Ammunition in the war
against hate and violence

Educators and parents are right to worry that kids might stumble onto Web sites run by violent and intolerant hate groups. But the Internet also has many positive sites that promote tolerance and diversity and engage kids in thinking about their behavior toward others. Here are just a few of them:

Teaching tolerance

Every day eight blacks, three whites, three gays, three Jews, and one Latino become victims of hate crimes. Find out what you and your students can do to fight hate at Tolerance.org. And while you're there, "tour" reproduced pages from hate sites, read the latest news about hate crimes, and uncover your own hidden biases through an online test. The site, launched recently by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is designed to promote tolerance and counter the growing presence of hate groups on the Internet. On Planet Tolerance, the children's area of the site, kids can help create the largest anti-bias mural on the Web or examine the hidden messages in historical and pop cultural images, among other activities. A teacher's page offers free resources plus an idea exchange and "teachers' lounge" for voicing concerns and finding advice. The site's goal is to "awaken Americans to the problems of hate and intolerance, prompt them to action, and encourage them to dig deeper into themselves and the injustices that still face the country." Where better to begin than the classroom?

Joining forces

Life's too short ... stop the hate. That's the message of Partners Against Hate, a project of the Anti-Defamation League, the Leadership Conference Education Fund, and the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence, with funding from the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education. The project's Web site was created to provide information, resources, and tools to counteract youth-initiated hate violence. The site features an anti-bias training curriculum for educators, plus personal stories of young people affected by hate violence. A rich online resource library leads the user to a variety of online publications -- including a Department of Education manual on preventing youth hate crime. In 1999, the site reports, one out of every 10 hate crimes occurred at a school or college. Doesn't every student have a right to feel safe and welcomed at school?

Remembering hatred

"And I Still See Their Faces: Images of Polish Jews" is just one of the virtual tours at the Museum of Tolerance Online Multimedia Learning Center, a project of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. The center's Museum of Tolerance is a high-tech, hands-on experiential museum that focuses on two central themes: the dynamics of racism and prejudice in America and the history of the Holocaust. Visit the museum online for a comprehensive multimedia learning center on the Holocaust and World War II and an abundant collection of resources for teachers, including a glossary and timeline.

Making choices

Actions have consequences -- and violent actions often land kids in court. As part of a public-service initiative called Choices and Consequences, Court TV has made available a six-lesson high school curriculum that addresses bullying and violence. Written by Street Law Inc., a nonprofit curriculum developer, the new curriculum is based on video excerpts from the television drama "Homicide: Life on the Streets." The curriculum can be downloaded at Court TV's Web site, and the accompanying programming can be taped free of charge through Court TV's Cable in the Classroom feed.