Time: 20 minutes

Objective:
To give students an understanding of how hateful thoughts become hateful actions, and an appreciation of the role that community can play in healing and resilience in the face of adversity.

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify the causes of hateful actions.
• Explain the role of community support in recovering from violence.

Standards Alignment:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2 / SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1 / RH.11-12.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2 / RH.11-12.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3 / RH.11-12.3: Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9 / RH.11-12.9: Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

Newspaper article reading (10-15 min)

Hand out copies of the article After 2 Incidents of Vandalism, Holocaust Memorial Rededicated in Santa Rosa (Press Democrat Aug. 6, 2024) and give students time to read it.

Teacher explanation: Tie this story back to the United for Peace letter. “The financial and emotional support I received in the process of repairing the broken memorial deepened my understanding that there is a common ground of decency and caring, that unites people from different sexes, religions, races, ethnicities, financial statuses, and political backgrounds. Despite the initial shock and sadness, repairing the vandalized memorial became a celebration of our unity.”

• Emphasize:
  • Anger and hate can lead to real harm.
  • Community response based on care, responsibility, and education can repair and even strengthen unity.

Small group discussions (5–8 min)

Have students pair up and discuss.

Prompts:

• “What part of that story stood out to you? Why?”
• “What do you think might have influenced the vandals to move from strong feelings or beliefs into destructive action?”
• “What did the community do that reflects peace, not just punishment?”

Ask 2-3 pairs to share what they discussed with the class.

Key Takeaway:
Positive community interaction can defeat hate. Most of us have more in common than we have differences.