficulties some immigrant students face, especially in the days after September 11.
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What's Fair?
Students investigate the concept of fairness. In this fairness lesson, students discuss fairness and how different people view it in different ways. They read stories which deal with fair and unfair.
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School Lunches: Cultural Relevancy in the Cafeteria
Students explore ethnic diversity. In this tolerance activity, students discuss the food choices in their school cafeteria and determine how the menu may limit choices for those of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
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My Brother Martin
Class members experience discrimination first hand. As pupils enter the room, some are given a piece of candy. Then the entire group listens to a reading of Christine Farris King's, My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers, and discusses...
Teaching Tolerance
The Power of Words: Normative Sexuality
High schoolers collect newspaper articles which discuss societies who enforce heterosexuality. They brainstorm how heterosexuality is enforced in their community. They answer questions to end the instructional activity.
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Explore Cultural Diversity Through Art
Explore cultural diversity and build tolerance. Learners view art representing various cultures by Canadian painters. (Adapt with images or artists that reflect your demographics.) The class creates a collage or mural depicting cultural...
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Gay, Lesbian Speakers: Teaching Tolerance To Intolerant
Students research what has happened in other high schools with gay or lesbian speakers. They survey students about what they believe the issues are in school.Students present a proposal for a speaker on this topic to the appropriate...
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Tolerance: Words that Hurt/Words that Heal
Students "role-play" the part of a person who says unkind things and are photographed while doing so. They then act out a story about making friends. They practice saying kind things and are photographed. Word bubbles are added...
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People are People
Explore human diversity in this human rights lesson. Middle schoolers compare novels, speeches, videos, and short stories that promote diversity and basic human rights. They complete daily coursework as they read the selected literature...
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Comparing Cultural Holidays
Students discover facts about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. In this compare and contrast activity, students explore Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Students create an alter to memorialize a family member or friend that has...
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Test Yourself for Hidden Bias
Students examine their own hidden bias. In this diversity instructional activity, students link to an Internet website to test their own stereotypes and prejudices. Students discuss how bias is perpetuated in society and determine what...
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The Only Boy in the Ballet Class
Students discuss kindness and how to treat others. In this kindness lesson plan, students listen to the story The Only Boy in the Ballet Class by Denise Gruska. The teacher draws the main character and every time that he receives a put...
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Sticks and Stones
Students explore bullying. For this character development lesson, students discuss verbal and nonverbal bullying. Using the "sticks and stones" adage, students write a sentence describing a hurtful act on a gray piece of paper, crumple...
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The Rights of the Child
Students create a set of rights that promote safety and tolerance at the school site. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students read the U.N. Declaration on Rights of the Child. Student presenters lead a discussion of these rights and have...
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CDs: Creating Direction
Students articulate a direction about prejudice through text and images via a CD album cover. In this prejudice instructional activity, students view images for prejudice from various sources. Students brainstorm words that contribute to...
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Who Are the Arab Americans?
Students explore the concept of diversity. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students take a quiz titled "Who Are the Arab Americans?" and then use the quiz as a lens through which to discuss misperceptions regarding Arab Americans....
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Creating Identity Posters
Learners discover the identities of their classmates. In this tolerance lesson, students create individual posters showcasing their identity, history, and family background. Learners examine the posters to get a better understanding of...
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Respecting Diversity- The Road to Tolerance
Students use a graphic organizer to find similarities and differences in three religions. In this prejudice lesson plan, students understand the events leading up to the holocaust. Students understand that people who respected diversity...
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Respecting Nonreligious People
Help students understand what an atheist is and why it is important or respect their beliefs. Using this non believers lesson, students will learn about people who hold different beliefs are discriminated against by others. They will...
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Is There a Stone in My Soup?
Students understand that people treat people differently sometimes because they are different.In this mutual respect and lesson, students discuss the need for positive change and how they can be a part of that. Students survey others,...
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Happy Faces
Students demonstrate empathy. In this character education instructional activity, students read the book Alexander and the Horrible No Good Very Bad Day and discuss examples of bad days they have experienced. Students are given happy...
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Bibliotherapy - Prejudice
Students read and answer questions based on One Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes. In this tolerance lesson, students record their feelings and reflections during discussion of the book. Students create a dress using their own ideas.
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What do Stories Share?
Learners examine the philanthropic themes of two books. In this moral values and writing instructional activity, students complete a Venn diagram comparing the books Leo, the Late Bloomer and Thank You, Mr. Falker. The learners discuss...