In Nazi-occupied Poland during WWII, Irena Sendler, a 29-year-old Catholic social worker, risked her life to smuggle 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. Working with a network of brave resistors and inspired by people like Dr. Janusz Korczak, she forged documents, coordinated secret escapes, and hid children with Polish families and in convents — preserving not just their lives, but their identities and future.

Students will learn about Hungary during WWII and how Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, saved tens of thousands of Jewish people during the Holocaust. After reviewing a short historical timeline and the “10 Upstander Steps,” students watch videos about Wallenberg and survivor Agnes Adachi to identify how he acted with courage and moral leadership. In Part 2 of the lesson, students will connect the historical content to today by viewing a modern example of upstanders in an

Students will learn about Lithuania during WWII and how Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, saved thousands of Jewish refugees by issuing transit visas—defying the strict orders of his own government. After reviewing a brief historical timeline and the “10 Upstander Steps,” students watch a video about Sugihara’s life to identify how he acted with courage and moral responsibility. In Part 2 of the lesson, students connect this historical example to their own lives by viewin

In this Super Monsters episode, the young monsters make unkind, prejudiced jokes about ogres without realizing how hurtful their words can be. When their beloved friend Luigi reveals he is actually an ogre, they learn an important lesson about respecting others and challenging assumptions. This lesson extends the movie by teaching students 10 concrete upstander steps they can use whenever they witness prejudice (or any unkind behavior), and students will practice these steps

In this lesson, students watch the What Would You Do? segment “Antisemitism and Jewish Discrimination: What Would You Do?” which places unsuspecting bystanders in situations where Jewish people experience discrimination in a public setting. The video captures real reactions — prompting students to consider how prejudice can appear in everyday life and what moral courage looks like. As an extension to the video, students learn and role-play 10 Upstander Steps and become Upstan

Students watch a hidden-camera scenario where a family with same-sex parents is refused restaurant service. Students identify what’s unfair, analyze how bystanders and upstanders respond, and practice (via role play) 10 Upstander Steps that are kind, safe, truthful, and inclusive. As students learn upstander skills, they discover how to make public spaces safer and more respectful for everyone.

Students analyze a hidden-camera scenario from What Would You Do? in which a Muslim couple is denied restaurant service because of their appearance. Using 10 Upstander Steps, students evaluate how bystanders respond and identify which reactions show courage, kindness, and inclusion. Students then discuss and role-play what they themselves can say or do to stand up for others when prejudice or unkind behavior occurs.