Hate Crimes Legislation: Middle Grades

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Objectives
Activities meet the following objectives:

• understand the content of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and use it as a prompt for writing
• access and interpret statistical data
• represent the data in graphic form

Materials

• Internet access
• Colored pencils or markers
• Access to PowerPoint or another computer-graphic program

Essential Questions

• What is the nature of hate?
• What is the statistical picture of hate crimes in America?
• How does the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act expand protections against hate crimes?
• Who were Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.?
• How does the new law compare to previous hate-crimes legislation?

GLOSSARY

hate |hāt|
(noun) A strong feeling of dislike.
(verb) To strongly dislike.

crime |krīm|
(noun) An act or behavior that breaks a law. A crime is usually punished by a fine or prison time.

law |lô|
(noun) A rule that helps keep order within a society. 

legislation |ˌlejəˈslā sh ən|
(noun) A law or laws passed by a government body.

ACTIVITIES

Reading/Language Arts
1. President Barack Obama has recently signed a bill passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate that would expand the nation’s hate-crime laws. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act would now include crimes against people because of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. The previous law focused on skin color, ethnic identity and religion. As a class, discuss this expansion of civil rights. Do you think it was necessary? Why or why not? Use specific examples from your previous knowledge or personal experience to back up your opinion.

2. Choose one of the following writing prompts:

a. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed as part of the bill that funds our nation’s defense for 2010. The Act was attached to the defense bill by lawmakers who wanted to make sure it would pass; it was not literally connected to military spending. However, in what way can you argue that it does relate to our nation's defense?  

b. The new law tracks and punishes hate crimes only in the form of violent actions, such as assault or the destruction of property. It does not punish hate speech. In your opinion, is this right? Why, or why not?

c. The law is officially known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. What do you know about either of these two men? Why do you think their names are linked to this legislation?

3. Use your chosen prompt to write an essay or opinion piece for your school newspaper or Web site.

4. Share your writing as part of a unit or schoolwide observance on tolerance. 

Social Studies/Math
1. In late 2009, the FBI released 2008 statistics showing that the number of hate crimes against religious and other groups had sharply increased. Individually or in pairs, access the FBI’s 2008 Hate Crime Statistics Database. Study the way the FBI has organized these statistics by quickly reviewing the tables that make up the database. How many total incidents were reported in the United States in 2008?

2. Choose one of the following tables:

a. Hate Crime Reporting by State – Table 12

b. Hate Crime Incidents by State and Agency (City and County) – Table 13

c. Zero Hate Crime Data by State and Agency (City and County) – Table 14

3. Using the table you’ve chosen, focus on your own state and/or city. What 2008 statistics are provided for the number and type of incidents for your state and/or city and county? Compare them to statistics from other states or cities. Do some of your comparisons surprise you? Why, or why not? What patterns do you notice?

4. If you have chosen the table on Zero Hate Crime Data, what do you think “zero hate crime” means? Does it really mean that no hate crimes happened at all? Discuss why the label might not tell the whole story. (The statistics only reflect incidents that are reported. The label does not mean that hate crimes didn’t take place at all.)

5. Using colored pencils, markers or computer graphic software (PowerPoint works, too), create a series of graphs that illustrate these statistics. For instance, you might create a pie graph to present the most prevalent types of hate crimes in America. A bar graph might show a comparison of the number of hate crimes among cities in your county. By accessing previous FBI hate-crimes reports on the site, you can also create a line graph showing the growth – or drop – in the number of crimes in your state or city. Design a key to accompany your graphs.

5. Present your graphs in a computer slide show or bulletin-board display. As a class, review what they show about hate crimes in your area.

6. Invite a local law enforcement official who is knowledgeable about hate crimes to talk with your class. Ask him or her to provide some context for the statistics you’ve found. Solicit ideas for what you can do to raise awareness about hate crimes in your area and help reduce their number.

POLITICAL CARTOON 

Reprinted with permission. Teachers may purchase individual cartoons for lesson plans at PoliticalCartoons.com.

In this editorial cartoon, artist Daryl Cagle depicts a group of students expressing “hate” for an undisclosed group of people. In pairs or small groups, discuss:

• What message is he trying to convey about the nature of hate? In this case, what word would you use to describe the group? (Examples: ignorant, unaware or uneducated.) How might their conversation be different if they had accurate information or a better understanding about “them?” Act out the conversation you imagine, or redraw the cartoon to reflect it.
• This cartoon was originally drawn on September 13, 2001. Based on this information, who might have been the “them” to which Cagle refers? If you are unsure, ask older students or family members what they recall about that time. What reaction to this group of people does Cagle’s cartoon describe?  As a class, discuss whether these attitudes have changed since the cartoon was first drawn. If so, how? What might have caused those attitudes to change?