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Nofuente Example- Anti-Bias Mini Lessons

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Nofuente Example- Anti-Bias Mini Lessons

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Explore these interactive, online resources designed for you to learn and engage in topics about bias, bullying, identity, social justice and allyship. Learn on your own or with classmates or share with friends. You can move at your own pace, pausing and resuming as needed.

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Nofuente Example- AAPI History in the US

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Nofuente Example- AAPI History in the US

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GLSEN (pronounced “glisten”) is the leading organization working to improve K-12 school climate for LGBTQ youth by building the evidence base for action through our research; training educators and other school professionals to be LGBTQ competent; empowering

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5 Strategies to Help Black Students Feel at Home in School

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White teachers who take the time to know their Black students as individuals can foster a feeling of belonging that students need.

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Nofuente Example- ASCA Position Statement

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Nofuente Example- ASCA Position Statement

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(Adopted 2017; revised 2019)

ASCA Position

School counselors promote equal opportunity, a safe and nurturing environment and respect for all individuals regardless of citizenship status, including undocumented students and students with undocumented family members, understanding that this population faces a unique set of stressors. School counselors work to eliminate barriers that impede student development and achievement and are committed to the academic, career and social/emotional development of all students. "School counselors demonstrate their belief that all students have the ability to learn by advocating for an education system that provides optimal learning environments for all students" (ASCA, 2016, p. 1).

The Rationale

The 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe (1982) prohibits states from denying undocumented children a public K-12 education. In ruling the court stated that to deny these students an education would create a "lifetime of hardship" for the student, and it would create a "permanent underclass" (Eusebio & Mendoza, 2015).

Educators are on the front lines of implementing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Because of their unique position within a school, school counselors are able to support undocumented students by assisting these students in gathering documentation for DACA requests, advising them on the many academic, career and social/emotional opportunities made possible by DACA (Avila & Zellner, 2015).

A school counseling program is an integral component of the school's academic mission. Comprehensive school counseling programs, informed by student data and based on standards in academic, career and social/emotional development, promote and enhance the learning process for all students. The ASCA National Model ensures equitable access to a rigorous education for all students. Undocumented students and students with undocumented family members deserve the same services as all other students but face social, financial and legal barriers. These students need support to feel safe, in addition to needing assistance to find funding for any postsecondary educational goals, due to lack of Title IV federal financial aid that is not available to undocumented student in the form of grants, student loans or work-study.

Many students experience stressors due to:

separation from family

cultural differences

language barriers and interpretation for families

anxiety, fear, grief and loss regarding family members' detention and deportation * caretaker roles for family members

concerns about their futures

understanding how to navigate college access and availability to them

marginalization due to mixed cultures

PTSD due to traumatic immigration events

re-traumatization

Connecting with a school counselor will alleviate many of these stressors and fears, especially when individual counseling addresses the students' concerns. Having access to a qualified school counselor builds a support system needed at any age and will enable students to develop goals for their futures and feel safe and connected to their communities. School counselors recognize these stressors can be alleviated by intervention from a school counselor.

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors focus their skills, time and energy on direct and indirect services to all students, regardless of their citizenship, national origin, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or any other demographics. School counselors participate as members of the educational team and use the skills of leadership, advocacy and collaboration to promote systemic change as appropriate. Supporting all students with a variety of needs may include a diverse skill set, including knowledge about many legal factors affecting students.

"Undocumented youth, in particular, can experience high levels of acculturative stress from immigration-related issues such as separation from family and academic difficulties. The psychological costs of family separation, associated with the migration process and with U.S. immigration procedures such as detention and deportation, are well documented and, among children, may include symptoms of depression and anxiety" (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).

The role of the school counselor includes:

Advocating for the rights of all students, including undocumented students, by ensuring students are not barred from education based on foreign birth certificates, lack of a Social Security number or a home language other than English

Working with other district personnel so any information collected is uniformly applied to all students and not used to discriminate or bar certain students' access to education

Supporting undocumented students by helping them gain access to an equitable education that meets their needs and prepares them for postsecondary access, if necessary (e.g., referrals for ELL services, special education services and medical treatment)

Working with school and district personnel to promote awareness and to educate school counselors and school and district personnel, students, parents and the community on policy, procedures and rights of the students and their families and to eliminate discriminatory language and actions regarding these students and their families

Supporting the family with information about educational access and rights

Assisting students with seeking postsecondary goals, navigating college access and finding funding for their goals

Working with community partners and leveraging resources to provide support in keeping families intact, if possible, while supporting students who are separated from a parent due to deportation

Ensuring schools are a safe haven for undocumented students and will not divulge confidential information to any outside agencies without proper legal documentation

Providing counseling intervention and social/emotional support for students affected by immigration stressors, including assessment of possible trauma that they may have experienced

Keeping abreast of current policies and practices of postsecondary institutions regarding access for undocumented students

Advocating against the practice of separating children from their families at U.S. borders (ASCA, 2018)

Maintaining a database of community resources to support referrals in assisting families with various challenges related to issues surrounding undocumented status, including recovery associated with trauma resulting from separation

Summary

School counselors understand undocumented students face additional legal, financial and social stressors and need additional support with these barriers as well as assistance with postsecondary goals. School counselors have a responsibility to provide services to all students regardless of their citizenship status, to advocate for their access to services and to prevent discrimination against students by removing barriers impeding student development and achievement.

References

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2018). ASCA issues statement condemning the separation of children and families at U.S. borders. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Press%20releases/ ASCA-statement-against-border-separation.pdf

Avila, K. & Zellner, M. (2015). Deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA): Toolkit for educators. San Francisco, CA: Educators for Fair Consideration. Retrieved from http://e4fc.org/images/E4FC_DACAEducatorToolkit.pdf

Eusebio, C., & Mendoza, F. (2015). The case for undocumented students in higher education. San Francisco, CA: Educators for Fair Consideration. Retrieved from http://www.e4fc.org/images/E4FC_TheCase.pdf

Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982).

U.S. Department of Education. (2015). Resource guide: Supporting undocumented youth. Washington D.C.: Author. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/supporting-undocumented-youth.pdf
Resources
Chicago Public Schools & Choose Your Future. (2016). Undocumented Students. Chicago, IL: Author. Retrieved fromhttps://chooseyourfuture.cps.edu/high-school-college-career/undocumented-students/

Suárez-Orozco, C., Bang, H. J., & Kim, H. Y. (2011). I felt like my heart was staying behind: Psychological implications of family separations & reunifications for immigrant youth. Journal of Adolescent Research, 26(2), 222-257. doi:10.1177/0743558410376830

https://www.aft.org/our-community/immigration https://www.nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/immigration-reform-chart-2013-07-11.pdf https://www.nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/immigration-reform-chart-esp-2013-07-11.pdf

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The School Counselor and Working with Students Experiencing Issues Surrounding Undocumented Status

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(Adopted 2017; revised 2019) School counselors promote equal opportunity, a safe and nurturing environment and respect for all individuals regardless of citizenship status, including undocumented students and students with undocumented family members, understanding that this population faces a unique set of stressors.

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Equity for Our Native American/American Indian Students - American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

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Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

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Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

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Resource: Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

Link: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/social-studies/hidden-voices

Type: Curriculum resource (lesson collections, biographies, and educator guides)

Description:
Hidden Voices is a powerful educational initiative developed by the NYC Department of Education in collaboration with the Museum of the City of New York. It highlights the lives and contributions of individuals from historically marginalized communities—particularly African American, Native American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander backgrounds—who are often left out of traditional history curricula. Each featured individual has made a meaningful impact through leadership, advocacy, or service, offering students a broader and more inclusive understanding of American history.

Why I chose this resource:
I discovered Hidden Voices through the CACF Inclusive Curriculum Initiative and was deeply moved by the stories it shares. What stood out to me is that the individuals featured aren’t necessarily household names like Martin Luther King Jr. or Abraham Lincoln. Instead, they are everyday people who faced adversity and chose to act with courage and compassion to improve their communities. Their stories feel accessible and inspiring—not because they were famous, but because they were brave, persistent, and values-driven. I believe this makes it easier for students (and educators like me) to see themselves as changemakers. It’s a reminder that doing the right thing matters, even when no one is watching. Additionally, from a teaching perspective, I can see how these materials and stories would compliment the current curriculum.

Classroom Applications:

Use the lesson collections to build identity-affirming social studies or ELA units

Facilitate small group discussions around themes of justice, resilience, and community

Encourage students to research and share their own “hidden voices” from their families or local communities

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Through our Hidden Voices series, you can learn about some of the most important, influential, yet overlooked figures in New York, United States, and world history. Inspired by NYC Public Schools’ Hidden Voices curriculum materials for City students, this online biographical series highlights great individuals whose personal stories deserve to be told and heard by all.

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Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

# data[].attributes.subject
Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

# data[].attributes.body
Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

Resource: Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

Link: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/social-studies/hidden-voices

Type: Curriculum resource (lesson collections, biographies, and educator guides)

Description:
Hidden Voices is a powerful educational initiative developed by the NYC Department of Education in collaboration with the Museum of the City of New York. It highlights the lives and contributions of individuals from historically marginalized communities—particularly African American, Native American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander backgrounds—who are often left out of traditional history curricula. Each featured individual has made a meaningful impact through leadership, advocacy, or service, offering students a broader and more inclusive understanding of American history.

Why I chose this resource:
I discovered Hidden Voices through the CACF Inclusive Curriculum Initiative and was deeply moved by the stories it shares. What stood out to me is that the individuals featured aren’t necessarily household names like Martin Luther King Jr. or Abraham Lincoln. Instead, they are everyday people who faced adversity and chose to act with courage and compassion to improve their communities. Their stories feel accessible and inspiring—not because they were famous, but because they were brave, persistent, and values-driven. I believe this makes it easier for students (and educators like me) to see themselves as changemakers. It’s a reminder that doing the right thing matters, even when no one is watching. Additionally, from a teaching perspective, I can see how these materials and stories would compliment the current curriculum.

Classroom Applications:

Use the lesson collections to build identity-affirming social studies or ELA units

Facilitate small group discussions around themes of justice, resilience, and community

Encourage students to research and share their own “hidden voices” from their families or local communities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Through our Hidden Voices series, you can learn about some of the most important, influential, yet overlooked figures in New York, United States, and world history. Inspired by NYC Public Schools’ Hidden Voices curriculum materials for City students, this online biographical series highlights great individuals whose personal stories deserve to be told and heard by all.

# data[].attributes.headline
Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

# data[].attributes.subject
Meyer - Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

# data[].attributes.body
Resource: Hidden Voices – Untold Stories in American History

Link: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/social-studies/hidden-voices

Type: Curriculum resource (lesson collections, biographies, and educator guides)

Description:
Hidden Voices is a powerful educational initiative developed by the NYC Department of Education in collaboration with the Museum of the City of New York. It highlights the lives and contributions of individuals from historically marginalized communities—particularly African American, Native American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander backgrounds—who are often left out of traditional history curricula. Each featured individual has made a meaningful impact through leadership, advocacy, or service, offering students a broader and more inclusive understanding of American history.

Why I chose this resource:
I discovered Hidden Voices through the CACF Inclusive Curriculum Initiative and was deeply moved by the stories it shares. What stood out to me is that the individuals featured aren’t necessarily household names like Martin Luther King Jr. or Abraham Lincoln. Instead, they are everyday people who faced adversity and chose to act with courage and compassion to improve their communities. Their stories feel accessible and inspiring—not because they were famous, but because they were brave, persistent, and values-driven. I believe this makes it easier for students (and educators like me) to see themselves as changemakers. It’s a reminder that doing the right thing matters, even when no one is watching. Additionally, from a teaching perspective, I can see how these materials and stories would compliment the current curriculum.

Classroom Applications:

Use the lesson collections to build identity-affirming social studies or ELA units

Facilitate small group discussions around themes of justice, resilience, and community

Encourage students to research and share their own “hidden voices” from their families or local communities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Through our Hidden Voices series, you can learn about some of the most important, influential, yet overlooked figures in New York, United States, and world history. Inspired by NYC Public Schools’ Hidden Voices curriculum materials for City students, this online biographical series highlights great individuals whose personal stories deserve to be told and heard by all.

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Meyer - Open Source Curriculum and Materials - It's FREE!

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Meyer - Open Source Curriculum and Materials - It's FREE!

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ASCCC Ethnic Studies Open Educational Resources

Link: https://asccc-oeri.org/open-educational-resources-and-ethnic-studies/
Why it’s valuable:
This site offers free, research-based materials for teaching African American, Native American, and Asian/Pacific Islander histories and perspectives. It includes textbooks, primary sources, and lesson plans designed to center Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) voices and challenge eurocentric narratives.

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ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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Open Educational Resources and Ethnic Studies - ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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This collection was curated by an ASCCC OERI discipline lead. A comprehensive list of current discipline leads is available. Access this page directly using https://tinyurl.com/ESOERsources. The curated list provided here is intended to facilitate faculty selection of an OER text in lieu of a commercial text. Using an openly licensed resource that is missing from the … Open Educational Resources and Ethnic StudiesRead More »

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Guides, articles, and resources for LGBTQ young people, parents, and allies.

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One of our most popular lessons is the band-aid lesson on fairness. Let's unpack fair vs. equal so we can better teach this concept.

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Skip to main content

From film kits and lesson plans to the building blocks of a customized Learning Plan-texts, student tasks and teaching strategies-our resources will help you bring relevance, rigor and social emotional learning into your classroom-all for FREE.

Not sure where to begin? Get to know our Social Justice Standards, anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains-Identity, Diversity, Justice and Action. The Standards provide a common language and a road map for anti-bias education at every grade level.

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From film kits and lesson plans to the building blocks of a customized Learning Plan-texts, student tasks and teaching strategies-our resources will help you bring relevance, rigor and social emotional learning into your classroom-all for FREE.

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Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

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Educational resources, lesson plans, teacher training, and strategies to support positive change! Native Knowledge 360° is a national initiative to inspire and promote improved teaching and learning about Native America. #NK360

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Growing up, I always looked forward to Black History Month at my public school in New York City. My teachers taught lessons about Black people who made notable contributions to our country. We sang spirituals that my ancestors sang and recited works from great writers such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin. I felt so proud to learn about my people in such positive ways. It was a validating time of the year, not only culturally and educationally, but socially and emotionally, too. But it was the shortest month of the year (and, before 1976, had been celebrated for a mere week), and when it was over I had to wait another year for this type of instruction to occur again.

Now, as a teacher myself, I support and encourage educators to teach cultural awareness, diversity, and responsiveness with veracity year-round. In our diverse world, people from many cultures contribute to our lives all year, and we do not hear enough about these narratives, struggles, and successes that meaningfully impact our country and world. Mainstream curricula in the United States still emphasize White, dominant culture as the history maker that we should teach our students, many of whom are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) youth. Here are some ways you can teach cultural equity, awareness, and responsiveness year-round.
Celebrate Your Students' Diversity in the Classroom
Allowing your students to regularly share what is special about their backgrounds empowers them to listen and learn from each other. Morning Meeting, Responsive Advisory Meeting, and closing circle provide daily opportunities for students to share their cultural traditions, celebrations, stories, entertainment, and customs and make them available for all to hear and learn about with empathy.
Make Room for Cultural Appreciation
Encourage the appreciation of various cultures year-round by providing opportunities for children to share their cultures and learn more about their classmates' cultures. These opportunities can occur through project-based learning; historical reading, writing, and social studies lessons; student book clubs focusing on cultural equity and social issues; current events throughout the year; and your thoughtfully selected read-alouds.

You can also use , brain breaks , energizers , or mindfulness activities to expose your students to authentic Indigenous styles of music (such as jazz, salsa, cumbia, djembe, mbira, or Kompa). For example, one of my students shared her music playlist, which included her favorite song, "Amor Prohibido" by Selena Quintanilla, a Mexican-American cumbia artist. During a brain break that day, we relaxed for a couple of minutes from our schoolwork by listening and singing along to a cumbia rhythm and hearing my student share why it is so special to her.
Reach Out to Community Partnerships
Community partnerships that support diversity can be wonderful resources for teaching diversity with sincerity throughout the school year. Libraries, museums, historical societies, educational organizations, and publishers often house a wealth of primary and secondary sources that provide culturally diverse perspectives on historical and contemporary lifestyles. Consider partnering with these organizations, many of which have gifted writers, artists, performers, historians, and curators who are willing to share their diverse collections and resources via engaging programs, exhibits, media, and webinars for youth, often for free or at a low cost.
Use Primary Sources in Your Instruction
In my teaching experiences, I find over and over again that students become engaged when learning from primary sources. They appreciate opportunities to make observations from diaries, documents, and photographs and then using those observations to make inferences about history. For example, when my students read excerpts from Christopher Columbus's diary in Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years , they began to think critically about his diary entries about the Indigenous people he met when he arrived in America. They developed a different understanding of him as an explorer. There are many educational organizations that provide access to these primary sources for educators to use, which you can find in the list of resources at the bottom of this article.
Do the Work
I learned from the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond ( ) that there is no quick fix in undoing racism. The dominant approach to teaching history, which has underrepresented and marginalized BIPOC narratives for far too long, repeatedly stigmatizes and silences BIPOC voices and experiences, perpetuating harm and trauma. As educators, we must commit both to spending the time necessary to educate ourselves about this structural injustice and to staying devoted to disrupting it. We must understand that the narratives and histories of marginalized people are part of both American and world history.

This year, the Zinn Education Project is challenging educators to teach the truth about our history. I urge you to join me and other educators in committing to teaching BIPOC histories and narratives year-round, which means understanding the role that racism plays in preventing truthful education about these narratives and cultures. This work cannot be done exclusively by BIPOC communities. There is room for all of us to have courageous conversations and do courageous work-with our students and each other.

In twenty-first-century education, we owe it to all students to learn and represent the narratives and histories of all cultures, not just one dominant culture, truthfully and respectfully. When we can embrace the value and contributions of our students' cultures and backgrounds, we can journey toward teaching in a zone of honesty and liberation that is devoid of stereotypes and marginalization of BIPOC youth and families. When we do so, we affirm that all cultures participate in creating a world that we can value and joyfully appreciate, with room for us all.

Helpful Resources
Black Lives Matter at School Center for Responsive Schools Learning for Justice Lee & Low Books The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond Pledge to Teach the Truth - Zinn Education Project Responsive Classroom Teaching for Change We Need Diverse Books Zinn Education Project Written by Ina Pannell-Saint Surin, a consulting teacher for Center for Responsive Schools and a special education teacher with over twenty-seven years of experience teaching elementary and preschool-aged children

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Teaching Diversity Beyond Black History Month

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Growing up, I always looked forward to Black History Month at my public school in New York City. My teachers taught lessons about Black people who made notable contributions to our country. We sang spirituals that my ancestors sang and recited works from great writers such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin.

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Bring African-American culture & history into your curriculum

All people, regardless of race or place, deserve the same rights and freedoms. For too long, Black and brown people in America have been denied equality because of the color of their skin. To help students understand the reality of Black people's experiences in American history, their impact on American culture, and to celebrate their achievements, we've compiled a selection of lesson plans that cover a variety of subjects that can be adapted to fit multiple grade levels.

If you're commemorating Black History Month in your classroom consider preparing by reading Learning For Justice's Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History and Black History Month is Over. Now What?, and listening to our podcast on teaching Black history meaningfully (below) to ensure students get the most out of Black history lessons.

Lesson Plans

Grades K-5

Lesson Plans & Activities

LESSON PLANS

National Museum of African American History and Culture's Learning Labs
The Smithsonian's free, interactive platform provides ways to explore well-known and lesser-known moments of history by utilizing objects, documents, imagery, and videos to enhance content knowledge, hone historical thinking skills and inspire users to see themselves as agents of change. (Free account registration required)

ACTIVITIES

Who is Claudette Colvin?
Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, Claudette Colvin refused to move for white passengers and was forcibly removed from a Montgomery, Alabama, bus and jailed. Learn more about her story.

Background Resources

SOCIAL STUDIES

African American History Month Exhibits & Collections
Resources covering art and design, baseball, civil rights, culture, folklife, military, music and performing arts, religion, slavery, and resource guides.

W. E. B. Du Bois: Online Resources
Includes digital materials related to W. E .B. Du Bois and links to external Web sites.

Separate Is Not Equal - Brown v. Board of Education
History, images, and other resources covering the historic Supreme Court ruling ending segregation and ensuring opportunity in education.

Africans in America
Images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries. The site provides teacher's and youth guides. The four-part series may be in local libraries.

Black History - Biography - Celebrate Black History Month & People
Biographies, timelines, photos, and videos on notable African Americans.

The Awakening of Norman Rockwell This article examines Norman Rockwell's career and how his painting, The Problem We All Live With, for the January 14, 1964 issue of Look magazine was a turning point in this career and reflected his unexpected politicization in the 1960s.

ARTS

Poems to Celebrate Black History Month
Poems and articles by African-Americans.

The History of Hip-Hop
A collection of interviews from National Public Radio (NPR) that chronicle the seminal people and events in the hip-hop movement.

African American Visual Art and the Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement (BAM) began in the mid-1960s to provide a new vision of African Americans. This site provides images galleries a theoretical essay, timeline, and links to other online art sources. Note: the top banner links are dead but the bottom links are functional.

The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed
African American and Global African history resources.

SCIENCE

10 Black Scientists that Science Teachers Should Know About
A list from PBS Education of some of the top Black scientists, engineers, inventors, and mathematicians that includes links to media resources to help you bring their work-and stories-into your classroom.

8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier
This blog post outlines some of the lesser-known but vital contributions of Black inventors.

SPORT

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Resources for Teachers
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball there was Negro League Baseball. This site features history, a timeline, photos, and teacher resources.

African American Athletes
Brief biographies and film clips of outstanding African American athletes. Don't miss the links to legal and political figures, scientists and educators, activists, artists and writers, entertainers, and musicians and singers.

Quizzes

Printables

Video

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (68 minutes)
Considered the oldest black neighborhood in America, Faubourg Tremé is the origin of the southern civil rights movement and the birthplace of jazz.

Books

Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Children's Books
A teacher's resource kit from the High Museum

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley and Amy NathanYoung Sharon hears the story of how she, after a series of protests to integrate the park, is the first African American to ride on the carousel at Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in 1963.

Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste
This picture book biography celebrates both Claudette Colvin, whose teen-aged activism launched the Montgomery bus boycott, and the power of collective action.
Author Tracey Baptiste shares how to make Black history accessible to young readers:
Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson
Meet the "father of Black History," Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and discover the experiences that shaped his passion.

Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School by Janet Halfmann
Born into slavery, Lilly Ann secretly learned to read and write from her master's children-and then read everything she could get her hands on. Wishing to share her knowledge with others, she secretly taught hundreds of other enslaved people despite the great risks.

Find African American booklists from Read Across America.

Grades 6-8

Lesson Plans & Activities

LESSON PLANS

Teaching Hard History
These resources for middle- and high-school educators include Learning for Justice's grades 6-12 framework, as well as student-facing videos and primary source texts to help all students grasp the historical significance of slavery. Educators will also find teaching tools and professional development resources.

PBS Black History Lesson Plans
These lesson plans and resources cover topics ranging from civil rights events to discussions about race in current events. These lessons are appropriate for history, ELA and social studies classrooms.

National Museum of African American History and Culture's Learning Labs
The Smithsonian's free, interactive platform provides ways to explore well-known and lesser-known moments of history by utilizing objects, documents, imagery, and videos to enhance content knowledge, hone historical thinking skills and inspire users to see themselves as agents of change. (Free account registration required)

ACTIVITIES

The Underground Railroad: Journey to Freedom
The Underground Railroad was the network used by enslaved black Americans to obtain their freedom in the 30 years before the Civil War (1860-1865).

Background Resources

SOCIAL STUDIES

African American History Month Exhibits & Collections
Resources covering art and design, baseball, civil rights, culture, folklife, military, music and performing arts, religion, slavery, and resource guides.

W. E. B. Du Bois: Online Resources
Includes digital materials related to W. E .B. Du Bois and links to external Web sites.

Separate Is Not Equal - Brown v. Board of Education
History, images, and other resources covering the historic Supreme Court ruling ending segregation and ensuring opportunity in education.

Africans in America
Images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries. The site provides teacher's and youth guides. The four part series may be in local libraries.

Black History - Biography - Celebrate Black History Month & People
Biographies, photos, and videos of notable African Americans.

The Awakening of Norman Rockwell
This article examines Norman Rockwell's career and how his painting, The Problem We All Live With, for the January 14, 1964 issue of Look magazine was a turning point in this career and reflected his unexpected politicization in the 1960s.

ARTS

Poems to Celebrate Black History Month
Poems and articles by African-Americans.

The History of Hip-Hop
A collection of interviews from National Public Radio (NPR) that chronicle the seminal people and events in the hip-hop movement.

African American Visual Art and the Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement (BAM) began in the mid-1960s to provide a new vision of African Americans. This site provides images galleries a theoretical essay, timeline, and links to other online art sources. Note: the top banner links are dead but the bottom links are functional.

The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed
African American and Global African history resources.

SCIENCE

10 Black Scientists that Science Teachers Should Know About
A list from PBS Education of some of the top Black scientists, engineers, inventors, and mathematicians that includes links to media resources to help you bring their work-and stories-into your classroom.

8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier
This blog post outlines some of the lesser-known but vital contributions of Black inventors.

SPORTS

African American Athletes
Brief biographies and film clips of outstanding African American athletes. Don't miss the links to legal and political figures, scientists and educators, activists, artists and writers, entertainers, and musicians and singers.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Resources for Teachers
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball there was Negro League Baseball. This site features history, a timeline, photos, and teacher resources.

Quizzes

Printables

Audio & Video

AUDIO

Blues Journey (23:17 minutes)
This four part audio series explores the history of the blues.

VIDEO

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (68 minutes)
Considered the oldest black neighborhood in America, Faubourg Tremé is the origin of the southern civil rights movement and the birthplace of jazz. Check local listings to see when it airs on a local PBS station.

Forgotten Genius (120 minutes)
Chemist Percy Lavon Julian struggled against racism as he pursued research with steroids and alkaloids and helped to create affordable and effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and glaucoma.

Through the Window and into the Mirror: Narratives of African American STEM Professionals
This video conversation series shares the experiences of African American STEM professionals today.

Books

Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Children's Books
A teacher's resource kit from the High Museum

Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Loretta, Roly, and Aggie B. Little relate their Black family's challenges and triumphs from 1927 to 1968 while struggling as sharecroppers, living under Jim Crow, and fighting for Civil Rights in Mississippi.

When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods
To figure out what happened to his missing father, thirteen-year-old Winter travels to Los Angeles from Mississippi to visit his cousin Eden and her family during the summer of the Watts Riots in 1965.

Find African American booklists from Read Across America.

Grades 9-12

Lesson Plans & Activities

LESSON PLANS

Teaching Hard History
These resources for middle- and high-school educators include Learning for Justice's grades 6-12 framework, as well as student-facing videos and primary source texts to help all students grasp the historical significance of slavery. Educators will also find teaching tools and professional development resources.

Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten
Through a series of video clips and activities, students can learn about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and how the community of Tulsa is coming to terms with its past, present, and future.

PBS Black History Lesson Plans
These lesson plans and resources cover topics ranging from civil rights events to discussions about race in current events. These lessons are appropriate for history, ELA and social studies classrooms.

National Museum of African American History and Culture's Learning Labs
The Smithsonian's free, interactive platform provides ways to explore well-known and lesser-known moments of history by utilizing objects, documents, imagery, and videos to enhance content knowledge, hone historical thinking skills and inspire users to see themselves as agents of change. (Free account registration required)

ACTIVITIES

The Underground Railroad: Journey to Freedom
The Underground Railroad was the network used by enslaved black Americans to obtain their freedom in the 30 years before the Civil War (1860-1865).

Background Resources

SOCIAL STUDIES

African American History Month Exhibits & Collections
Resources covering art and design, baseball, civil rights, culture, folklife, military, music and performing arts, religion, slavery, and resource guides.

W. E. B. Du Bois: Online Resources
Includes digital materials related to W. E .B. Du Bois and links to external Web sites.

Separate Is Not Equal - Brown v. Board of Education
History, images, and other resources covering the historic Supreme Court ruling ending segregation and ensuring opportunity in education.

Africans in America
Images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries. The site provides teacher's and youth guides. The four part series may be in local libraries.

Black History - Biography - Celebrate Black History Month & People
Biographies, photos and videos of notable African Americans.

The Awakening of Norman Rockwell
This article examines Norman Rockwell's career and how his painting, The Problem We All Live With, for the January 14, 1964 issue of Look magazine was a turning point in this career and reflected his unexpected politicization in the 1960s.

ARTS

Poems to Celebrate Black History Month
Poems and articles by African-Americans.

Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
Online activities and biographies, transcripts of many interviews with musicians, K-12 lesson plans, and a music study guide for grades 5-8.

The History of Hip-Hop
A collection of interviews from National Public Radio (NPR) that chronicle the seminal people and events in the hip-hop movement.

African American Visual Art and the Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement (BAM) began in the mid-1960s to provide a new vision of African Americans. This site provides images galleries a theoretical essay, timeline, and links to other online art sources. Note: the top banner links are dead but the bottom links are functional.

The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed
African American History by region.

SCIENCE

10 Black Scientists that Science Teachers Should Know About
A list from PBS Education of some of the top Black scientists, engineers, inventors, and mathematicians that includes links to media resources to help you bring their work-and stories-into your classroom.

8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier
This blog post outlines some of the lesser-known but vital contributions of Black inventors.

SPORT

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Resources for Teachers
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball there was Negro League Baseball. This site features history, a timeline, photos, and teacher resources.

African American Athletes
Brief biographies and film clips of outstanding African American athletes. Don't miss the links to legal and political figures, scientists and educators, activists, artists and writers, entertainers, and musicians and singers.

Quizzes

Printables

Audio & Video

AUDIO

Blues Journey (23:17 minutes)
This four part audio series explores the history of the blues.

VIDEO

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (68 minutes)
Considered the oldest black neighborhood in America, Faubourg Tremé is the origin of the southern civil rights movement and the birthplace of jazz. Check local listings to see when it airs on a local PBS station.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (220 minutes)
Jack Johnson was the first African American boxer to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. The website includes the story of Johnson's life and career, a timeline, and media gallery. The DVD may be available in local libraries.

Through the Window and into the Mirror: Narratives of African American STEM Professionals
This video conversation series shares the experiences of African American STEM professionals today.

Books

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
An essential account of the Black Panthers as militant revolutionaries, social activists, and human rights advocates working to defend and protect their community.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds; adapted from Stamped from the Beginning by and with an introduction from Ibram X. Kendi
Using humor and a conversational style, author Jason Reynolds deftly reworks Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning, exposing young adult readers to the history of America's racist past that textbooks leave out.

Find African American booklists from Read Across America.

Teaching Black History, Meaningfully

How you can make your Black history lessons more meaningful, unique, and powerful for your students? We asked Colorado social studies teacher Kevin Adams to join us for a discussion about breaking stale patterns when teaching Black history and shaping your lessons to fit your classroom and community. Listen to Kevin's advice and experiences in this 36 minute School Me Podcast.

Black History Month: Books and More for K-12 Students

The following resources from NEA's partners at WETA highlight books and classroom resources highlighting Black history and culture.

Reading Rockets: Booklists for Elementary
Celebration and Remembrance: Children's Books About Black Lives
This collection includes picture book biographies of a young boy who shipped himself to freedom during the Civil War, a trailblazing pilot, a brilliant writer - and a sensitive but honest retelling of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. You'll also meet Milo, who realizes on a subway ride to visit his mom that you can't know someone just by looking at them.
People Make the Difference: A Celebration of Black History Month
These are stories of turbulent times in the United States. Each book is told with a young audience in mind and presents a slice of history and highlights the impact of real individuals.

For additional books and resources, see:

AdLit: Booklists for Middle and High School
Black Characters and Social/Cultural Themes
These books for middle grade and young adults feature stories across a range of genres from dynamic authors including Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, Ibi Zoboi, Renée Watson, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Rita Garcia-Williams, Kekla Magoon, Kacen Callender, Jerry Craft, and Justina Ireland.

For additional ideas, see the following resources:

AdLit: Author Interviews

Stay Informed We'll come to you

We're here to help you succeed in your career, advocate for public school students, and stay up to date on the latest education news. Sign up to stay informed

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このセクターの誰とでも自由にコラボレーションできる。

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Bring African-American culture & history into your curriculum

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Teaching Immigration Lesson Plans and Resources < The Immigrant Learning Center

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Tribal Leaders Directory | Indian Affairs

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The Tribal Leaders Directory provides contact information for each federally recognized Tribe. The electronic, map-based, interactive directory also provides information about each BIA region and agency that provides services to a specific Tribe. Additionally, the directory provides contact information for Indian Affairs leadership.

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When I was in school in rural Georgia during the 1970s, our family was the only Asian Indian family in the town. I was expected to work harder in class than my peers-simply needing to prove that we belonged-which fed into the "model minority" myth that all Asians are academically successful. No one questioned whether I was OK because I never shared otherwise and didn't want to create an uncomfortable situation or negative feelings with my teachers or classmates. We dealt with questions about which Native American tribe we were a part of and were bullied because we didn't speak "proper" English because of our bilingualism.

Growing up, I didn't fit the model minority stereotype. I wasn't a strong student even though I was expected to be. However, I wanted to be accepted for my strengths and unique perspectives in the classroom. It was both exhilarating and exhausting. At school, I wanted to be American, and at home, Indian.

Asian American students are typically well-behaved, focused on their classwork, and often academically at the top of their class. While it may be easy to overlook their social and emotional needs because of their academic successes, Asian American students face underlying challenges that should be addressed, as they navigate two vastly different cultures. Teachers play a pivotal role in helping these students feel included.

Here are five ways to support students of Asian descent in your classroom.

1. Inclusive Language

Language is one of the largest obstacles for Asian students. They often speak their native language at home while speaking English at school. Many students move easily from one to the other without realizing they're doing it. This can create difficulty when speaking or writing.

Since Hindi is my first language, I seamlessly glide from one to the other without giving much thought. To help Asian students feel included, teachers can ask students to share some common words or simple phrases in their language, allowing the teacher and class to create an environment of inclusion. Some words or phrases that could be shared are "How are you?" "Yes," "No," "What's for lunch?" "Thank you," "Hi," or "Bye."

It's also important to incorporate these words when speaking in class. This encourages other students to use them and helps Asian students feel valued. When Asian students are acknowledged and embraced for their language(s), other students expand their understanding of the world and develop empathy and compassion as the Asian student adapts and assimilates to the classroom culture.

Teachers in Asia are revered and held with the utmost respect. In Sanskrit, the purer form of the Hindu language, teachers are called gurus (mentors, experts, or guides), bestowing upon them the honor of teaching our children. Students with this mindset understand that they must adhere to the rules and respect their teachers and peers. This is the main reason why most Asian students don't show outward signs of distress or draw negative attention to themselves in a classroom.

To offer Asian students an opportunity to share their feelings, teachers can create a secret signal between themselves and the students, such as pulling on their ear when the teacher is looking, placing their pencil at a certain angle, or using sign language to alert the teacher. This lets the teacher know if a concern or issue should be addressed without alarming other students or drawing attention to the student. Teachers who create this option for their Asian students provide a safe haven for them to communicate-allowing them to develop a sense of support and belonging.

3. Create Communication Pathways with Families

Communicating with Asian families can be challenging due to language or cultural differences. While it may be easy to overlook communicating with these families because there is no behavioral or academic reason to connect, teachers must find a way to create these partnerships. Using technology like Google Translator or a personal translator can facilitate conversations between teachers and Asian parents to work together to help the student academically and discuss any issues that may be witnessed. While parents may leave the academic teaching to the teacher, they are usually interested and willing to provide support outside the classroom to ensure that their child has the necessary resources to succeed.

4. Bring Culture and Traditions Into the Classroom

One of the highlights of my childhood was when my mom would come into my classroom and share about our Indian culture. From our sharing the history, traditions, language, clothing, bindis, and food, my classmates saw a glimpse of my other life and how it was an integral part of my identity. They loved seeing how a sari was wrapped, learning the significance of bindis, and tasting the snacks she brought to share.

Teachers can reach out to Asian parents and students and ask them to spend time educating the class on their culture and the beauty of the home they left. Students are genuinely curious and may benefit from learning about the culture firsthand. By opening their classrooms to these families, teachers help students learn and appreciate other cultures, which boosts curiosity and global understanding. These visits are also a vehicle for embracing Asian parents in the classroom and offer them a better understanding of the American educational system.

5. Create a Strong Student-led Support Group

As the only Indian in my grade level from kindergarten through 12th grade, I struggled to find my peer group, one that could support me when I was faltering in school, one that could understand the challenges I faced with the duality of living an Indian life in an American society. Teachers can carefully craft a peer group for Asian students based on student camaraderie, so that kids feel included and accepted for their similarities and differences with their classmates. A strong support group for students can make the difference between simply plugging along and truly building confidence and reaching one's full potential.

The model minority myth is just that, a myth. Asian American students want to be seen as individuals who have needs and challenges similar to those of every other student. Teachers, our gurus, can create inclusive lesson plans, activities, resources, and group work to ensure that Asian students become well-rounded, confident students in a supportive environment for all students to grow, thrive, and learn.

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5 Meaningful Ways to Support Asian American Students

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Straightforward yet meaningful strategies can support Asian American students as they navigate their way between home and school.

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Tonniges - Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families

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Tonniges - Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families

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It really helps to understand post-traumatic stress disorder. Things that we might not notice could be very upsetting to a child, keeping them in that part of their brain where it's 'fight or flight.' So it's a reminder every now and then that we just need to check ourselves and think, "What are some things that we can control that could be helpful to a child in distress?" - Susan Stanley, Principal, Salina Elementary School, Dearborn, MI
Overview

Many immigrant students are currently living with high levels of fear, anxiety, stress, and depression. To better understand the reasons why, take a look at our section on how immigration issues impact students.

Building relationships with students and families can provide opportunities to identify students' needs, while providing professional development on a variety of topics in a respectful setting can help increase awareness across the staff. Here is some information to get started.

Immigrant students' social-emotional distress

In a UCLA survey studying the impact of immigration enforcement on schools, almost 90% of administrators surveyed "indicated that they have observed behavioral or emotional problems in immigrant students," and 25% indicated that it was a significant problem (Gándara & Ee, 2018b, p. 2). One administrator notes,
"Several students have arrived at school crying, withdrawn and refusing to eat lunch because they have witnessed deportation of a family member. Some students show anxiety symptoms...All of this impacts their ability to focus and complete work, which further affects them academically." (p.9)
Pediatricians serving immigrant families are noticing the same thing, according to a December 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation report, as well as negative effects on health such as problems sleeping, headaches, stomachaches, and mental health issues.

Loss of motivation

In addition, students' loss of motivation is another challenge. In this Education Week article, Principal Nedda de Castro of the International School at Prospect Heights in Brooklyn observed that, "Some of the students are assuming that they're just going to be deported anyway and starting to talk about how there's really no point in coming to school anymore. It's a lot of lost potential."

According to the UCLA research, administrators and educators across the country also reported that high-achieving students are giving up on their plans for college. After a nearby raid, a teacher in the Midwest observed the following:

"I noticed those students behaving so differently. They don't sit or stand tall. They do not want to participate in presentations. They do not want to be called. They seem disconnected or uninterested now...I serve in an academically advanced setting where students are selected and good performers" (p. 10).

Another teacher from Oregon observed,

"I have students who were college-bound now questioning if it's worth it, because they don't believe that they could get a job in their field after graduating" (p. 12).

And in our own travels to Dearborn, MI, we met teachers and community members who spoke about the toll of lengthy separations on students and families from countries such as Yemen and Syria.

Identify resources for addressing student anxiety and depression

Why this matters

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has publicly stated their expectation that the current climate will likely increase students' toxic stress level, particularly if students experience trauma. (The AAP also released a statement on the impact of family separations at the border.)

Researchers at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) documented the impact of this anxiety on children as young as three, including an increase in finger biting and toilet accidents (Cervantes, Ullrich, & Matthews, 2018, p. 9), while teachers of older students report an increase in severe depression and a decrease in motivation and engagement. See more on the impacts of this anxiety on young children in our section on supporting young children in immigrant families.

Tips for getting started

Learn about the impacto of anxiety on students in your age group, such as impacts on behavior, as well as strategies for strategies for supporting students' social-emotional health.

Consider pulling together a team of educators, cultural liaisons, mental health professionals, administrators, parents, students (as appropriate), and community partners to identify (a) the types of challenges students are facing and (b) culturally appropriate approaches to social-emotional health for your families.

Determine which supports are currently in place and what else might be needed, such as more professional development, community outreach and family engagement; extra time for discussion in peer groups; or creating new community partnerships that can address specific issues.

As a group, determine your priorities and next steps to implement those priorities.

Continue to revisit these topics, particularly if new immigration policy changes are announced.

Keep in mind that students may be keeping these concerns quiet out of fear for their safety.

Remember that any training or discussion should always respect student/staff privacy; nothing personal should be shared without explicit permission.

Recommended resources

Recommended videos

When immigration status impacts young children: Lori Dodson, ESOL Specialist, MD

Trauma-informed instruction for immigrant students

Why this matters

More and more educators across the country are learning about the impacts of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on students. Researchers estimate that half of the U.S. student population has experienced or is still experiencing some type of trauma, violence, or chronic stress (Zacarian, Haynes, and Alvarez-Ortiz, 2017). One teacher wrote in our 2017 survey on how schools are supporting immigrant students, "Staff need training in trauma-informed education and supporting students who've experienced many kinds of trauma. We brought in the Center for Victims of Torture to train our staff to support our specific refugee populations."

For immigrant students, the sources of trauma may be complex and may be related to:
Immigration experiences

the reasons the family left their home country (such as war or wide-spread violence)

difficult conditions, violence, sexual assault, or casualties during the journey to this country

forced separation from a parent or sibling on the journey

Experiences related to immigration enforcement

witnessing a loved one's arrest

being separated from a parent during interrogation

a forced separation for an extended period of time

detention in an immigration detention center

coming into contact with immigration enforcement officers

a lengthy separation from families or siblings

Current stresses

stressful situations such as economic stress and homelessness

other challenges at home, including domestic abuse.

Note: See the resources on addressing trauma in our resource section about family separations at the border.

Related news headlines

Take a look at our section on how trauma and anxiety can impact students' behavior and the importance of getting a complete picture of the source of the issue before taking steps that can have long-term consequences for the student.

Tips for getting started

Learn more about the impacts of trauma and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for students the age group you work with.

If possible, look for clues and try to learn a little bit more about your students' backgrounds, keeping in mind that every individual's situation is unique, even within a family, and protecting student privacy. Start with a trusted colleague, parent liaison or community partner. If appropriate, give students opportunities to share their stories privately, or, if they wish, with classmates.

Discuss ideas for addressing students' needs with colleagues and identify next steps to implement those ideas.

Learn more about trauma-informed instruction in the following resources.

Recommended resources

Trauma-informed instruction

Strategies and toolkits

In the news

Recommended videos

Video playlist: What educators need to know about trauma

Video: When loud noises cause post-traumatic stress in schools

Video: A superintendent recalls a distressing journal entry from his teaching days

Video: Why not all changes in behavior require a special education referral

References

See our complete reference list for works cited in this article.

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Addressing Student Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression

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It really helps to understand post-traumatic stress disorder. Things that we might not notice could be very upsetting to a child, keeping them in that part of their brain where it's 'fight or flight.'

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Tonniges - Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools for LGBTQ+ Students Webinar - ASCA

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Tonniges - Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools for LGBTQ+ Students Webinar - ASCA

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Support Safe and Healthy Schools for LGBTQ Students

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Learn ways school counselors can create safer and more supportive learning environments for LGBTQ students. Hear about the latest findings from “Supporting Sa

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Tonniges - Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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Tonniges - Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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One of the most influential books I read during my undergraduate studies.

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School counselors have the amazing role of advocating for students and ensuring that they get the support that they need. This resource can help school counselors during conversations about Special Education, and ensure that we are first providing other resources that may be lacking.

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Black male students are far more likely than their White peers to drop out of school-only about 60 percent earn high school diplomas. In part this may be because Black males are three times more likely to be suspended than White males. But research shows that a big part of the problem young Black males have with schools is that they are far more likely than their White peers to be placed in special education classes.

This is a tragedy for the students who get this placement incorrectly because their access to rich educational experiences can be sharply limited as a result. This misidentification affects their peers as well, who see that Black males like them are often wrongly underestimated and undervalued. It also negatively impacts teachers by hindering their ability to engage and teach all students. And if school districts are not strategic and culturally aware, the rates at which Black male students are marginalized may get worse as many schools return to in-person learning after almost a year and a half.

Because special education identification practices and patterns vary widely in different states and school districts, how data is interpreted varies considerably. The tendency in many cases, particularly now, is to see any learning loss that students-and particularly Black males-have experienced as something that is cognitive when it is instead often due to limited access to certain resources. In 2018 about 30 percent of Black families didn't have broadband internet service, meaning their children did not have either access to the rich educational experiences available online or practice navigating the internet, which is a valuable skill in itself.

Stopping the overidentification of Black male students for special education starts with understanding access deficits like this-and not mistaking them for cognitive deficits. What can educators, administrators, and school districts do to better understand access deficits? Better professional development is needed to help teachers and administrators effectively engage and teach Black male students.

The five-step process for school leaders presented here can help bring about equity and fairness in educating Black males students, and help decrease the process of overidentifying them for special education.

1. Educate Staff

Talk to the entire staff about Black male students and why the way teachers approach these students needs to change. Use the term Black often to underscore your intentions-while it may make some educators uncomfortable, that's to be expected. Educators often say they don't see color when they are educating students-please remind them that they should see it.

Jawanza Kunjufu, author of Black Students, Middle Class Teachers, wrote: "The most important factor impacting the academic achievement of African American children is not the race or gender of the teacher but the teacher's expectations." What teachers believe and how they perceive Black male students has a large and fundamental impact on how successful those students will be in school. How we engage students sends a message to them. If a teacher sees behaviors that they don't understand, they should seek advice from colleagues to become aware of the cultural norms underlying these behaviors.

2. Identify Students Who Need Support

About 13 percent of the student body in public schools receives special education services. Look at the percentage of Black male students in your school who are identified for special education, and compare that to the demographics of your school. If the number of Black male students being identified is high, have a conversation about changing the criteria, particularly now as so many have been away from school for over a year.

Form a committee to go over all the data you have, with an eye to identifying the supports that struggling students will need-the goal here is not to assign them all to special education, but to find specific supports for literacy, math, etc., that will help them make needed gains. Include general and special education teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, ancillary staff, and a nurse. Keep the committee at odd numbers for voting purposes. Look at grades and state and local assessments, and thoroughly examine discipline referrals that were written about behavior.

Examine when those referrals were written-they could indicate what the students' triggers were. This part is critical: If educators are able to identify when, why, and where certain behaviors occurred, they may be able to better prevent them from happening. Having a committee allows various points of views and different perspectives to be heard, which will help you avoid assigning students to special education for disciplinary issues when they could be better supported in other ways.

3. Support Students

Once the students who need help are identified, start matching interventions with their needs. The key is to make certain of three important points:

Make certain help is communicated by first identifying strengths the students have, and be sure not to suggest the students are slow-this automatically promotes a defensive posture by students.

Providing students with culturally sensitive and responsive reading materials will promote a greater acceptance of reading, if that is a deficit. Dr. Alfred W. Tatum, a professor of literacy, has written that texts that promote cultural uplift and economic advancement could help foster a desire and love for reading in Black male students.

Set goals that are reasonable and attainable-1.5 years of growth in reading and math would help students who are performing below their peers improve their chances of narrowing the achievement gap. This is a lofty goal, but with the proper interventions it should be possible.

4. Assess Students

How we assess students is central to evaluating what is working and what needs to change. We often use standard forms of assessments to show us how students are performing, but as schools respond to the impact of Covid-19 on students who may be achieving at lower levels than expected, assessments need to include a more subjective lens as well.

Ask students what is working-engage their viewpoint more now than ever before. Their thoughts, what they have been exposed to, and their emotional state, all matter in how they interact with the texts and subjects they're learning.

For example, a teacher may be doing a lesson in math on measurements and connecting it with cooking. A student may respond not with a math answer but with what life is like in their home, where they lack food or ingredients to make a certain meal. Or perhaps the teacher is having a math talk and asks students to come up with various ways to arrive at the number 20. Students may begin to talk about the number of people in their family who got sick as a result of Covid-19. Different topics may elicit unpredictable responses from students, and teachers should make space for those responses before moving on with the lessons.

5. Evaluate What Works

The evaluation stage should be ongoing. We educators often want results immediately to determine if our interventions and lessons are working, but the minds of students are constantly evolving. Some students may demonstrate that they are progressing at an optimal level, and others may not demonstrate that at one point in time-that doesn't mean the intervention is not working. While we must have standards and time frames in which we evaluate, it's important to be flexible enough to give students more time, if it's clear there is some progress.

Keep in mind the phrase access deficits. Many students did not have access to the resources that others had over the last year and a half, and understanding that can result in a more relaxed classroom environment, one that can prompt students to work harder and feel they are valued and supported.

Once you and your team have evaluated the data and determined what has been effective, duplicate those efforts and share the data with all the staff members who help educate the students, including paraprofessionals. The need for fidelity is at an all-time high.

There are far too many Black male students underperforming in schools, and the five-step plan here is one attempt to change this. The work starts with recognizing that this problem still exists, and realizing that the decisions we make now will impact these students for the rest of their lives.

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How to Avoid Overidentifying Black Male Students for Special Education

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Black male students are far more likely than their White peers to drop out of school-only about 60 percent earn high school diplomas. In part this may be because Black males are three times more likely to be suspended than White males.

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Aidan Wheelock: National Indian Education Association Curriculum Resource

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Aidan Wheelock: National Indian Education Association Curriculum Resource

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A great resource for counselors and teachers who are helping American Indian/Native American/Alaskan Native students. Provides school resources, parent resources, reading resources, recommended reading lists, access to native texts, lesson materials, virtual learning, and even professional development opportunities.

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Culturally-Based Curriculum — National Indian Education Association

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Spreadsheet of educational materials and sites for virtual learning (ADD)

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Educator resources to support LGBTQ students. Provides educator guides, policy and advocacy resources, lesson plans, and professional development opportunities.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn.

Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students. Include positive representation of LGBTQ people in your curriculum. Inspire your students of all ages and all identities to be kind, support others, and speak up when they see bullying.

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our days of action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation in any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these days of action nationally at specific times during the year, all of our lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources in the sections below for specific guides and tools related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more!

Join the thousands of educators who are helping GLSEN change schools across the country.

As a member of the GLSEN Educator Network, you'll receive emails that highlight GLSEN's resources and provide up-to-date information on GLSEN research. You will also receive current information on LGBTQ events and celebrations to help you plan for and implement a more inclusive curriculum, including direct information and new resources for GLSEN days of action like Solidarity Week.

Register to receive free GSA & school resources.

Join a national movement creating inclusive schools for all.

Educator Guides

Looking for ways to support Solidarity Week or the Day of Silence? Interested in finding ways to bring LGBTQ-visibility into your curriculum? You've come to the right place!

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our Days of Action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation into any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these Days of Action nationally at specific times throughout the year, the lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources below for specific guides and tool related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more! Ready to supplement your curriculum? Explore our LGBTQ-Inclusive and Bullying, Bias & Diversity lesson plans.

Educator Guides and Resources

Policy and Advocacy Resources

Lesson Plans

Implementing GLSEN's free lesson plans and resources can help students develop the skills to interact in our diverse world with greater respect, empathy, and understanding.

Incorporate our lessons, found below, to:

Foster respect and understanding

Promote LGBTQ visibility and affirmation

Improve school climate

Build leadership

Encourage ally behavior

Ready for LGBTQ-specific lessons? Explore GLSEN's LGBTQ-inclusive curricular resources.

Teachers can be that figure you look up to. And when they are accepting of you, it means the world to you. To know that you're ok and that they are there for you. - Ximena, 9th grade

When educators are visibly supportive of LGBTQ students, everyone benefits. Through our Chapter-based Professional Development program, GLSEN offers tools and resources to thousands of educators who seek to make their classrooms and schools a safe place for all students. Based on 25+ years of experience and research, GLSEN boasts a robust educator training program with a series of modules curated to cover an array of topics suitable for a diverse range of audiences.

GLSEN research shows that the presence of supportive educators can have a significant positive impact on LGBTQ students' academic achievement, as well as on their psychological well-being and long-term educational aspirations. GLSEN Professional Development aims to empower educators to act in allyship with LGBTQ students.

Our Professional Development Workshops will assist educators in building the following skills:

Knowledge of LGBTQ student experiences in school

Understanding what allyship can provide for LGBTQ students

Awareness of the prevalence of anti-LGBTQ language and behavior in schools

Willingness and ability to intervene when anti-LGBTQ name-calling and bullying occurs

Willingness and ability to utilize curriculum inclusive of LGBTQ people, history and themes

Willingness to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ students and ensure safe schools for all

Access to resources and referral

NOTE: For GLSEN Professional Development Workshops, the term "educator" includes, but is not limited to: Current or future K-12 Teachers, Administrators, Counselors, Paraprofessionals, Librarians, Nurses, Bus Drivers, District Staff, School Resource Officers, Cafeteria Workers, etc
To bring GLSEN Professional Development to your school, please fill out the following form.

Safe Space Kit

Educators like you can make a big difference for LGBTQ students. Just one gesture can change a student's life for the better: Put up a Safe Space Sticker in your classroom to start a conversation about acceptance and affirming LGBTQ identity.

GLSEN's Safe Space Kit provides you with practical ways to transform your school into a safer space for everyone, particularly LGBTQ students, by supporting and educating students, sharing your knowledge with other educators and advocating for school-wide changes. The Safe Space Kit not only guides you through making an assessment of your school's climate and recommends affirming policies and best practices, but also outlines strategies that you may use to advocate for change, including posting a Safe Space Sticker or Safe Space Poster in your classroom or office. You can purchase them in the GLSEN Shop, or download digital copies for free here.

GLSEN Chapters also offer professional development opportunities that include our Safe Space Kit and support educators in creating safer and more affirming learning environments.

Rainbow Library

The Rainbow Library is a GLSEN program that sends LGBTQ+ affirming text sets to schools across the country - for free.

Any full-time staff member at a K-12 school in a participating state or county is welcome to request a Rainbow Library. All types of K-12 schools are eligible: district, magnet, charter, and independent. Each school that applies will be eligible for one Rainbow Library text set, and sets are provided on a first-come, first served basis.

Founded 25 years ago, GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students. GLSEN has volunteer-run chapters in 31 states.

School Year Calendar

The school year is full of opportunities to participate in GLSEN events, address LGBTQ and social justice issues, learn about diverse communities, and take action to create safer and more affirming schools for all.

Use this calendar to schedule your GSA meetings, lesson plans, student events, and staff development workshops, and as part of your ongoing diversity, equity, and LGBTQ-inclusion efforts. Follow us @GLSEN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we'll be sharing related resources and lesson plans for these events throughout the year.

Misgendering, Gender Terminology & Pronouns

Misgendering hurts. Support educators by teaching students how to respect each others' pronouns and bringing awareness to a wider range of gender terminology.

As a class and in small groups, students watch a video about pronouns, have a conversation about pronouns, and discuss misgendering. As a class, students discuss ways to combat misgendering and how they can make sure the gender pronouns of all students are respected.

For all of us, learning an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum can help us better understand our world and our differences. For LGBTQ students in particular, it can mean feeling safer at school and hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks less frequently, according to GLSEN research. Looking back at history is the easiest way to get LGBTQ-inclusivity into any curriculum. That's why we're sharing our resources below, which include an interactive timeline and coloring book as well as many other classroom resources suitable for a range of students ages K-12.

Recognizing these benefits, former GLSEN Chapter leader Rodney Wilson, with the support of GLSEN's founder Kevin Jennings and many others, founded LGBTQ History Month in October 1994. While you can use these resources every October, they're perfect for use all year, so that students see the benefits year round.

A great resource you can use to learn and teach about LGBTQ history is Making Gay History, the critically acclaimed and award-winning podcast that brings LGBTQ history to life through the voices of the people who lived it. Listen to the podcasts below to hear about the lives and legacies of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were participants in the New York Stonewall riots in 1969.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn. Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students.

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Ron Kellogg- To help Black students feel safer, schools must embrace their cultural identity

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Ron Kellogg- To help Black students feel safer, schools must embrace their cultural identity

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To help Black students feel safer, schools must embrace their cultural identity

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To create a safer learning environment for Black students, schools should turn to culturally relevant and Afrocentric policies and practices that better incorporate their identity in the school culture, according to a new University at Buffalo-led study.

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Discussion of Diversity, Similarities, and Differences for Elementary Students

In this video, students are introduced to the concept of diversity in a way that is both engaging and age-appropriate. Diversity means that every person is unique and brings their own experiences, cultures, languages, and perspectives to the classroom community. The video highlights that while we may come from different backgrounds or look different on the outside, we all share many similarities such as having feelings, dreams, families, and a desire to belong.

By exploring both similarities and differences, elementary students learn to value what makes each person special while recognizing the common connections that unite us. This understanding builds empathy, respect, and inclusion, helping students form positive relationships and celebrate the strengths within their classroom community.

For school counselors and educators, this type of discussion encourages students to appreciate cultural and individual differences while fostering a sense of belonging for all. It reinforces the message that diversity is not something that divides us, it is what makes our community richer and stronger.

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PBS KIDS Talk About | Differences and Similarities | PBS KIDS

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Ron Kellogg- 4 Tips for Counseling Immigrant and Refugee Students

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Ron Kellogg- 4 Tips for Counseling Immigrant and Refugee Students

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4 Tips for Counseling Immigrant and Refugee Students | UMD College of Education

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The article “Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways” emphasizes that Black history is an essential part of American history and should be integrated throughout the school year, not limited to Black History Month. It encourages educators to move beyond teaching only well-known figures and events by highlighting the everyday experiences, contributions, and resilience of Black individuals across all subjects. Culturally responsive teaching involves connecting lessons to students’ lived experiences, addressing systemic inequities, and fostering critical thinking about history and its impact on society today. By doing so, educators help all students develop a deeper understanding of history, identity, and social justice.

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As Black History Month kicked off, I was reflecting on my time as a student. My experience all those years ago was similar to that of most Black children today: mostly White teachers teaching Black history primarily in February.

I was told of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass. I heard very little of Malcolm X, the FBI's campaign against civil rights leaders, the Rainbow Coalition put together by the Black Panther Party's Fred Hampton, or Hampton's assassination. I learned about the struggles of my enslaved ancestors, but not about Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, or Nat Turner.

I was taught about the marches and firehoses in Alabama, but I had to teach myself about the acts of terrorism committed against Black people in Rosewood, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Today, teachers continue that tradition, telling students about Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, and LeBron James, as well as King, Tubman, Douglass, and other inspirational figures. These folks are to be honored for their accomplishments-but we should not ignore lessons that explore the impact of racism in the Black experience. It's imperative that teachers not reinforce a milquetoast version of Black history that is anti-Black because of its erasure of painful truths.

No matter what subject you teach, there are ways you can infuse Black history into your daily lessons in a way that is prophetic and purposeful.

Black History Is American History

Infuse Black history into the curriculum year-round: Tom Joyner, the recently retired syndicated radio host, used the phrase "Black history 365 days a year" to mean that Black history isn't a gimmick meant for one month out of the year, with a student assembly or a potluck dinner with traditional Black foods. Black history is American history. Students should learn throughout the year and throughout all disciplines about the accomplishments, experiences, and perspectives of Black people.

How can teachers infuse Black history into their teaching? Here are some simple examples for core content areas:

English: Provide students with texts-poetry and fiction, and nonfiction as well-written by Black people. Teach students about the Africanisms in American English when discussing or teaching grammar.

Mathematics and science: Refer students to famous Black scientists and mathematicians throughout your course. Discuss how Black people showed an understanding of agricultural science in how they used soil in both West Africa and South Carolina to grow rice. Also, you can study the mathematical patterns of African art, and reference the rich history of math in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of geometry, graphs, and numerical systems-you can engage students by playing African games like mancala that have a strong math component.

Social studies: Incorporate primary and secondary source documents by or about Black people into student reading lists. Create an assignment in which students interview Black history scholars to discuss the Black experience in America throughout a social studies course.

Use texts by Black authors, in every discipline: In history class, I learned from textbooks written by White scholars. I read the works of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare in English class, but never Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, or Toni Morrison. According to a recent report, more than eight of every 10 books that New York City students are likely to see in class from preschool to eighth grade are written by White authors. Students should be introduced to texts by Black authors that speak to Black experiences, Black perspectives, and Black accomplishments. These authors remind children and adults that Black excellence is not confined to athletics and entertainment. How can we promote the academic excellence of Black children without introducing them to Black intellectuals-individuals they can see themselves someday becoming?

Teach students about important Black figures-especially local ones: Teaching about Obama and King is a good start, but you can introduce students to hidden figures as you work through your content during the school year.

If you're a middle school science teacher and your students are interested in cultivating a community food garden, teach them about scientists like George Washington Carver, who developed methods to prevent soil depletion. If you're an elementary teacher teaching students how to tell time, introduce them to Benjamin Banneker, who created the first American clock. Teaching students about important people is a great thing-even better is doing it in the context of your lessons, rather than in a set-aside month.

And if you teach students about the history of slavery in America, remember to include two topics in particular: the economics of slavery, and acts of resistance and rebellion by Black people. The enslavement of Africans built this nation's economic foundation, and the entire nation benefited, so resistance and rebellion were met with brute force. Nevertheless, enslaved Africans and their enslaved descendants resisted through sabotage, running away, and outright rebellion and revolt- hundreds of revolts happened during African enslavement. Communities of formerly enslaved Black people along the East Coast fought to maintain their freedom and to free other enslaved people.

One task of teachers in the classroom is to acknowledge and honor students' humanity-and that means acknowledging and honoring Black humanity. That starts with acknowledging the good, the bad, and the ugly of our history as a nation.

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Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways

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Black history is American history and should be taught throughout the year across the curriculum-not confined to a single month.

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Podcast: “Black Native History with Dr. Tiya Miles” — From the All My Relations podcast. This episode explores the intersections of African American and Native American experiences and history.

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Black Native History with Dr. Tiya Miles All My Relations Podcast | iHeart

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Back in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd and during the Black Lives Matter uprisings that followed, All My Relations started a journey to support the…

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It supports educators to develop inclusive classroom environments and explore LGBTQ+ topics in meaningful ways.

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LGBTQ Inclusive Educator Resources and Lesson Plans

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Explore free LGBTQ lesson plans, classroom activities, and PD resources for PreK-12 educators. Perfect for LGBTQ History Month and year-round inclusion.

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A truly emotional book every educator and student should read!!

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These books help students explore historical and contemporary experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have a long history in the United States, from Filipino sailors arriving as early as the 1750s to the present day, with AAPIs who have origins in more than 30 countries and number 22 million, nearly 6 percent of the U.S. population. Despite this growing presence, there remains a gap in curricula regarding AAPI communities and their experiences in our schools.

Children's literature offers one way to close this gap. Multicultural education experts, including Emily Style and Rudine Sims Bishop, developed the idea of children's literature serving as "windows" into others' realities and "mirrors" for children from backgrounds that have been historically excluded to see themselves and their families reflected in texts.

In research I've done with colleagues, we developed another category to add: the prism. A prism refracts a beam of light into various colors that go in different directions. Similarly, a text that serves as a prism allows for multiple conversations and critical engagements. While windows and mirrors offer opportunities for exploring and reflecting on cultural traditions, holidays, foods, and ways of life that are all extremely important, the prism, when applied to children's literature, presents the chance to critically analyze inequalities and injustices in age-appropriate ways.

While children's literature is a powerful way to center the experiences of marginalized communities in the classroom and present the many positive contributions these communities have made, reading a book is just one part of the lesson. Proper introduction of a text, followed by adequate unpacking of the themes and the questions they raise, is essential for engaging in conversations that can lay the foundation for further critical inquiry.

The following books offer windows (mirrors for some students) and prisms to discuss and analyze the historic and contemporary experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities at the elementary school level. Where available, there are hyperlinks to lesson plans that offer educators ideas for using the book in their classrooms, along with sample questions for discussion during and after reading.

Books for Grades K-2

Ohana Means Family ( educator guide), written by Ilima Loomis and illustrated by Kenard Pak, tells the story of a Hawaiian luau through a rhyming poem about family and land. Centering on the story of one family and its cultural traditions, this book opens up discussions about the diverse traditions of students and their families at the early elementary school level.

Always Anjali ( educator/parent guide), written by Sheetal Sheth and illustrated by Jessica Blank, features a young girl named Anjali, who, after being teased about her name, decides to change it to Angie. Through the help of friends and discussions with her family, she finds pride in her name and ways to deal with those who have been bullying her.

Fish for Jimmy ( educator guide), written and illustrated by Katie Yamasaki, tells the story of a family in a Japanese internment camp in the United States during World War II. Taro's younger brother Jimmy isn't eating and is getting weak, so Taro sneaks out of the camp one night to find fish (Jimmy's favorite food) for him.

Danbi Leads the School Parade ( educator guide), written and illustrated by Anna Kim, is a touching story of a cultural encounter when a young girl from Korea first comes to a U.S. classroom. Unfamiliar with the games and foods of her American peers, Danbi finds her own way to connect across language and cultural barriers.

Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist ( educator guide), written by Julie Leung and illustrated by Chris Sasaki, tells the true story of a young immigrant from China in the early 1900s who faces limited opportunities, given restrictive immigration laws and discrimination, and later becomes a well-known artist.

Books for Grades 3-6

The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story ( educator guide), illustrated by Thao Lam, has no words-it's a series of powerful images about a family leaving Vietnam for the United States as refugees during the Vietnam War. The family's story intersects with the story of a group of ants who also play a central role in the book.

Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong ( educator guide), written by Dawn Bohulano Mabalon and Gayle Romasanta and illustrated by Andre Sibayan, tells the story of Larry Itliong, a farmworker and labor activist who, along with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, cofounded the United Farm Workers.

Fred Korematsu Speaks Up ( educator guide), written by Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi and illustrated by Yutaka Houlette, tells the story of Fred Korematsu, who was jailed for resisting Japanese internment during World War II. He took his case to the highest courts, fighting for justice for decades.

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu ( educator guide), by Wendy Wan-Long Shang, is a story about a young Chinese American girl whose aunt comes from China to live with the family. The story discusses themes of identity, family, and culture.

Through these books, and many others that offer a glimpse into distinct realities, educators can humanize and center AAPI communities whose stories have long been neglected in curricula. When our classrooms and schools reflect our rich diversity, we can ultimately foster greater empathy and respect in our society.

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Incorporating Asian American and Pacific Islander Experiences in Elementary School

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These books help students explore historical and contemporary experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have a long history in the United States, from Filipino sailors arriving as early as the 1750s to the present day, with AAPIs who have origins in more than 30 countries and number 22 million, nearly 6 percent of the U.S.