Do You Teach About Social Justice? Share With Us!

For Judy Dodge Cummings, social justice teaching takes students through the lyrics of American folk songs. She uses antique tunes such as Hard Times at the Mill and Weave Room Blues to teach her Mauston, Wis., students about unfair and dangerous work conditions.

Meanwhile, in Bucksport, Maine, Carolyn Coe asks students to celebrate diversity through the creation of peace flags.

These are just two examples of teachers who develop their activities around social justice themes. Have your own ideas to share? Now is your chance to contribute to Teaching Tolerance’s Activity Exchange. We are looking for creative and effective learning activities for the next issue of Teaching Tolerance magazine.

Lesson guidelines are as follows:

• Between 250 and 400 words;
• Detail the step-by-step process of the learning experience;
• Focus on grades Pre-K to 2, 3-5, 6-8 or 9-12.

To get your creative juices flowing, become familiar with previously published Activity Exchange pieces. Here are a few models: Brush Up on Respect [2], Flags for Peace [3], Building a Bridge of Understanding [4] and Understanding Past and Present Labor Injustice through Music [5].

Please include your full name, phone number, mailing address and email address with your submission. Only teachers whose submissions are chosen will be contacted. Those teachers will also receive an honorarium.

Email submissions to editor@tolerance.org [6] with the heading “Activity Exchange submission” in the subject field. You can also mail lessons to Teaching Tolerance, Attn: Activity Exchange, 400 Washington Avenue., Montgomery, AL 36104.

Williamson is associate editor at Teaching Tolerance.