Active Citizenship: Empowering America's Youth

John Minkler. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1998.

This curriculum introduces students to the knowledge, skills, and values of responsible citizenship in the context of analyzing and solving real school and community problems. Contains 17 lessons with extensions including a group project in which students identify a real political problem, research related issues, and propose a solution.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Adventures in Peacemaking: A Conflict Resolution Guide for School-Age Programs

William J. Kreidler and Lisa Furlong. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1996.

Designed to meet the unique needs of afterschool programs, camps, and recreation centers, this guide contains hundreds of hands-on, engaging activities that teach basic conflict resolution skills through cooperative challenges, drama, crafts, music and even cooking. Also included are easy-to-implement strategies and tips for providers to both reduce conflict in their programs and to intervene effectively when conflict does occur. Adventures in Peacemaking blends ESR's innovative conflict resolution curricula with Project Adventure's activity-based programming.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children

Louise Derman-Sparks and the A.B.C. Task Force. Educators for Social Responsibility.

This resource shows early childhood educators how to examine biases, learn how they influence children, and explore ways to reduce, handle, or even eliminate them. The guide moves beyond multicultural education to creating an anti-bias environment that is developmentally appropriate. Includes a comprehensive bibliography as well as sections on learning about disabilities, gender identity, racial and cultural differences, and how to resist stereotyping.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

At Issue: Marriage. Exploring the Debate Over Marriage Rights for Same-Sex Couples

GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), 2003.

This resource offers educators six lesson plans for high school aged students that challenges them to explore the range of complex issues reflected in the marriage debate. The resource was developed at the time when the U.S. was awaiting the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Court on the right of same-sex couples to civil marriage.

Resource Link: http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/educator/library/record/1411.html

Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development

Enid Lee, Deborah Menkart, and Margo Okazawa-Rey, Eds.. Washington, DC: Network of Educators on the Americas, 2002.

Beyond Heroes and Holidays is a 432-page interdisciplinary guide for teachers, administrators, students and parents. It offers lessons and readings developed by teachers that show how to analyze the roots of racism; investigate the impact of racism on our lives, our families and our communities; examine the relationship between racism and other forms of oppression; and learn to work to dismantle racism in our schools, communities, and society.

Resource Link: http://www.teachingforchange.org/Beyond_Heroes/beyond_heroes.html

Choices for the 21st Century Program

The Choices Program at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies offers deliberation-focused supplemental curriculum units for U.S. History, World History and Global Studies. Choices units feature historical background, a role play centered on alternative policies, primary source materials, detailed lesson plans and study guides. Units are affordable.

Resource Link: http://www.choices.edu

Community Psychology Course Syllibus

A 3-page syllabus for Dr. Gretchen Wehrle's Community Psychology course at Notre Dame de Namur University. The course includes training and experience in civic engagement and community dialogues.

Resource Link: http://www.thataway.org/exchange/files/docs/Wehrle-CommunityPsychologySyllabus.pdf

Conflict in Iraq: Confronting Policy Alternatives

Choices Program at Brown University?’s Watson Institute for International Studies.

The continuing debate about U.S. policy in Iraq is currently focused on the question of the U.S. presence in Iraq. What is our purpose? Who should be involved in solutions? Are U.S. troop levels right? How long should U.S. troops stay? What does this mean for the larger question of America's role in the world today? This resource presents three policy alternatives for U.S. policy in Iraq today. Resources to facilitate deliberation on this issue are included. Links to additional materials are also available. The materials are produced for use in high school classrooms, and are easily adapted to public discussion.

Resource Link: http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_iraq.php

Conflict Resolution in the High School

Carol Miller Lieber. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1998.

This comprehensive, sequenced curriculum helps secondary educators address conflict resolution and problem solving, diversity and intergroup relations, and social and emotional development. It also helps educators build community and create a Peaceable Classroom. Includes sections on implementation, assessment, and infusion of conflict resolution throughout a standard curriculum.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Conflict Resolution in the Middle School

William J. Kreidler. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1997.

Highly acclaimed, this guide features 28 skill-building sections to help students address the conflicts that come with adolescence. Recent additions to the guide include seven implementation models; sections on creating a classroom for teaching conflict resolution, developing staff and parent support, and assessing student learning; an infusion section which includes math and science; and a section on adolescent development exploring gender and race.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Creative Conflict Resolution

William J. Kreidler. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1984.

This widely used and highly recommended book is a definitive manual that provides elementary school teachers with thoughtful, effective ideas for responding to everyday classroom conflicts. Teachers learn to turn conflict into productive opportunity, helping students deal nonviolently and constructively with anger, fear, aggression, and prejudice. Included are over 200 classroom-tested activities and games and over 20 different techniques with examples.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

CRS Programs For Managing School Multicultural Conflict

A multicultural learning environment has become the norm in many school districts and communities throughout the United States. The diversity found in these settings offers many opportunities for people to learn more about one another. Yet too often schools are ill prepared to adjust to this diversity positively. To address this reality, the Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice has developed several racial/ethnic conflict prevention and management programs for schools or school districts.

Resource Link: http://www.usdoj.gov/crs/pubs/pubflyercrsschoolprograms92003.htm

Democracy Lab

Democracy Lab provides online forums for use in high school and college classes. National Issues Forums-style forums run for 10 weeks, fall and spring. Students from around the country dialogue in small groups and are guided from dialogue to inquiry and to action. Instructors adopt Democracy Lab and students purchase online access for $25.

Resource Link: http://www.teachingdemocracy.org

Dialogue: Turning Controversy into Community

Jeffrey Benson and Rachel Poliner, Educators for Social Responsibility.

Through ten skill-focused chapters, this unique curriculum paints a portrait of nonadversarial dialogue through the story of Centerville, a fictional town caught in a controversy over whether or not to mandate school uniforms. Teachers learn techniques and structures for helping students build skills such as listening, managing anger, communicating, researching issues, uncovering bias, understanding and appreciating different perspectives, and creating solutions. Especially suited for social studies or English teachers, as well as student government and debate team advisors.

Resource Link: http://www.esrnational.org

Early Childhood Adventures in Peacemaking, 2nd Edition

William J. Kreidler and Sandy Tsubokawa Whittall. Educators for Social Responsibility.

Recently revised, this unique guide uses games, music, art, drama, and storytelling to teach young children effective, nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts. It also provides caregivers with tools for helping young children develop key conflict resolution skills. This new edition contains sections on developmentally appropriate practice; tips on classroom set-up; instructions for incorporating social and emotional skills into daily routines; suggestions for when things don't go as planned; and materials and activities for parents to help reinforce the themes, skills, and concepts of a Peaceable Program at home.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Elementary Perspectives: Teaching Concepts of Peace and Conflict

William J. Kreidler. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1990.

One of ESR's best selling books, this curriculum offers more than 80 activities that help teachers and students define peace, explore justice, and learn the value of conflict and its resolution. Students read, write, draw, role-play, sing, and discuss their way through a process that helps them acquire the concrete cooperative and conflict resolution skills needed to become caring and socially responsible citizens.

Resource Link: http://esrnational.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Global Environment: Considering U.S. Policy

Choices Program at Brown University?’s Watson Institute for International Studies.

Global warming is in the news daily. This issue is not new. The Kyoto Treaty went into effect on February 16, 2005. While many European nations and Japan signed the treaty, the United States did not. What should U.S. policy be concerning global environmental issues? This resource presents four divergent policy options on the question of U.S. global environment policy. Resources to facilitate deliberation on this issue are included. Links to additional materials are also available. The materials are produced for use in high school classrooms, and are easily adapted to public discussion.

Resource Link: http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_environment.php

Guidelines for Deliberation

This resource from the Choices Program at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies provides a great introduction to deliberation. The resource, which is designed for use in high school classrooms but is useful for any group that is unfamiliar with deliberation, provides a jargon-free definition of deliberation, describes how deliberation is different from debate, explains why it is important to know how to deliberate, and lists guidelines and tips for deliberation.

Resource Link: http://www.choices.edu/resources/guidelines.php

National Organizers Alliance

Founded in 1993 by organizers working across the spectrum of progressive social justice movements, NOA's mission is to advance progressive organizing for social, economic and environmental justice and to sustain, support and nurture the people of all ages who do it. In furtherance of that goal, our members are organizers who are responsible to a defined constituency and who help build that constituency through leadership development, collective action and the development of democratic structures. NOA's Social Justice Dialogues curriculum assists organizers with critical reflection on their work and the current political context.

Resource Link: http://www.noacentral.org

North Korea and Nuclear Weapons

Choices Program at Brown University?’s Watson Institute for International Studies.

In October 2006, North Korea backed up its claim that is it has nuclear weapons with its declaration that it had exploded a nuclear warhead. After careful review, it was determined that this claim was true. The ambiguity about the status of North Korea's nuclear program is over; they have nuclear weapons and want the world to know it. At the end of the month, the North Koreans agreed to return to the six-party talks. These talks have resulted in a tentative agreement. This promises to be the beginning of a long and challenging process. This resource presents four policy alternatives for U.S policy toward North Korea. Resources to facilitate deliberation on this issue are included, and links to additional materials are also available. The materials are produced for use in high school classrooms, and are easily adapted to public discussion.

Resource Link: http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_nk.php