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;
   

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