Classroom Activities

A closer examination of heroes in our culture.

Ida B. Wells is best known for her activism in the anti-lynching campaign. She moved to Chicago in her 20s and was a major figure in suffrage and women's club movements.

How do you ensure students get the most out of black history and Black History Month? Here are some suggestions.

Each year in my elementary art classroom, students learn about a diverse group of black men and women in honor of Black History Month (this activity, though, is relevant throughout the year).

The activity is to accompany the Teaching Tolerance article "Weighing In."

This activity is to accompany the Teaching Tolerance article "Possession Obsession." 

This activity is to accompany the Teaching Tolerance article "From Awareness to Action."

This activity is to accompany the Teaching Tolerance article "The Poverty Myth."

This activity is to accompany the Teaching Tolerance article "Class Outing."

It’s important for students learning about civil rights history to put themselves in the shoes of those who were there. Have them commemorate their own civil rights road trip by writing postcards from the past. This activity helps students imagine being in another place and time by writing about a moment on the path to equality.

“Social Justice Equity Audits” is a presentation intended to help educators move beyond simple accountability models to those that include an equity framework for school reform. This will allow educators to better meet the needs of all learners. At the center of the presentation is instruction to employ a school survey to assess the conditions for students at their school and explore what next steps teacher leaders can take to improve these conditions.

When schools implement anti-bullying programs, the focus is usually centered on student-to-student bullying. However, students aren’t the only bullies in school. Teachers sometimes earn the label when they employ questionable disciplinary and management practices. Addressing Teacher Bullies is a presentation intended to help educators assess and reflect on their classroom management style and learn more about how inappropriate displays of teacher power can impact student learning.

This activity is to accompany the Teaching Tolerance article "Defining Moments."

This lesson is the first in a series of lessons called “Issues of Poverty.” Students explore the causes of poverty in the United States and the factors that perpetuate it. The four lessons aim to challenge the idea that poverty is simply the result of individual shortcomings. Students will examine the ways poverty is closely related to economic and political policy, and will work to discover why it disproportionately affects members of non-dominant groups—that is, groups that have historically been oppressed.

As part of a yearlong anti-bullying program, “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully,” I presented this lesson to the pre–K class midway through the year.

At the beginning of each school year I extend an invitation through a letter to all my students’ families. I ask them to sign up for a 15- to 30-minute class visit to share a talent, hobby or anything else interesting about someone in their family. I call each of these a “Family Spotlight.”

Cyberbullying is a serious concern in today’s schools. Since it can happen to a student at home as well as in school, it can be more pervasive and traumatic for victims than traditional bullying. An anti-cyberbullying sign campaign is an effective way to fight cyberbullying through positive peer pressure.

In today's multicultural schools and classrooms, resolving conflict means being culturally aware.

Educators possess different philosophies and styles for their teaching. Some work from an authoritarian perspective, leveraging their power as the teacher to control student behavior and dictate classroom participation. Others employ a more democratic approach, sharing power with students and supporting them in managing their own behaviors.

If educators have learned anything in the last decade of school reform initiatives it is that one size does not fit all. Differentiated Instruction (DI) is an approach where teachers proactively plan varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it and how they express what they've learned.

Most teachers have a technique or two in their back-to-school tool kits for introducing themselves to families and taking those first steps to engage parents and other caregivers in the classroom and the student learning process. And yet, family engagement is a year-long process.

This lesson is the fourth in a series called Expanding Voting Rights. The overall goal of the series is for students to explore the complicated history of voting rights in the United States. Two characteristics of that history stand out: First, in fits and starts, more and more Americans have gained the right to vote. Second, over time, the federal government's role in securing these rights has expanded considerably.

This lesson is the fourth and final in a series called “Family Tapestry.” One goal of these lessons is to help students recognize and accept differences among themselves and within the larger community. Another is to recognize how each student’s unique family contributes to a richer society. As students begin to understand themselves better, learning opportunities to explore biases and prejudices will likely emerge. In this lesson, students will synthesize everything they’ve learned throughout the series to create a quilt that tells the story of their families and how those families contribute to their overall classroom community.

This lesson is the second in the series “Family Tapestry.” One goal of these lessons is to help students recognize and accept differences among themselves and within the larger community. Another is to recognize how each student’s unique family contributes to a richer society. As students begin to understand themselves better, learning opportunities will likely emerge to explore biases and prejudices. In this lesson, students explore how their family’s ethnic and cultural journey contributes to their lives and to their community.