Resources for Teachers

Vermont Institutes--Equity and Excellence for All Students

Resources for Teachers

The following resources on the Internet are especially helpful for teachers who would like to incorporate discussion of tolerance into their lessons:

"Who Are the Arab-Americans?" This article from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Web site provides activity ideas to challenge students' misperceptions about people of Arab descent.
"Small Steps: A Tolerance Program" helps students examine how racial slurs and stereotypes advance bigotry and lead to violence, or even genocide.
"A Pilgrimage to Atlanta" describes how one educator introduced her class of predominantly Jewish and Christian students to Islam during an unforgettable visit to a mosque in Atlanta.
In "Arab-American Students in Public Schools, (see #142)" Wendy Schwartz of Columbia University provides a useful summary of techniques that educators can use to create a welcoming environment for Arab students.
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University is a valuable resource for cultural information about the Arab World. "Who are the Arabs?" by Steve Tamari is a helpful primer on the diversity of contemporary Arab society. Activities and additional resources are included.
"World Issues: Whose Side Are We/They On?" helps students understand how stereotypes and misperceptions foster division between different cultures.
Discovery.com's "Understanding Stereotypes" includes classroom activities to help students understand how assumptions about different cultures create stereotypes and unfair judgments, and how these biases affect our lives.

Further Resources

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20008
202-244-2990
E-mail: adc@adc.org
http://www.adc.org

Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
823 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
212-490-2525
http://www.adl.org

Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
334-956-8200
http://www.splcenter.com

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
This government agency has established a hotline to report incidents of harassment or violence against Arabs or Muslims in the United States: 800-552-6843
http://www.usccr.gov

Bill Howe
National Association for Multicultural Education
NAME website: http://www.nameorg.org