Teaching Tolerance

Mission of Organization

“Our mission is to help teachers and schools educate children and youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy."

Curriculum Description

Teaching Tolerance focuses on four core domains: Identity, Diversity, Justice and Action. These domains inform lessons and activities geared towards promoting social justice, inclusivity, and tolerance within schools and communities. "The program emphasizes anti-bias and social justice. The anti-bias approach encourages children and young people to challenge prejudice and learn how to be agents of change in their own lives"(SPLC). There are lesson plans and extension activities for each grade level as well as corresponding justification guides, which detail domains covered and grade-level reading resources. There are numerous lessons for all grade levels.

Curriculum Materials Reviewed
  • Advertisements and You 
  • Part of a Community Online
  • What is Differently Abled?
Source of Funding
  • Corporations (StoryCorps, Upfront)
  • Museums (Museum of Tolerance)
  • News Organizations  (NBC News)
Learning Resources
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Oral Histories
Target Population/Grade Levels
Cost Per Classroom
Free
Training
Optional webinars and articles are available for teachers to use.
Domain Presence
Critical Consciousness

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: There are many featured lessons about teaching injustice with examples of injustice in various forms (e.g., disability, race, religion, etc.) are provided.

Social Action

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: Lessons encourage students to take their knowledge and move into action, including “do something” sections. Examples of opportunities for students include, but are not limited to making a more inclusive calendar, designing a monument, and engaging with campaigns. Students are given the opportunity to use the internet as a means for social activism.

Reciprocal Community Relationship

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: Some lessons explore the various communities schools might be involved in such as neighborhoods, online, school, etc. A few lessons spoke about improving communities and engaging in a positive way with the members of the communities. Students are asked to solve problems in their local schools and communities.

Systems Wide Approach

Presence Evaluation: Minimal Presence

Evaluation Notes: There were few opportunities for students to engage with administrators, parents, or the physical environment in documents reviewed.

 

Explicit Teaching of Social Justice Principles

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: Many of the lessons are focused on the direct instruction of definitions that relate to social justice, such as equity and fairness.

Self-Reflection

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: There are lessons that ask students to participate in self-reflection and consider social justice themes impact on their experiences. For example, in one reviewed lesson, students are asked to reflect on their consumer choices around gendered products.

Evidence Based

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: There have been numerous studies documenting Teaching Tolerance's effectiveness. 

Inclusion and Equity

Presence Evaluation : Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: Teaching Tolerance contains many lessons promoting inclusion, respect, and equity.

High Expectations

Presence Evaluation: N/A

Evaluation Notes: We are unable to evaluate this domain since it is best measured through observation.

Social Identities

Presence Evaluation: Full Presence

Evaluation Notes: There are several lessons examining social identities.