Module 5: Readings
Advocacy and Activism

This week there are several required readings and many optional readings. The Readings List will provide more information than you can absorb in the short time we are together.

Consider bookmarking sites that are particularly appealing to you. All resources for this course will remain open to you from now on. You can return whenever you want to review these materials.

Required Readings:

Responding to Hate at School
This site provides an overview of the Southern Poverty Law Center's advice for educators. I recommend that you download the complete guide: Responding to Hate at School A Guide for Teachers, Counselors and Administrators. You will find the download link on the left side of the page. Here is the direct URL: http://www.tolerence.org/pdf/rthas.pdf. This 68 page manual is available in .pdf format from the Southern Poverty Law Center. The manual presents guidelines for dealing with hate incidents in three stages: Everyday Action, School Wide Emergency Response, and Long-Range commitment. Included are model policies, action plans, and advice on how to deal with a variety of scenarios.

The Mariner High School Respect Policy
This simple and effective document, and the practice of presenting the policy each year in small group activities is a model for proactively dealing with school tolerance issues.

Ten Ways to Fight Hate
This resource provides you with a step-by-step plan to deal with hate incidents in your school and community.

Optional Readings:

A Collaborative Model for Addressing Conflict in Schools

Collaborative Problem-Solving: Case Studies

School Policies that Promote Equity and Respect

Do Something
Do Something is an organization that helps students get involved in their community. "As part of Do Something at your school, you and your friends identify the issues YOU care about and create community projects to turn your ideas into action." Empowerment is important!

Artists Against Racism
This site provides interesting products that promote tolerance and diversity. Great possibilities for student interest and appeal.

Hate on Display, a Visual Database of Extremist Symbols, Logos and Tattoos
T-shirts can become walking bulletin boards for hate. Will you recognize these symbols for what they are? Take a look at the disturbing imagery of hate.

Teaching Religious Tolerance
This site promotes better understandings between Christians, Jews, and Moslems. The sample curriculum designed to deal with school violence, Not Cool to Be Cruel, is provided in .pdf format.

The Arab News
This is an English Language newspaper produced in Saudi Arabia. Consider viewing the political cartoons of M. Kahil. http://www.arabnews.com/Cartoon.asp Looking at these cartoons will help you understand a very different perspective on the Middle Eastern crisis.

Digital Sistas
This organization is committed to increasing the impact of women of color in technology, by leveraging resources, expanding opportunities and promoting positive social change through research, education and training. Digital Sisters offers programs that promote young girls and women of color to be fluent users, inventors of technology and providers of content.