The Coastside Armada Harley Club rolls into Peralta Elementary in Oakland, CA for the Not In Our School Launch Assembly, and students and bikers shatter stereotypes together. When the students learn that one biker likes to play dolls with his daughter, they realize that these bikers aren't so mean and scary after all.
Get the free Assembly Kit here.
Stereotypes and Prejudice
Students at Norwood Junior High School in Sacramento, CA send paper cranes as a symbol of peace and healing to the community of Oak Creek, WI after a deadly hate attack at The Sikh Temple.
Learn more about Oak Creek by viewing the NIOT film Waking in Oak Creek.
Janet Miller, a teacher at Hoover Middle School, said that she was blown away by district-wide statistics that revealed the risk of violence that transgendered youth experience. Moved by the statistics, Miller made an impassioned plea to her colleagues that it was their responsibility to create a safe learning environment for ALL students and that any type of discrimination should not be tolerated.
This lesson addresses the following SEL strategies and you can have students look for these issues and examine them in themselves.
Waking in Oak Creek: A Community Rocked by Hate is Awakened and Transformed
As the Sikh community in Oak Creek, Wisconsin prepares for Sunday prayers, a deadly hate attack shatters their lives, but not their resilience. After six worshipers are killed by a white supremacist, the local community finds inspiration in the Sikh tradition of forgiveness and faith. Lieutenant Murphy, shot 15 times in the attack, joins the mayor and police chief as they forge new bonds with the Sikh community. Young temple members, still grieving, emerge as leaders in the quest to end the violence. In the year following the tragedy, thousands gather for vigils and community events to honor the victims and seek connection. Together, a community rocked by hate is awakened and transformed by the Sikh spirit of relentless optimism.
* Request a free DVD classroom copy of the film by clicking here.
Useful teaching strategies that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards:
Republished from ChampionsofUnity.org. Find the original here.
Charlotta A. Bass stands among the most influential African Americans of the twentieth century. A crusading journalist and extraordinary political activist, she was at the forefront of the civil rights struggles of her time, especially in Los Angeles, but also in California and the nation. Teachers can use Bass as an inspirational example of fighting for non-violence and equality, with the following lesson plan and activity.
Objective: Students will conduct a town hall meeting, create a survey, and interview fellow students regarding violence on campus. Using the information obtained, students will write a Declaration of Non-violence (or whatever topic your group has selected) which will then be presented to the student body for ratification, then to the administration for possible implementation.
The first African-American woman to own and publish a newspaper, The Eagle (later, The California Eagle), Charlotta Bass was a tireless advocate for social change and one of the most influential African-Americans of the 20th century.
Based in Los Angeles, Bass utilized the newspaper as a platform to address issues of race and gender equality, police brutality, and media stereotyping in an era when women and African-Americans were largely being excluded from public discourse.
The son of Filipino immigrants, Laurence Tan was studying to be a doctor when the vision of becoming a teacher presented itself in a dream. Now a fifth grade teacher in Watts, CA, Laurence uses the tool of TEACH to inspire and educate students in an area where opportunities are slim.
Laurence has also helped establish the Watts Youth Collective with former students, an organization that promotes social change through media. Laurence’s 12-hour teaching days and his work with the collective are efforts to produce positive changes in each individual and the community.
This lesson addresses the following Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies and you can have students look for these issues and examine them in themselves.
Self-awareness: Laurence Tan maintains a sense of optimism and belief in the idea that what he does has a positive impact on others, in particular his students and former students. This optimism and confidence drives him to continue to be a positive influence in their lives.
Self-management: Despite the long hours, sometimes 12-hour workdays, Laurence Tan strives to make a difference in his student’s lives by helping them learn to the best of their abilities as well as encourage them to make a change.
Kiki is an extraordinary Sacramento student who, through her perseverance, strong character, and ability to forgive, has been able to celebrate life, finding happiness and success. Ten years ago, Kiki and her sisters were badly burned in a house fire in their native Vietnam that took the life of their mother. Raised by her father after securing treatment in the United States, Kiki and her sisters endured taunts and bullying and were separated when their father died of lung cancer a few years later. They have since been reunited.
However, Kiki does not focus on the pain from her loss. In her own words, "There is of course a part of me that is still hurting, but not from the fire. I'm hurt at the fact that I didn't forgive myself and others earlier...But now I have learned to forgive completely. I'm ready to move on to my next journey in life.”
This lesson addresses the following SEL strategies and you can have students look for these issues and examine them in themselves.
Self-awareness: Kiki recognizes the pain she felt from years of teasing but learns to forgive others and believe in herself.
Self-management: Kiki gains confidence in herself and her abilities and because of this she does not allow hurtful comments to keep her from her dream of going to college.