Category: Anti-Bias Activities
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Addressing Bias with Our Children
~Bias: Sometimes We Just Don’t See It~ In the current issue of Harper’s Magazine there is a small chart showing the analogies created by a computer. Researchers at Boston University and Microsoft analyzed 30,000 words in Google articles for gender bias. Here are some of the results (You can read the entire study here): Woman…
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Books for LGBT Pride Month
~Taking Pride ~ LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Combined with heterosexual, these words describe some of the different ways people express their sexuality. Unfortunately, many people face discrimination because of their sexual identification. Books and stories can be a powerful way to step into each others’ shoes and develop empathy and fight…
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Books for International Women’s Day
~What to read to your children today ~ Here is a brief list of newly recommended books that celebrate women and women’s issues for all ages. Never too Young to Start: Books for Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers My Feminist ABC by Irene Pizzolante A board book for infants and toddlers and older this little gem introduces…
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Why We Need to Teach About Slavery
~ Hard to Teach? ~ Slavery? Do you talk about it? Recently, the Southern Poverty Law Center carried out a survey of one thousand 12th graders and 1700 social studies teachers. They found that few students could answer basic questions about the history and impact of slavery on our country, and that the teachers struggled…
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Picture Book of Rosa Parks – Review and Activities
~ The Picture Book of Rosa Parks ~ Author David Adler Illustrator Robert Casilla Despite the title, recommended for 3rd and up due to the historical detail Picture Book of Rosa Parks Summary This book is a biography of the great Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks. Beautifully illustrated, it provides children with a strong…
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Eagle Song by Joseph Bruchac – A Review & Lesson Plan
~ Eagle Song ~ Author Joseph Bruchac Recommended grade levels 2nd and up Eagle Song Summary Danny’s family has left the Mohawk reservation and moved to Brooklyn where his father works building skyscrapers. Danny is made fun of in school for being an Indian and must find the courage to stand up for himself. Helped by…
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So You Want To Talk About Race – A Book Review
~ Intersectionality ~ “We’re still waiting. We’re still hoping. We are still left behind.” Ijema Olu Are you struggling to talk about racism? Are you concerned about racist attitudes and beliefs as manifested in our most public figures? Do you truly want to broaden your view of injustice? Ijeima Oluo, editor-at-large at the online magazine…
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Book Review: Martin’s Big Words
~ The Power of Words ~ It is impossible to listen to the news and not be struck by the way words are being used to cover up hateful actions and outright lies by our leaders and politicians. Words are powerful as Martin Luther King knew. The 2002 Caldecott Honor children’s picture book Martin’s Big…
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Ten Questions to Ask About Any Book
~ Questioning What You Read ~ Thinking of buying a new book for your children or class? With the hundreds of children’s books and young adult books published every year, it is often hard to make a wise selection. Those glossy cover books sitting up front in the bookstore or hyped on Amazon or Barnes…
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The Playlady: Book Review and Discussion Questions
~Giving of Oneself~ The Play Lady: The Senora Juguetona by Eric Hoffman and illustrated by Suzanne Tornquist is the story of a kind neighborhood woman who lets the local children play in her garden. One day her trailer is vandalized. Note: The graffiti on the trailer is very strong and full of hate. The children are…
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Are You an Altruist? Giving More
~ Giving More Than One Can Bear ~ What is an Altruist? Being an altruist is when we give of ourselves to someone even though it may require us to sacrifice more than we can afford, perhaps in some situations, even our lives. According to Kristen Renwick Monroe, people who display altruistic behaviors see themselves…
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Can We Cooperate? 10 Books about Community Gardening
~ Why Is It Hard to Cooperate? ~ Everyone agrees that cooperating with others is a good thing. So why is it so hard to do and so rare to find in school s and business? It Requires Sharing It’s hard, because being cooperative is dependent on being willing to share. When we work with…