Thursday, November 18, 2010

Courageous Conversation Week #2

Reminder of our goals:

To create...
  • Equality
  • Understanding
  • Friendship
  • EMPATHY
To stop...
  • Racism
  • Judgement of ourselves and others
  • Using labels - reputations, "them" etc... CHECK out this article!
  • saying our names incorrectly!
  • Hiding ourselves from others due to fear of judgement
To share...
  • our feelings
  • emotions
  • reasons for our actions.
How will these meetings help up?
  • Be friends with everyone.
  • Show how it feels to be judged.
  • Learn more about our culture, parents, etc that will explain why we are the way we are.
  • Understand who we are, where we come from, what pain we feel and how that impacts how we act!
  • Remember to NOT JUDGE a GIRL by her COVER (skin, clothes, hair, actions).
  • Redefine what we stand for....Redefine "popularity"
Outcome:
  • We learned more about each other.  When we learned about each other, we realized we are more alike than different!  We realize that we only see the tip of the ice berg and there is so much more to know.  What we don't know about each other is what helps us connect, be empathetic, and what helps us to be friends!!
Goal:
  • When someone tells me something "ify" about another person, I will say, "I wonder what is going on in their life that makes them act this way?"
  • Redefine popularity....
  • Think about the iceberg!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Courageous Conversations

Why are we here?

  • To create equality
  • I want to clear up the racist feelings and statements.
  • I want to understand why some people are racist or think it's ok.
  • To stop racism.
  • To build understanding.
  • To end labels and get to know each other.  (Read this article!)
  • To stop judgement.
  • To share our insides and become friends.
Where do we see division in JHMS?

  • Commons:  before school, at lunch
  • At recess
  • In the hallway

What do we need to do?  What should we think about?  Bolded items are our topics this week!

  • Use names instead of labels.
  • Be friendly.  Explore how to be friends.
  • Make up for our past mistakes.
  • Explore why there are "tables" or division in our school.
  • Figure out how to deal with "scary stuff".
  • Explore what creates stereotypes.
  • Explore how my outside looks and behavior affects others.
  • Explore how to deal with peer pressure and judgement.
  • How do we use our "status"?
Remember:  We all judge.  We need to recognize when we are doing it and not act on it negatively!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Tolerance and Prejudice projects



1.  President Obama's Race Speech.


2. Courageous Conversations Group:
  • What is racism?  What is prejudice?  How do I understand this better?  (Powerpoint with info)
  • How do we feel about racism?  (see some reporting)
  • Why should I have a Courageous Conversation about racism in JHMS?
  • Norms - and why they are necessary:  Stay engaged, Expect to experience discomfort, Speak your truth, Accept and Expect a lack of closure, 
  • 7 Steps to having a Courageous Conversation:  
    • Step 1) Choose someone you don't feel 100% wonderful or complete with, but would like to.
    • Step 2) Identify the truth/core of what you want to express. If you were to die today, but could pass a message to each person you know to clean up anything left incomplete, what would that message be? I suggest you list the people you have the strongest feelings about (positive or negative), and write down next to each name the message for them. (Working with a coach can help you get to the core of this, and ensure you are taking responsibility instead of blaming.)
    • Step 3) Identify the worst outcome you can imagine
    • Step 4) Accept that possibility (Let go of the thing you were holding on to e.g. money, being right, staying out of prison, not upsetting someone)
    • Step 5) Remember it's OK to feel uncomfortable - even terrified. Your vocal chords will probably still function. The greater the fear, the more you have to gain. The chances of you dying are normally quite low.
    • Step 6) Remember it's actually possible to have fun with this. After all - it's better than any rollercoaster you can imagine. You are truly living....
    • Step 7) Pick up the phone, share honestly, and take what you get.
After the Conversation?  What then?  The possibilities are endless:




Friday, January 29, 2010

Sites to use for Peace Projects

"So powerful is the light of unity
that it can illuminate the whole earth."
~Baha'u'llah
(1817-1892)
Iranian Philosopher

Civil Discourse:
  1. To get ideas of how to discuss and debate controversial events, check out this Middle School Debate site.
  2. Break down barriers between students in schools.
  3. Welcoming Schools - 93-page guide to help teachers and admin improve their approach to family diversity, gender stereotyping, and bullying.
  4. Books: A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn;
Issues around the World:
  1. Books: A Bite of Mango by ?; A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah; Transforming Lives: Turning Uganda's Forgotten Children into Leaders by Stephen Shames; Half Spoon of Rice (story of genocide in Cambodia) by Icy Smith
Immigration:
  1. Teen Immigrants, Five American Stories to help students understand more about becoming American.
  2. Linguicism: Linguistic profiling video, Linguistic Discrimination, read Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street, especially "My Name".
  3. A downloadable video game takes on the role of immigrants trying to find their way toward citizenship. In a world of complicated paperwork, naturalization scams, and detention without due process, gaining full citizenship is more challenging than most might think. The site includes information as well.
  4. Books: Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann;
Anti-bullying:
  1. Anti-bullying website - see side bar
  2. Welcoming Schools - 93-page guide to help teachers and admin improve their approach to family diversity, gender stereotyping, and bullying.
  3. Books: Grumble Bluff (about girl bullying) by Karen Bessey Pease; Blue Mountain Trouble by Martin Mordecai;
Gender Stereotyping:
  1. Read "Not True, Gender Doesn't Limit You"
  2. Talk back to media with regard to sexist images in popular culture. Explore how 200 words or less can deconstruct some of the most disturbing sexist images today.
  3. Welcoming Schools - 93-page guide to help teachers and admin improve their approach to family diversity, gender stereotyping, and bullying.
  4. Books: Growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960s by Ching Yeung Russell;

Civil Rights
  1. Learn more about the Underground Railroad.
  2. The Resurgence of Hate - Video of brief history of KKK, Article "Rebranding Hate in the age of Obama", questions on Teaching Tolerance, also lesson Rhetoric of Hate
  3. Racial Equity Tools.
  4. A critique of white privilege and anti-immigrant bias in Australia and America.
  5. Books: If You Come Softly by ??; The Biracial and Multiracial Student Experience by Bonnie M. Davis; The Good Ground of Central High: Little Rock Central High School and Legendary Coach Wilson Matthews (the perfect book for athletes interested in history and issues of social justice) by George M Cate; Border Crossing (multirace/ schizophrenia) by Jessica Lee Anderson; The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial by Susan Eaton;
Learning Disabilities:
  1. Books: That's Like Me: Stories about Amazing People with Learning Disabilities by Jill Lauren; The Don't-Give-Up Kid and Learning Disabilities by Jeanne Gehret, Some Kids Just Can't Sit Still by Sam Goldstein
LGBT:
  1. Heart warming story about a cross country trip to talk to people about the meaning of hate crimes.
  2. Books: Freaks and Revelations by Davida Willis Hurwin; Hate Crimes by Janell Broyles; Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden; Nothing Pink by Mark Hardy;

Monday, January 11, 2010

Civil Rights Unit

1. Read Jassiel's Story first. You need to leave a comment about how the story surprised you, made you think, caused connections, or changed your opinion about something. (Click on Student Story from the list on your left!)

2. You may choose between options A, B, C, or D.

For each assignment, you should read, watch, or think about the topics presented. Then you should prepare a reflection essay. For the essay plan form, click here. (You will need to scroll down to the plan forms in the Writing section. It should look like this: Paragraph Plan: Reflection Paragraph (used with Weekly Reader Assignment))

A. Read more about some key players during the Civil Rights Movement. You should be asking yourself, where are they now? What are they doing now? Are they the same? How have they changed?

Children's March in 1963: Overview, another overview,

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Biography and photos, MLK plus so much more about Civil Rights,

Gov George Wallace, governor of Alabama: Read his Segregation Now, Segregation Forever speech, Stand in the Schoolhouse Door Speech, Speeches and Photos, NPR story, or Wallace Remembered - written after his death.

Eugene "Bull" Connor, commissioner of public safety

Rev. Andrew Young
, movement leader: more current Interview with Tavis Smiley,

Carolyn McKinstry and another article about Carolyn McKinstry Story

B. Using videos from United Streaming, watch one or more videos and write a reflection essay. For the videos, click here.

C. Identify 10 crucial global issues facing us today (i.e., hunger, world poverty...) Determine which issue you feel is most important and then rank them accordingly. Find an organization to go with each of your issues. (For example: AIDS walks, Cancer walks, Diabetes walks, Plant a Tree, Save a Whale, Read to Feed, Heifer Intl, or building SCHOOLS IN AFRICA etc.) For a comprehensive list of non-profits, click here for Good Search (This is also a good place to find issues!).

D. Fighting Propaganda and reading Critically.
~How do you know this is a hate site?
~Stand Strong against Hate - see interactive map
~Where are hate groups today? See Map