This lesson gives students the opportunity to (1) critically discern between personal needs and wants, (2) make decisions and articulate the disadvantage and advantage of chosen needs and wants, and (3) consider Gandhi‘s ideals in creating self-sustaining communities and to think critically about how to make their homes, school and communities more sustainable.

This lesson allows students to take a look at the term "sustainability" and identify both sustainable and non-sustainable practices in modern human civilization. Students discuss how humans have affected the environment, and take a look at Gandhi’s ahsrams as models of self-sustaining communities.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Earth-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Earth-245.asx

Students in second grade will understand the use of newspaper for relating news and educating people. Students will use examples of newspaper articles to write their own class newspaper regarding acts of ahimsa.

Students in second grade will learn about Gandhi’s philosophy of ahimsa. Through a digital story, honesty story, abstract art, and writing, students will learn about Gandhi’s philosophy of ahimsa.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/LifeOfTruth-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/LifeOfTruth-245.asx

Students will be introduced to Cesar Chavez. Through stories and visual presentations they will learn how an ordinary boy grew into a man that made big changes to a great number of people relying on peaceful actions. Cesar affected significant changes in social justice for farm workers and brought an awareness of the plight of an even wider group of impoverished people to the eyes of the nation.

Video Stream:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Arnst_Nonviolence%20is_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Arnst_Nonviolence%20is_2011-655.wmv

This lesson is to provide a framework for beginning to incorporate attributes defined by the Learner Profile of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme by using examples taken from the life, of civil justice leader, Cesar Chavez.

Students will learn about the famous marches of Mohandas Gandhi and Cesar Chavez, including the Epic March in South Africa, the Salt March in India, and the Sacramento March in California. They will research the impact and historical significance of each march, and will present their findings to the class. Finally, they will have the option to design and participate in their own march in order to make a statement about an issue that directly affects them and their community.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Asay_MarchTogether_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Asay_MarchTogether_2011-655.wmv

In order to bring families into the discussion on the importance of Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence as a practice, we will spend time together discussing both the acts of violence they have witnessed and the possible alternatives to these acts. We will create art projects to hang in the school building as a testament to our commitment to nonviolence. Families will also be asked to document acts of violence as well as nonviolence that they see in their communities for a week following this session.

Description coming soon...

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/BarkatakiSoulForce-035.asx

High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/BarkatakiSoulForce-245.asx

This is a research-based lesson that exposes students to examples of nonviolent protest throughout the modern world. The ultimate goal of the lesson is to remove the sense that nonviolence is both impractical and anomalous in our contemporary society. Included with the lesson is an example of a digital story based on the American Civil Rights Movement that can provide a model for a student-developed project.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheAfricanAmericanFreedomMovement-655.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheAfricanAmericanFreedomMovement-655.asx

This lesson assists students in analyzing and evaluating the relationship between an individual and his or her government with respect to law and justice. The lesson centers on an analysis of Thoreau’s On the Duty of Civil Disobedience and King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which provide a strong theoretical basis for civil disobedience. Writing-based activities are included.

In this lesson, students will identify, wrestle with, and think about issues surrounding powerlessness. The class will examine oppressive situations in which individuals experience feeling hopeless, helpless and/or powerless. By examining situations like Gandhi’s response on the South African train, the class will learn about the inspiring and dignified ways or alternatives to feeling powerless. Students will show their understanding of this through writing vignettes and performing them for one another.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hope-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hope-245.asx

This is a lesson about Restorative Justice. It is meant to follow the reading of Touching Spirit Bear, described in the content section. In the spirit of what Gandhi called ahimsa, it will examine ways people might reconcile conflicts in a mutually acceptable way. It will also examine the role of the bystander in such situations.

A comparison of conceptions and uses of nonviolence by examining Jain and Buddhist artwork, the life and work of Mohandas K. Gandhi, and the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. Additionally, an exploration of ways to teach about nonviolence in the classroom.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentArtAndAction-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentArtAndAction-245.asx

This mini-unit is intended to explore slavery through a variety of media and texts, and to allow students to probe the emotional and spiritual implications of that institution. Students come to see the horrible cruelty African-Americans endured and the numerous ways they fought back through nonviolent resistance, in the form of song, dance, and writing. In doing so they develop a reverence for life, and for freedom, which they may take for granted.

Students read Gandhi’s "Ahimsa, or the Way of Nonviolence," and Dr. King’s "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence’ to discover the meaning of ahimsa and satyagraha. Students also discuss Gandhi and King’s visions of love, exploring the notion that true nonviolence requires love for all people, including (and perhaps, especially) one’s enemies.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheWayYouDream-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheWayYouDream-245.asx

Ratios expressed in the book, If the World Were a Village, and data and photographs from Material World, help teachers and students understand and value the diversity of the global world. This data provides teachers in grades 4 -6 with instructional material for key math standards. Additionally, the content of the books and the photographs stimulate a discussion of the Gandhian principle of communal unity and an awareness of socioeconomic differences that separate the world’s people in both body and spirit.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MakeMathMatter-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MakeMathMatter-245.asx

The lesson utilizes a biographical literature selection about Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat assigned to Lithuania in 1940. He defies his superiors by writing hundreds of exit visas for Polish Jewish refugees seeking to escape Nazi persecution. By his actions, he risks his own safety and that of his family; Sugihara conducts himself according to Gandhian principles of Soul-Force and satyagraha.

The subject of bullying as a social problem within the classroom and school is explored in literature before the class performs an original play about a popular bully. The play is then analyzed in terms of nonviolence as a choice: both on a pragmatic level and on a principled level. The term, ahimsa, is introduced and discussed via the play and a children’s book about Gandhi. The lesson culminates with students writing about the potential of nonviolence in their own schools.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/BurkeRogerWilliams2-035.asx

High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/BurkeRogerWilliams2-245.asx

The historical figures of Roger Williams in Puritan New England and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States are compared and contrasted. The lesson raises the question of how events might have transpired differently in light of the use nonviolence as an avenue for social change in the 20th century. King’s ideas of civil disobedience, nonviolent protest, and pursuit of truth (based on Gandhi’s teachings and the ancient principle of nonviolence as a way of life) are emphasized.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/BurkeRogerWilliams2-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/BurkeRogerWilliams2-245.asx

This lesson is designed with two main learning outcomes. The first goal is for students to gain background knowledge on Gandhi's life so that they can have a context to see the value and power of Swaraj in the classroom. The second learning goal is for students to evaluate the relationship between the individual and his or her community and how their actions affect the larger community.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Campbell_ahimsa_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Campbell_ahimsa_2011-655.wmv

This lesson is designed to get kids thinking about where their food comes from and challenges them to think critically about the consequences of food they eat. By researching and evaluating the food industry and the conditions of farm workers, students can make more knowledgeable and compassionate dietary choices.

Young students have the opportunity to learn about the plight of the migrant farm workers and the early life of Cesar Chavez. They view a the digital story and make a class book in order to understand Chavez's commitment to nonviolence in his struggle to form a union and to help the farm workers demand better wages and working conditions. Throughout the lesson, they discover some similarities and differences between their own lives, and the life of Chavez.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Carder_fieldsofca_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Carder_fieldsofca_2011-655.wmv

Students will explore the early life of Mohandas Gandhi, focusing upon his desire to serve his community by writing newspaper articles. They will read letters written to an actual newspaper, and one letter written by Gandhi to the Natal Advertiser. This will help them to gain an understanding of how writing an article can be a form of nonviolent resistance to oppression.

This lesson is designed to introduce the students to a real 6-year old African American girl, Ruby Bridges, who had an effect on life today through her attendance at a previously all-white school in New Orleans in 1960. Through facts presented, a narrative picture book read aloud, and a guided discussion, the students will gain an understanding of how actions by individuals and groups in the past contribute positively to our life today.

This lesson will start the year and help us create an environment of respect and nonviolence in how we interact with each other and how we build the rules, routines and structures for our daily interactions. Using Gandhi's idea of self rule it will allow us to find a process and a way of thinking that shows value and respect for ourselves and others.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Cartier_Ahimsa2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Cartier_Ahimsa2011-655.wmv

This lesson is to guide students to see the values and power in nonviolent conflict resolution through the lens of the Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, and the farm workers movement. It then asks the students to make connections between values and their own actions. To push students thinking, it also begins to help students see the importance in helping the community and why communal uplift is something we are all are responsible for.

This lesson allows students to get to know the person Mohandas K. Gandhi, the man behind the leader. Children will be able to relate to Gandhi as they read and learn about him as a child and as he grows into an adult. They will study anecdotes about Gandhi and pay attention to the choices that Gandhi made based on his personal code of ethics even when he was a young child. Students will also make the connection that Gandhi was greatly influenced by his parents and his family. They will see that we are all shaped by the values we see modeled in our homes by our parents and families. Students will also learn that they can create a code of ethics to live by for themselves and make right-minded/ ahimsa decisions based on this personal code using Gandhi’s childhood and his life as an inspirational mentor.

This lesson focuses on the early life of Martin Luther King Jr. Through multiple anecdotes about Martin’s childhood experiences and several read-alouds about Martin’s life and accomplishments, students will get to know this great man and how he became such an amazing leader for the Civil Rights Movement. Students will also study the story of Ruby Bridges to further make a connection with this historical time period. The children will examine the events that took place in both Martin and Ruby’s childhood and identify the challenges these children faced as well as recognize the courage and personal struggle of each child. Students will also see how Martin learned to be a leader from his family and from distinguished mentors such as Mahatma Gandhi.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/WeAreDifferentWeAreTheSame-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/WeAreDifferentWeAreTheSame-655.asx

Using the principles of nonviolence set forth by Gandhi and King, teachers can transform the classroom environment into a close community where students and teachers perpetuate understanding, compassions and forgiveness. A nonviolent approach to discipline issues will result in conflict resolution between the two parties that will have lasting positive peace in the classroom.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheCaseForNonviolencePrinciplesInTheClassroom-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheCaseForNonviolencePrinciplesInTheClassroom-655.asx

Gandhi and King led supporters on long marches to demonstrate nonviolent civil disobedience. Teach these marches side by side with the distance formula and proportional reasoning to help students create a context within which the math concepts become more tangible and accessible.

Mohandas Gandhi has a distinct view of what civilization is and what it is not. In this lesson students explore his critique of modern civilization as well as his suggestion for how to build a "true" civilization. Students will compare this analysis with other definitions of civilization, and develop their own vision.

In this lesson students will learn about the concepts of satyagraha and ahimsa, and why they are so powerful. They will create an argument using quotes and the academic language needed to support a claim as they explore why these forces and methods are the only way to lasting social change.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Chodorow-Reich_It's%20Inside%20You_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Chodorow-Reich_It's%20Inside%20You_2011-655.wmv

In Gandhi’s seminal work, Hind Swaraj, he asserts that men "are enslaved by temptation of money and of the luxuries that money can buy." This lesson is designed to introduce fourth grade students to the idea of consumerism through an examination of their own wants and needs. Students will examine their own possessions and then learn more about the range of numbers of possessions held by people throughout the world. Activities include sharing books, class discussion, creating graphs, examining advertising, and journal reflection.

This lesson is designed to introduce fourth grade students to the Season for Nonviolence through media, reading, and class discussion. Students will gain basic background on Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. through two stories of encounters with prejudice and injustice on public transportation. Through lesson activities, students will gain a basic understanding of the time periods, the basic missions, and the characteristics of these two important leaders. To reach this understanding, students will use the skills of comparing/contrasting and identifying cause and effect. With this background students will consider the meaning of nonviolence and its relevance in their lives and their world.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SeasonForNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SeasonForNonviolence-245.asx

This lesson leads students to consider the development of “new” civilizations, and the interplay between the foundational values of societies and the reality of the nations that they create. Students will also learn about the differences between systems-based and citizen-based approaches to building social values. Students achieve new understanding of these topics by examining two pivotal conflicts between nationalist leaders in history: between Gandhi and Nehru in India, and between Jefferson and Hamilton in the United States.

In this lesson, students will gain a deeper understanding of the political philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi through an investigation of his definition and criticism of modern civilization. Students will then test Gandhi’s critique through an exploration of conditions that have developed in Japan since the twentieth century. Students will learn that, within Gandhi’s seemingly archaic criticism, there are insights into the plight of developing nations.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisCritiqueOfModernCivilization-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisCritiqueOfModernCivilization-655.asx

The intent of this lesson is to imbue students with a better understanding of nonviolence from a historical and practical level. Students will identify, define, and discuss satyagraha, the driving force which enables social reform and provides remedy to injustice. (Comparable English terminology such as “soul force”, “truth force” or “soul power” may be utilized for ease of comprehension). Students will learn that before mass movements of social change can occur, the internal reformation and preparation of the individual is prerequisite to develop the character and will necessary when confronting violence both on personal and sociological levels.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SoulPower-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SoulPower-655.asx

Through the close reading of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, students will gain an understanding to acts of goodwill for others and the purpose of selfless service. By performing deliberate acts of service over time, students can begin to develop ethical conscience which may enable them to make nonviolence the default response to conflict.

Students view a presentation on Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau, provide written responses to primary source quotations and self-study questions, answer review questions, and create a chart (or essay) on Thoreau’s ideas. The lesson emphasizes the power of individual protest and fighting injustice.

Students will explore the exponential power of a number in several modalities and transfer the concept to real life experience and commitment. They will expand the connection of the power of a unit to the scientific, historical and character-building areas. They will discuss and write about their personal power to maintain the nonviolence in their environment. Finally, they will create a classroom quilt with each one adding a piece with their personal statement on promoting "respect and responsibility" in the classroom community. The quilt, the concept and the music will be used all year as a reminder and symbol of the personal and communal commitment.

Students in a self-contained class will learn about Gandhi’s methods of promoting non-violence by using it to resolve their own conflicts. They will learn about and apply swaraj, "home rule" and satyagraha, "truth- and love-force" in the classroom.

Students will participate in a simulation of life in a coal mining "patch" town in Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Because the laborers suffered through difficult working conditions, they will organize to determine the best way to stand up for their rights using passive resistance. Each member of the group will determine his/her role in this process. They will use Gandhi’s idea of passive resistance, and also his methods, to determine and guide their actions.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/CoalMining-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/CoalMining-245.asx

This lesson focuses on how we process frustration and despair when our goals are delayed and the path is full of hardships. Dr. King, as well as other leaders of the civil rights movement, was faced with the challenge of maintaining the positive, nonviolent focus of millions of protestors as they continued to actively practice noncooperation. Students will look at King’s public addresses which warn of the dangers and offer advice. Students will also look at “Harlem: A Dream Deferred,” by Langston Hughes and compare Hughes’ insights into the impact of delayed goals to King’s writings.

This lesson focuses on the role of song within mass movements for social reform. Students will learn that song can unify large quantities of people through interactive singing; educate, clarify, and reinforce the values and goals of the movement through customized lyrics; as well as strengthen and encourage nonviolent protestors as they face hardship. Songs used by Gandhi, King, and Chavez are represented within cultural and socio-political context then connected to current musical social commentary.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/FreedomSongsTheRoleOfSongInFreedomStruggles-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/FreedomSongsTheRoleOfSongInFreedomStruggles-655.asx

In this lesson students will learn about the concepts of satyagraha and ahimsa, and why they are so powerful. They will create an argument using quotes and the academic language needed to support a claim as they explore why these forces and methods are the only way to lasting social change.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Duden_What_Is_Violence_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Duden_What_Is_Violence_2011-655.wmv

Students read passages from Dr. Tara Sethia's Gandhi: Pioneer of Nonviolent Social Change, Chavez eulogy to his mother Juana Estrada Chavez, as well as passages from Gandhi's Hind Swaraj to gain a deeper understanding of Gandhi's swaraj (self-rule). Then, using Jose Calderon's pedagogy of participatory research, students share personal narratives of historical moments in their lives where they learned valuable lessons that brought them closer to truth and their own swaraj.

In this lesson, eighth grade English Language Arts students will be introduced to M. K. Gandhi, not only as a nonviolent activist, but as a writer. After watching a short film on Gandhi as a writer, they will explore two excerpts of Gandhi’s writing, one narrative and the other expository. Students will identify the characteristics of what can make writing a nonviolent form of activism. Using a graphic organizer, students will work in groups to dissect Gandhi’s writing, categorizing the theme, similarities and differences, and effect of these excerpts. This and future lessons in the unit stress the importance of using one’s voice for social change.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhiAsAWriter-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhiAsAWriter-245.asx

Students will define forgiveness and how it leads to nonviolence (ahimsa). They will develop the notion by examining forgiveness through the eyes of Mohandas Gandhi. By reading several examples from his life, students will consider if the idea of forgiveness is absolute or conditional? Students will explore further examples from World History on how the act of forgiveness leads to nonviolence within a society.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Forgiveness-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Forgiveness-245.asx

After learning about the life and experiments of Mohandas Gandhi students will apply his experiments on truth and ahimsa (nonviolence) to their daily lives. Students will discuss the definition of violence versus nonviolence and the importance of applying the idea of Ahimsa. Using Some Basic Rules from Gandhi’s Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolutions, students will create their own rules from which they will live by.

In this lesson, students will explore the effects of civil disobedience on the struggle for Home Rule in India and racial equality in America. Perhaps more importantly, they will examine the impact of writers and writing on politics and social change. This will occur through close reading and discussion of the texts.

This lesson focuses on Gandhi’s critique of modern civilization. It explores how Gandhi’s philosophy links to the works of American Transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau, with an emphasis on their shared views about humanity and industrialization, as well as their use of civil disobedience strategies to affect social change.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SimplicityInPracticeFromThoreauToGandhi-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SimplicityInPracticeFromThoreauToGandhi-655.asx

While we tend to think of the social justice movements of Gandhi and King in terms of the changes they were able to make in societies and governments, both men concerned themselves with the conduct of the individual. Gandhi emphasizes that a change cannot occur in a community until it occurs in the conduct and belief of the individual members, while King understood that the path to nonviolence lay in the strength and determination of each of the people involved.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ThereIsAWar-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ThereIsAWar-655.asx

Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King remain important examples of leaders who successfully opposed an unjust system of laws and government through the targeted use of civil disobedience and noncooperation. These men carefully selected specific laws that were indicative of prevailing systems of injustice, and formulated well-planned methods of addressing those individual laws in their ongoing efforts to change the system as a whole.

Part one of this two part lesson details three lesser-known historical concerns and/or events regarding nuclear weapons - the first occurring in 1945, the second 1962, and the third 2007. Part two hypothesizes the psychological framework that Gandhi and King would apply concerning the nuclear threat in a post 9/11 world.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-245.asx

Part one of this two-part lesson detailed three lesser-known historical concerns and/or events regarding nuclear weapons - the first occurring in 1945, the second 1962, and the third 2007. Part two hypothesizes the psychological framework that Gandhi and King would apply concerning the nuclear threat in a post 9/11 world.

This lesson focuses on heroes of nonviolence, specifically Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will read an excerpt from An Autobiography: My Experiments with Truth written by Gandhi and "My Pilgrimage to Nonviolence" written by King. The excerpts focus on moments of life for each of these leaders that defined them as people. After reading and discussing the sources, students will write a short narrative on moments of their lives that have defined them.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Gonzales_IntrotoNonviolence_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Gonzales_IntrotoNonviolence_2011-655.wmv

Throughout history and still today, people have tried to make a difference in the world around them through the use of violence and non-violence. In this project, students will explore what the results of these attempts have been. After learning about six violent revolutions, six nonviolent revolutions, and leaders of nonviolence, students will work together to create lessons to showcase what they learned and to teach elementary school students about non-violence. In addition, they will create a collaborative mural on non-violence which will be displayed in their community.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Gonzales_IntrotoNonviolence_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Gonzales_IntrotoNonviolence_2011-655.wmv

This lesson is an introduction to Gandhi's principals of satyagraha, swaraj, and sarvodaya and how they were practiced in his ashrams in South Africa and India, and how these principles can be applied to the classroom community. These principles stress the importance of self, value of all work, and truth.

This lesson is about both Mohandas Gandhi and Cesar Chavez's ideas of sustainability, food production, and dissemination for the greater good of the community. Teacher will introduce unit posed as an inquiry question, "Are we maximizing use of the food we produce in our school gardens? If not, what could we do differently?"

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Griesdorn_Food_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Griesdorn_Food_2011-655.wmv

This lesson is an introduction to social cognition/social psychology, drawing on the exemplary life of Cesar Chavez and his work to create humane working conditions for California farm workers. Students will examine cognitive evaluation, cognitive anchors, persuasion, discrimination, prejudice, stereotypes, and social perception. Later, students will analyze the ways in which Cesar Chavez used symbols, words, and slogans (Viva La Causa) to message his call for action.

This lesson is about both Mohandas Gandhi and Cesar Chavez's ideas of sustainability, food production, and dissemination for the greater good of the community. Teacher will introduce unit posed as an inquiry question, "Are we maximizing use of the food we produce in our school gardens? If not, what could we do differently?"

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Gurholt_Ahimsa.2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Gurholt_Ahimsa.2011-655.wmv

This lesson shall serve to introduce about thirty sixth grade students to Gandhi’s literary voice. It will differentiate Gandhi’s "autobiography" from other autobiographies studied throughout the New York State and Teachers’ College (Workshop Model) English Language Arts curriculum. Further, it will serve to motivate and empower students to experiment with reflection in their personal memoir. An enduring understanding will be that reflection on "experiments" in one’s life will distinguish his or her memoirs from more traditional autobiographies.

This lesson shall serve to introduce about thirty sixth grade students to the conception of swaraj according to Gandhi’s teachings. It will differentiate swaraj from other, more familiar forms of democracy that are studied throughout the New York State social studies curriculum of world history for the grade level. Further, it will serve to motivate and empower students to bring about social change in their local communities. An enduring understanding will be that the principles of swaraj can be applied to governments and other organizations of people around the world.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Swaraj-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Swaraj-245.asx

The following lesson plans are a place for all teachers to begin to offer young children the means to develop self-reflection, self-control and independence, awareness of environment and awareness of others. Both Gandhi and Montessori have set forth that the child learns through the senses and that the training and focus of the senses is crucial for the child to develop their capacities of observation: "...the sensory functions through which, receiving sensations from his environment, he lays the foundations of his intelligence by a continual exercise of observation, comparison and judgment. In this way he gradually comes to be acquainted with his environment and to develop his intelligence." (Montessori, 1914)

The children of today are growing up in a crucial time in the history of human societies, in the globalization of cultures and in the global effects humans have on the earth. We have learned a great deal about how important it is to have new generations talk about and understand the concerns of our current problems. However, it is just as important that children begin talking about building a future of peace. Teaching peace and values to young children is a challenge. These are difficult and abstract concepts for a young child to grasp. The following activities offer concrete symbols and works that represent the concepts and to bring them to a realm where all children can begin to incorporate the concepts in their daily lives.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/PeaceRainbow-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/PeaceRainbow-245.asx

Gandhi and Chavez not only lived lives of nonviolence, but created cultures of peace for others. The information herein will provide classroom teachers information and examples of ways that Orosco's Peace Pedagogy might be implemented into schools to allow for students to live lives of nonviolence.

Within this lesson, students will use video, biographies, as well as Gandhi's own writing to recognize the need for social activism to begin as an introspective act. Students will then turn inwards to create change within themselves. Every individual has power over his or her own life, so beginning the journey of nonviolent change on an individual level allows for a more effective and empowering result.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Harvey_gandhi_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Harvey_gandhi_2011-655.wmv

Students will explore the nature of violence in its broadest definition and then learn about the concept of nonviolence and how nonviolent values were reflected in the lives of Gandhi and César Chávez. The lesson will culminate with a menu of nonviolent "experiments" that students choose from to complete and then reflect on.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hay_NVSC_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hay_NVSC_2011-655.wmv

In this lesson students will begin to identify problems in their lives and community. They will then examine strategies for nonviolent change, learning how those strategies were used by Gandhi and César Chávez. Using this knowledge of strategies, students will design and implement an action plan related to one of the issues they identified previously.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hay_NVSC_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hay_NVSC_2011-655.wmv

This lesson asks ELA teachers to reframe the way we teach the concept of conflict to focus on the personal growth that can accompany well-addressed conflict. Students are asked to consider conflict in a less black-and-white, one-winner/one-loser way than our society typically portrays conflict, and they are given the opportunity to develop this understanding within the stories we read, as well as in their own lives.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Heyes_Character_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Heyes_Character_2011-655.wmv

In this lesson, students learn the basics of Mohandas Gandhi's concepts of community and the role of the individual in community. They also explore in depth the relationship between privileges, or rights, and responsibilities, or duties. Students reflect on, discuss, and test their own understanding and feelings about these ideas within themselves and in their communities.

This will be a culminating lesson of a unit of study involving the teachings of Gandhi and his relevance to the 21st century. Students will do this in small groups using discussion and representing their discussion visually. Following a review of historical applications, students will be assigned a format of their chose to create a final project entitled "The Essential Gandhi". A second component to the project will be a real life application of Gandhi’s principles as determined by each individual student.

This lesson is intended to help students to learn the steps and methods related to Gandhi’s teachings of Satyagraha; insistence on truth through love and compassion. These would involve Gandhi’s ideas related to steps in conflict resolution and methods of non-cooperation and nonviolence. It is also meant to give student’s experience in identifying the steps and methods in historical situations: Montgomery Boycott, Indian Independence, and school boycotts in South Africa.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Satyagraha-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Satyagraha-245.asx

This lesson will engage students in analyzing the organization Gandhi brought to the Indian struggle for sovereignty in the mid-twentieth century. Students will read primary and secondary sources, engage in lectures and discussions, and finally create a multimedia project about the impact that Gandhi had and the specific actions that were carried out.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/HidebrandtFreeIndiaSpinningWheel-035.asx

High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/HidebrandtFreeIndiaSpinningWheel-245.asx

Students will read primary and secondary sources reporting the means by which individual members of the Sons of Liberty got their defiant message to the public and, more importantly, how they acted out their resistance.

The lesson begins with helping students gain a solid foundational understanding of both satire and Swift's "A Modest Proposal," which then allows them to explore modern day connections. Students will look at the California farm worker plight, noting connections between the systematic dehumanization of Irish farm workers in the 1700s and Mexican-American farm workers in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will also discuss methods of nonviolent resistance as a source for change (writing and boycotting/striking).

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hirshfield_ModestProposalVideo_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Hirshfield_ModestProposalVideo_2011-655.wmv

This lesson allows students to compare Gandhi's understanding of civilization with William Golding's and their own, with a focus on clothing. While Golding's Lord of the Flies suggests that when people dress primitively, they are more likely to act "uncivilized," Gandhi's philosophy suggests otherwise. This lesson both exposes students to Gandhian thought and allows students to explore differing views: one from the colonizer, and one from the colonized.

The purpose of the lesson is to engage students in a thoughtful conversation about the definition of civilization and how civilization has changed in the modern world. In looking at the students’ perceived definition, it will produce multiple viewpoints about what is valued in modern civilization. To further deepen their thinking, the students will learn about Gandhi’s critique of modern civilization, and how his philosophy may help contemporary society to improve. This lesson can be used as an introductory piece for many units from a service learning project to the study of civil disobedience.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://iitvcache.win.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Civilization-LaurieHughes-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://iitvcache.win.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Civilization-LaurieHughes-655.wmv

This lesson provides students with the opportunity to understand that for social change to happen there needs to be more than a few charismatic leaders. They will learn how change occurred in Montgomery because of the determination and sacrifices of thousands of citizens. They will learn about the Women’s Political Caucus, Jo Ann Robinson and many others who were key to this critical movement in the Civil Rights movement.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach 30 tenth graders with an emphasis in World Literature about the transformative power of ahimsa, or the pursuit of truth through nonviolence. Incorporating Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed techniques, students will engage in adapting a piece of violent prose to dialogue, performing a group skit of the scene, and reenacting the scene multiple times in order to reach the ideal, peaceful scenario. While this lesson is written specifically within the context of Things Fall Apart, its methodology is applicable to any piece of literature that contains violence.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach 30 tenth graders with an emphasis in World Literature about the violence of media- specifically advertising- on women. Students will learn to evaluate and critique the stereotypes and messages that are portrayed of both men and women in the media, and how those prescribed gender roles contribute to violence in our society. Ultimately, students will write a letter to Gandhi in which they discuss the implications of his alternate view of women in a modern context.

Students read pages 1 through 36 of Gandhi: Pioneer of Nonviolent Social Change by Dr. Tara Sethia, tracking the transformations in his life from age 13 through age 25, recording their thoughts in concept maps. In following the lessons of Gandhi's life, they evaluate their own lives, and discover the meaning of ahimsa.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Johnson_What%20is%20a%20Hero_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Johnson_What%20is%20a%20Hero_2011-655.wmv

Students will use the study of Chavez' philosophies of pilgrimage and penitence, as well as Mexican folklore and storytelling to have a greater understanding of how we use our culture to inform our compassion, truth, and love, specifically within the tradition of Dia de Los Muertos and the stories with which we honor our ancestors.

This whole class lesson for second grade students provides an introduction to Gandhi’s life and his philosophy of Satyagraha. Students will listen to the book "Gandhi" by Demi, discuss the key events in Gandhi’s life and his principles and complete a character map. Students will begin to connect Gandhi’s philosophy with other known civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.

This lesson connects the principles of Gandhi with the work of civil rights activists Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, Jane Goodall, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Theresa. Students will share their understanding of Gandhi‘s impact on other leaders and their own lives through a writing activity.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/PathwayToPeace-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/PathwayToPeace-245.asx

This lesson deals with giving very young students the language to solve conflicts that arise in the classroom or social settings in a nonviolent matter. It gives the students a bank of nonviolent phrases that they can use to practice this form of problem solving, while allowing them the opportunity to grow and find their own ways of doing this.

In this lesson students learn to develop their storytelling by telling stories from their lives that illustrate the concepts of violence and nonviolence. Students will use stories to begin to recognize the contrast the two ways of interacting. They will also begin to understand how nonviolence (actively making choices that are peaceful) is different from non-violence (the absence of violence). By sharing their stories and examining the situations in their and others’ lives, students will begin to understand these concepts and recognize them in the many forms they take.

Students will examine Ward Churchill's arguments regarding violent action as compared to Cesar Chavez and his use of nonviolent action for bringing about social change. Students will match events from the UFW campaign to the type of strategy employed, specifically coercion, conversion or persuasion.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Vontroba_violenceandnonviolence_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Vontroba_violenceandnonviolence_2011-655.wmv

This lesson serves as an introduction to Gandhi and his philosophy of nonviolence. Gandhi was a key figure in India's independence struggle with Britain. He used ahimsa, nonviolence and civil disobedience as a way of defeating the British. Students will gain an understanding of Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence. By examining Gandhi's clothing, students will then match events from Gandhi's life and his evolving ideas connected to nonviolence. As clothing is a symbol of wealth, class, status and culture, students will also examine their own ideas regarding what it means to be civilized with Gandhi's.

The purpose of this lesson is to give students an opportunity to become culture producers versus culture consumers. They will analyze Gandhi’s ideas of civilization and produce their own digital story using an original poem as the script, images from the web and original artwork. Students will be able to apply their own artistic style to produce a movie with a message/theme very meaningful to them.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ForPeace-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ForPeace-245.asx

This lesson will expose middle school students to social justice movements. Students will analyze the poem "This Poem Wants to Live in Peace" by Sangita Kumar, and do research (electronic and book-based) to further analyze leaders who created non-violent change. Students will finally write their own poems based on their research and will type, edit and format in Microsoft Word.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ForPeace-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ForPeace-245.asx

In this lesson for 20 students, grades 2 and 3, students will discover the inspiration for Civil Rights leaders they have already studied (Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez). They will be introduced to Gandhi and his philosophy of ahimsa that so inspired those leaders. Students will then be able to see how ahimsa is utilized in today through a nonfiction picture book.

Students will understand the how writing can be a powerful, nonviolent tool in response to injustice. Students will interpret and analyze King’s” Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Even though King was in solitary confinement, he could not be silenced. Writing gave him a voice to address the injustices occurring in Birmingham and refute the criticisms of white moderates. Students will analyze the letter as a piece of persuasive writing and discuss how writing can be used as an agent of social change.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Birmingham-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Birmingham-655.asx

In this lesson students will learn what compassion is, what a compassionate person does and/or says, and dramatize & role play situations on how to respond compassionately to others. Students will also learn about how Gandhi and King showed compassion.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/CompassionTakeAWalkInMyShoes-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/CompassionTakeAWalkInMyShoes-655.asx

Students will learn about the impact of music and song on the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and in Gandhi's life & his nonviolent civil disobedience.

This lesson allows students to learn habits of mind which will help them become more effective learners and proponents for social change through identifying and making goals related to these habits. Students will discuss the meanings of persistence, managing impulsivity, metacognition, striving for accuracy, questioning and posing problems, and thinking interdependently , and will identify these traits in Martin Luther King's nonviolent movement for civil rights. After studying Martin Luther King's example, students will write their own goals for the school year utilizing the concept of nonviolent action and habits of mind.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MartinLutherKingJrAndHabitsOfMind-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MartinLutherKingJrAndHabitsOfMind-655.asx

Maria Montessori, an educational pioneer who created a method of teaching based on child development, developed an interdisciplinary approach called “Cosmic Education” that echoes many of Gandhi's teachings. Montessori and Gandhi both believed that individuals have a responsibility to learn about the world (and universe), understand the interconnectedness of life, and then nonviolently take action against injustices when necessary. However, this nonviolent work, as well as academic work related to the academic curriculum, can be done effectively only after an individual has learned self-control, thus gaining personal freedom.

This lesson focuses on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and the many ways he changed unfair laws to bring equal rights to all people through nonviolent means. Many events that happened in King’s early years shaped his future actions. All his life experiences taught him valuable lessons that compelled him to act for social change.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-245.asx

The text for a children’s book on Gandhi’s life.

Students will review some of the basic concepts of Gandhi, including ahimsa, truth, and satyagraha. They will view a light-hearted view of Gandhi’s methods and discuss the practical application of Gandhiís methods in todayís world. Students will read a short story entitled "Satyagraha", a story that takes place in a high school. One of the main characters uses satyagraha to deal with a bullying situation at school. Lastly, students will brainstorm and discuss situations in everyday life where Gandhi’s methods could be used. They will be presented with a ten-step process for resolving conflicts.

In this lesson students will be looking at the connection between violence and poverty based on the quote by Gandhi, "poverty is the worst form of violence." After watching a short video clip, students will discuss how poverty is a form of violence. They will also discuss the distribution of wealth and the fairness of the disparity that exists between the rich and the poor. Gandhi’s concept of Sarvodaya, or "Well-being of all" will also be discussed.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MusicalInterview-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MusicalInterview-245.asx

In this lesson, students will learn about the life and times of Mohandas Gandhi and Cesar Chavez. Students will learn general information about the two activists including, but not limited to, their birthdays, their families, and where they came from. Students will also learn why these activists decided to fight for equal rights and lead social movements. Additionally, students will learn why they choose nonviolent actions

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Lee_BiographiesofGandhi&Chavez_Ahimsa2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Lee_BiographiesofGandhi&Chavez_Ahimsa2011-655.wmv

In this lesson, students will learn the characteristics of violent and nonviolent social movements, specifically those movements led by Gandhi and Chavez. Students will understand the characteristics of violence and nonviolence by engaging in cooperative theatre exercises, read alouds, and graphic organizers. By understanding the differences in violent and nonviolent social movements, students will develop their understanding of compassion and how Gandhi and Chavez demonstrated compassion for others.

This lesson uses interactive strategies to identify how influence, energy and choice shape outcomes. By intentionally using creativity to foster a positive culture, a classroom can develop a cipher (a connected and focused, group of intellectuals) that bolsters nonviolence rather than negative peace, simple tolerance, or violence.

This lesson uses interactive strategies to identify how influence, energy and choice shape outcomes. By intentionally using creativity to foster a positive culture, a classroom can develop a cipher (a connected and focused, group of intellectuals) that bolsters nonviolence rather than negative peace, simple tolerance or violence.

This lesson is designed to help youth start examining how honest reflection and dialogue are the foundation of self-expression and social change. In students’ work regarding this topic, they will analyze text (in non-fiction, literature and lyrics) in order to synthesize how historically words are used as a tool of development. The end goal would be for them to then use their own ideas and voice for the greater good: both personally and socially.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SpittingTheTruthLookingForASpokesperson-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/SpittingTheTruthLookingForASpokesperson-655.asx

In Birmingham in 1963, the civil rights movement had lost steam in a climate of fear. A controversial decision was made by movement leaders to allow an army of school age youth to march without a permit and face jail to dramatize the cause. In this lesson, students will explore the significance of that risky decision and examine the story of those courageous young activists who accomplished what adults had been unable to.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheBirminghamChildrensCrusades-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheBirminghamChildrensCrusades-655.asx

The nonviolent movement led by Mohandas Gandhi intrigued African American intellectuals and activists almost from its start. This lesson examines how one, Reverend Jim Lawson, attempted to train Nashville students to respond to violence with conscious nonviolence and love. It then follows Lawson’s recruits through their first big test, the Nashville Lunch Counter sit-ins and asks students in 2009 to put themselves in their shoes.

The purpose of this lesson is to enable students to recognize the role of violence in their own lives and develop alternatives. Through studying the work of leaders such as Gandhi and Chavez, students will work to develop models for school and community that will work toward developing a culture of ahimsa.

This lesson allows students to examine the lives of Gandhi and Chavez to identify characteristics of positive leaders. Youth today are bombarded by a variety of negative messages. By examining the lives of influential leaders and focusing on common character traits, students will be able to examine their own lives and begin to make positive personal choices.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Luettgen_What%20Makes%20a%20Leader_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Luettgen_What%20Makes%20a%20Leader_2011-655.wmv

The purpose of this lesson is to teach high school students about Dorothy Day as a notable figure in U.S. history, and how her life and dedication to nonviolence compared with the model exemplified by Mohandas K. Gandhi. Using cooperative learning with a possible service learning component, students will discover that commitment to nonviolence and service to others offers both personal and societal transformation.

The purpose of this lesson is to demonstrate to high school history students how the concept of power has often been and remains culturally and historically portrayed as violent and oppressive, a power that Gandhi referred to as the force of arms, or brute force. Students will also learn that there is a far superior power which offers individual and societal freedom and empowerment, the power of soul-force through nonviolence. Using Gandhi’s writings, magazine and film images as well as personal reflection, students will differentiate between the concepts of brute force and soul-force, develop awareness of how we are commonly shaped to view the concept of power as violent, and learn how to begin transforming our culturally shaped concept of power by developing ideas for nonviolent alternatives to personal and societal conflicts.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ViolenceOrNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ViolenceOrNonviolence-245.asx

This lesson focuses on what different religions or denominations within a religion choose to believe. The intent is to help the students better understand that religion is not static, nor is it exclusive to any one person or group. When people begin to understand belief systems from this perspective we can better understand one another. In this specific case, students better understand the struggles that Dr. King encountered and how he approached his ideas to help end prejudice and segregation.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-245.asx

The process of Modernization is essentially the move that society in the West has made from a more agrarian/rural society to a more industrialized/urban one. The important question which Gandhi poses is, "what affect does Modern Civilization have on us as human beings?" By engaging in the ideas presented in this lesson, we can begin to understand the affects of Modern/Western Civilization upon us as it relates to war, crime, racism, punishment, terrorism and arguments like those over abortion or gay marriage.

The students will explore two pivotal experiences in Gandhi’s childhood that led him to the concept of ahimsa through truth. They will begin to explore the impact of violent solutions to conflict by identifying feelings created by its use: power, powerlessness, anger, control, and frustration. The students will then reflect on the following question “If these are the feelings created by “solving” the problem has the problem been solved?” Students will then be introduced to the concept of ahimsa (nonviolence) by exploring the advent of ahimsa in the life of Gandhi.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Ahimsa-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Ahimsa-655.asx

The students will explore the power of nonviolence inspired by Gandhi and disseminated by Dr. Dr. King in the Black Freedom Movement, which demanded equal rights for all humanity regardless of race or ethnicity. They will explore the power of direct action, disciplined nonviolence as practiced by a group of people (individually or en masse) in order to achieve a political/social justice goal. They will explore the impact of individual contributions to the dismantling of segregation through the practice of direct action as illustrated by the historical contribution of Rosa Parks. Her arrest propelled Dr. King and his belief in the philosophy of nonviolent direct action to the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.

This lesson will introduce Gandhi to children, focusing on his vision of unity and mutual respect. Students will develop awareness of children from Middle Eastern and Central Asian backgrounds through a variety of stories using authentic children's literature. Students will notice and discuss similarities and differences between the story characters and themselves.

This lesson uses Gandhi's concept of the oceanic circle in building a learning community based on mutual respect and equality. This societal structure can be visualized as concentric circles, radiating out from the center in a non-hierarchical fashion, rather than a pyramid with the power being at the top, over the masses at the bottom. In the oceanic circle, the individual is in the center. The circles radiating out from the center include family, school, town or city, state, country, continent, and ultimately the world community. The digital story accompanying the lesson provides a visual representation of this concept, as applied to the learning community.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/HowToBuildCommunity-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/HowToBuildCommunity-655.asx

Gandhi’s work can be distilled into four tenets of the "good life" : Spiritual, Economic, Political and Social transformation. The purpose of this lesson is to use Gandhi’s ideas and experiments to explore the spiritual transformation aspect of the "good life" by focusing on personal awareness and formulating conceptions of truth and spirituality. Students examine the nexus between truth, spirituality and religion.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheGoodLife-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheGoodLife-245.asx

The purpose of this lesson is to use a Gandhian lens to analyze critically materialism in a capitalist society. Gandhi’s philosophy as well as the students’ own burgeoning conceptions of truth will be applied to how the students make consumer choices in order to understand the ramifications of their choices for themselves, labor and natural resources.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheGoodLife-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheGoodLife-245.asx

Students will read and reflect on how nonviolence had guided both Dr. King and Gandhi in their lives. They will use the information to draw comparisons between these two individuals and analyze how they both chose nonviolent paths of life. Students can then apply the idea of nonviolence as a choice in their own life, and formulate ways in which they can choose to be nonviolent in their everyday lives.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/WhatIsNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/WhatIsNonviolence-655.asx

Students will understand Dr. King’s role as a civil rights leader as well as his influence on President Obama becoming an activist in civil rights. They will use this information to synthesize these two figures and reflect on how both men stood up for their beliefs and were able to create change. Students will demonstrate an understanding of these men as proponents of social change and will relate their actions to actions they can take in their own lives to create change by standing up for their own beliefs.

This lesson looks at how power in a society is tied to technological, economic, and social factors. Students critique Marx and Gandhi’s opinions on modern Western civilization, and the suggested means that each advocate to instigate change. Students examine the impact of the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and colonialism, and develop their own views of modern civilization and the role nonviolence can play in shaping it.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhiAndMarx-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhiAndMarx-655.asx

Students in this lesson examine how citizens and non-governmental groups, specifically ones practicing nonviolence, can influence governments. By looking at the role and function of nonviolent protests, students examine the role of the citizen in democratically based societies in forcing social and political change. Students look at examples of protest from the United States, South Africa, and India, and critique the methodology and motivation of nonviolence as a means to instigate social and political change. Part of this lesson asks students to consider the nature of “criminal behavior” and analyze what constitutes a “criminal” act.

Students in second grade will learn how courage is an essential characteristic of nonviolence efforts. Students will gain a greater understanding of the "courage in action" and that these actions may not be match what they think courage means. The class will explore why courage is one of the values that Neighborhood House Charter School expects students to live by.

Students in second grade will learn about Gandhi's philosophy of ahimsa, and the power that ahimsa gives to everyone who chooses to follow it. Through a digital story, class discussions and writing, students will learn about Gandhi's ideas of satyagraha and swaraj

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Moo_theOriginalSuperhero_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Moo_theOriginalSuperhero_2011-655.wmv

Gandhi felt all people and things are interconnected. He believed in a unifying circle of humanity. Gandhi used this connection with all people to help end violence. Gandhi approached conflicts from a win-win point of view, valuing the other person’s ideas and perspectives. He honored all individuals, of all religious faiths, whether wealthy or poor. These things helped Gandhi win the affection of the British and the rest of the world and made India free.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisCircleOfLife-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisCircleOfLife-655.asx

This lesson focuses on Satyagraha, Gandhi’s concept of nonviolence and truth. In order to create social change, Gandhi believed in nonviolence with active resistance to injustice and reliance on truth. Components of nonviolent practices will be discussed along with specific applications of nonviolence as exemplified by the satyagraha practices of Gandhi.

This lesson is intended to serve as an introduction to the concept of civil disobedience. Students will begin the lesson with an introductory digital story that provides them with some basic background. After this introduction, students will read and analyze excerpts from the three founders of civil disobedience: Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ultimately, students should be able to dissect the similarities and differences in the three theories of civil disobedience and identify how the writers affected each other’s ideas.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentCivilDisobedience-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentCivilDisobedience-245.asx

To complete this lesson, it is expected that students have background knowledge of civil disobedience and the teachings/actions of Thoreau, Gandhi, and King. The next step in understanding civil disobedience is now to apply the theory of the "founders" of civil disobedience to actual historical events in American society. Students will apply their knowledge of civil disobedience to these historical acts and will be able to identify what aspects of the act emulate the teachings of the authors that they’ve read and what parts are different. In this lesson specifically, students will learn about champion boxer Muhammad Ali’s refusal to participate in serving in the Vietnam War, his consequent arrest, and the Supreme Court case that ensued as a result of his protest. Students will consider how Ali’s religion influenced his actions. Students will be reminded of the larger frameworks of civil disobedience according to Gandhi and King. Students will also address if Ali, who made his career on violence, can be considered a nonviolent person simply because of his anti-war position. Ultimately, students will debate and answer the question of if Ali’s act of civil disobedience is along Gandhi and King’s theory or other lines.

This lesson looks at the characteristics of a successful leader by using examples of leaders who used nonviolence to change society. Students will discuss these characteristics and look in their own community to find people who exhibit these characteristics. By identifying community members they will better be able to see the important role effective leadership plays in our society.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TakeAWalkInTheirShoes-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TakeAWalkInTheirShoes-655.asx

This lesson will clarify the true meaning of nonviolence and teach the values associated with nonviolence. Students will become familiar with the Six Steps of Nonviolence and Six Principles of Nonviolence as put forth by Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolence and conflict should be addressed together, therefore students will learn the different types and levels of conflict. Discussion will be given to negative and positive peace and what that means to our community.

We will use a conversation about "means and ends" to help students develop their own ethical philosophy, and possibly one for our classroom. We will use two quotes form Gandhi and discuss if Gandhi’s perspective makes sense, both in our own lives and in the interactions of nations.

Students will begin thinking about how nonviolence could be powerful. By using excerpts from the movie Gandhi and the documentary A Force More Powerful, students will see one example of how nonviolence was used to liberate a country.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TwoViewsOfPower-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TwoViewsOfPower-245.asx

In this lesson, students will first be able to identify the eight characteristics of Gandhi’s concept of ahimsa. Second, they will be able to identify the six principles and steps on nonviolence based on King’s life and legacy. Finally, students will be able to write individual and group conflict scenarios to draft nonviolent solutions using the above mentioned concept and principles.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/EmotionsAndDecisionsJourneysOfNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/EmotionsAndDecisionsJourneysOfNonviolence-035.asx

The purpose of this lesson is for students to be able to identify Satyagraha; a concept of Gandhi’s philosophy meaning truth-force or love-force in every individual. They will be able to list references from MLK’s life and how he incorporated it to the Black Freedom Movement. In addition, student will be able to identify and describe personal situations using Satyagraha as a tool to promote individual and social development.

The primary purpose of this lesson is to establish a truly effective way to maintain class management in the art room. This could be done by establishing a civilization in the classroom using a balanced Gandhian system including success as a student, learning techniques, existing among other students, and appreciating one’s individual method of expression.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NewWildWestConqueringMorality-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NewWildWestConqueringMorality-655.asx

This lesson is meant to address violence and nonviolence as a subject matter. There are far too many teachable moments in a child’s life to allow passage without addressing that, which underlies all problems. This lesson will discuss ways that students see violence, times in history that nonviolence is used as a solution and ways they can use nonviolence as a solution. Art will be used as a means to look at and express violence as well as nonviolence.

Students will be introduced to different perspectives of immigration and cooperation among diverse populations. Students will understand the contrasting ideologies of the melting pot, salad bowl, mosaic, and orchestra. Students will see the advantages of a viewpoint that is based on respect and collaboration. Children's literature, music, and teamwork will be used to demonstrate the differences between perspectives and make a case for inter-culturalism.

Students will study the lives of César Chávez and Martin Luther King, Jr. They will compare their lives and how their nonviolent means brought about change in the U.S. The peaceful conflict resolution skills of each will be emphasized. Children's literature, timelines, Venn diagrams and a chant will be used to support the learning process. The content essay, meant for the teacher, focuses on Chávez, while the classroom activities compare his work to that of MLK.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Pagel_VivaCesarChavez_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Pagel_VivaCesarChavez_2011-655.wmv

This lesson is designed look at how people solve conflicts. Students will analyze Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King’s nonviolent movements to social injustices. Students will understand the non-violent tactics and reasoning behind their resistance to violence during the Indian Independence Movement and the Civil Rights Movement

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ConflictResolutionThereIsABetterWay-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ConflictResolutionThereIsABetterWay-655.asx

This lesson is designed to show students how religion has an impact on social change. Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King’s social movements were greatly influenced by religion. Religion and spirituality were used for inspiration, guidance and support throughout their struggles for justice and freedom

This curriculum provides primary source materials to help students understand imperialism from the perspective of the colonizers and the colonized, focusing on Great Britain’s search for hegemony and material wealth and power. Also discussed is the struggle of a unified group of people struggling for self-rule and independence using nonviolent protest and ahimsa.

The students will be read and learn The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Through this study the students will learn what paradigms are, and how to distinguish whether the paradigms they have established in their lives are positive or negative. Once they have established a need for change we will focus on one specific principle, Habit #1 Be Proactive. This habit speaks to the theory of nonviolence that is exemplified through the stories of Gandhi and King’s life journeys.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ParadigmShiftsFromViolenceToNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ParadigmShiftsFromViolenceToNonviolence-655.asx

The students will be read and learn The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Through this study the students will learn what synergy is and why it is an important principle to base their decisions on. Examples of how Gandhi’s Salt March and King’s Sit-Ins achieved synergy by imploring nonviolent resistance and gaining feelings of pride empowerment. Habit #6 is Synergize. This habit values and celebrates differences. People are often threatened by differences of opinion, perspective, or backgrounds of other groups. By seeking out, identifying, and recognizing these differences allows individual or groups of people to create a common purpose that will benefit all parties involved.

When students research historical figures and synthesize what they learn, often the end product fails to show an understanding of how core values influence these individuals and their impact on the world. This unit now aims to first study Gandhi and his life and then compare the values he lived by with those of the historical figure each student selects to research. By so doing, students will come to a greater understanding about nonviolence and it's inherent ability to increase each individual's humanity.

Nonviolence, service and self-sacrifice were all teachings of Gandhi that resonated with Cesar Chavez. These ideas led Cesar to form what is known today as the United Farm Workers. (UFW) Several victories have been won but there are many more issues of farm worker rights. Every job brings a sense of dignity and worth. This lesson strives to emphasize the value of work while focusing on the injustices dealt to migrant farm workers in America today.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Pickens_farmworkers_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Pickens_farmworkers_2011-655.wmv

This lesson, which can be used as a foundation for the lesson Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Childhood Stories of Nonviolence by Michael Pinkava, encourages students to understand Mohandas Gandhi as a child and as a person who learned the power of “Satyagraha” through his life experiences. Students will have the opportunity to explore how they too are developing a sense of truth and nonviolence, and how they can be a leader of their own lives and their community.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://iitvcache.win.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolenceIsPowerful-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://iitvcache.win.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolenceIsPowerful-655.wmv

This lesson, which can be used as an extension of the lesson Mohandas Gandhi: Childhood Stories of Truth and Nonviolence by Michael Pinkava, encourages students to understand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a child and as a person who learned the power of nonviolence through his childhood experiences. Students will have the opportunity to explore how they too are developing a sense of truth and nonviolence, and how they can be a leader in their own lives and in their community.

This lesson aims to scaffold the meaning of violence and nonviolence and expose the tools of nonviolence to students as a means of achieving social change. Students learn the tools of nonviolence from the activities and the essay. The essay lists the characteristics of ahimsa as noted by Martin Luther King and illustrates these through stories from Gandhi's life. It is hoped that the students learn not only to stand up for their rights, but also to bring about justice and transformation peacefully.

This lesson attempts to lead the students on a journey of exploring their values and principles through self reflection. The goal is to help them establish skills of self awareness and accountability leading to active social participation. This is done through scaffolding questions and activities and by reading some of Gandhi's own personal stories with regards to truth and honesty. It is hoped that through this lesson, the seeds for the path of swaraj will be sown.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Rashid_swaraj_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Rashid_swaraj_2011-655.wmv

This lesson helps students understand the basic concept of ahimsa, using examples relevant to children at this grade level. Students are exposed to a brief biography of Gandhi and learn about his nonviolent resistance in India. Writing and drawing activities are used to assess student comprehension.

Students enhance their critical thinking skills by incorporating a nonviolent decision-making process with the mathematical order of operations as described by the California Content Standards for Algebra 1. Dr. Martin Luther King’s nonviolent sit-ins are used as an algebraic example of positive change as a result of nonviolent action.

The class will jigsaw primary source excerpts from Gandhi’s Ashram Observances using the "Walk n Talk" strategy in order to understand Mahatma Gandhi’s methods of nonviolence (satyagraha). Students will evaluate how effective Gandhi’s methods are for training effective non-violent warriors (satyagrahis) who are equipped to make effective revolution.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisVows-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisVows-245.asx

Students will engage in a historical simulation, re-enacting the feverish spirit of revolution at the eve of Gandhi’s famous Salt March. The setting of the simulation is India, 1930, in the fiery setting of the Indian National Congress (INC), the leading Indian nationalist organization. Students will take on the identity of contending factions within the INC, and students will present and debate arguments for how the INC should respond to the Salt Tax Laws. After voting the outcome, students will see the real story through viewing a film and writing a short answer responses.

Students will read a short biography of Cesar Chavez and the plight of farm workers in California. They will learn about the Delano March and explore the concept of ahimsa (nonviolence). Students will also learn about the physical geography of California and its climatic zones. Furthermore, students will research the living conditions, customs and traditions of the Mexican farm workers, and compare and contrast the attitudes and beliefs of the growers and the farm workers.

Students will read a short biography of Gandhi and focus on the Salt March of 1930 to explore the concepts of satyagraha and ahimsa. Students will also learn about India's physical and cultural geography by following the route taken by Gandhi and his satyagrahis on the Salt March.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Salazar_DigitalStory_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Salazar_DigitalStory_2011-655.wmv

This lesson explores a moral dilemma that was at the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle in 20th century South Africa: what requires more courage—violent or nonviolent resistance? The essay delves into the writings of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr to explore the often unpopular argument that nonviolent means require the greater degree of bravery.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/CourageNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/CourageNonviolence-655.asx

This lesson seeks to bring to light examples of youth participation in nonviolence resistance beyond the historic 1976 protests of South African high school students. In particular, it highlights the role of black high school students in the 1950/60s black freedom struggles in the southern US. Finally, this lesson explores the attitudes of Gandhi and King towards youth participation in nonviolence.

Looking at the work of Hans Haacke, students will look into theories of nonviolence and social justice from the practices of Gandhi and Cesar Chavez. Students will create a representational art exhibition (garden) that addresses the population of their school, community, and society as a whole in the guise of "Der Bevölkerung" (For the Population) an installation at the Reichstag in Germany.

This project is designed to incorporate the teachings of Gandhi into the design and creation of a wearable piece of art to engage students in what it means to labor for the good of others. In order to understand self sufficiency (Swadeshi) and the welfare of all (Sarvodaya) Students will construct footwear for a classmate using recycled, found, and sustainable materials, and then be required to wear the footwear for an entire 24 hour period, culminating with a written reflection as well as a digital and physical exhibition of their sculptures.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Sevilla_WalkAMile_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Sevilla_WalkAMile_2011-655.wmv

This lesson delves into subjugated groups who found nonviolent ways to not only counter a discriminatory system, but abolish and create reforms that benefit all of society. The use of Satyagraha will be exemplified through two extraordinary protests led by Gandhi and King on two different occasions, and how individuals came together to create a positive social change.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ANonviolentWorld-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ANonviolentWorld-655.asx

Newspaper articles, advertisements, magazines, and television help to indoctrinate young kids with concepts of beauty which may in fact be more detrimental to health and self-identity. Gandhi believed that modern civilization should concentrate less on material matters, and more towards self growth. Throughout history, women have been viewed as a commodity that presently in our western culture has enabled a growing market for various beauty regimes, exercise programs, cosmetic surgeries, etc. The Gandhian vision of modern civilization sees other important qualities, away from physical appearance, that both men and women can contribute.

A narrative of violence riddles our U.S. social studies curriculum. In this lesson students investigate the example Gandhi set for others to not engage in violence when oppressed. We will explore the alternative and effectiveness of nonviolence as an alternative, and specifically look at the example of Gandhi's Salt March. Students will then be able to apply and demonstrate this concept of nonviolence to their own life.

In this unit, we will first look at Gandhi's teachings and belief in "self-rule" or swaraj, and "self- sufficiency" or swadeshi. Students will find ways they can apply this to themselves in their own lives within personal responsibility at school, home, and in relationships with others. Students will connect this with the U.S. constitution and write their own personal constitution with their commitment to values. Students will write a whole class constitution embodying how they want our classroom to run, including their own personal responsibility within it.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/KristenSmith-Democracy%20in%20the%20Classroom-2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/KristenSmith-Democracy%20in%20the%20Classroom-2011-655.wmv

Students will learn the importance of community and will learn skills to create a better class room community. Students will take part in several activities, including the "Thumb War Activity", that will develop there skills in critical thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution and working together to build relationships.

Students will learn the importance of symbolism through graphic design and will understand how Gandhi and Chavez used symbols to enhance their nonviolent grassroots campaigns. Students create a logo for their own nonviolent campaign for any social issue they choose.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Rockysmith_symbolsofnonviolence_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Rockysmith_symbolsofnonviolence_2011-655.wmv

This lesson (1 of 3) encourages students to reflect on violence in their own personal lives, reflect on their reactionary tendencies and re-write the scenario based on Ahimsa and Satyagrah techniques. At the same time, students will expand their notion of violence in the process of listening to others’ recounts of personal experiences. Last and not least, the teacher will have an opportunity to hear the students’ voice.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheArtOfNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/TheArtOfNonviolence-245.asx

This lesson (2 of 3) examines short-term social change versus long-term social transformation. Incidents from the non-violent revolution for independence led by M.K. Gandhi in India will used as both an example of social transformation through Gandhi’s methods of Satyagrah, as well as, a reflection of the short comings social change as exemplified by the riots during the partition after India’s independence. Students will apply their notion of social transformation to a Project of Action which addresses a current social injustice and applies the principle of Satyagrah to remedy it. (This issue will be the basis of a culminating multimedia project.).

The purpose of this lesson is to teach 30 5th/6th grade students strategies for achieving a sense of belonging and working for the belonging and equality of all people. Students will judge non- violent action as the best personal methods for achieving positive social change. Using cooperative learning students will create strategies for dealing with unfair treatment, discrimination and oppression.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/EveryoneBelongs-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/EveryoneBelongs-245.asx

The milestones in Gandhi's and Chavez's journeys to nonviolence were quite different; however both men were passionate about nonviolent conflict resolution leading to social change. After reading a biography of either Gandhi or Chavez in a book club, students collaborate to create a timeline of the book's important events in the life of Gandhi or Chavez, develop a digital story from the information, and present to the class. Class discussions center on nonviolent conflict resolution and the applicability to the students.

The milestones in Gandhi's and Chavez's journeys to nonviolence were quite different; however both men were passionate about nonviolent conflict resolution leading to social change. After reading a biography of either Gandhi or Chavez in a book club, students collaborate to create a timeline of the book's important events in the life of Gandhi or Chavez, develop a digital story from the information, and present to the class. Class discussions center on nonviolent conflict resolution and the applicability to the students.

This is a follow up lesson after students have read biographies on Chavez and Gandhi. Students will explore Chavez's "Wrath of Grapes" campaign and discuss its relevance today. After researching pesticide use and the effects on crops, workers, and consumers, students will design a questionnaire and survey pertinent stakeholders. Students will discuss what the survey results mean for them and identify nonviolent actions, grounded in the work of Gandhi and Chavez, which they can pursue to challenge social injustices.

Working in small teams, students will explore the basic concepts of human rights as defined by the international community. Then they will see how that’s rights can be denied by a government by studying the beliefs and experiences of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Students begin by viewing a short video that both engages their interest and stimulates their prior knowledge of Martin Luther King. This leads to a discussion of who Martin Luther King was, what he did, and what he believed. The students then review quotes from King in groups then share what these quotes mean. The discussion that follows should lead students to the conclusion that the principle of nonviolent confrontation can be applied to their interpersonal relations and can aid them in resolving conflict. Finally, students will apply these ideas on nonviolent conflict resolution to case studies in conflicts familiar to the students.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/StrandIsConflictPartofLife-035.asx

High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/ahimsa/StrandIsConflictPartofLife-245.asx

In this lesson, students will be read the essay about Mohandas Gandhi's response to the unfair treatment of untouchables in Indian society. After a discussion session and listing descriptive words about Gandhi's behavior on the board, they will be introduced to the story: Crocodile and Ghost Bat have a Hullabaloo. The students will compare Gandhi's behavior and actions in the face of intolerance towards the untouchables to the intolerant behaviors of the animals and others at the hullabaloo.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Suttles_Begin%20With%20Children_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Suttles_Begin%20With%20Children_2011-655.wmv

This lesson offers students an opportunity to explore Gandhi’s Salt March as one example of a response to colonialism. Students will begin by familiarizing themselves with the march as an event, who was involved and how the protest was carried out. They will also explore nonviolence as a strategy for change and will analyze Gandhi’s use of this strategy.

In this lesson students will explore the concept of “civilization” as defined by themselves, western society and different cultures around the world. Additionally, they will examine Gandhi’s ideas about civilization. Students will look at the impact that colonialism has on identity. Finally, students will examine Gandhi’s use of khadi as a teaching tool-- to instill value (labor), to protest (colonialism) and to redefine Indian identity.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Civilization-SuzannahTaylor-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Civilization-SuzannahTaylor-655.asx

This lesson asks students to investigate Martin Luther King’s decision to speak out against the war in Vietnam. By reading excerpts from King’s speech and analyzing other primary source documents, students will examine why King made the decision to speak out, how people inside and outside the movement responded, and how his analysis of the connections between war, racism, and imperialism echo in our world today.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/KingsBeyondVietnamSpeech-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/KingsBeyondVietnamSpeech-655.asx

Social change is inspired by countless acts of individual resistance that slowly lead to an overall shift in consciousness and material conditions. This lesson focuses on recovering the histories of two of the lesser-known antecedents to the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision. In 1946 Gonzalo Mendez filed a lawsuit in Federal Court on behalf of 5000 Mexican-American students forced to go to segregated "Mexican schools" in Orange County, California. His case helped establish legal precedence for the latter Brown case. A few years later in Virginia, 16-year old Barbara Johns organized a walk-out and student-strike against her segregated high school. Her case became one of the four cases that was part of the Brown litigation itself.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold illustrates how structural violence can lead to murder. To further complicate students' understanding of violent structures that exist unseen in society and provide students with tools to challenge these norms, students read about Chavez who confronted agribusiness through active nonviolence; an excerpt by Orosco who further defines types of violence; and the pedagogy of service learning by Calderón who provides a framework to solve problems that plague our post-modern civilization.

After reading Hard Times by Charles Dickens, students explore the book as satire (Dickens' critique of Utilitarianism and the mechanization of human beings). Next, to complicate our understanding of civilization we read four chapters from Hind Swaraj, Gandhi's seminal text on creating a peaceful, independent, and self-sufficient society.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Kati_Tilley_ServiceLearningInAction_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Kati_Tilley_ServiceLearningInAction_2011-655.wmv

This lesson will explore the motives behind modern industrialization and modern civilization. Gandhi critiqued modern civilization's emphasis on individualism and the accumulation of material objects because these sacrificed one's social responsibility and duty to create and elevate the self and community. Students will use this information to make a connection between imperialism in India and colonization in what is now the United States.

Gandhi and Chavez will serve as models of nonviolent conflict resolution. Through an understanding of ahimsa as nonviolent thought and action, students will begin to resolve conflicts and work to create a culture of peace in the classroom and school.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Tobar_VivaAhimsa_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Tobar_VivaAhimsa_2011-655.wmv

This lesson focuses on Gandhi’s beliefs in nonviolence through thoughts, words, and deeds. Students will compare Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance, known as satyagraha, to the violent war practices and training of medieval knights and Japanese samurai (taught earlier in the year and now as a review). They will be exposed to the mindset of a nonviolent warrior and understand the purpose, courage, training and outcomes associated with the Gandhian path of nonviolent action.

This lesson has students analyze the courage that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his followers had after the bombing at Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which killed four girls. Students will contemplate how Dr. King and other African Americans were able to continue on, keeping the focus on nonviolent protest and avoiding hatred, bitterness, and retaliatory violence after this tragic and violent act.

Students will read, discuss and compare and contrast two similar stories (with different endings) with the goal to discover how one of them relates to Gandhi’s philosophy of Ahimsa. Also, students will read an additional story and consider an alternate ending that includes the transformation of all the characters with Ahimsa: non-violence through truth and love.

Students will learn examples of soft and hard forms of violence and nonviolence as well as the nonviolent philosophy and movements of Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King with an emphasis on what Rev. King learned from Gandhi about Ahimsa and how nonviolent social change begins with personal transformation.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ViewsOfViolenceAndNonviolence-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/ViewsOfViolenceAndNonviolence-245.asx

Students read an excerpt from a speech by Oscar Arias Sanchez, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and compare it to M.K. Gandhi’s use of words like "soldier", "weapon", and "fight". Arias Sanchez advocates de-militarizing our language, such as using "build a team" instead of "round up the troops." However, Gandhi uses language such as "soldiers of non-violence" when explaining Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha (soul-force).

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MilitarizationOfLanguage-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/MilitarizationOfLanguage-245.asx

In this lesson, students will enter into a discourse between M.K Gandhi and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson. Like many critics of non-violence, Thompson used the argument that non- violence means to do "doing nothing", but this lesson attempts to correct that misconception. World War II will serve as the context for this study, but the intent is to see non-violence as timeless.

Students will discuss and answer the question "does the end justify the means?" After defining "means" and "ends," students will explore different situations to come to a personal understanding, then revisit an excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, in which he calls for freedom "by any means necessary," as well as Chapter 16 of Hind Swaraj, Gandhi's exploration of brute force. Students will apply their understanding of rhetorical modes to analyze how each leader made his argument.

Students will learn the analytical practice of using a critical lens to read literature and examine events. Jose Orosco, in Cesar Chavez and the Commonsense of Nonviolence, introduces the concepts of structural and cultural violence in Chapter 4, "Refusing to be a Macho." Often called a cultural or feminist lens, students can see this deeper understanding of events at play in Cesar Chavez's speech "At Exposition Park," as Chavez takes responsibility for the structural violence that "we" promote. From here, students will analyze the texts they have read with different lenses.

The world history students will learn to make a connection between the history of Gandhi’s non-violent independence movement in India and current day issues around the world. An in- depth analysis of Gandhi’s ideas through the use of quotes and philosophies will take place in the forms of presentation, discussion, and writing.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/IsGandhiRight-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/IsGandhiRight-245.asx

In a world history class for English Language Learners, students will learn about Gandhi and his philosophies with pictures. By looking at pictures that represent Gandhi at different times in his life, students will observe how Gandhi and his lifestyle changed with the satyagraha movement.

Description coming soon...

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/WhiteFourNobleTruths-035.asx

High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/WhiteFourNobleTruths-245.asx

In this lesson students will examine some of the influences in the early life of Cesar Chavez, including his family, his faith, and his intellectual curiosity, that led him to devote his life to the cause of justice for agricultural workers and for other causes of social justice.

The big business of agriculture in our country depends on structural violence. Human beings who plant, cultivate and harvest the labor-intensive crops that are a daily part of our diet are suffering because of cruel and inhumane working conditions. This lesson will focus on some aspects of how food is produced in our country, how the people who produce food are directly affected, and how we can gain awareness of these issues, which may lead to action.

Low bandwidth video:
mms://low.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Willard_the%20story%20of%20lettuce_2011-035.wmv
High bandwidth video:
mms://high.video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/Willard_the%20story%20of%20lettuce_2011-655.wmv

In this lesson for 20 students, grades 2 and 3, students will discover the inspiration for Civil Rights leaders they have already studied (Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez). They will be introduced to Gandhi and his philosophy of ahimsa that so inspired those leaders. Students will then be able to see how ahimsa is utilized in today through a nonfiction picture book.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/NonviolentMovement-245.asx

In this language arts lesson 20 students, grades 2 and 3, will use Gandhi’s writing in Hind Swaraj to further their understanding of ahimsa (nonviolence). Using the writing workshop model, students will generate a list of events from their own life that illustrate ahimsa and develop one of these into a narrative.

Teachers will learn about Gandhi’s ashrams. Ashrams were community farms that were self-sufficient. Gandhi and his family frequently lived on these farms. The community members of the ashrams grew their own food and prepared it, made their own cloth, cleaned the ashram, and lived a simple life. Teachers can relate the information to students by discussing school gardens, where food comes from, what happens to trash, and preparing and eating food together.

Low bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisAshramsSchoolSustainability-035.asx
High bandwidth video:
http://video.csupomona.edu/Ahimsa/GandhisAshramsSchoolSustainability-655.asx