With the passage of the FAIR Education Act, we would like to offer some resources, lesson plans, and ideas for incorporating these standards into the classroom.
Lesson Plans
- FAIR Education Act Website. Offers lessons based on grade level and links to additional resources.
- The Role of Gay Men and Women in the Civil Rights Movement. This series of four lessons highlights contributions to the Civil Rights Movement through the lens of important figures — James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Pauli Murray, and Bayard Rustin. Additional lessons for a variety of grade levels.
- Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History. This lesson easily weaves itself into a variety units. Looks at LGBT History from multiple perspectives and eras. The lesson opens with an excerpt from Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and helps teachers engage with Common Core Standards. View individual aspects of the lesson here.
- History of the Disability Rights Movement. This lesson is part of the “Equal Treatment, Equal Access: Raising Awareness about People with Disabilities and Their Struggle for Equal Rights” curriculum. Also available are lesson plans for elementary school, such as Experiencing Hearing Disability Through Music. Additional lesson plans from the ADL highlight racism, gender, and a host of other issues.
Primary Resources
- The LGBT Pride Parade. A themed collection from Calisphere that chronicles the San Francisco Pride Parade. Engaging and unique images.
- Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement. This timeline includes links to primary resources.
- DOMA and LGBT Commemorative Month. Short discussion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) from the Library of Congress blog.
- Disability History Museum. Searchable collection of images and documents relating to disability history.
Secondary Resources
- A World of Difference Institute: Recommended Multicultural & Anti-bias Books for Children. An annotated bibliography of grade level appropriate fiction books that address issues of Prejudice & Discrimination. Also available are lists concerning religion, customs, traditions, and more.
