Earth Hour

Teaching Tolerance: Inauguration

Mary at the lovely and gentle blog Attachlings has so graciously let me post this.
It's an email from Teaching Tolerance.

"January 13, 2009

A week from today, Barack Obama will become the first African American to serve as the President of the United States. Teaching Tolerance is pleased to release this suite of lesson plans to add depth to classroom observances.

How We Reached This Racial Milestone
Obama’s ascension to the highest office in the land is possible only because so many men, women and children - abolitionists, civil rights advocates and their allies - stood up for justice across the centuries. Today’s students can join them.

Defenders of Justice (Grades 3-5)

What Makes a Civil Rights Leader? (Grades 7-8 )

An Historic Vote (Grades 9-12)

The Continuing Struggle for Racial Justice
In his historic speech on race last spring, President-elect Obama cautioned, “I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle.” The struggle for racial justice is far from over.

Three Ways to Use Obama’s Race Speech in the Classroom

Unfinished Work (Grades 9-12)

Racial Disparities Jigsaw Mini-Unit (Grades 8-12)

Obama, Rick Warren and Homophobia
President-Elect Barack Obama angered many voters when he selected Rev. Rick Warren, who has compared gay marriage to incest and pedophilia, to deliver the invocation at the January 20 inauguration.

Does Rick Warren Represent Diversity? (Grades 8-12)

In Context: Inaugural Prayers in History (Grades 8-12)

Hidden Homophobia: A Teacher Shares Her Classroom Strategies

Hesitation and Hope - The Mixed Messages of the Fall Election

Also Available from Teaching Tolerance

Welcome Malia and Sasha to the White House (Grades 2-5)

We Are the Peacemakers (Grades 3-5)

Flags for Peace (Grades 7-9)

Forward This to Your Colleagues!
Did you receive this email from a colleague? Sign up for your own FREE e-newsletter subscription here.

We welcome your feedback.
You can reach us online

or by mail:
Teaching Tolerance
c/o Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36104"

Thank you so much, Mary - not only for allowing me to post it here, but for posting it in the first place!

Last Day toVote!

Yesterday the Vote to Save Handmade Toys proposition was in 5th place, currently it's in 6th.
Today is the last day for this vote - please make sure to vote so that this proposition can be heard.

There are 9 more votes for us to participate in.

Supporting Handmade Toymakers: Vote 2

Growing Naturally for obvious reasons supports the proposition from The Handmade Toy Alliance (handmadetoyalliance.org) and has joined others in declaring themselves publicly.

From the Ideas For Change In America website:
"Ideas for Change in America is a nationwide competition to identify the best ideas for change in America. The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Obama administration just before inauguration day and form the basis of a nationwide advocacy campaign to turn each idea into actual policy."

For this reason we have joined the group of those that wish to publicly endorse this proposition.
Please make sure you've voted with change.org for this proposal.

Thank you!

Ideas for Change in America

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA

Vote Here

Handmade Toy Alliance

In case you haven't read or been called to action, yet... here you go.



The next vote will reopen January 5th and go through the 15th.