Diversity Technology Project Joe Miller Heather Thompson Erik Will Mike Yane

Table of Contents GeneralResourcesAge Belief System/Religion ClassExceptionalitiesDisabilitiesGenderLanguageRace/Ethnicity Sexual Orientation

General Diversity

Employment Discrimination Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination: Questions and Answers found on this website.

Centre For Cultural Policy This is a place that offers information on different policies for different cultures

Inclusion Inclusion into regular classrooms is growing every year It is important to know how inclusion works within a school system

Financial Aid Resources Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of student financial aid available through the federal Student Financial Assistance Programs.

General Activities

Activities For General Discrimination Have students fill out job applications and there are only five positions available. Give three free passes. Students will see that the free passes are not fair because their resumes may be better.

Cultural Policy Separate class into to groups. Assign each group a specific culture Have groups interact with each others cultures. Notice cultural differences.

Inclusion Have students close their eyes and try to function in the classroom The students will be able to understand students with disabilities

School Funding Make students watch video on school funding. This will allow students to understand differences between schools.

Financial Aid Separate class into a class systems Make sure students understand that financial aid is available for almost everybody Give money to the class that is poor.

Teaching Resources

Teaching Tolerance Teaching tolerance is a national project helping teachers foster equity

Diversity Training University This organization wants to provide skills that will educate people about diversity. Click on their head quarters to learn more.

Gentle Teaching Approach Non-violence approach for helping children with special needs.

Pathways to School Improvement Schools need to improve yearly to keep up with the technology in society today

Faculty Connection Designed to assist faculty of post- secondary institutions in becoming familiar with issues

Teaching Activities

Have students argue about a topic and allow for heated conversation. Make sure students notice the thoughts that go through their mind. Hate crimes are not acceptable

Diversity Training Have students listen to a guest speaker and take notes. At the end, see if they are ready to accept diversity and not be bias.

Gentle Teaching Have students act out the role of an educator. Let students act out while peer is trying to teach them Students will understand the idea of gentle teaching.

School Improvement Have students use old classroom materials (computers) do not let them use the internet. By the end of the day the students will beg for school to constantly be upgraded.

Faculty Connection Have a guest speaker come in to discuss the issues that are important in the area of school teachers

Age Discrimination

Students will use website to learn more about Older Americans Month They will learn about Administration on Aging and their goals Click the picture for more information Senior Citizens

How Seniors Live Students will visit an assisted living site to learn more about a senior citizens way of life.

Teenagers Students will use website to learn about the issues teenagers are dealing with today. Click the picture for more information

Abstinence Students will learn learn about the importance of waiting to have sex Students will listen to guest speaker on the effects of pre-marital sex

Teenage Pregnancy Students will learn about the seriousness of teenage pregnancy Click the picture for more information

Teenage Pregnancy Simulation Students will understand the responsibility of taking care of a child The egg will simulate a child and students will be fully responsible for it’s well-being

Missing and Exploited Children Students will use website to learn about the missing the exploited children program Click picture for more information

What if you were missing? Students will draw a picture of themselves and paste it onto a milk carton to simulate what it would be like if they were missing

Children Now Students will learn about the Children Now Organization They will discover how the organization helps to establish the well-being of children in America Click picture for more information

Children Across the Country Students will each choose a state and make a graph of their state’s report card on the well- being of children

Beliefs

Middle Eastern Religions Students will learn about the different religions in the Middle East Click the picture for more information

Wars over Religion Each student will choose a middle- eastern country and report to the class on it’s religion Students will notice how many religions spread over state boundaries and why there are so many conflicts in the area

What if there was no God? Students will learn about atheist beliefs Click picture for more information

No God? Students will find a famous person who claims to be an atheist and report their findings to the class

Religious Tolerance Students will discuss the importance of religious tolerance and how it keeps the world at peace Click the picture for more information

Religious Conflict Students will decide which wars have been fought over religion in history. They will have a group discussion to discuss their findings.

Native Americans Students will learn about the different religions of Native American Tribes Click the picture for more information

Indian Spirituality Students will each pick a Native American Tribe and learn about their spiritual beliefs. They will report to class on their findings

Prayer in School Students will learn about the different the effects of prayer in school and why it’s not allowed Click the picture for more information

What do you think? Students will write an essay on their beliefs of prayer in school and share with the class if they wish to

Exceptionalities

ExceptionalityExceptionality links (Gifted) Exceptionality Define “gifted”. What percentage of students are placed in gifted classes? What school programs exist for gifted students? What is mensa and who can be a member?

Myths about gifted children There is a myth that gifted children are better adjusted, more popular, and happier than average children. The challenging reality is that more frequently, nearly the opposite is true. For most gifted children, childhood is more pleasurable and more fulfilling because they derive joy from challenge and reward from work. At the same time, it is a childhood that is more painful, more isolated, and more stressful because they do not fit in with their peers and they set high expectations.

Institute for Educational Advancement What is it? Mission The Institute for Educational Advancement is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our nation's most talented young people to identify and develop their fullest potential. Philosophy The Institute focuses its attention on creating and supporting educational practices and policies that are student-centered and that promote academic rigor, high standards, excellence in the arts and educational innovation.

Goals To achieve our mission, the Institute will: Serve as a catalyst for identifying and implementing the best practices in teaching highly able youth. Advance public knowledge and understanding of the need to enable and nurture society's most able-minded students. nurture society's most able-minded students. Support the needs of highly able youth by training teachers, informing parents and identifying and soliciting the participation of Mentors for exceptionally gifted students. Create partnerships with individuals, foundations, non-profit organizations, businesses and universities in an effort to support the development of highly able students who will advance society as a whole. Encourage each gifted student to understand and actualize his or her full intellectual and personal potential.

"To give a fair chance to potential creativity is a matter of life and death to any society." Arnold Toynbee Visit a gifted resource center and describe the activities you observed there. Interview two TAG students and write a three page report about your interview.

Ringgold Middle School Ringgold Middle SchoolRinggold Middle SchoolRinggold Middle School Visit the Ringgold website. Find out as much as you can and list your findings. Name three things that stand out about this school that you find especially interesting.

…the mosaic of people who bring a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, values and beliefs as assets to the groups, and organizations with which they interact.

Those with different sexual orientations other than your own are found everywhere in society. Find and name as many people as you can who you know fit this category to include politics, sports, and hollywood. List ways in which those with different sexual orientations are alienated or ostracized and even killed by others in society. Interview someone who is not heterosexual and report on what you learned.

Sexual Orientation

Lesbian and Gay Coalition… Why do we exist? The purpose of the Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice is to combat laws, policies, and attitudes that segregate, discriminate, or foster prejudice against people based on sexual orientation. We advocate the adoption and implementation of legislation, regulations, and practices that guarantee and protect the civil rights of every person and promote respect for diversity. We engage in activities that promote awareness, understanding, and respect concerning lesbians and gay men.

Gay Families Winning Legal Protections Incrementally In NY State Gay Families Winning Legal Protections Incrementally In NY State Should gays and lesbians be entitled to the same rights that heterosexuals have? Why or why not? What rights should gays have?

Sexual Orientation links Sexual Orientation links Find 10 sites on the above website and list 5 bits of information from each site. Sexual discrimination and Sexual HarassmentSexual discrimination and Sexual Harassment –What is it and why should it not be tolerated? Sexual discrimination and Sexual Harassment

Understanding the gay community Find and list as many gay and lesbian websites as you can. Which states have legislation that already protect gays and lesbians? What is the gay symbol and what does it mean?

Top 10 gay-friendly colleges Find and list 10 gay- friendly colleges. List the gay-friendly organization(s) found at each. What constitutes a gay-friendly college/university?

Language Who is saying what to whom?

Translation Page This website will translate into –English –French –German –Danish –Spanish –Finnish –Czech –Italian

Slang Lexicon Ever wonder what an expression means? This slang lexicon explains how native English speakers use words

Grammar 101 This site contains all of the lessons about grammar that you had in grade school and have since forgotten Great as a refresher Helps ESL students too!

Do You Love Languages? The source for online language information Online classes Language camps etc

Ebonics? Straight forward information about the debate over Ebonics Web links included

Language Activities It’s what to do…

Translation is not so easy Students will use web-based translator to change their paragraph into another language and then retranslate it back. That’s Greek to me!

How does it feel? Students will write paragraphs containing biased language about their own group (teens, Americans, etc.) It should contain references to stereotypes of their own group

Lack of Communication Divide the students into two groups Each learns new & different words for an activity Combine the two groups and try to play the game Discuss why they don’t understand each other

Visit Visit an area where English is a second language Students will write about –Culture observed –Language difficulties –Feelings of being the outsider

Where does it come from? Students make a list of songs that came from another language Given a list of words, look up the entomology in an online dictionary They will learn that most English words were borrowed

Class Websites

ERIC Digest Discusses Links of poverty and low school performance How many children are affected Does financial equity matter

The Victorian Web Contains Social class structure Economic structure Political History ReligionPhilosophy

National Low Income Housing Coalition Available News releases Congressional Bill information Policy guides Advocacy information

Southern Poverty Law Center Links to Issues of race and poverty Positive change possibilities Searchable lesson plan database

National Center for Homeless Education Community Awareness ActivitiesResources Promoting Understanding Case Studies and Education

Class Activities

Family Budgets Students form into groups of two Each receives a list of bills to pay and pay for employment Several different budgets, some more some less Students interact to pay bills and receive wages from each other Show how misunderstanding is created

Poverty Stereotypes View video “Shelter- boy” Shelter- boyShelter- boy Discuss stereotypes of homeless people Discuss causes of homelessness

The Great Depression View video on the Great Depression Discuss how people became impoverished Discuss our own possible choices in that situation

On Site Visit Visit a homeless shelter or urban slum or rural Appalachian- type settlement Students must write a paper detailing what they have seen and their reaction to it

The Status Game Each student is randomly selected into one of five statuses high to low Students play a modified Monopoly game where the rules are different for each group

Race and Ethnicity We don’t look the same, but we are very much alike

Asian Americans Asian Americans Asian Americans make up what percentage of the U.S. population? What type of labor were the Chinese used for during the latter half of the 19 th century in the U.S? What was America’s policy on immigration at the turn of the twentieth century? What events in Asia led to the migration of Asians to the U.S. during the 20 th century?

Jewish Americans Jewish Americans How many Jewish Americans live in the U.S? Name and describe at least two Jewish holidays. Did anti-semiticism begin with Hitler? If not, in what other countries did anti-semiticism exist? When did Israel become a nation? What is the Israeli slant on why Jerusalem is their Holy city? How did Hitler plan to deal with the Jews of Europe and what did he ultimately do?

AFRICAN AMERICANS AFRICAN AMERICANS When did African Americans come to America? Under what conditions did they arrive? In other words, what were conditions like on the sailing vessels? What kind of life could a slave expect? What was the civil rights movement and when did it begin? Are there still signs of racism today? If so, what are they?

Native Americans Native Americans Find out when Native American history month is and talk about it List three tribes of Native Americans and describe each one What do the Native Americans believe about their dead What were the Native American’s role during WWII? Hint: Code talkers

Hispanics/Latino What is the Latino population in the U.S.? What is the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S.? How many countries speak Spanish? How many famous Hispanics can you name?

Disabilities People are people Some are just born different

Activities & Websites

Who won in what time? Research the Boston Marathon Find winners in the wheelchair category Note times and compare to two- legged version Click the picture for more information

The Law Students will research the ADA act Know the major provisions Know how they (themselves) might discriminate Click the picture for more information

Now who’s ADD? Students will be given a task requiring concentration Loud noises and motions will be introduced Explanation of ADD as similar to effects of distractions Click the picture for more ADD information

What can(‘t) they do? Read member profile Look for details about how they overcame hurdles Write paragraph about how they would have coped in a similar situation Click the pictures for more information

Para-Olympics Show video highlights of Paralympics Discuss adaptive technology Discuss level of commitment and perseverance for elite athletes Click the pictures for more information

Gender Who is the fairest of them all?

Men’s Advocacy Groups Most focus on Fatherhood Many discuss abuse situations Men’s rights groups Men’s responsibility groups (Religious) Click the pictures for more information

Feminism Concentrate on equality in the workplace Date Rape Equality and similarity Political organization

Activities

Thinking out of the box What do you think when you hear the words: –Bachelor –Single Dad –Men –Masculine –Male How do those ideas represent stereotypes? Click the picture for more information

Role Reversal Stereotypes are discussed Applied in the opposite direction Male/Female Instruction continues with teacher calling on female students more often etc

Random Chance Randomly assign gender and race by cards Daily activities are required but race and gender stereotype rules are followed Students realize the negative implications and possible benefits that keep prejudice alive

Research Students will prepare Biographies of –Elizabeth C. Stanton –Susan B. Anthony They will read the Seneca Falls Resolution –Discuss relevance –Discuss similarities to Declaration of Independence

Living the moment Two reenactments –Declaration of Independence –Seneca Falls Resolution What would they make different? What would be the same?