~Atomic War Still Threatens ~ On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, followed four days later by another dropped on Nagasaki. Over 100,000 people died instantly. Over the years. many, many more died of radioactive poisoning and birth defects. Witnessing this destruction and horror, one […]
~ Why form teacher peace groups in our schools? ~ Teachers are confronted daily with the challenge of forming a group of diverse students into a peaceful cooperative classroom where everyone can learn and thrive. This is not easy to do in a world in which the media glorifies violence and nations settle differences by […]
~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 […]
~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 […]
~ Plastic is not fantastic! ~ What are you doing today? Are you participating in an Earth Day gathering? Are you doing something to make the earth happier? This year the focus is on plastics. Some plastic facts 300,000 tons of plastic are produced every year. Half of that amount are intended for single use […]
~ Shooting to Kill ~ An essay on guns and violence intended to spark class and family discussion People have been killing people for a very long time. First we used rocks. Then we used iron. Next we used gunpowder. Now we use incredible killing machines invented by our amazing minds. In this essay, we […]
~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 […]
~ 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 […]
~ 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 […]
~ 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 […]
~ 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 […]
~ 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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