“It’s Never Okay” – A New and Timely Lesson Plan
Canada, along with the rest of the world, is facing the growth of extremist hate groups, antisemitism, and racism, combined with misinformation and false news on social media. The result is an increasingly significant and negative impact on our youth who often use Nazi symbols in and outside the school setting without comprehending what such symbols represent. These symbols are often misappropriated on social media because of a lack knowledge or relevant education.
To help educators ensure that young people are learning the correct message regarding incidents of hate, antisemitism, and discrimination, CHES created a special lesson plan which we are happy to share with you.
“It’s Never Okay” was developed by educator Kenra Mroz and is designed to educate students about the meaning of symbols that are linked to hatred, antisemitism, and discrimination. Click here for the lesson plan.
More exciting news!
“Unpacking Complexity in the Classroom”
We are pleased to report that the first session of the ground-breaking educational project, “Unpacking Complexity in the Classroom”, was presented on March 30th with great success. The panelists included staff from the OCDSB, CHES, OpenDor Media,and an OCDSB student.
Participants felt that the presentation was superbly done, educational and thought provoking. Additionally, they said that hearing what students have to say regarding the antisemitism was very important and very much needed. All comments reinforced the need for this educational webinar.
The program was initiated in response to the many reports by educators, parents, and students at Ottawa and Kingston high schools of becoming targets of online harassment and antisemitic abuse connected directly to events in Israel in May 2021.
The project was created in collaboration with the Equity and Diversity team at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). It includes three webinar sessions and addresses the many challenges facing the OCDSB’s Equity and Diversity team. The approach is built on an extraordinary program from Israel called “Unpacked for Educators”, which focuses on content creation designed to train educators around the world to lead difficult conversations on complicated subjects.
The webinars provide vital information and perspective on ongoing moral lessons and connect to the world in which students live. They foster critical thinking and help educators and students to develop moral principles that allow them to recognize the danger in antisemitism, racism, and biased information at the high school level.
Understanding antisemitism and hate is imperative to the implementation of broader pedagogical frameworks related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The two additional sessions are scheduled for April 13th and May 18th at 5:00pm.
All three webinars are being recorded with the first recording will be available on the CHES website soon.
Speakers Bureau
Teachers who are interested in inviting a survivor to speak virtually to their students are welcome to contact us by filling out this form.
The Speakers Bureau is comprised mainly of survivors and children of survivors who visit educational institutions by invitation to speak about their personal Holocaust survival stories. One of the goals of CHES is to ensure the continuity of Holocaust education through the active involvement of Holocaust survivors and their descendants.
Support CHES
Make a Donation
Download the bulletin here.
