Labels Are For Cans

This video shows the power of opening up to others, and not labeling others according to what they look like:


http://youtu.be/84OT0NLlqfM

Labeling and Stereotyping lesson

The following link will provide a lesson plan on labeling and stereotyping:
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=4254

Identifying Stereortypes

Have the students finish the following sentances:
Homosexuals are...
Southerners are...
The President is...
Retired people are...
Homemakers are...
Interracial couples are...
Preschoolers are...
Homeless people are...
Veterans are...
Texans are...
High school drop-outs are...
Pregnant teenagers are...
Deaf people are...
Poloticians are...
Used car salesmen are...
New Yorkers are...
Italians are...
Angels are...
Martin Luther King Jr. was...
Helen Keller was...

After the students have completed the statements have them read through their answers to themselves.
How many statements would they consider negative?
Are your views keeping you from seeing people for WHO they are and what they have to offer?
Where do you think your perceptions/ views come from?

To this day-video

The following video shows how painful name-calling and labeling can be. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY&safe=active
If you can't open youtube use this link: http://vimeo.com/59956490

Processing:
1.  What kinds of bullying were described in this video?
2.  What were some of the "reasons" the kids were called names?
3.  What did the poem say about the adults that were called names as a kid?
4.  What is the definition of beauty?
5.  Do you look for the beauty in others?  or the differences?

Challenge your class to say positive things about others.

The beauty of ASL

What is sign language?
Can deaf people understand and appreciate music?
Watch the following video: http://www.wimp.com/deafprofessional/
Is it important for us to learn about different forms of communication?
Is it important for everyone to understand people who have special needs?

Everyone has challenges, often times they are invisible to the rest of us.

I have a dream...

The following video is an artistic reproduction of the "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
http://www.wimp.com/dreamspeech/

Processing:
What was happening during this period of time?
Why was this speech so important?
What meaning does this speech have today?
How can you apply this message in your life today?

Thinking about it...

Questions:
Do you have something or someone in your life that bothers you?
Can you change that part of your life?
Can you change the way you think about it/ them?
Make a list of some of the good things about them/ that situation. 

If we focus on the GOOD things then life becomes better for us.

Speaking Up For Each Other

Objective:

 To illustrate the importance of sticking up for others

Materials Needed:

“Speaking Up For Each Other” handout (below), writing utensils

Time Required:

20 minutes depending on discussion length

Teacher Instructions:

First, distribute the “Speaking Up For Each Other” handout (printer-friendly version link available below, or project on screen for class to reference). Next, have students read the poem to themselves. When they finish reading the poem, they should fill out the sentence completion exercise that follows. Next, place students in groups of 4 or 5 and ask them to discuss their interpretations of the poem and their answers to the exercise. They should explain their answers to their groupmates. You may want to observe the groups to ensure that they stay on task. Once conversations seem to dwindle, field any further questions and discuss why it’s important to “speak up” and what your class can do to “speak up.”

Speaking Up for Each Other Handout

Directions:

Read this poem and think about what it means to you. Next, fill out the sentence completion exercise that follows the poem. Share your ideas with your classmates.

“First They Came for . . .”

In Germany they came first for the Communists,

And I didn't speak up

Because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

And I didn't speak up

Because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

And I didn't speak up

Because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,

And I didn't speak up

Because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,

And by that time

No one was left to speak up.

Poem written by Reverend Martin Niemoller, 1945.

Sentence Completion Exercise:

Please record how you would complete each sentence.

1. I have spoken up about

2. I have not spoken up about

3. People don't speak up sometimes because

4. People will speak up if

5. I will speak up if

6. My friends will speak up when

7. As a class, we can speak up when

8. It is easier to speak up when

9. It is harder to speak up when

10. I will help others speak up if

 www.ccsf.edu

Forgiveness

"To err is human; to forgive, divine." - Alexander Pope 

Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744) was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. Famous for his use of the heroic couplet, he is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson.^[1]

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope



Dreamer

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer.  Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world."

-Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; Feb.-Mar. 1822 – March 10, 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made more than thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves^[1] using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry, and in the post-war era struggled for women's suffrage.
As a child in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was beaten by masters to whom she was hired out. Early in her life, she suffered a head wound when hit by a heavy metal weight. The injury caused disabling seizures, narcoleptic attacks, headaches, and powerful visionary and dream activity, which occurred throughout her life. A devout Christian, Tubman ascribed the visions and vivid dreams to revelations from God.
In 1849, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia, then immediately returned to Maryland to rescue her family. Slowly, one group at a time, she brought relatives out of the state, and eventually guided dozens of other slaves to freedom. Traveling by night, Tubman (or "Moses", as she was called) "never lost a passenger".^[2] Large rewards were offered for the return of many of the fugitive slaves, but no one then knew that Tubman was the one helping them. When the Southern-dominated Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, requiring law officials in free states to aid efforts to recapture slaves, she helped guide fugitives farther north into Canada, where slavery was prohibited.
When the American Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army, first as a cook and nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the Combahee River Raid, which liberated more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. After the war, she retired to the family home in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. She became active in the women's suffrage movement in New York until illness overtook her. Near the end of her life, she lived in a home for elderly African Americans that she had helped found years earlier.
wikipedia.org

Don't Talk to Her

Read the reflection below by Dane Pennerman, a student struggling with the social boundaries

that exist in his middle school. Answer the accompanying questions and discuss your responses

with your classmates.

As Roberto and I entered the cafeteria, I saw my friend Melissa.

“What’s up, Melissa?”

Roberto punched me and said, “Don’t speak to her.”

“Why?”

“She’s a Rocker.”

“Roberto, she’s still my friend.”

As Roberto and I proceeded to the lunch line, I saw my buddy Hakeem.

“Hey Dane, come sit with us?” Hakeem offered.

“Go ahead, Dane, I’ll catch you later,” Roberto said, looking at me blankly.

“No, Roberto you can come to!”

Roberto looked at Hakeem’s table, and said to me, “I’ll just see you after school, Dane.”

All these people were some of my best friends in elementary school. What happened? When did I

miss this? When did these boundaries go up around me? And more important, why hadn’t I

noticed them? Was I trying to pretend that they didn’t exist?

The close friendships I had cultivated in elementary school were disappearing. All of my friends

were now in their own “cliques.”

The school cafeteria was now divided into Rockers, African Americans, Hispanics, and the Popular

Kids. Why couldn’t we all hang out together? Why does Hakeem call me “white boy” when he sees

me talking to my Caucasian friends? Why does Roberto only know me between classes?

How am I supposed to handle this?

I view Hakeem, Melissa, and Roberto as friends, equally. How can I look beyond appearances,

when it’s the main focus of everyone around me? Am I wrong for not participating in the boundaries

my friends create?

Sometimes I try to discuss the issues my friends have with each other. Is there really any basis for

the ill feelings? I feel their dislike for each other is unwarranted.

I have yet to hear valid reasons from anyone. I remember talking to Hakeem. He told me

Roberto’s not really my friend: “Just because the two of you have a class together and walk in the

halls together means nothing. When his Spanish friends come around, he doesn’t know you, Dane.”

I feel social boundaries are a way to avoid the things we are afraid of, things we may not understand

about others. The way a person chooses to dress or the color of his or her skin should not

separate us.

Melissa’s black clothing is the way she chooses to look on the outside. Clothes do not make the person.

Melissa faces some of the same challenges in life as a teen that Roberto and Hakeem face.

When I try to find differences between my three friends, outside of individual appearance, there

are none.

I know the three of them would really like each other if they gave one another a chance. On a daily

basis, I push my friends to become friends. I always follow a negative remark with a positive one.

I’m always quick to point out good points about one friend to the other.

I feel I am in the middle of something that may last my entire life, well after my middle school

years. This bothers me. How can I get Rockers, Hispanics, and African Americans to accept each

other?

I know communication is one way to mend this rift. If people who look different on the outside can

get past appearances, then we will be able to heal.

Maybe as teens of the new millennium, we can solve this problem and cross all social boundaries.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1. As the author reflects on the cliques that exist at his school, he asks, “When did these boundaries

go up around me?” Have you noticed such boundaries at your school? When and why do

you think they surfaced?

2. The author notes that his school cafeteria is divided into “Rockers, African Americans,

Hispanics, and the Popular Kids.” What “crowds” exist at your school? Do students socialize

across these groups? What encourages or discourages them from doing so?

3. The author says that “social boundaries are a way to avoid the things we are afraid of, things

we may not understand about others.” Do you agree? What differences keep people in your

school apart?

4. The author wonders how he can look beyond appearances when it’s the main focus of everyone

around him. What can individuals do to get beyond appearances and change some of the social

patterns that exist in school?

Mix It Up

Mix It Up

supports the efforts of student activists who are willing to take on the challenge of identifying,

questioning and crossing social boundaries.

Mix It Up is a project of Tolerance.org, Teaching Tolerance,

and the Study Circles Resource Center. Visit http://www.mixitup.org for more information.

HOW TO MIX IT UP

At many schools around the country, the cafeteria at lunchtime is a social map of the whole school. A map

criss-crossed with boundaries. These boundaries exist for many reasons — habit, friendship, status, fear,

prejudice. The simple space of a cafeteria table is, for many of us, a comfort zone where we can be ourselves

with those who know us best. Touch base. Regroup. Let down the guard that classroom pressures

often require of us. For others, the lunchroom with all its boundaries is a world with its own pressures —

a world of familiar strangers and rigid expectations. But each year students across the country stir things

up in their school cafeterias. And you can do it, too. Here are some ideas to help you

Mix It Up at lunch.

REACH OUT

All it takes is one person venturing outside the comfort zone to stir things up, but on Mix It Up Day, why

not have a whole crowd sitting someplace new? Ask your friends to join in. Pitch the idea to the clubs,

sports teams and other groups you belong to. Invite other clubs to participate. Get teachers and administrators

on board. Publicize the event with posters, stickers, raps and t-shirts.

PLAN

How are you going to “do the day?” Here are 5 ways to mix up lunchroom seating.:

• Create a “calendar” out of 12 tables and sit by birth month or by Zodiac signs.

• Number several tables and draw your seat assignment from a hat.

• Draw colored candies out of a bag and sit with the matching tablecloth.

• Find a table where you don’t know more than two people.

• Give each person a “ticket” that matches the color tag on a chair.

ACT

The day has arrived and you’re sitting at a new table staring at a bunch of people you don’t know.

What now? Here are 5 ideas to jump-start the conversation:

• What’s the last CD you bought?

• Imagine you rule the world. What’s the first law you’d make?

• What’s the craziest thing you ever did in public?

• You’re signing autographs. What are you famous for?

• You’re the principal. What’s the first class you drop—and what class do you add?

DIG DEEPER

How’d it go? What worked? What didn’t? What did you enjoy? Does your school need to look more

closely at social boundaries? Start a

Mix It Up Dialogue—visit http://www.mixitup.org to learn how.

This

Turn Beauty Inside Out Day

Discuss the definition of TRUE BEAUTY.

Ask students to write an essay about someone “beautiful” in their lives (emphasize that it doesn’t have

to be a girl). This can be assigned as homework or completed as an in-class writing activity. When students

have completed their essays, ask for a few volunteers to share their pieces with the class and to

receive feedback from their peers.
 

These are two winning essays from "Turn Beauty Inside Out Day"

LILY GONZALEZ: AGE 13, ILLINOIS (SUBMITTED BY MONICA BROWN)

The most beautiful girl I know is my best friend in the whole wide world. She’s the best person to

hang out with because she knows how to make you laugh no matter what the circumstances are.

Lily is strong emotionally. She gets teased because she is one of the shortest people in our grade,

but she doesn’t let anyone get to her. She just tells them what’s on her mind and then walks away. I

like that about her. Once when two kids were mean to me, she stepped right up and told them off.

Then she said, with a self-satisfied air, “Thank me later.” I cracked up. Another time she was sent to

the principal’s office for no reason. When she got there, she stood up for herself, and they worked

it out. She walked away with a hurt ego but an innocent heart.  At school, I tend to use a lot of big words like “procrastination,” “melancholy,” and “devastation.” Lily always says, “And in English, that would mean…?” She calls me her “walking, talking dictionary.” She has a great sense of humor.  Lily is the best friend a girl could have. She’s funny, strong, energetic, and friendly. If she doesn’t fit the definition of beautiful, I don’t know who does.

“A beautiful person speaks from the heart and has a positive attitude and strong feelings. Stand up

for your rights and be proud that you’re one of the many beautiful girls in this world.”

—Lily Gonzalez,

Beautiful Girl

MICHAELA SHAW: AGE 13, MASSACHUSETTS (SUBMITTED BY KYLE AHLERS)

What makes a girl beautiful? Long blonde hair? The latest fashions? A steady boyfriend? No. To me,

she has to be a good, understanding friend. She has to be honest and supportive. A beautiful girl

makes a difference in the lives of those she meets. This describes my best friend, Michaela.

She’s the most supportive friend I’ve ever met. When people make fun of me, she recognizes that it’s sometimes hard for me to speak out against put-downs, so she intervenes.  Mippy, as my 4-year-old brother, Tucker, calls her, is great with kids. While I’m quick to snap at Tucker, she’s patient with him. And she can make everyone laugh with her perfect imitation of his silly behavior. Kayla’s a straight-A student who excels in basketball, skiing, and kayaking. She’s a beautiful dancer and flute player. Her entire personality is strong, and she strives to be the best she can be. But mostly, Michaela is my supporter, playmate, and best friend. She makes a difference in my life. Isn’t

that what a beautiful girl should do?

Becoming Beautiful the Michaela Way: “The less judgmental you are toward others, the more beautiful you become.”

Create an Anti-Slur Policy

Warning: this is a long lesson.  However, there are very valuable pieces to this lesson.  Feel free to shorten it, print out the bottom portion (which is the handout), and create this policy for your shine time or any class.  See also: Activism.

OVERVIEW:

Students work collaboratively to develop an anti-slur policy for their classroom. They consider the categories of name-calling and types of behavior that should be addressed by the policy.  They next think about measures for preventing and responding appropriately to name-calling in school, and draw up a draft policy. Students are encouraged to share their class policy with school officials, to learn about the school anti-slur policy (if one exists) and to help educate others in the school about their efforts to reduce name-calling.

OBJECTIVES:

-To increase students’ awareness about the importance of a policy that addresses name-calling

• To engage students in the process of developing a policy that reflects observed needs

• To encourage students to honor and act upon the policy they have devised

• To involve students in school-wide public education about the policy

MATERIALS:

Chart paper/markers; pens; Student handouts (below): Creating an Anti-Slur Policy for Your

Classroom and Sample Anti-Slur Policy

PROCEDURE:

PART 1—INTRODUCING THE ACTIVITY (15 MINUTES)

Suggest to students that we are all accustomed to participating in a school community where we are able, for the most part, to speak freely. We can talk about our political views in class discussions, criticize school policies through student government, and express our interests during clubs all without being penalized.

Ask students: Are there circumstances under which they feel words should be bound by rules and consequences in school? Are there times when words can go too far and when students deserve protection from those words? List student responses on the board and discuss them for a few minutes.

Point out that we have all been on the receiving end of name-calling or hurtful language that has, to some degree, compromised our feelings of safety and security in school. Ask students to share examples of times when name-calling has occurred and there were no apparent protections from it (making sure not to divulge the names or identities of actual students). 

Ask students to consider what type of interventions or protections, if any, they feel should be put in place in response to such incidents.

No-Name Calling Week Resource GuideCopyright ©2004 by GLSEN, Inc.  

PART 2—CREATING AN ANTI-SLUR POLICY (45 MINUTES)

Tell students that implementing an “anti-slur” policy is one way to create an environment in which expectations about language are clear and there are some protections against name-calling and verbal bullying. Divide the class into groups of about four students each. (If your students do not have the experience to work productively in small groups, you may want to do this as a large group.) Distribute copies of the handout, Creating an Anti-Slur Policy for Your Classroom (below). This worksheet breaks the process of developing an anti-slur policy into several clear steps:

1. Students are asked to list the types of name-calling that are most common in their experience—not the slurs themselves, just the category they fit into, for example names based on people’s religion, appearance or race.

2. Students are asked to think about the different types of behaviors associated with name-calling and the specific ways in which negative speech is carried out, for example through teasing or rumors.

3. Students are asked to identify strategies for preventing disrespectful speech before it becomes a problem.

4. Students are asked to brainstorm fair and realistic consequences for those who intentionally disrespect others.

5. Students are asked to identify safe and confidential ways to report incidents and get help.

When groups have completed their discussions, have them share back to the entire class and create a master list that captures all of their ideas. After class, these ideas can be written up in a narrative form either by the teacher or a small group of student volunteers. The policy can then be posted prominently in the classroom and signed by all students so that it serves as a group agreement to stop name-calling and disrespectful language.

PART 3—FOLLOW-UP

Once students have created an anti-slur policy for the classroom, form a committee of volunteers to

share it with the principal or another school administrator. Ask them to find out if there is a schoolwide anti-slur policy already in existence. If not, students can work with the administration to include one in the school handbook. If your school already has an anti-slur policy, students can inquire about ways that teachers and students are educated about it each year. If no plan exists, students can work with teachers, counselors, and/or administrators to:

• Create a plan for making sure that every class reviews and discusses the policy.

• Make sure the policy is distributed to students and/or posted in places where they are likely to read it.

• Turn education about the policy into a media campaign by developing eye-catching posters with visuals and phrases that communicate important aspects of the policy, which can be displayed around the school.

No-Name Calling Week Resource Guide, Copyright ©2004 by GLSEN, Inc.

Create an Anti-Slur Policy for Your Class (the handout)

When it comes to a game of kickball in the schoolyard or how to use science equipment in the lab, there are rules that everyone agrees to respect. So why not set some ground rules about the way in which we talk to one another? Name-calling, teasing and other kinds of verbal bullying hurt our feelings, get in the way of learning, and generally contribute to an unsafe school environment. Working in small groups, follow the steps below to develop an anti-slur policy or set of ground rules for your classroom that will help put a stop to disrespectful speech.

1. Think about the kinds of name-calling most frequently heard in your school.  Below list the types of name-calling that are most common. Don’t list the slurs themselves, just the category they fit into, for example names based on people’s religion, appearance or race.

2. Think about the different types of behaviors associated with name-calling and hurtful language.  Some of these behaviors are carried out purposely to put down others and some are unintentional. Below list the specific ways in which negative speech is carried out, for example through teasing or rumors.

3. What can be done to stop name-calling and disrespectful speech before it happens in your classroom or school? Think about who gets bullied, who does the bullying, where it usually happens, and the types of situations that commonly lead to disrespectful speech. Consider rules or routines that have helped you to feel safer in the past. Below brainstorm some strategies for preventing disrespectful speech before it becomes a problem.

4. Now brainstorm some fair and helpful responses to disrespectful speech. What should be the consequences for those who intentionally disrespect others? What if someone is unaware that his/her words are hurtful? What if disrespectful language is used generally, not against a specific person (for example, “Those shoes are so gay” or “That assignment is retarded”)? Below list consequences that are specific, fair, and that can be easily carried out in your school. Think about consequences you have experienced in the past that actually made a difference.

5. Finally, list ways that targets of name-calling and bullying, or those who witness it, might safely and privately report incidents and get help. How can students get the support they need straightforwardly and without drawing unwanted attention or losing standing with their peers? Now that you have done some thinking about the kinds of language that are most hurtful and ways to respond, write an “anti-slur policy” for your classroom or school. Your policy should be about one to two paragraphs long and include:

• A statement about why it is important to address disrespectful speech in school

• A list of the categories of disrespectful speech that are discouraged (e.g., names based on race or religion)

• A description of the types of behavior that are discouraged (e.g., rumors or threats)

• Practices that will be put in place to prevent disrespectful speech before it becomes a problem

• Consequences that may be enacted in response to instances of disrespectful speech

• Ways that students can safely and privately report incidents of bullying

Fear

loveit.com

Why is fear a prison?  (fear is a natural response to protect ourselves from something)
Why do we fear things?
How often does fear keep us from reaching our potential? 
How often are we afraid of things we don't understand?
How do you feel when you overcome your fears?
Is rejection a fear? 

Eric Matthes

My name is Eric Matthes. There was a time in my life when I was not respected as a person. People said things that hurt me. They called me names because I have some disabilities.
I felt alone for a long time but then I closed my eyes and found the power in me. Now I encourage everyone to use People First Language. Rather than saying "He's a blind runner and he's really fast" I say instead, "He's a really fast runner. He also happens to be blind." Being respectful is important because people should be treated the way they want to be. As a whole person.

Power in You "Life Story"

Briana Walker

My name is Briana Walker. Since I was little I had always wanted to be a dancer, but a car accident at age 23 left me paralyzed from the waist down. I wondered about my future. I later met a hip-hop dance pioneer who was also in a wheelchair. Using our wheel- chairs, we created one of the first-ever wheelchair hip hop dance teams. We have danced around the globe. We hope to change the way people see those of us in wheelchairs. Today I sky dive, surf, snow ski, wake board, bungee jump and compete in marathons and triathlons. I'm also an author, a speaker and will always continue to be... a dancer.
Power in You "Life Story"

Cross the line activity

Objective:  to help group members connect to others and see what they have in common.
Materials:  masking tape or tape measure or yarn, something to make a line on the floor.
Activity:
Explain to the class that they are going to be asked some questions about themselves and if they choose not to respond to a question, they can reserve the right to stay where they stand.  Ask the group members to cross the line if they have any of the following things listed below, ask one at a time- you may include your own questions (see the warning below), give them time to think about it (if it is a question like-if you life to draw- you can ask a group member if they have something with them they would like to share or what types of things they like to draw).
Cross the line if you...
have a blue shirt (tell them to step back after they get a chance to see who stepped forward)? like summer more than winter? have ever been camping? like to draw? have brown eyes? have lived outside the country? have been nervous on the first day of school? have a birthday in May? tests freak you out? you are good at math? you like to read? you collect something? etc.
Processing:
Did anyone's answer surprise you?  Did you learn something about yourself?  Remember to focus on the ways that we are similar to others- we all come from the same basic fabric of humanity.

Remember:  if you do this activity you must be careful not to ask for information that divulges things about their family, economic status, race, religion, etc.  This can be a fun activity, but if you think a question will make someone uncomfortable-don't ask it.

Commonality Activity

Objective:  to help individuals see what they have in common with others and help them connect to people in the group.
Materials: None
Activity:  As the group to form pairs, talk to their partner and discover three things they have in common with one another.  Ask the group to share with the group what they have in common.

Who Am I?

Thinking About Your Roles in Life

Classroom Activity:  Before you set goals, some self-exploration may be neccessary.  Start by having the students list 15 roles and responsibilities they have in life.  These may be the many "hats" that they wear (sometimes having the hats in class to represent some examples helps them see all of the purposeful spots they fill in life).  These may be beliefs you hold, characterstics or traits that you have, talents, habits.  Things that would be sorely missed (in your identity and meaning of life) if they were not in your life. For example:  brother, student, son, grandson, friend, neighbor, church member, dogs best friend, etc. 
1.  Consider each of these Who Am- I's seperately.  How would you feel if that role or characteristic was gone?  What would you do?  What would your life be like?
2.  After reviewing each item this way, place the items in rank order by putting a number by each of the items.  Place a 1 by the item that is most essential to your sense of self, whose loss would require the greatest struggle and adjustment.  Put a 15 by the item which is least essential to your identity.  Remind the students that this is personal and their list will not look like anyone elses.
3.  Invite members of the group to share or compare their list.  Invite comments and questions.