# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mood Disorders

As a teacher, you're in a unique position to identify the signs early and help your students navigate their way to better mental health.

How to talk to a student

Wondering what to say when a student shares personal mental health concerns with you? This section will help you get started.

Your Community Resources

Check out this database of mental health resources located in your community.

Search Database

Working with families

This section will help you work with your school's staff to make the right connection with families so you can partner to find solutions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a teacher, you're in a unique position to identify the signs early and help your students navigate their way to better mental health. Wondering what to say when a student shares personal mental health concerns with you? This section will help you get started.

# data[].attributes.headline
Mental Health Resources- Kids, Teens, and Young Adults

# data[].attributes.subject
Mental Health Resources- Kids, Teens, and Young Adults

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NAMI Ending the Silence

A presentation for middle and high school students, school staff and parents or guardians.

NAMI In Our Own Voice

A presentation by people with mental health conditions to promote awareness and recovery.

Contact Your Local NAMI

Across the country, thousands of trained volunteers bring peer-led programs and lived experience to your community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of NAMI's main goals is to ensure that people get help early. Since mental health conditions typically begin during childhood, adolescence or young adulthood, we have compiled essential information and resources intended to help young people get the mental health support they need.

# data[].attributes.headline
Mental Heal Resources- Family Members and Caregivers

# data[].attributes.subject
Mental Heal Resources- Family Members and Caregivers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NAMI Family-To-Family Program

A free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people living with mental illness.

NAMI Family Support Group

A peer-led support group for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness.

Contact Your Local NAMI for Classes and Programs

Across the country, thousands of trained volunteers bring peer-led programs and lived experience to your community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many Americans have experienced caring for a person with mental illness. Discover information to help you better understand the issues that you might face.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jewish American Heritage Month Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A collection of resources for educators and families to help teach about and celebrate Jewish American heritage in schools, communities and at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home|

Exhibits and Collections|

Audio and Video|

For Teachers|

Images|

About|

Put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids.

Featured Resource

DocsTeach from the National Archives

Access thousands of primary sources and an ever-expanding collection of document-based activities spanning the course of American history created by the National Archives and teachers around the world. Discover the activities, such as U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis , Analyzing a Writing Assignment by a Teenage Refugee in New York during World War II , and The SS Quanza and European War Refugees .

Primary sources related to Jewish history in the holdings of the National Archives

Image credit: Highlighted text from “The Flower and I” by Ralph Kuznitzki, 11/01/1944. National Archives identifier: 176888906

Selected Resources for Teachers

Library of Congress 3 Hide All

Illustrated Children's Books and Periodicals in Hebrew and Yiddish, 1900-1929

Immigrants in the Progressive Era

A People at Risk—Eastern European Jewish Immigration to the United States

National Archives 7 Hide All

Analyzing a Writing Assignment by a Teenage Refugee in New York During World War II

Investigating the Holocaust

Primary sources related to Jewish history in the holdings of the National Archives

Lesson Plans on Truman's Recognition of Israel (site supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities)

The SS Quanza and European War Refugees

Truman Presidential Inquiries: Recognition of Israel

U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis

National Gallery of Art 3 Hide All

Roy Lichtenstein: The Art of the Graphic Image (DVD)

Sol LeWitt’s Concepts and Structures (Grades: 9–12)

Uncovering America (a curriculum set for teachers)

National Endowment for the Humanities 11 Hide All

Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands

BackStory: To Be a Citizen? The History of Becoming American

Mission US: “City of Immigrants” Mission 4 (site supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities)

Coming of Age in the Holocaust—Coming of Age Now

Hebrew National

Holocaust and Resistance

Jazz and World War II: A Rally to Resistance, A Catalyst for Victory

Jewish American Heritage Month

The Jewish Americans

Jewish Pioneers

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 2 Hide All

History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust

Teaching about The Holocaust

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jewish American Heritage Month 2022 - For Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided, while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate and personal lives, the series will cast a new lens on U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The book list includes titles on Asian Americans and Asia for children, young adults, and educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Saying YES is both exciting and inspiring!

As I have mentioned in my January blog post, my intention is to say YES to cultivate acceptance and growth...through LOVE.

These past few months have been filled with deep listening, reflecting, and learning, so that I can accept and grow as a parent of two amazing neurodivergent teen boys and a therapist focusing on neurodiverse affirming social-emotional development. I am committed to being a part of progress in science, inclusion, neurodiversity, and equity in the systems and our culture we live in!

Thanks to all of the neurodiverse community, and all of the advocates, authors, trainers, parents, educators, etc. who are sharing such valuable information.

Here are a few that I have said YES to and learned so much from already.

Podcasts I've said YES to:

A place where we explore research, amplify autistic voices, and change the way we think about autism in life and in professional therapy practice.

Uniquely Human: The Podcast expands the conversation on autism and neurodiversity by amplifying the voices of autistic individuals and thought leaders in providing insightful, cutting-edge, and practical information about the autistic experience.

Leading ADHD experts give real-life answers to questions submitted by ADD adults and parents raising children with attention deficit disorder across a range of topics covering symptoms, school, work, and family life.

Books I've said YES to:

A paradigm-shifting study of neurodivergent women-those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder-exploring why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from allowing their unique strengths to flourish.

In Beyond Behaviors, internationally known pediatric psychologist, Dr. Mona Delahooke describes behaviors as the tip of the iceberg, important signals that we should address by seeking to understand a child's individual differences in the context of relational safety.

Autism therapy typically focuses on ridding individuals of "autistic" symptoms such as difficulties interacting socially, problems in communicating, sensory challenges, and repetitive behavior patterns. Now Dr. Barry M. Prizant offers a new and compelling paradigm: the most successful approaches to autism don't aim at fixing a person by eliminating symptoms, but rather seeking to understand the individual's experience and what underlies the behavior.

In ADHD 2.0, Drs. Hallowell and Ratey, both of whom have this "variable attention trait," draw on the latest science to provide both parents and adults with ADHD a plan for minimizing the downside and maximizing the benefits of ADHD at any age. They offer an arsenal of new strategies and lifestyle hacks for thriving with ADHD.

Trainings I've said YES to:

Consultants I've said YES to:

McAlister Huynh, Accessibility Specialist: Educator, Speaker, and Consultant

Becca Lory - Autism, Neurodiversity, & Inclusion Consultant

Having neurodivergent consultants to learn from and process with is so important for my development and work in supporting and advocating for neurodiverse children, teens, and adults, including my own children, as well as learning about my own brain.

"I love when professionals become true allies and that is exactly what Elizabeth is. She stays up to date and involved with the community, and allows those priorities to influence how she practices. She is never afraid to ask questions and learn new things. That is the attitude of someone who truly understands and celebrates neurodiversity." -Becca Lory

Once we understand all of the benefits of neurodiversity, it's easier to focus on strengths and celebrations. Doesn't that sound like a better place (and necessary) to be with your thoughts, actions, and relationships with your child? Read a blog post I wrote last year about the movement to make our world one where we celebrate diversity of all kinds, including all of the beautiful and diverse minds.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Neurodiverse Resources I'm Saying Yes to in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Saying YES is both exciting and inspiring! As I have mentioned in my January blog post, my intention is to say YES to cultivate acceptance and growth...through LOVE. These past few months have been filled with deep listening, reflecting, and learning, so that I can accept and grow as a parent of two amazing neurodivergent teen boys and a therapist focusing on neurodiverse affirming social-emotional development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

Picture Books with Arab & Arab-American Characters/Themes @ Staley Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Virtual Tour Package

The Virtual Tour Package is a full and immersive experience that brings a wholistic picture of AANM to your group. This option gives teachers a full virtual package in which groups will have access to a kit of materials-recorded virtual tour videos, lesson plans, a quiz, activities, resources and much more-to utilize as they see fit. This package has materials that focus on AANM's Core Galleries: Coming To America, Living In America and Making An Impact. With this package, educators/groups can utilize the materials at their leisure.

These interactive and educational digital resources give educators a first-class look into our exhibits and provide a wide range of tools for both the educator and their students, to bring a full, enriching experience to classrooms near and far.
Each virtual tour is a complete experience, including access to:

A guided tour of AANM's three Core Galleries

Pre-Teaching exercises

Interactive, educational and creative activities and lessons for students

Video, audio and literary resources for the classroom

Quiz template and answer key

AANM's digital objects and archive

AANM Lesson Plans, which follow the Michigan Department of Education's K-12 grade level content expectation standards in Social Studies, English & Language Arts and World Languages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
For Educators - Arab American National Museum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Virtual Tour Package The Virtual Tour Package is a full and immersive experience that brings a wholistic picture of AANM to your group. This option gives teachers a full virtual package in which groups will have access to a kit of materials-recorded virtual tour videos, lesson plans, a quiz, activities, resources and much more-to utilize as they see fit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Trans and GNC Voices

Students

Educators

More Voices

Pronouns

At the foundation of trans inclusion in school is an understanding of gender. GLSEN's gender terminology guide and visual can help educators and students learn and lead discussions that can foster understanding of diverse genders.

Part of this understanding is recognizing the importance of gender pronouns. Learn more by exploring GLSEN's pronoun resource, and offer pronoun buttons to make your school more trans-inclusive. You can also download and print pronoun stickers ( he, she, they, blank) on Avery 5390 labels.

According to GLSEN research, compared to other students in the LGBTQ community, transgender and gender nonconforming students face more hostile school climates. To learn more, see GLSEN's full research report and webinar on trans student experiences, and our report on trans students and school facilities, co-authored with Movement Advancement Project.

Transgender Awareness Week from November 11 to 19, Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience on November 20, and Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 are important moments for trans inclusion, to create safe and inclusive schools for trans students. But making school trans-inclusive is a year-round effort.

Below is a wealth of resources that center trans and gender non-conforming students and educators. These resources share personal experiences and can help students and educators learn about gender diversity, pronoun visibility, trans students' rights, and inclusive curriculum and GSA practices.

Looking for more? This educator webinar and GSA guide go deeper into how to support trans and non-binary students.

Trans Rights

Trans-inclusive school policies are critical to creating school environments that are safe and supportive for trans students. These tools can help you in advocating for these policies:

To learn more about trans students' rights, see GLSEN and ACLU's Know Your Rights guide. If you face harassment or discrimination at school, make sure to #ClaimYourRights and report complaints to the U.S. Department of Education.

Classroom and GSA Activities

Trans students, like all students, thrive when they see themselves reflected at school. This means teaching lessons and activities that include and represent trans identities both in the curriculum and in meetings of LGBTQ student clubs.

Try out these activities:

Educators, want the latest resources sent to your inbox? Sign up for GLSEN's Educator Network!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At the foundation of trans inclusion in school is an understanding of gender. GLSEN's gender terminology guide and visual can help educators and students learn and lead discussions that can foster understanding of diverse genders. Part of this understanding is recognizing the importance of gender pronouns.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Other Resources

General Resources
Rethinking Schools - It's OK to be Neither Rethinking Schools - When the Gender Boxes Don't Fit Teaching Tolerance - The Gender Spectrum Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (Summer 2019): Connections Quarterly: Gender
Working with Transgender Students, Journal of LGBT Youth (2014).

Young Adult Books by Transgender Authors from YA Pride.

School Policies and Safety

A model policy on gender-inclusion from GLSEN.

Harsh Realities - The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools. A 2009 report from GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).

California Safe Schools Coalition. Documenting Safety Needs for Gender Nonconforming Students and Understanding School Safety for Transgender Students.

School Victimization of Gender-Nonconforming LGBT Youth. A 2010 research report from the journal "Developmental Psychology."

University of Texas, " Using Chosen Names Reduces Odds of Depression and Suicide in Transgender Youths." Also see our video with the author of the study.

School Bathrooms
Saint Paul (MN) Public Schools-Inclusive Restrooms
Media Matters (2016), " A Comprehensive Guide To The Debunked "Bathroom Predator" Myth."

Puberty and Health Education

Scarleteen, an independent, feminist, grassroots sexuality and relationships education media and support organization.

Guttmacher Institute (2019), "Promiscuity Propaganda: Access to Information and Services Does Not Lead to Increases in Sexual Activity."

InterAct, a nonprofit advocating for the human rights ofchildren born with intersex traits.

Massive Science (2019), " Sex isn't binary, and we should stop acting like it is."

Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, " Teaching Sexuality to Developmentally Disabled Youth."

Cripping Up Sex with Eva, sex and disability resources.

Sports Leagues and Gender

Transathlete.com. See their list of policies for K-12 schools and the policies of major sport organizations.

Model Policy for Transgender Athletes in High School from the LGBT Sports Foundation.

Guidelines for Creating Policies for Transgender Children in Recreational Sports (2009). From the Transgender Law and Policy Institute.

On The Team: Equal Opportunity for Transgender Athletes (2010). A report from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Women's Sports Foundation, and It Takes a Team.

Sports Project of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
U.S. Soccer Federation (2013): Inclusion Policy
" The Transgender Athlete." Inside Higher Education (2010).

Developing Policies for Transgender Students on High School Teams, National Federation of State High School Associations.

Resources from Schuyler Bailar, the first openly transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men's team.
Sex Verification of Athletes.
Also see our resources on youth development and sports.

Legal Concerns

Legal Guidance on Transgender Students' Rights, National Education Association (2016).

Model School District Policy Regarding Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students, California Safe Schools Coalition (2016).

Examples of Policies and Emerging Practices for Supporting Transgender Students, U.S. Department of Education (2016).

Map of Safe Schools Laws, Movement Advancement Project.

FAQ on the Withdrawal of Federal Guidance on Transgender Students, National Center for Transgender Equality (2016).

Guidance on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students, California School Board Association (2014).
Legal Issues in Schools: an overview
Learn More
Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son The Riddle of Gender: Science, Activism, and Transgender Rights Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People Transgender History Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation Transgender Children - More than a Theoretical Challenge

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gender Spectrum | Educator ResourcesGender Spectrum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
General Resources Rethinking Schools - It's OK to be Neither Rethinking Schools - When the Gender Boxes Don't Fit Teaching Tolerance - The Gender Spectrum Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (Summer 2019): Connections Quarterly: Gender Working with Transgender Students, Journal of LGBT Youth (2014). Young Adult Books by Transgender Authors from YA Pride.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Eli Sommer came across the term "transgender" in a Tumblr post in high school, everything clicked. "Oh," he thought. "That's me." Attending a Georgia high school, struggling with anxiety and depression, Eli tried to communicate with his parents who were forcing gender conformity and insisting he was a girl. It wasn't until his psychologist, who is himself transgender, recommended The Transgender Child as a resource that his parents realized what Eli needed to thrive.

The family met with his homeroom teacher, who quickly became an ally, even advising the LGBTQ club Eli established called GLOW (Gay, Lesbian Or Whatever). "He's cisgender, he's straight," Eli recalls, "but he's passionate about advocating and making sure all of the kids in our club succeed in school and aren't held back because of how they identify."

Eli also found an advocate in his school principal, who located a gender-neutral restroom for him to use at school. "I would not have thought that my principal would have been helpful because he drives a big red truck with a gun rack on it," recounts Eli. "But when all of the transgender stuff came to the table, he was like, 'I don't really understand, but Eli's a good kid and we'll get him what he's entitled to.'"

Although it was not without obstacles, the relative ease of Eli's transition is rare. The 2013 GLSEN National School Climate Survey found that, compared to their LGB peers, transgender and gender-nonconforming students face the most hostile school climates. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, in 2015, 75 percent of transgender youth felt unsafe at school, and those who did not drop out altogether were more likely to miss school due to a safety concern, have significantly lower GPAs, and were less likely to plan for future education.

The good news is educators are learning more about how to support nonbinary youth at school. One of the most important lessons? The needs of transgender youth remain distinct from those of their LGB peers-and they extend beyond pronoun usage and bathroom access.

"When Kids Like Me Grow Up ..."

Experts cite mentorship as instrumental for trans students' success, but formal mentors are scarce. Jenn Burleton, executive director of TransActive Gender Center in Portland, Oregon, sought to establish a trans-to-trans mentoring program but failed to locate enough transgender adults for similarly identified youth.

"Right now what these kids do not have is enough of a sense that: 'When kids like me grow up, there's an adult version of me doing what everybody else does and getting through the day. They're there for me to see and know that there's a place for me to walk when I get older,'" Burleton says. "Not letting kids see that can give them a subliminal sense that there is a dead end to their identity or that hiding is the only way to be."

Kiera Hansen, a genderqueer-identified social worker in Portland, Oregon, is attempting to fill this void. Hansen-who prefers the pronoun they -helps run an afterschool drop-in program where almost everyone identifies as trans or gender-nonconforming. While funding sources have diminished, their team has pooled resources throughout the city to create a tight-knit group. Outside of the group, Hansen has accompanied mentees to school when they need support, meeting with teachers to ensure access to the right bathrooms, use of the right pronouns, and to address any other issues students might face.

Hansen cites modeling vulnerability as a key to successful mentoring. "I'm surviving a lot of things on a regular basis, just as the youth are," they recount. "I am genuinely honest with them. We're transparent about the hurdles and barriers we go through in life and in the program. We do not make everything look perfect and well-put-together. We want them to have the tools to interact with the systems that are often working against them and their voices."

One of the members of their drop-in group, Cameron, is about to graduate from high school and attributes part of that success to the group. "I have a really bad attendance problem with school," he confides, recounting frequent bullying, including being compared to a wild animal in sociology class. "Having this group to look forward to every week has been one of the motivations that brings me back to school."

Gender Identity Competency

When working toward success at school for transgender students, it is paramount for youth to identify an adult with whom they feel safe. Johanna Eager, director of the Human Rights Campaign's Welcoming Schools program, coaches educators around gender identity competency. She trains schools to help transitioning students identify a knowledgeable staff member who may or may not be trans but to whom students feel safe going during the day. "Any trans student needs to know who their safe person is," she says. "You are vulnerable if you are the only one."

Eager says there is no formula to positive mentorship. Some mentors are passionate and informed based on experience. Some are naturally kind and caring, with no formal training. "I've seen educators who don't have much knowledge tend to the social emotional health for a trans child, and I have seen folks who are trans or LGBTQ be supportive with their knowledge. It can be either and it always has been."

Above all, quality mentors trust that transgender youth know who they are and what they need. As one father reflected about parenting his transgender son, "There were never any conscious decisions. It was always intuitive, following him. It's about letting him lead and supporting wherever he is. That line is always moving."

Transgender youth are looking, first and foremost, for adults to respecttheirchosennames and pronouns. Making this effort validates young people's core identity and solidifies their safety. Without it, a trusted relationship cannot be built. As Cameron says, "People using your pronouns and correct name without fail is wonderful. When people do it with no question, you can tell they see you the way you want to be seen."

Earning the trust and respect of transgender students requires educators to uncover any internalized transphobia and recognizepersonalbiases. Some allies find it takes time to mentally de-align gender and genitalia. Still, adults cannot show up for youth without honestly accepting their feelings and beliefs. If they skip this crucial step, youth will notice. This is the case for Todd, who is genderqueer and can read their teachers' facial expressions as measurements of acceptance and safety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sometimes the "T" in the LGBTQ gets overlooked.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, Transgender Awareness Week from November 13 to 19, and Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience on November 20, are important moments for trans inclusion, to create safe and inclusive schools for trans students. But making school trans-inclusive is a year-round effort.
According to GLSEN research, compared to other students in the LGBTQ community, transgender and nonbinary students face more hostile school climates. To learn more, see GLSEN's full research report and webinar on trans student experiences, and our report on trans students and school facilities, co-authored with Movement Advancement Project.

Below is a wealth of resources that center trans, including nonbinary students and educators. These resources share personal experiences and can help students and educators learn about gender diversity, pronoun visibility, trans students' rights, inclusive curriculum, and GSA practices.
For the many types of events throughout the year around transgender and nonbinary issues, we have put together an action kit to give you ideas that you can use at your school.
March

Transgender Day of Visibility

Highlight Trans historical figures. You can use the LGBTQ History Cards to share stories and the impact figures made!

Trans and nonbinary centered conversation. Ask trans and nonbinary folks if they are comfortable sharing their stories and their needs from allies. This is a great time to pass the mic and listen.

Social Media visibility: Share your photo or video on social media channels. Disrupt threads typically dominated by cis folks like #LGBTQ #Pride #Beautiful etc. Add to threads such as #tdov, #TransIsBeautiful to see the amazing community that pops up throughout the day. (Always consider your safety before posting anything public) ***if you are not able to be visible, that is ok, you are still valid.

June

Pride

LGBTQ History Cards: Select the cards in the deck about transgender people and share with your GSA, write about them in a class, or print out the biography and share them on a poster at school. You can purchase a deck of cards from our store or you can print out the cards from our website.

Make a playlist that highlights trans artists and play it in your GSA or classroom.

Host a fun Pride Party with your GSA!

Use this as an opportunity to wear statement items to show solidarity with Trans and LGBQ students, such as a rainbow lanyard or pin.

October

International Pronouns Day

Intersex Awareness Day

Educate yourself: Learn about intersex identities and unpack the harmful ways societal practices have limited our autonomy over our bodies that especially impact intersex people. "People who are intersex are more common than you think! Experts estimate that as many as 1.7% of people are born with intersex traits - that's about the same number of people who are born with red hair. People with intersex traits aren't all the same, and some people may not even know they are intersex unless they receive genetic testing (this may happen, for example, with athletes). Intersex people are not that uncommon - they just have been mostly invisible." There are ways to take action and advocate from our friends at InterACT.

November

Transgender Awareness Week

Transgender and nonbinary student and staff panel: Ask for volunteers who identify as transgender, nonbinary, agender, two-spirit, gender queer etc. to be on a panel. This could be held at your GSA meeting, District-wide event, community center, assembly, or library. It is important that the panelists feel safe sharing their stories. Participants should never be forced to answer questions they do not want to answer. Create questions ahead of time and share them with the panelists, this will give them an opportunity to give you feedback and let you know if they do not want to answer any of the suggested questions.

Film screening with discussion: Select a film based on transgender issues to screen in your GSA, community center, class, district-wide event, or library. Here is a list of recommended films: Major!, Gender Revolution, Paris is Burning (has adult content), Happy Birthday Marsha, Pose, Kiki, etc. After the film, have some questions prepared to engage attendees such as "Could you relate to any of the characters in the film? If so, how or why?"

Centering trans and nonbinary voices: "Centering" means actively listening to what trans and nonbinary people are saying. If you are planning an event for Transgender Awareness Week, ask the folks who identify as trans and nonbinary what activities they would like to happen, what solidarity and allyship look like in these spaces. Offer if they would like to take the lead on anything you are involved in organizing.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Say their names: Hold a memorial during your GSA or at an appropriate time at school. Write out their names and ages on a 3x5 postcard and encourage folks in the room to take one and read the name out loud. You can hold a moment of silence for each name or at the end of the reading. After, you can tape the names to a poster and have it hanging in your GSA room or a designated space somewhere at school.

Honor their lives: Along with saying their names out loud, instead of reading how they died, you can do some research and say something about their life. For example, "Paris Cameron was a vibrant and beautiful young Black trans woman. She lived in Detroit with her friends." This humanizes the victims and allows for deeper connection and responsibility to each other. Remembering the lives of the victims reminds us to continue fighting for those still alive.

Build an altar: Build an altar in a designated space where you can display the names and photos of those whose lives were taken. You can decorate the altar and share a short write up about what the altar is about and who it is honoring. Do not use real flammable candles, instead, you can use battery-operated or you can make candles out of paper for symbolic purposes.

Commit to advocacy: Learning about systems of oppression and the impact it has on certain identity groups will help focus your activism and advocacy. Fighting for the rights of transgender people helps them access basic human necessities like education, safety, employment, love and friendships, family, housing, medical care etc. Every small action, whether good or bad, has a lasting impact. Build a community and environment where violence and discrimination against anyone is not tolerated. Commit to making your school inclusive for transgender and nonbinary people.

Misc. Blogs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, Transgender Awareness Week from November 13 to 19, and Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience on November 20, are important moments for trans inclusion, to create safe and inclusive schools for trans students. But making school trans-inclusive is a year-round effort.

# data[].attributes.headline
Educator Resources | Trans Youth Equality Foundation

# data[].attributes.subject
Educator Resources | Trans Youth Equality Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources For Educators — Trans Youth Equality Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Trans Youth Equality Foundation provides education, advocacy and support for transgender and
gender non-conforming children and youth and their families.

Our mission is to share information about the unique needs of this community, partnering with families, educators and service p…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
According to GLSEN research, compared to other students in the LGBTQ community, transgender and gender nonconforming students face more hostile school climates. To learn more, see GLSEN's full research report and webinar on trans student experiences, and our report on trans students and school facilities, co-authored with Movement Advancement Project.

Transgender Awareness Week from November 11 to 19, Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience on November 20, and Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 are important moments for trans inclusion, to create safe and inclusive schools for trans students. But making school trans-inclusive is a year-round effort.

Below is a wealth of resources that center trans and gender non-conforming students and educators. These resources share personal experiences and can help students and educators learn about gender diversity, pronoun visibility, trans students' rights, and inclusive curriculum and GSA practices.

Looking for more? This educator webinar and GSA guide go deeper into how to support trans and non-binary students.

Trans Rights

Trans-inclusive school policies are critical to creating school environments that are safe and supportive for trans students. These tools can help you in advocating for these policies:

To learn more about trans students' rights, see GLSEN and ACLU's Know Your Rights guide. If you face harassment or discrimination at school, make sure to #ClaimYourRights and report complaints to the U.S. Department of Education.

Classroom and GSA Activities

Trans students, like all students, thrive when they see themselves reflected at school. This means teaching lessons and activities that include and represent trans identities both in the curriculum and in meetings of LGBTQ student clubs.

Try out these activities:

Educators, want the latest resources sent to your inbox? Sign up for GLSEN's Educator Network!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
According to GLSEN research, compared to other students in the LGBTQ community, transgender and gender nonconforming students face more hostile school climates. To learn more, see GLSEN's full research report and webinar on trans student experiences, and our report on trans students and school facilities, co-authored with Movement Advancement Project.

# data[].attributes.body
Resource designed to support teachers, related service providers, or family members (coming soon) of school-aged deaf or hard of hearing students (K-12). Created by the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Clerc Center " Tips to Go

Tips to Go, is a resource designed to support teachers, related service providers, or family members (coming soon) of school-aged deaf or hard of hearing students (K-12). You will find handouts outlining critical information to consider in promoting a positive educational experience for these students. These tip sheets can be downloaded or are available upon request from the Clerc Center at infotogo@gallaudet.edu Each handout is linked to detailed information to support the various tips.

This site was supported by federal funding. Publication of this material shall not imply approval or acceptance by the U.S. Department of Education of the findings, conclusions, or recommendations herein. Gallaudet University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, hearing status, disability, covered veteran status, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, place of business or residence, pregnancy, childbirth, or any other unlawful basis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Clerc Center " Tips to Go Tips to Go, is a resource designed to support teachers, related service providers, or family members (coming soon) of school-aged deaf or hard of hearing students (K-12). You will find handouts outlining critical information to consider in promoting a positive educational experience for these students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The first half century of the school's existence was a time of flowering and growth for deaf education in America. ASD served as a model institution and a training ground for numerous schools for the deaf which opened elsewhere during this period. Instruction was in sign language, with the goals of imparting literacy, training for productive labor, and religious salvation. ASD was a Congregationalist school in its early years, which was consistent with the civil government of Connecticut at the time the school was established.

An important feature of manual communication as a teaching language is that it allows deaf people to be teachers. Many alumni did go on to become teachers and principals at schools for the deaf throughout the United States, which spread sign language throughout the country. A deaf culture developed during this period, with periodicals, organizations, social relations and all the other features to be expected of a minority culture dispersed through the general population. So rapid and positive was the spread of this language and culture that the period is today referred to as a golden age.

The culminating achievement of that time was the establishment of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf at Washington, D.C. in 1864. Now called Gallaudet University, it is still the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world, although there are now many other institutions offering college and post graduate degrees to the deaf.

The later half of the nineteenth century witnessed the rise of oral theories of deaf education. Although there are a variety of these theories, they have in common an emphasis on the importance of oral skills (speech-reading and speech) in the education of deaf children. A leading proponent of oral methods was Alexander Graham Bell, whose mother and wife were both hard of hearing. The first major oral school in the U.S., Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts, opened in 1867.

This difference in philosophy between the proponents of traditional sign language and supporters of the oral method was a crucial division throughout the second half of the nineteenth and well into the twentieth century. The dispute was often bitter, leading to deep divisions within the deaf education community. It is beyond the scope of this history to go into the merits of the argument, but a few points are worth noting.

The ability to learn oral skills depends in large part on the degree of hearing loss, the age at which the student became deaf (especially whether it was before or after acquiring spoken language), and other factors. There is therefore a wide range of success and failure dependent, not on intelligence, but on these factors. Oral skills are not usually very useful for communication among deaf persons, and the use of the oral method practically bars the deaf from careers as teachers. The American School for the Deaf, during this period, tried out students in oral classes first, and if they did not succeed, put them in manual classes instead, under a philosophy called the Combined System. Many other schools for the deaf embraced the oral method to a greater extent.

The twentieth century has seen a loosening of the grip of the oral method, as sign language has regained legitimacy. The school's current educational and commnication philosophy, Total Communication, is described in the last paragraph.

As the oral/manual dispute has waned, a new philosophical division has appeared; the mainstreaming debate. Public Act 94-142 mandates that each child be taught in the "least restrictive environment" possible, and this has been widely interpreted to mean the local public school. The mainstreaming, or "inclusionist", movement has led to a decline in the proportion of deaf and hard of hearing students attending center schools such as the American School for the Deaf.

Without going into detail, it is fair to say that this debate shares some features with the oral/manual debate of 100 years ago. Success in a mainstream setting is very dependent upon degree of hearing loss and degree of oral skill. Deafness is a very low-incidence condition, and very few public schools have more than one or two deaf students within their districts. Since it is uneconomic to hire a teacher exclusively for the education of those few children, once again, deaf people are prevented from obtaining teaching positions, and deaf children in the mainstream setting are prevented having deaf adult role models in the school setting.

It can also be very restrictive to be blocked from easily communicating with classmates and teachers, from participating in sports or from normal social interaction without the need for an interpreter. The philosophy of the American School for the Deaf is that there is no one easy answer that applies to all situations, but that each child's education should be based on the specifics of that child's needs. There is a place for mainstreaming and center schools both.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The first half century of the school's existence was a time of flowering and growth for deaf education in America. ASD served as a model institution and a training ground for numerous schools for the deaf which opened elsewhere during this period.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
National Deaf History Month is celebrated from March 13th through April 15th. Deaf History Month is celebrated at this time of year because of three main events in the history of deaf education.

On April 15, 1817, America's first public school for the deaf was opened.

On April 8, 1864, Gallaudet University (the first institution of higher education for the deaf and hard of hearing) was officially founded.

On March 13, 1988, Gallaudet University hired its first deaf president.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) first introduced National Deaf History Month in 1997 and, in 2006, the American Library Association partnered with NAD in supporting and spreading awareness of this celebration.

Did you know that 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears?

Deafness and hearing loss can occur for many reasons and can exist at a variety of levels.

Some people are born deaf, while others become deaf or hard of hearing due to age, illness, or injury.

Some people are profoundly deaf and can hear nothing while others may only have partial hearing loss or hearing loss in only one ear.

People who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing have also developed many ways to communicate that do not involve their hearing at all.

Some use devices like hearing aids or cochlear implants to create or enhance sound.

Others can read lips very fluently and may still use their voices to communicate.

Others still, use sign language as a way to communicate with their hands.

Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing people can also make use of service animals like hearing dogs.

Did you know that there is no universal sign language? Different countries use different sign languages! In the United States, we use American Sign Language (ASL).

National Deaf History Month is perfect time to learn and discover more about our Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing friends and neighbors and to bring awareness to their lived experiences.

Head to the Alachua County Library District YouTube to learn some simple sign language with your favorite library staff and check out the books below to start celebrating the month and learning all about Deafness!
Facts About Hearing and Deafness: Learning About Real Deaf People: Stories About the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Picture Books): More Stories About the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Chapter Books): Learning Sign Language with Books and Videos:
Sources: National Association of the Deaf, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deaf History Month - March 13th to April 15th

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
National Deaf History Month is celebrated from March 13th through April 15th. Deaf History Month is celebrated at this time of year because of three main events in the history of deaf education. On April 15, 1817, America's first public school for the deaf was opened.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Celebrating National Deaf History Month – Himmelfarb Library News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Running from March 13th through April 15th, National Deaf History Month is a time to honor the contributions of deaf individuals and the deaf community and learn more about the ongoing advocacy work deaf organizations undertake in order to make the world accessible to deaf and hard of hearing indivi…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Through life experiences, interactions with family, friends, teachers, and coaches, you have been in a continuous feedback system that helps develop your social emotional skills. But aside from these everyday experiences, can social emotional learning be actively taught, and if so, what is the best way to learn? It's best if the learning has some context and is related to real life experiences.

While your school or team may give you curriculum or teaching resources for academics, there's so much more that goes into creating a successful classroom: behavior, student relationships, students' self-esteem and confidence about school, classroom setup and decoration, and more.

It's up to you to find high-quality teaching resources focused on creating a positive classroom environment that you don't have to make yourself. But with so many different places to find resources - Pinterest, blogs, Teachers Pay Teachers - it can be hard to make a cohesive plan. That's why we offer teaching resources, including including lessons and printables, classroom decorations, and behavior management tools, that can be used together or separately, all for free.

Our resources focus on building social and emotional skills through fun activities and experiences with memorable characters from Zoo Academy, Zoo U, Hall of Heroes, and Adventures Aboard the S.S. GRIN. You can learn more about our entire Social Emotional Learning Curriculum here.

Download free lesson plans and printables to help improve social and emotional skills in the classroom and at home. These teaching resources include group and individual games, worksheets, and other fun handouts.

Our classroom management plan is a step-by-step guide and includes proven strategies, tips and printables for elementary school teachers, and it covers four key components for establishing a successful, well-managed classroom.

These free downloadable posters will decorate your classroom and be great teaching resources, reinforcing social and emotional skills in your classroom and reminding students to practice their skills like emotion regulation, impulse control, empathy, and more.

Social Emotional Learning Quotes

For each of the topics below, we have curated a list of quotes. You can incorprate these quotes in your social emotional learning lessons, add them to social media images, create classroom posters, or write one on your whiteboard each day.

Would You Like To Receive Free SEL Lessons Each Week?

With a Centervention Account, you will receive free lessons and a free trial for our online SEL programs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Through life experiences, interactions with family, friends, teachers, and coaches, you have been in a continuous feedback system that helps develop your social emotional skills. But aside from these everyday experiences, can social emotional learning be actively taught, and if so, what is the best way to learn?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On March 26, we celebrate the second annual International Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Day, established by The Urban Assembly and…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Join me as we celebrate Women's History Month with this wall of fame (click here to make a copy). There are 23 school days in March, and each of these 23 pictures (plus one bonus for an even 24) are linked to a matching biography on Epic. Remember to be logged into your Epic account prior to clicking on the links. It's completely editable so you can change the photos in each frame and then link it to new stories on Epic if you don't like the ones I chose. I tried to vary it with a mix of familiar and not-so-familiar faces. I hope you will be able to share one story for each school day, but time is always a barrier in the classroom so you may want to share this with your families to do at home too.

There is a recording sheet with all of the women's names that corresponds with the numbered frames. Students can record the important contributions these women made (or are making) to our world as you read each story.

I'm also including this writing organizer I used with my students when I taught fourth grade. It encourages students to select a woman they think deserves their own federal holiday. They can choose a woman from the wall of fame, or they can choose someone else. The organizer guides them in writing a piece that supports their choice with three reasons and supporting details.

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you'll take time in the month of March to recognize the important stories of women in history.

Posted on

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join me as we celebrate Women's History Month with this wall of fame (click here to make a copy). There are 23 school days in March, and each of these 23 pictures (plus one bonus for an even 24) are linked to a matching biography on Epic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Women's History Month is a time to honor ordinary and extraordinary women, explore women's achievements and struggles throughout history, and acknowledge women's contributions to our society. The 2023 theme for Women's History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories."

Women's History Month is an excellent time to talk with students about gender stereotypes and bias, hail important women in history, discover more about women's issues and their fight for equity, read literature that celebrates women and girls, analyze sexism and explore its causes and solutions. As with other similarly themed months, it is important not to isolate exploration of women's history and culture into one month during the year. Women's history is U.S. history and should be integrated into the curriculum throughout the school year.

Below is a list of K-12 curriculum and other educational resources to bring Women's History Month to your classrooms and schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Women's History Month is a time to honor ordinary and extraordinary women, explore women's achievements and struggles throughout history, and acknowledge women's contributions to our society. The 2023 theme for Women's History Month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image: From left to right, the women featured above are Malala Yousafzai, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Rosa Parks.
Every March, we celebrate Women's History Month. The year 2020 was a particularly special milestone, as we marked a century of women's suffrage. The passage of the 19th Amendment in August 1920 secured American women's right to vote for the first time in history. It was a hard-fought victory spanning decades in which suffragists made speeches, marched, picketed, and went on hunger strikes. For some, the effort landed them in jail.

Yet passage of the 19th Amendment was just one step in making change for American women. At the time, discriminatory laws kept many Black, Latinx, Native American, and Asian women from voting. It wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that the vote was protected for all citizens of the United States.

Women's History Month is a great time to honor the accomplishments of suffragists, activists and all those who work to make the world a better, more equal place for women-from Malala Yousafzai to Harriet Tubman, from Susan B. Anthony to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to Rosa Parks. Let students who are turning 18 know that by exercising their right to vote, they will be carrying on the work of these women. With the right to vote comes the opportunity to inspire change, for women, for our local communities, and humanity as a whole.

Women's History Month Lesson Plans and Activities: Elementary and Middle School

Use these Women's History Month activities for students to celebrate women's history and give them a peek at the climate for women in the early 1900s as they fought for their right to vote. Additionally, you can share this podcast conversation with your class, where Girl Scouts CEO Sylvia Acevedo discusses how the organization prioritizes teaching civic responsibility and ways young girls can make change happen in their local governments.

1. Power of Persuasion (Rhetorical Analysis)

Have students read a speech advocating for women's suffrage. They might read Sojourner Truth's " Ain't I a Woman?" or Susan B. Anthony's " Women's Rights to the Suffrage." Have them answer the following questions about the speech:

Who is the audience? How do you know?

What assumptions does the writer make about her audience?

What strategies does she use to persuade? Do you think those strategies would be effective for her particular audience? Why or why not?

Then, challenge students to write a one-minute speech tackling an issue facing women today, such as equal pay, paid maternity leave, the lack of women in positions of power, or gender bias in the workplace. Tell students to take a position on the issue and back it up with evidence, including the opinion of experts or data from studies. Remind students to consider their audience and which persuasive strategies might be most effective: hard facts, emotional appeal, or a combination of both. Allow time for students to make their speeches to the class.

2. Get the Message? (Editorial Cartoon Analysis)

Tell students that an editorial cartoon is an illustration depicting a political or social message that typically relates to current events. Invite students to examine the scene depicted in the 1909 editorial cartoon "Election Day!" available on the Library of Congress website. Ask questions including:

What is happening in the scene?

What issue does the cartoon address?

What do you think is the cartoon's message? How can you tell?

Who might disagree with the message and why?

Have students create speech bubbles for the man and woman in the cartoon to represent what each might say in this situation. Allow time for students to share their writing with the class. Then, challenge students to create an editorial cartoon expressing support for women's right to vote. This includes first having them brainstorm a list of reasons why women should be guaranteed the right to vote. Students can read some of the arguments women of the time made here. Challenge students to convey those reasons in the cartoon.

3. Lights, Camera, Action! (Research and Art)

Challenge students to produce a short "film" spotlighting an influential woman. Choose a theme for a film series, such as "Voting Rights Heroes" (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, or Adelina Otero-Warren); "Female Firsts" (Shirley Chisholm, first African American congresswoman; Sandra Day O'Connor, first woman to serve on the Supreme Court; Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman physician in U.S.; Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman to travel into space; or Junko Tabei, first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest); or "Women in STEM" (Marie Curie, Katherine Johnson, Edith Clarke, Mareena Robinson Snowden, Mary G. Ross, or Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski).

Once you've settled on a theme and students have chosen a woman to spotlight either individually or in small groups, they can begin researching and writing a short script describing their subject's background and accomplishments. Then have students fill in the frames of this "filmstrip" organizer with drawings depicting the highlights of the woman's life and work. If you wish, you can have students bring the script and drawings to life by creating a short film. The film might involve actors or use photos and voiceover to tell the story. It should be limited to five minutes and include any historical information that would help their audience understand the woman's contribution.

For background information, students might read Women's Suffrage Movement by Jill Keppeler. You can download a lesson plan based on the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Women's History Month Activities for Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Image: From left to right, the women featured above are Malala Yousafzai, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Rosa Parks. Every March, we celebrate Women's History Month. The year 2020 was a particularly special milestone, as we marked a century of women's suffrage.

# data[].attributes.headline
Remember The Ladies: The Importance of Women's History | Emily Krichbaum | TEDxColumbusWomen

# data[].attributes.subject
Remember The Ladies: The Importance of Women's History | Emily Krichbaum | TEDxColumbusWomen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Remember The Ladies: The Importance of Women's History  | Emily Krichbaum | TEDxColumbusWomen

# data[].attributes.headline
Classroom Resources- National Women's History Museum

# data[].attributes.subject
Classroom Resources- National Women's History Museum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore all of the resources the National Women’s History Museum has created. There are lesson plans, biographies, posters, primary sources, and more. You can search by topic, theme, or resource type.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
March is Women's History Month. Help your students learn about and celebrate women's contributions to history, culture, and society with our cross-curricular lesson plans, worksheets, research projects, quizzes, and activities below.
Why Do We Celebrate Women's History Month?

Women's History Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments and often overlooked contributions of women to American history, culture, and society. Starting out as a local weeklong celebration in Sonoma County, California, the week of March 8 was officially declared National Women's History Week. Later, in 1986, following a petition from the National Women's History Project, the event was expanded to the entire month of March.

Women's History Month Worksheets and Activities

This collection of resources provides a range of approaches for integrating Women's History Month into the existing curriculum. You'll find Women's History Month activities for elementary, middle school, and high school. Alongside social studies resources, you'll find reading comprehension and writing activities that help students learn more about influential women like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Abigail Adams, Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, and Malala Yousafzai. Use these Women's History Month lesson plans, worksheets, and printables to teach your students about the history of women's rights and suffrage, International Women's day, women in STEM, and much more.

Women's History Month Choice Boards

These Women's History Month activities for elementary and middle school students are great student-choice early finisher or extension activities.

Themed Packets and Projects

These activity packets contain Women's History Month activities for ELA, math, science, and more!

Educational Videos

View our short videos about Women's History Month and expand your students' knowledge with the extension activities prepared for each video.

Inspirational Classroom Posters for Women's History Month

Share the wisdom and strength of influential women, with both historical and modern-day importance, with these printable classroom quote posters.

International Women's Day

Interesting facts and fun activities about International Women's Day are included in these resources, such as, making posters, creating slogans, or writing songs after researching facts.

Slideshows

Browse our collection of slideshows to find resources to enhance your curriculum for Women's History Month. Use our slideshows as a way to introduce your lesson or add to current learning.

Printable Quizzes

Test your students' knowledge about Women's History Month with these printable, multiple-choice quizzes on the accomplishments of individual women or group movements.

Women's History Month Printables

Teach your students about Women's History Month with these social studies printables. Choose from activities like creating a mini-book, reading passages and warm-ups with comprehension questions, and writing poems, to help students discover important women throughout history.

References on Women's Rights and History

Our references include a timeline on the Women's Rights Movement, reading passages with comprehension questions, and a study of amendments, including those pertaining to women, to enhance your lessons.

Women's History Month Lesson Plans

Help students understand Women's History Month with activities such as completing internet research, writing a Declaration for Personal Rights, and designing a quilt pattern.

Women's Rights & Suffrage

Women's History Month is a great time to teach your students about the struggle for women's rights and the suffrage movement with these slideshows, videos, art projects, and warm-ups.

Reading, Language Arts, & Women's History Connected

Choose from these activities to enhance your lessons and help students expand their knowledge through books, reading passages, and activities about the struggle of women throughout history.

Mathematics & Women's History Connected

Interconnect students' math skills, such as recognizing the properties of geometric shapes, measuring angles, and more, with your lessons on Women's History Month through making a quilt.

Science & Women's History Connected

Extend your students' learning and enhance your science lessons using these resources about Women's History Month. Includes reading passages with comprehension questions, warm-ups, and more.

Art & Women's History Connected

Incorporate art activities into your Women's History Month lessons by using our resources. Includes research with a follow-up art project, designing a quilt, and a coloring page.

Health, Physical Education, & Women's History Connected

These resources will increase students' knowledge about Women's History Month through reading passages, along with matching an athlete to her sport and researching her accomplishments.

Music & Women's History Connected

Women have been influential in the music field throughout history. Teach your students about their accomplishments with our research and listening to opera activities.

Mother's Day Resources

Students will have a lot to say about Moms. Browse through and use our lessons, printables, fun activities, and more, to help students to express themselves.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Women's History Month Teacher Resources, Worksheets & Lessons - TeacherVision

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Celebrate the myriad accomplishments of American women with these resources for Women's History Month in March. Find information on Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Abigail Adams, Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Maya Angelou, and more

# data[].attributes.headline
Ed Censorship and the Role of Book-Banning | AACTE Webinar

# data[].attributes.subject
Ed Censorship and the Role of Book-Banning | AACTE Webinar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ed Censorship and the Role of Book-Banning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every year in February during Black History Month we celebrate the work and legacy of prominent Black leaders who've paved a way for racial equity and inclusion in the United States. It's also a time when people celebrate Black culture and history including music, art, literature, etc.

Within the larger Black American community, there are a plethora of diverse groups and experiences. One of these groups is the Black deaf community, who have their own unique culture and language.

In this post, we'll highlight the history of Black Deaf culture in America, Black American Sign Language (ASL), and the importance of its legacy beyond Black History Month.

Read Accessibility Stories from the Community ☑️

The Origins of Black ASL

Sign language is a form of communication that is mostly made up of signs with the hands and other body movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. Depending on where you are in the world, sign language can vary.

For example, in the United States, most Deaf people use American Sign Language to communicate. However, in Nicaragua, Deaf people use Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL). Just because both an American and Nicaraguan use sign language, it doesn't mean that they can understand each other. Each language has its nuances, grammar, and complexities - just like any other spoken language.

ASL is not a universal language, even within the United States. Various groups of Deaf people sign differently depending on their race and where they are in the country. That's where Black ASL comes in.

During American slavery, there weren't any established schools for Black children - deaf or hearing. After the Civil War and abolition of slavery, Black people began to open their own schools since they weren't allowed to attend schools with white students.

Even deaf children, regardless of race, attended different schools than their hearing counterparts. That meant Black deaf children had to attend schools specifically created for their race and disability.

It was during this period of segregation that Black Deaf communities had to use different means of language socialization to communicate.

Because Black and White's deaf students socialized in different environments, their sign languages were different, too.

Black ASL was more in line with the traditional version of ASL, like using two hands when signing. Some of the major differences of Black ASL are that it uses more facial expressions and personality. Many Black ASL signers say that it allows them to showcase more of their "attitude" and "persona" compared to ASL. You'll also see that Black ASL uses more signing space as well.

According to Nakia Smith (highlighted in the video above), she says that the biggest difference between Black ASL and ASL is that Black ASL "got seasoning". It's very similar to what we, in the hearing world, call Ebonics or African-American Vernacular English (AAVE ). It's a complete language with its own terms and nuances that are more commonly used in the Black community.

However, just like AAVE, Black ASL changes depending on where you live in the U.S. For example, someone in New York will sign completely differently from someone who lives in Texas.

There's a myth that Black ASL is not as "good" or "formal" as ASL, but that is the furthest thing from the truth.

In many academic settings, Black deaf students feel the need to code-switch , "the practice of shifting the languages you use or the way you express yourself in your conversations", in order to fit in with their white counterparts. The truth is, Black ASL represents the richness of culture, history, and pride of the Black Deaf community.

Black Deaf Culture in the Digital Age

In the past year, we've had more conversations around race and equity as a global society. Movements like Black Lives Matter have spearheaded conversations on the importance of the overall wellbeing of Black communities across the globe.

When thinking about what it means to be Black, many people mistakenly believe that it's a monolith and that every Black person has the same experience; however, it's more nuanced than that. When we start to add in other identities like womxn, disabled, LGBTQIA, etc., or even geographical and socioeconomic statuses, it changes the experience.

Since starting her TikTok account in April of 2020, Nakia Smith, also known as Charmay, went viral for a series of videos teaching people about Black ASL.

Her popular videos shed light on an aspect of Black culture that isn't always represented in mainstream media - the intersection of being both Black and deaf.

Now that our world is relying more on technology to stay connected, many people in the Black Deaf community are using this opportunity to highlight their culture, language, and the importance of its preservation.

This Black History Month we encourage you to take the time to celebrate the number of Black Deaf people and organizations who are spotlighting the Black Deaf culture! Check out the following resources: 👇
➡️ Groups and Organizations: ➡️ Black Deaf Influencers and Creators: ➡️ Books Highlighting Black Deaf People and Culture: ➡️ Further Learning:

1. Gallaudet University Press: The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL

2. The Language & Life Project: Signing Black in America

3. RIT National Institute for the Deaf Presents: Black ASL: History, Culture, and Language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Celebrating Black History Month: Deaf Culture and Black ASL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every year in February during Black History Month we celebrate the work and legacy of prominent Black leaders who've paved a way for racial equity and inclusion in the United States. It's also a time when people celebrate Black culture and history including music, art, literature, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Featuring LaFetra's Dean, Dr. Kimberly White-Smith.

# data[].attributes.headline
Google Slides Exhibition Hall: 28 Days of Epic Black History

# data[].attributes.subject
Google Slides Exhibition Hall: 28 Days of Epic Black History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For Black History Month, I created a Google Slides Exhibition Hall: 28 Days of Epic Black History. You can make your free editable copy .

When you enter the gallery, you'll find art hanging on the walls. If you click on the images, you'll find them linked directly to a book on about the person/place/event/topic. Note: You must be logged into your Epic account to access the books directly from the links.

For many of the images, you'll also find YouTube icons located underneath. These are linked to videos that supplement the book. All the videos will open full screen without any ads.

There are 28 images (one for each day of February). Since you're making your own copy, it will be fully editable. You can change the images and links and quotes to tailor it to your needs. Please note: I do not own any of the images in this presentation. I am using them for educational purposes only.

You'll find a celebration of Black athletes, musicians, inventors, scientists, explorers, and activists. Students will see glimpses of the civil rights movement, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and the origins of Juneteenth. There are moments of Black joy as well as the struggle for equality.

Please remember to always vet books and videos before sharing them with students. You should decide if these resources are appropriate in terms of both content and attentions span for the age group you work with at school. For example, Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre is appropriate for fifth-grade, but you probably wouldn't read this with kindergarten students. Again, you can edit the slides to tailor them to your grade/class.

I hope that this resource helps you highlight and celebrate Black History in February, but that you teach it all year long.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Black History Month, I created a Google Slides Exhibition Hall: 28 Days of Epic Black History. You can make your free editable copy . When you enter the gallery, you'll find art hanging on the walls. If you click on the images, you'll find them linked directly to a book on about the person/place/event/topic.

# data[].attributes.body
Created by Dawnavyn James

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching the Movement: Civil Rights History Framework

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching the Movement: Civil Rights History Framework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Civil Rights History Instruction Prompted by reports showing that American students knew little about the modern civil rights movement, Learning for Justice launched an investigation into the social studies standards states expected teachers to teach and students to learn. We found that few states…

# data[].attributes.headline
Facing History and Ourselves Resource Library

# data[].attributes.subject
Facing History and Ourselves Resource Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Find compelling classroom resources, learn new teaching methods, meet standards, and make a difference in the lives of your students.

We are grateful to The Hammer Family Foundation for supporting the development of our on-demand learning and teaching resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find compelling classroom resources, learn new teaching methods, meet standards, and make a difference in the lives of your students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families 

# data[].attributes.subject
Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families 

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching Hard History: American Slavery Framework

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching Hard History: American Slavery Framework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Most students leave high school without an adequate understanding of the role slavery played in the development of the United States-or how its legacies still influence us today. In an effort to remedy this, we developed a comprehensive guide for teaching and learning this critical topic at all grade levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching Hard History: American Slavery is a comprehensive guide for teaching and learning the critical topic of slavery at all grade levels.

# data[].attributes.headline
Partnering with Families to Support Black Girls

# data[].attributes.subject
Partnering with Families to Support Black Girls

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Emmy is a 6-year-old Black girl who knows she's beautiful and smart. Yet, she doesn't know how others see her and, more broadly, what it means to be a Black girl in the United States. As we reflect on the injustice involved in anti-Black police violence, we acknowledge how such events can add traumatic stress for Black girls. Perhaps like other Black girls who hear their families lamenting over national race issues and worrying for their children, Emmy, too, was saddened, anxious and concerned when she heard that police officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor and, more recently, 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant. To better support Black girls who may experience heightened levels of psychosocial stress inside and outside of schools, we urge educators to authentically engage with Black girls and their families and caregivers.

In our work together at Rowan University, we-Latino professor Adam Alvarez and Black woman doctoral student Eshe Price-often share our collective observations, experiences and ideas for improving conditions for youth of color. Being parents of color and former K-12 teachers, we approach the intersection of race, trauma and education with a sense of intimacy. We have witnessed firsthand the racialized wounds that occur in school settings, particularly for Black girls like Emmy, Eshe's daughter.

For Black girls, who are often viewed as less innocent than their white peers, common trauma-based responses like withdrawal, isolation, depression, irritability, aggression or risky behaviors tend to be criminalized. Consequently, their responses to social and economic issues over which they have no control are more harshly punished. In the process, many of their bodies are violated by agents of the state. Many Black girls are pushed out of school, funneled into the justice system and struggle with high levels of cascading stress. This is why the combined support of educators, families and caregivers is crucial.

Doing More for Black Girls

There are certainly major systemic changes that need to occur, yet individual educators, staff members and administrators can intentionally support Black girls in school settings. They can learn to become authentically engaged and nurture Black girls, rather than rely on trauma resources that may not offer critical insight. We share seven recommendations collated from Black parents we have spoken with in our work and everyday lives.

Center empathy and love.

Engaging with Black girls' families and caregivers inside and outside of school will require more empathy. Empathy is essential for sharing hurts and joys with Black people. We also need more love. Love must be foundational for bridging the us/them mentality we see in many schools and throughout society. Demonstrating love and empathy will mean centering Black girls' feelings of belongingness and success in school. Engaging in collective struggles with school faculty around issues of justice from a place of love and empathy may be the most essential way to support Black girls.

Do some introspective work.

Building the kind of school culture that will prioritize Black girls' perspectives and sense of well-being requires educators and administrators to do some introspective work. What could you do to better honor the lived experiences and wealth of knowledge that your Black girl students bring with them into the classroom? Exploring aspects of identity, culture and privilege are vital for understanding the nature of conflicts inside and outside of school settings. These reflective steps may be important to develop more progressive movements and quality support for Black girls. After doing introspective work, educators can better understand what drives some Black girls' high levels of stress and even traumatic experiences within school.

Listen to Black girls.

Emmy's parents suggest that educators and administrators simply listen to Black girls. They encourage cultivating brave spaces where Black girls can share, process, develop a critique of the world and explore ways to resist structural oppression in their lives, schools and communities. This is vital because, sadly, there are too many stories of Black girls being the targets of race-based school bullying. As students return to school, Black girls may continue to be harassed virtually. Listening to Black girls is an important start and can lay a foundation for powerful anti-racist work.

Invite Black parents and caregivers to share.

Schools can invite Black parents and caregivers to share their ideas and experiences within the school and community to better understand how to improve school connectedness. When youth feel connected to caregivers and their schools, they experience significantly fewer reports of trauma and depressive symptoms. If schools can learn from families and caregivers how best to connect, they can enhance their effectiveness in supporting Black girls. Schools should vary their approaches to connecting with Black families. Think about what you do to involve your students' families. A survey may be fine in some cases; whereas, in other cases, panel discussions or town hall meetings could be more insightful.

Engage with Black families and caregivers beyond school walls.

Engaging with Black families and caregivers outside of school goes a long way. In Emmy's school district, the superintendent attended a peaceful protest led by several Black girls. This act of engagement with Black youth and families fostered a dialogue that generated a change in the curriculum to include African American history and social justice content. For school faculty and staff, the work of supporting Black girls extends beyond school days and school walls.

Diversify school faculty and staff.

Diversifying school faculty and staff can serve as another way to support Black girls. So much literature shows the benefit of a diverse staff and especially how Black educators can improve achievement for Black students. Black girls and their families want to see themselves represented among school staff who may share similar cultural experiences and ways of knowing. Supporting Black girls means surrounding them, in school, with caring Black people who can identify with and work through their racialized and gendered school experiences. Think of ways you can support more diverse hiring practices. What work needs to be done to ensure that your school and your school district are places that would welcome and support Black teachers and other teachers of color?

Reimagine school policies on discipline.

Reimagining school policies on discipline, zero-tolerance and student codes of conduct will be a critical support for Black girls. Emmy's parents want school policies to protect instead of punish. If Black girls break school rules, it's important that educators investigate the fullness of the context and situation. Policies should not further marginalize Black girls; rather, policies should support them. Find out about model policies that other schools are using that support all students. When you look at your current discipline policy, what policy changes will ensure that all students, especially Black girls, are supported instead of pushed out? Then you can advocate for updating your school's discipline policy.

More is needed from educators and school leaders. With these recommendations, we imagine that Black girls will know that they matter-academically, culturally, socially and emotionally. Girls like Emmy, then, will have the necessary support to resist, heal and learn because of the conditions in their schools, not in spite of them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Partnering With Families to Support Black Girls

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Emmy is a 6-year-old Black girl who knows she's beautiful and smart. Yet, she doesn't know how others see her and, more broadly, what it means to be a Black girl in the United States. As we reflect on the injustice involved in anti-Black police violence, we acknowledge how such events can add traumatic stress for Black girls.

# data[].attributes.headline
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

# data[].attributes.subject
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Now part of the HBO docuseries Exterminate All the Brutes, written and directed by Raoul Peck

2015 Recipient of the American Book Award

The first history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples

Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortizoffers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire.

With growing support for movements such as the campaign to abolish Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day and the Dakota Access Pipeline protest led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is an essential resource providing historical threads that are crucial for understanding the present. In An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, Dunbar-Ortiz adroitly challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how policy against the Indigenous peoples was colonialist and designed to seize the territories of the original inhabitants, displacing or eliminating them. And as Dunbar-Ortiz reveals, this policy was praised in popular culture, through writers like James Fenimore Cooper and Walt Whitman, and in the highest offices of government and the military. Shockingly, as the genocidal policy reached its zenith under President Andrew Jackson, its ruthlessness was best articulated by US Army general Thomas S. Jesup, who, in 1836, wrote of the Seminoles: "The country can be rid of them only by exterminating them."

Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples' history radically reframes US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative.

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is a 2015 PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature.

About the Series

Beacon Press's ReVisioning History series consists of accessibly written books by notable scholars that reconstruct and reinterpret US history from diverse perspectives.

"A must-read for anyone interested in the truth behind this nation's founding."
-Veronica E. Velarde Tiller, PhD, Jicarilla Apache author, historian, and publisher of Tiller's Guide to Indian Country

"This may well be the most important US history book you will read in your lifetime. . . . Dunbar-Ortiz radically reframes US history, destroying all foundation myths to reveal a brutal settler-colonial structure and ideology designed to cover its bloody tracks. Here, rendered in honest, often poetic words, is the story of those tracks and the people who survived-bloodied but unbowed. Spoiler alert: the colonial era is still here, and so are the Indians."
-Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams

"Dunbar Ortiz's . . . assessment and conclusions are necessary tools for all Indigenous peoples seeking to address and remedy the legacy of US colonial domination that continues to subvert Indigenous human rights in today's globalized world."
-Mililani B. Trask, Native Hawai'ian international law expert on Indigenous peoples' rights and former Kia Aina (prime minister) of Ka La Hui Hawai'i

" An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States provides an essential historical reference for all Americans. . . . The American Indians' perspective has been absent from colonial histories for too long, leaving continued misunderstandings of our struggles for sovereignty and human rights."
-Peterson Zah, former president of the Navajo Nation

" An Indigenous Peoples' History . . . pulls up the paving stones and lays bare the deep history of the United States, from the corn to the reservations. If the United States is a 'crime scene,' as she calls it, then Dunbar-Ortiz is its forensic scientist. A sobering look at a grave history."
-Vijay Prashad, author of The Poorer Nations

"Justice-seekers everywhere will celebrate Dunbar-Ortiz's unflinching commitment to truth-a truth that places settler-colonialism and genocide exactly where they belong: as foundational to the existence of the United States."
-Waziyatawin, PhD, activist and author of For Indigenous Minds Only

"Dunbar-Ortiz strips us of our forged innocence, shocks us into new awarenesses, and draws a straight line from the sins of our fathers-settler-colonialism, the doctrine of discovery, the myth of manifest destiny, white supremacy, theft and systematic killing-to the contemporary condition of permanent war, invasion and occupation, mass incarceration, and the constant use and threat of state violence."
-Bill Ayers

"Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is a fiercely honest, unwavering, and unprecedented statement, one which has never been attempted by any other historian or intellectual. The presentation of facts and arguments is clear and direct, unadorned by needless and pointless rhetoric, and there is an organic feel of intellectual solidity that provides weight and trust. It is truly an Indigenous peoples' voice that gives Dunbar-Ortiz'sbook direction, purpose, and trustworthy intention. Without doubt, this crucially important book is required reading for everyone in the Americas!"
-Simon J. Ortiz, Regents Professor of English and American Indian Studies, Arizona State University

"Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz writes a masterful story that relates what the Indigenous peoples of the United States have always maintained: Against the settler U.S. nation, Indigenous peoples have persevered against actions and policies intended to exterminate them, whether physically, mentally, or intellectually. Indigenous nations and their people continue to bear witness to their experiences under the U.S. and demand justice as well as the realization of sovereignty on their own terms."
-Jennifer Nez Denetdale, Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico and author of Reclaiming Diné History

Introduction
This land

We are here to educate, not forgive.
We are here to enlighten, not accuse.
-Willie Johns, Brighton Seminole Reservation, Florida

Under the crust of that portion of Earth called the United States of America-"from California . . . to the Gulf Stream waters"-are interred the bones, villages, fields, and sacred objects of American Indians. They cry out for their stories to be heard through their descendants who carry the memories of how the country was founded and how it came to be as it is today.

It should not have happened that the great civilizations of the Western Hemisphere, the very evidence of the Western Hemisphere, were wantonly destroyed, the gradual progress of humanity interrupted and set upon a path of greed and destruction. Choices were made that forged that path toward destruction of life itself-the moment in which we now live and die as our planet shrivels, overheated. To learn and know this history is both a necessity and a responsibility to the ancestors and descendants of all parties.

What historian David Chang has written about the land that became Oklahoma applies to the whole United States: "Nation, race, and class converged in land." Everything in US history is about the land-who oversaw and cultivated it, fished its waters, maintained its wildlife; who invaded and stole it; how it became a commodity ("real estate") broken into pieces to be bought and sold on the market.

US policies and actions related to Indigenous peoples, though often termed "racist" or "discriminatory," are rarely depicted as what they are: classic cases of imperialism and a particular form of colonialism-settler colonialism. As anthropologist Patrick Wolfe writes, "The question of genocide is never far from discussions of settler colonialism. Land is life-or, at least, land is necessary for life."

The history of the United States is a history of settler colonialism- the founding of a state based on the ideology of white supremacy, the widespread practice of African slavery, and a policy of genocide and land theft. Those who seek history with an upbeat ending, a history of redemption and reconciliation, may look around and observe that such a conclusion is not visible, not even in utopian dreams of a better society.

Writing US history from an Indigenous peoples' perspective requires rethinking the consensual national narrative. That narrative is wrong or deficient, not in its facts, dates, or details but rather in its essence. Inherent in the myth we've been taught is an embrace of settler colonialism and genocide. The myth persists, not for a lack of free speech or poverty of information but rather for an absence of motivation to ask questions that challenge the core of the scripted narrative of the origin story. How might acknowledging the reality of US history work to transform society? That is the central question this book pursues.

Teaching Native American studies, I always begin with a simple exercise. I ask students to quickly draw a rough outline of the United States at the time it gained independence from Britain. Invariably most draw the approximate present shape of the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific-the continental territory not fully appropriated until a century after independence. What became independent in 1783 were the thirteen British colonies hugging the Atlantic shore. When called on this, students are embarrassed because they know better. I assure them that they are not alone. I call this a Rorschach test of unconscious "manifest destiny," embedded in the minds of nearly everyone in the United States and around the world. This test reflects the seeming inevitability of US extent and power, its destiny, with an implication that the continent had previously been terra nullius, a land without people.

Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" celebrates that the land belongs to everyone, reflecting the unconscious manifest destiny we live with. But the extension of the United States from sea to shining sea was the intention and design of the country's founders. "Free" land was the magnet that attracted European settlers. Many were slave owners who desired limitless land for lucrative cash crops. After the war for independence but preceding the writing of the US Constitution, the Continental Congress produced the Northwest Ordinance. This was the first law of the incipient republic, revealing the motive for those desiring independence. It was the blueprint for gobbling up the British-protected Indian Territory ("Ohio Country") on the other side of the Appalachians and Alleghenies. Britain had made settlement there illegal with the Proclamation of 1763.

In 1801, President Jefferson aptly described the new settler-state's intentions for horizontal and vertical continental expansion, stating: "However our present interests may restrain us within our own limits, it is impossible not to look forward to distant times, when our rapid multiplication will expand itself beyond those limits and cover the whole northern, if not the southern continent, with a people speaking the same language, governed in similar form by similar laws." This vision of manifest destiny found form a few years later in the Monroe Doctrine, signaling the intention of annexing or dominating former Spanish colonial territories in the Americas and the Pacific, which would be put into practice during the rest of the century.

Origin narratives form the vital core of a people's unifying identity and of the values that guide them. In the United States, the founding and development of the Anglo-American settler-state involves a narrative about Puritan settlers who had a covenant with God to take the land. That part of the origin story is supported and reinforced by the Columbus myth and the "Doctrine of Discovery." According to a series of late-fifteenth-century papal bulls, European nations acquired title to the lands they "discovered" and the Indigenous inhabitants lost their natural right to that land after Europeans arrived and claimed it. As law professor Robert A. Williams observes about the Doctrine of Discovery:

Responding to the requirements of a paradoxical age of Re-
naissance and Inquisition, the West's first modern discourses
of conquest articulated a vision of all humankind united
under a rule of law discoverable solely by human reason. Un-
fortunately for the American Indian, the West's first tentative
steps towards this noble vision of a Law of Nations contained
a mandate for Europe's subjugation of all peoples whose ra-
dical divergence from European-derived norms of right conduct
signified their need for conquest and remediation.

The Columbus myth suggests that from US independence onward, colonial settlers saw themselves as part of a world system of colonization. "Columbia," the poetic, Latinate name used in reference to the United States from its founding throughout the nineteenth century, was based on the name of Christopher Columbus. The "Land of Columbus" was-and still is-represented by the image of a woman in sculptures and paintings, by institutions such as Columbia University, and by countless place names, including that of the national capital, the District of Columbia. The 1798 hymn "Hail, Columbia" was the early national anthem and is now used whenever the vice president of the United States makes a public appearance, and Columbus Day is still a federal holiday despite Columbus never having set foot on any territory ever claimed by the United States.

"Interview with an Indie Press: Beacon Press," Literary Hub, book mentioned in Q&A with the press

"The 23 best history books written by women, from previously untold war stories to page-turning biographies," Business Insider, listed as one of 23 best history books written by women

"Missing Pages Of History: 31 Books To Read For Juneteenth," Patch/Across America, book included in Juneteenth reading roundup

"A reading list to honor Indigenous Peoples Day," Day One/Amazon, book included in Indigenous Peoples' Day reading list

"14 Books for a More Inclusive Look at American History," Book Riot, included in book roundup

"Solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement begins with a critical education," Oxfam America, included in anti-racist reading list

"American violence in the time of coronavirus," High Country News, Q&A

"Raoul Peck Teams With HBO for Hybrid Docuseries on European Colonialism," Variety, director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) is basing his new documentary on colonialism on this and two other books

"The 1619 Project Sparks Dialogue and Reflection in Schools Nationwide," Pulitzer Center, book mentioned in piece on 1619 project impact on students

"How Hipcamp Became the AirBnB of the Outdoors," The New Yorker, book mentioned in article

"Alexandra Fuller's 'Travel Light, Move Fast' is a new memoir about her father," Tampa Bay Times, book recommended in author Alexandra Fuller's Q&A

"Trump's Trail of Fears," The New York Times, book mentioned in op-ed

"Our Blind Spots Often Hide the Truth About America," The New York Times, book mentioned in op-ed

"White Supremacy and the Second Amendment," The Intercept, author quoted in Facebook video piece

The book trailer for An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was the Shelf Awareness Book Trailer of the Day, 9/12/14

An excerpt titled "Indian Wars" was featured on The Jacobian, 9/16/14

"Greed is Good," an excert from An Indigenous People's History of the United States was featured in the online and print editions of This Land Press, 9/12/14

Salon posted a long excerpt from An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, 10/13/14

Book TV's taping of Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's BookPeople Bookstore event in Austin, TX is available here

Truth-Out named An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States its "Progressive Pick of the Week" and posted about Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, the book, and the White House petition, 10/10/14

The White House petition and An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States were featured in a Latin Post article about Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day, 10/11/14

Listen to a Soapbox podcast featuring Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz here, 10/12/14

Truthout featured a Q&A with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz in which she discusses historical figures who were propenents of Native American genocide, 10/19/14

Laura Flanders of Grit TV interviewed Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on pre-colonial socialism, 10/14/14

Listen to an interview with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on Wisconsin Public Radio, 10/24/14

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz was interviewed on Uprising Radio/KPFK on why her book isn't just a collective indigenous peoples' perspective but rather a "history of the United States," 11/5/14

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz was part of a Thanksgiving roundtable discussion on The Marc Steiner Show/WEAA, 11/26/14

In an interview with Christy Thornton on WBAI/Pacifica, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz discusses the myth of Thanksgiving, 11/24/14

An excerpt titled "America's Founding Myths" was featured on Jacobin Magazine on 11/27/14

Counterpunch picked up a Beacon Broadside article written by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, entitled "The Myth of Thanksgiving" in its Weekend Edition November 28-30, 2014

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was the featured book in Sonali Kolhatkar's weekly column on truthdig.com. The article, titled "This Thanksgiving, Let's Talk About Genocide Rather than Pilgrims and 'Friendly Indians,'" ran on 11/26/14

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was reviewed in Make/Shift: Feminisms in Motion in the Summer/Fall 2015 issue

Dunbar-Ortiz's original essay appeared in Powell's on 8/14/2015

Dunbar-Ortiz was interviewed on New Books in Native American Studies on 8/17/2015

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States was excerpted in In These Times Rural America blog on 9/12/2015

History News Network, original piece, 5/12/2016

Indian Country Media Today Media Network, reading list roundup, 8/3/2016

The American Prospect, quoted, 11/16/2016

Democracy Now! (Pacifica Radio)/National, interview, 11/23/2016

Education Week, commentary piece, 11/28/2016

The Progressive, feature, 12/27/2016

Counterpunch, review, 10/6/2017

Pasatiempo/Santa Fe Mexican, profile piece, 10/6/2017

Lannan.org, 2017 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize awarded to Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Winter 2017

Beacon Press Reading Guide:

1. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz writes in her introduction to An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States that "writing US history from an Indigenous peoples' perspective requires rethinking the consensual national narrative." What was your knowledge of Indigenous history before you began reading this book? How has reading this book changed your understanding of the "consensual national narrative"?

2. An Indigenous Peoples' History is the latest book in the ReVisioning American History series by Beacon Press, a series intended to reinterpret history through new perspectives. How do you think this book offers a fresh viewpoint? Dunbar-Ortiz points to a central question in An Indigenous Peoples' History, one that could easily apply to the ReVisioning series as a whole, asking, "How might acknowledging the reality of US history work to transform society?" Discuss this question.

3. Numerous US myths are discussed in An Indigenous Peoples' History, ranging from foundation myths surrounding Columbus to the true nature of "the Doctrine of Discovery." Discuss these cultural (mis)conceptions. What is their influence on modern American society?

4. What myths and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples continue in today's society? How do we continue to reframe current events and information about Indigenous peoples?

5. Discuss the "cult of masculinity" encouraged by Hollywood, the "Leatherstocking Tales," and authors like James Fenimore Cooper in the era of the Jackson presidency. How has this myth allowed for the emergence of an "enduring populist imperialism"? How does it affect notions of modern US American masculinity?

6. "Indigenous nations had defied the founding of the independent United States in a manner that allowed for their survival and created a legacy-a culture of resistance-that has persisted." Dunbar-Ortiz points to the idealized image of the noble savage and the pervading myth that Indigenous peoples passively accepted Western colonialism and refutes them, offering instead a detailed account of their "culture of resistance." How does this new understanding of a "culture of resistance" impact your views on US and Indigenous history?

7. Dunbar-Ortiz quotes the late Native historian Jack Forbes, who often stressed that "while living persons are not responsible for what their ancestors did, they are responsible for the society they live in, which is a product of that past." How should we seek to address and remedy the subversion of Indigenous peoples' human rights?

8. The author emphasizes the importance of land to the Indigenous community throughout An Indigenous Peoples' History, stating that "land claims and treaty rights are most central to Indigenous peoples' fight for reparations in the United States." Discuss the Sioux Nation's fight for the repatriation of the Black Hills. What are your thoughts on the Sioux Nation's refusal of the $106 million and the controversy surrounding Mount Rushmore?

9. "The absence of even the slightest note of regret or tragedy in the annual celebration of the US independence betrays a deep disconnect in the consciousness of US Americans." Has reading An Indigenous Peoples' History affected your understanding of key US American celebrations, such as Independence Day, Columbus Day, or Thanksgiving? Do you agree with the statement that the lack of regret over or recognition of tragic events betrays a disconnect in the US American consciousness?

10. "A red thread of blood connects the first white settlement in North America with today and the future." How does Dunbar-Ortiz reinterpret Indigenous-US relations as a "template for US imperialism and counterinsurgency wars"? How does this apply to contemporary US foreign policy?

11. "Indigenous peoples offer possibilities for life after empire." What does Dunbar-Ortiz suggest regarding the future?

View the Reading Guide for Congregations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
the first history of the united states told from the perspective of indigenous peoples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Now part of the HBO docuseries Exterminate All the Brutes, written and directed by Raoul Peck 2015 Recipient of the American Book Award The first history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Multicultural and Social Justice Books - Social Justice Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Curated Booklists Carefully selected multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators on 90+ topics. Reviews of Children's Literature Critical reviews of children's and young adult books from a variety of vetted sources, consolidated here for easy access. Articles & News Articles about selecting children's literature and news about Kid Lit.

# data[].attributes.headline
National Museum of the American Indian | Native Knowledge 360 

# data[].attributes.subject
National Museum of the American Indian | Native Knowledge 360 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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

# data[].attributes.headline
National Park Service | Telling All Americans' Stories: Publications on Diverse and Inclusive History

# data[].attributes.subject
National Park Service | Telling All Americans' Stories: Publications on Diverse and Inclusive History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A third grade boy holding a book in reading class at the Manzanar War Relocation Center.
NPS Photo

The National Park Service strives to tell the stories of all Americans.

We tell these stories at parks such as Manzanar National Historic Site, Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, and Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. We also tell these stories through our preservation programs such as the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program and through research and publication by many parks and programs. All are part of an effort to provide an inclusive and honest look at American history.

Here are collected some of our publications touching on the historical experiences of those who have been underrepresented in traditional histories. Also find extensive links with which to explore the never-ending story of America.

Asian American Pacific Islander

Finding a Path Forward: Asian American Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study

Edited by Franklin Odo. Each chapter has been written and peer-reviewed by experts in Asian American and Pacific Islander studies.

Asian Reflections on the American Landscape: Identifying and Interpreting Asian Heritage [.pdf |196 KB] examines Asian cultural heritage found in the American built environment and its interpretation within NPS cultural resources programs.

Find Your Place: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders [.pdf | 2.1 MB]
This 18-page booklet examines the enduring and influential presence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders-from the earliest settlement of the country to the economic development of the West to the desegregation of public schools in the 20th century and political influence in the 21st. A core essay traces their impact on the American landscape, followed by the stories of seven signature places commemorating the legacy. A concluding section illustrates how this heritage is preserved today, transcending "bricks and mortar" preservation to include a celebration of collective experience.

Historic Preservation from the Ground Up: The Harada House [.pdf | 1 MB] uses a house in Riverside, California as a case study in how a community can participate in local preservation. The Harada House has become a landmark in the fight for Asian American civil rights. Despite its significance, the road to its preservation was a long and contentious one.

Hispanic Reflections on the American Landscape: Identifying and Interpreting Hispanic Heritage [PDF 10 MB] examines Hispanic cultural heritage found within the American built environment and its interpretation thoughout NPS cultural resources programs. The publication is available in English and Spanish.

At find the full text of the theme study (overview essay and 16 chapters) as well as links to preservation tools. [Also available in American Latinos and the Making of the United States: A Theme Study, Spanish]

African Reflections on the American Landscape: Identifying and Interpreting Africanisms [.pdf | 5 MB] examines African cultural heritage found in the built environment and its interpretation within the NPS cultural resources programs.
In Plain Sight: African Americans at Andersonville National Historic Site A Special History Study [.pdf | 15 MB], examines he stories of African American experiences, life, and history-enslaved, freed, citizens-in the town of Andersonville, Camp Sumter, Andersonville National Cemetery, and the Prison Park and how they were either unknown, untold, or ignored at the Andersonville National Historic Site until the 21st century as well as seeking to understand why Andersonville's Black history went largely untold at Andersonville National Historic Site for almost 150 years.

Places of Cultural Memory Conference Proceedings [.pdf | 5 MB], contains the papers presented at the "Places of Cultural Memory: African Reflections on the American Landscape" conference in Atlanta, May 9-12, 2001.

American Indian

Keepers of the Treasures, Protecting Historic Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands [.pdf | 17 MB] examines the funding needs for the management, interpretation, protection, and development of places of cultural significance on Indian lands and other native cultural heritage.

LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History. A publication of the National Park Foundation for the National Park Service and funded by the Gill Foundation. Each chapter is written and peer-reviewed by experts in LGBTQ Studies.

What Can You Do to Get Involved with the LGBTQ Heritage Initiative? [.pdf | 627 KB] helps guide readers through the ways that they can participate in the LGBTQ heritage and preservation in their communities.

The Finding Our Place: Queer Heritage in the United States booklet [.pdf | 3.5 MB] provides an overview of the many places across the country with LGBTQ stories. Acknowledging these sites of trauma, protest, and memorial helps to make LGBTQ heritage more visible in the past and present.

General

The Cultural Heritage Needs Assessment: Phase 1 [.pdf | 2 MB], was developed to gain a better understanding of what aspects of cultural heritage are important to diverse cultural groups and what the Federal Government's cultural programs could do to better address these aspects of heritage.

NHL Theme Studies and Special Studies

Read the National Historic Landmarks Program Summary 2011-2013 Progress Report [.pdf | 2.9 MB] on the Heritage Initiatives.

Civil Rights in America: A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites (.pdf | 4.3MB): This theme study framework represents the first chapter in a larger study on the history of civil rights that helps the National Park Service evaluate proposals for new units in the park system. Includes civil rights associated with African Americans, women, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and LGBTQ.

HABS/HAER/HALS

Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collections are curated by the Library of Congress. Search these extensive collections, which document achievements in architecture, engineering, and landscape design in the United States and its territories through a comprehensive range of building types, engineering technologies, and landscapes.

NPS History Library

The Electronic Technical Information Center contains documents from parks across the service, including historic context surveys.

The Data Store is another database of documents, including histories and historic contexts, of places associated with the National Park Service.

The National Park Service's History Library contains thousands of electronic publications covering the history of the National Park Service and the units comprising the National Park System.

Visit the National Park Service Telling All Americans' Stories portal to learn more about American heritage themes and histories.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Telling All Americans' Stories: Publications on Diverse and Inclusive History (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The National Park Service strives to tell the stories of all Americans. We tell these stories at parks such as Manzanar National Historic Site, Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, and Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park.

# data[].attributes.headline
American Indian History & Heritage Teacher's Guide

# data[].attributes.subject
American Indian History & Heritage Teacher's Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since 1990, Congress has authorized an annual presidential proclamation that designates November as National American Indian Heritage Month to encourage all people to learn about the contributions and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the North American continent. Such recognition, however, dates back further with state and organizational recognition of Indigenous peoples days and commemorations occurring at the turn of the twentieth century. For example, Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian and co-founder of the Society of American Indians in 1911, organized American Indian Day beginning in 1915. More recently, Columbus Day, which is recognized on the second Monday of October, has been reclaimed in cities across the United States as Indigenous People's Day.

This Teacher's Guide will introduce you to the cultures and explore the histories of some groups within the over 5 million people who identify as American Indian in the United States, with resources designed for integration across humanities curricula and classrooms throughout the school year.

Guiding Questions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Teacher's Guide will introduce you to the cultures and explore the histories of some groups within the over 5 million people who identify as American Indian in the United States, with resources designed for integration across humanities curricula and classrooms throughout the school year.

# data[].attributes.headline
EDSITEment - Humanities Lesson Plans & Teacher's Guides

# data[].attributes.subject
EDSITEment - Humanities Lesson Plans & Teacher's Guides

# data[].attributes.headline
National park Service | Indigenous Heritage

# data[].attributes.subject
National park Service | Indigenous Heritage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sitting Bull Tatanka-iyotanka

Little Bighorn Battlefield Archives/Library

There are many stories about the first people who lived on the North American continent. One tells of the Great Spirit who collected dust from the four winds to create the Comanche people. The Hopi people tell of two brothers who slashed open great swaths into the ground and sowed powerful stalks of cane so the ancient people living beneath the earth could climb above ground.

Archaeologists research migrations of peoples from north central Asia across a land bridge that stretched across the Bering Strait between modern-day Siberia and Alaska during the Pleistocene Ice Age-some 13,000 years ago. Read more "

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indigenous Heritage - Telling All Americans' Stories (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are many stories about the first people who lived on the North American continent. One tells of the Great Spirit who collected dust from the four winds to create the Comanche people. The Hopi people tell of two brothers who slashed open great swaths into the ground and sowed powerful stalks of cane so the ancient people living beneath the earth could climb above ground.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This Teacher's Guide from the National Endowment for the Humanities will introduce you to the cultures and explore the histories of some groups within the over 5 million people who identify as American Indian in the United States, with resources designed for integration across humanities curricula and classrooms throughout the school year.

Image credit: Long Walk Home-Gallup Downtown Murals-by Richard K Yazzir, 2005.

Background image: Detail of Rabbit Hunt ca. 1940; By Pablita Velarde; Casein paint on masonite. L 37.8, W 20.5 cm; Bandelier National Monument, BAND 654

This Site Hosted by The Library of Congress | Legal | USA.gov

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
National Native American Heritage Month - For Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Teacher's Guide from the National Endowment for the Humanities will introduce you to the cultures and explore the histories of some groups within the over 5 million people who identify as American Indian in the United States, with resources designed for integration across humanities curricula and classrooms throughout the school year.

# data[].attributes.headline
12 Month Calendar of National Days with Read Aloud Inspiration 

# data[].attributes.subject
12 Month Calendar of National Days with Read Aloud Inspiration 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here's a with all 12 months of the year with national days to celebrate in your classroom or school. There are read aloud suggestions for the days in each month. Each month after February (March - December) there are also read aloud suggestions to keep Black history continuing in your classroom each month. This PDF file is 100 pages because it also includes calendars for special events like Hispanic Heritage Month, Pride, Jewish American Heritage Month, National Poetry Month, Black History Month, Asian Pacific Islander Month, Arab American Heritage Month, and more. There are also some popular book lists/menus that I shared on Instagram throughout the year like Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day, Shark Week, Books Celebrating Food Culture, Books About Underwear, Mentor Texts for Procedural Writing, and so much more. I hope this is helpful to you in your classroom or school library. If you'd like to pay me for my work, you can donate to PayPal or Venmo (@MichaelAlanRawls), or you can shop my TPT store or my Etsy shop.

Posted on

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here's a with all 12 months of the year with national days to celebrate in your classroom or school. There are read aloud suggestions for the days in each month. Each month after February (March - December) there are also read aloud suggestions to keep Black history continuing in your classroom each month.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Co-hosted by experts from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, this webinar will delve into the ways American history instruction often fails to acknowledge—and contributes to—the erasure of Indigenous stories and perspectives.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Do We (Still) Celebrate Columbus Day? Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Do We (Still) Celebrate Columbus Day? Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lesson Overview

In this lesson, students will address misconceptions they likely have about Christopher Columbus and the colonization of what is now the United States. Students will watch a video to dispel some of the myths associated with Columbus and gain a better understanding of how Columbus Day became a national holiday. Students will then read interviews with Indigenous youth and identify the reasons that celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day matters to them. This lesson can be taught on Columbus Day or leading up to it.

Vocabulary

brutal [ broo-tl] (adjective) extremely violent

colonize [ kol-uh-nahyz] (verb) to send a group of people to a place and establish political control over it

conquest [ kaang-kwest] (noun) the act of taking territory, or land, by force

discriminate [duh- skri-muh-neit] (verb) to treat a group of people unjustly based on their group identity

icon [ ahy-kon] (noun) a person or thing that is respected or worshiped

genocide [ jen-uh-sahyd] (noun) violence against a racial, political or cultural group, with the intent to destroy the group

glorify [ glawr-uh-fahy] (verb) to see something as better than it actually is

Indigenous [uhn- di-juh-nuhs] (adjective) originating from a region or place

legacy [ leg-uh-see] (noun) anything handed down from the past

patriotism [ pei-tree-uh-ti-zm] (noun) a sense of love and attachment to one's country

Definitions are adapted from Lexico, powered by Oxford's English Dictionary

Suggested Procedure

1. Ask students to raise their hands if they know which federal holiday today is (or if teaching the week before, on Monday). Then, tell students that today (or Monday) is Columbus Day. Ask students to show you how much they know about why we celebrate Columbus Day with a sign: by giving you a thumbs down (I have no idea), a thumbs sideways (I've heard of Columbus and I know a little about him), or a thumbs up (I am sure I know why we celebrate Columbus Day). Have students turn and talk to a shoulder partner about what they know about Columbus. Check in with students who gave you a thumbs down after the video when then are discussing in small groups.

2. Introduce students to the topic and objectives. Tell students that they will be learning more about who Christopher Columbus was, why a national holiday celebrates him, and why some people want the holiday changed. Tell students you are going to use a KWL chart to track their learning, and at the end of the lesson, you will ask them to identify the reasons people want the holiday changed.

3. Tell students to turn and talk about what they think they know about why Christopher Columbus is celebrated each year. Circulate and note student responses, especially misconceptions. Call on four or five students and write their thinking on the K (know) column of the KWL chart on the board. Ask students what they wonder about Columbus and write their responses in the W column.

4. Tell students that it is common to have some misunderstandings about who Columbus was and American colonization because we often do not learn the real history. In the past, teachers haven't told the whole story to younger students because some of the things Columbus did were very violent. Tell students that now you are going to watch a video that tells a more accurate story about who Columbus was. After watching the video, you will pause the lesson to check in about how they are feeling. Introduce the vocabulary term colonize. Preview vocabulary from the video with students (words in the video in order of appearance are brutal, conquest, discriminate, icon, glorify, patriotism and Indigenous).

5. Direct students to write down 2-3 new things they learn about Columbus as they watch the video "Why the U.S. Celebrates Columbus Day" in their notebooks or piece of paper. Here are some places to pause and make sure students understand the content of the video.

1:48 - Tell students that the term Indian is no longer accepted because it is incorrect. People of Native nations had names for themselves when Columbus landed and do today, and many prefer that we use those names. When talking about Native groups in general, you might use Indigenous. Some Indigenous people do use the terms American Indian and Native American. It is important to ask what someone prefers when talking about their identity.

4:05 - Point out to students that the word federal is a synonym for national.

4:16 - Stop the video on the cartoon. Tell students that the image shows some of the laws and practices that harmed Native Nations after European colonizers took their land, starting with Columbus. These laws and practices are some of the reasons that Native Americans and others do not see Columbus as a hero.

6. After the video, use the "Check in With Students" strategy from page 8 of to have students communicate how they are feeling during and after the video: fist = I am very uncomfortable and cannot move on; 1 = I am uncomfortable and need help before I can move on; 2 = I am a little uncomfortable, but I want to try to move on; 3 = I am not sure how I am feeling; 4= I am comfortable enough to move on; 5 = I am definitely ready to move on. Ask students: "How did the video make you feel?" Why is it important to learn about this?" After students share their thoughts, you can tell your own story about learning about Columbus and why it feels essential to teach this lesson.

7. After checking in, ask students if they noticed how the video says "the country Columbus never visited" and "made it to the U.S." Remind them that it is important to recognize this kind of language because this land has not always been the United States. And note that, even when using a source with useful information, it is crucial to think critically.

8. Have small groups of students discuss what they wrote down in their L column while watching. Encourage students to add to their notes. Then, prompt students to discuss the following: Why did people start celebrating Columbus Day in the United States? How were Italian immigrants being treated when they arrived in America, and what did celebrating Columbus do for their community? Why do you think some people have rejected celebrating Columbus since historians have examined his legacy? What are some cities and states doing now instead?

9. Continue the discussion about the origins of Columbus day and the discrimination against Italian immigrants whole group. Ask students what myths on the whole-group KWL need to be crossed out, what should be added to the L column and what they are wondering because of the video. Add student thinking to the chart.

10. Tell students that, as the video indicates, Indigenous activists have been fighting to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day because of Columbus's harmful impact on Native American nations, communities and histories. Now that the truth is becoming more widely known, people are pressuring their communities to stop celebrating Columbus Day. As of September 2019, nine states (Alaska, Minnesota, Vermont, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Maine and Louisiana) have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day. Nevada has not eliminated Columbus Day but has added a celebration for Indigenous People in August. Fifty-two cities now celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day.

11. Have students read "5 Young Native Americans on What Indigenous Peoples' Day Means to Them." As they are reading, tell students to circle unknown vocabulary and underline the reasons that each person gives for the importance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. When students are finished, have them each work with a partner to define unknown words and share the reasons they found.

12. In pairs, small groups or as a whole class, have students discuss how the national Columbus Day affects Native youth, using examples they underlined in the text. Why do Native youth feel that celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day is important? Student responses might include the following: that Indigenous Peoples' Day recognizes Indigenous people's presence on this land before colonization; that it acknowledges the trauma colonization caused Indigenous communities; that it encourages individuals to learn about their Indigenous ancestry; and that it helps show non-Native Americans that Indigenous people are still here.

13. Wrap up: Ask students what they know about how their community celebrates the second Monday in October. Students might not know, so make sure to have information on hand about the nations and tribes indigenous to your city, town or community and the status of local Columbus Day celebrations before teaching this lesson. If Columbus Day is still recognized by their town/city/school, ask students to reflect on the following questions: How might that make Indigenous people feel? What could we do to find out if Indigenous people in our community are fighting to have the holiday changed and if so, how could we amplify their concerns? If there are Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations in your community or an effort to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day, ask students what they could do to support the advocacy of these Native communities.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Do We (Still) Celebrate Columbus Day?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this lesson, students will address misconceptions they likely have about Christopher Columbus and the colonization of what is now the United States. Students will watch a video to dispel some of the myths associated with Columbus and gain a better understanding of how Columbus Day became a national holiday.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rethinking How We Celebrate American History- Indigenous People's Day

# data[].attributes.subject
Rethinking How We Celebrate American History- Indigenous People's Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"The most American thing about America is American Indians." -Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche)

T he first documented observance of Columbus Day in the United States took place in New York City in 1792, on the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landfall in the Western Hemisphere. The holiday originated as an annual celebration of Italian-American heritage in San Francisco in 1869. In 1934, at the request of the Knights of Columbus and New York City's Italian community, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the first national observance of Columbus Day. President Roosevelt and the U.S. Congress made October 12 a national holiday three years later. In 1972 President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making the official date of the holiday the second Monday in October.

Generations of Native people, however, throughout the Western Hemisphere have protested Columbus Day. In the forefront of their minds is the fact the colonial takeovers of the Americas, starting with Columbus, led to the deaths of millions of Native people and the forced assimilation of survivors.

In 1977 participants at the United Nations International Conference on Discrimination against Indigenous Populations in the Americas proposed that Indigenous Peoples' Day replace Columbus Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day recognizes that Native people are the first inhabitants of the Americas, including the lands that later became the United States of America. And it urges Americans to rethink history.

The movement to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day or Native American Day has gained momentum and spread to states, cities, and towns across the United States. The first state to rename Columbus Day was South Dakota in 1990. Hawai'i has also changed the name of its October 12 holiday to Discovers' Day, in honor of the Polynesian navigators who peopled the islands. Berkeley, California, became the first city to make the change in 1992, when the city council renamed Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples' Day. In 2015 an estimated 6,000 Native people and their supporters gathered at Randall's Island, New York, to recognize the survival of the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere. The demonstration's success and the worldwide media attention it attracted planted the seeds for creating an Indigenous Peoples' Day in New York City. This year the nation's capital passed a resolution to change the holiday to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Universities and schools across the country are also observing the new commemoration.

These states and the District of Columbia now observe Native American or Indigenous Peoples' Day, in place of or in addition to Columbus Day. Most of them have followed the lead of their cities and smaller communities, a list that has happily grown too long to include here

▪︎ Alabama
▪︎ Alaska
▪︎ District of Columbia
▪︎ Hawai'i
▪︎ Idaho
​▪︎ Iowa
▪︎ Louisiana
▪︎ Maine
▪︎ Michigan
▪︎ Minnesota
▪︎ New Mexico
▪︎ North Carolina
▪︎ Oklahoma
▪︎ Oregon
▪︎ South Dakota
▪︎ Vermont
▪︎ Virginia
▪︎ Wisconsin

Even so, mythology about Columbus and the "discovery" of the Americas continues to be many American children's first classroom lesson about encountering different cultures, ethnicities, and peoples. Teaching more accurate and complete narratives and differing perspectives is key to our society's rethinking its history. In the last few years, the museum has hosted Indigenous Peoples' Curriculum Days and Teach-Ins at the beginning of the school year in Washington, New York, and this year on line. Teaching for Change, a Washington-based national education organization, and the museum's Education Office work with teachers of students from kindergarten through 12th grade in sessions that range from student activism to defend the environment or abolish Columbus Day; to skills such as critical literacy, art, and facilitated dialogue; to inquiry-based lessons available through the museum's online education initiative Native Knowledge 360°.

In 2018 Sarah Shear, assistant professor of Social Studies Education at Penn State University-Altoona, gave the keynote presentation, based on research on U.S. history standards from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2015, Dr. Shear and her collaborators Ryan T. Knowles, Gregory J. Soden, and Antonio J. Castro published data showing that 87 percent of the references to Native Americans in U.S. curricula are in the context of American history before 1900. "The narrative presented in U.S. history standards," they write, "when analyzed with a critical eye, directed students to see Indigenous Peoples as a long since forgotten episode in the country's development." Shear and her colleaguse see serious implications in the way the United States teaches its history:

When one looks at the larger picture painted by the quantitative data, it is easy to argue that the narrative of U.S. history is painfully one sided in its telling of the American narrative, especially with regard to Indigenous Peoples' experiences. . . .

The qualitative findings further illuminate a Euro-American narrative that reinstitutes the marginalization of Indigenous cultures and knowledge. Indigenous Peoples are left in the shadows of Euro-America's destiny, while the cooperation and conflict model provides justification for the eventual termination of Indigenous Peoples from the American landscape and historical narrative. Finally, a tone of detachment, especially with long lists of legal and political terms, dismisses the humanity of Indigenous cultures and experiences in the United States.

In 2019, the co-editors of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States-librarian and educator Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambé Owingeh) and historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz-headlined workshops in Washington and New York. Reese, founder of the highly respected resource American Indians in Children's Literature, describe their work on An Indigenous People's History as shining bright lights on historic episodes that are left out of most books. "As much as we could," Reese says, "we wanted to give readers the kind of information that's known within Native families, communities, and nations. We believe that it is vital that all citizens of the United States know more about the people whom we regard, as a society, as being heroic. There are different points of view."

This year, more than 250 teachers in the United States and around the world attended the 2020 Indigenous Peoples' Day Virtual Teach-In, which focused on Food and Water Justice. Winona LaDuke (member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg of the White Earth Teservation) gave the keynote presentation on the importance of biodiversity, especially in light of climate change and the pandemic. Two rounds of workshops followed, using classroom resources from the museum's national education intitiative, Native Knowledge 360°, and the Zinn Education Project's Teach Climate Justice. Videos of the keynote address and the workshops The Inka Empire: What Innovations Can Provide Food and Water for Millions? and American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges are available online. (Workshops that included interactive lessons with breakout rooms were not recorded.)

Things are changing. This year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, states, cities, towns, counties, community groups, churches, universities, schools, and other institutions are observing Indigenous Peoples' Day or Native American Day primarily with virtual activities that raise awareness of the rich history, culture, and traditions of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. They do so thanks to Native people and their allies who gathered for decades-and will gather again when we can do so safely-at prayer vigils, powwows, symposiums, concerts, lectures, rallies, and classrooms to help America rethink American history.
Today at 1 p.m. Eastern time, join us online for a special Indigenous Peoples' Day presentation of Youth in Action: Conversations about Our Future. How do our memories of the past inform and influence the current racial and social landscape? Hear young Native activists share their thoughts on history and memory, and how current movements happening across America reflect the tension between different ways of looking at the past. With a performance by hip hop artist Frank Waln (Sicangu Lakota) and an introduction by Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian.

In a companion post on Smithsonian Voices, the museum sharesmore suggestions for celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day from home. Renée Gokey (citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma) is the teacher services coordinator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Dennis W. Zotigh (Kiowa/San Juan Pueblo/Santee Dakota Indian) is a member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan and San Juan Pueblo Winter Clan and a descendant of Sitting Bear and No Retreat, both principal war chiefs of the Kiowas. Dennis works as a writer and cultural specialist at the Smithsonian' s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

This post was originally published on October 7, 2018. It has been updated for Indigenous People's Day 2019 and 2020.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rethinking How We Celebrate American History-Indigenous Peoples' Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! On Monday, more states, cities, and communities than ever will observe Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of or in addition to Columbus Day. They're part of a larger movement to see a more complete and accurate history of the United States taught in our schools and public spaces.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LGBTQ Educational Resources " Teaching LGBTQ History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching LGBTQ History Resource Links FIND VIDEO and MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES HERE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Courses Archive " Teaching LGBTQ History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instructional Resources for California Educators, Students, & Families

# data[].attributes.headline
Why Do We Celebrate Pride Month in June and LGBT History Month in October?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why Do We Celebrate Pride Month in June and LGBT History Month in October?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
University of Central Florida News | UCF Today

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every so often, Professor Martha Brenckle thinks about a group of people she never met who gathered at Bill Federick Park at Turkey Lake more than 40 years ago.

This group of ordinary people organized Orlando's first pride picnic.

"It's just amazing to me that they did that - these regular, everyday people who had normal jobs - they weren't politicians or celebrities," Brenckle says. "Yet here they were in 1979, sticking their necks out, making themselves visible, to make other peoples' lives better. I think we really need to keep those people in mind today and take up their charge."

Living with pride is something Brenckle does all year long. She was one of the founding members of UCF's Pride Faculty and Staff Association a decade ago. She serves as the treasurer for the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, is involved with Equality Florida and previously served on The Center's board.

She helps explain the history and significance behind the nation's Pride and LGBTQ History months.

"I hope we all remember that everybody is worthy of respect. Everybody is worthy of rights. Everybody is worthy of kindness," Brenckle says.
When is Pride Month?
June. Although it has been celebrated for more than 50 years, President Bill Clinton officially declared June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 2000. President Barack Obama expanded the observance in 2011 to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.

Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. It is also common for memorials to be held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.
Why do we celebrate Pride Month?
Pride Month was initially inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and works to achieve equal justice and opportunity for LGBTQ Americans. The purpose of the month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on society locally, nationally and internationally.

"These are groups of people who for so long lived in the closet and hid their real identities," Brenkle says. "I think it's very important to make note of that, and also to make note of the fact that things are still not perfect. Yes, we have same sex marriage, but we don't have adoption rights in every single state. We don't have the same employment rights in every single state. We still have students kicked out of their homes for coming out. Things are still problematic in our daily lives. I think those things need to be brought forward and need to be talked about. That awareness is why these pride events are so important."
What is the Stonewall Uprising?
The Stonewall Uprising occurred June 28, 1969, and was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the 1960s, the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village was a gay club and refuge for many in the LGBTQ community. On June 28, 1969, the New York City police raided the inn, sparking a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents with the police. The riot involved hundreds of people and led to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher Park.

A year later on June 28, thousands of people marched from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what was then called "Christopher Street Liberation Day" - marking what is now recognized as the nation's first gay pride parade. Since 1970, LGBTQ+ people and allies have continued to gather together in June to march with pride and demonstrate for equal rights.
When is LGBT History Month?
October. LGBT History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. October was selected to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), which was already established, and the anniversary of the first march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights in 1979.

"I would recommend that people learn about Equality Florida's Nadine Smith and Gina Duncan as leaders in the movement today," Brenkle says.

The month now also includes Spirit Day on Oct. 20, on which people around the country wear purple in support of LGBT youth; Ally Week, a week in which allies against LGBT bullying are celebrated; and the anniversary of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard's murder on Oct. 12, 1998, which led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.
Why do we celebrate LGBT History Month?
The month is meant to highlight and celebrate the history and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. According to GLAAD, "during the early years, the celebration was largely marked by a call to action and commemoration. But since then, LGBT History Month has blossomed into a national coordinated effort to highlight exemplary role models from the LGBT community. Since 2006, this push has so far been led by LGBT rights and education organization Equality Forum."
When does Orlando hold its pride parade?
Orlando's first pride parade was held in 1991 as part of a small rally organized by Orlando Regional Pride. In 2005, it was moved to October to coincide with National Coming Out Day. This year, "Come Out with Pride" will be held Oct. 9, welcoming residents and visitors from all over the country to downtown Orlando. Additionally, the National Trans Visibility march will be taking place right before this year's Pride parade.
Can I visit the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida?
The museum is virtual and does not have a physical address. Prior to the pandemic, Brenckle says the museum, which is staffed by volunteers, offered traveling exhibits at schools, centers and events. You can still access their services at floridalgbtqmuseum.org.

"We have an amazing digital archive that people can go into and read and borrow from if they're teaching something or need it for research," she says.
How is UCF celebrating Pride Month this year?
The UCF events calendar has the most up-to-date information regarding events held on the university's campuses.

Oct. 11-22: National Coming Out Day Celebration, 2p.m.
How can I support the LGBTQ+ community at UCF?
Consider making a gift to LGBTQ+ Services. The mission of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning/Queer (LGBTQ+) Services is to connect our diverse student population to opportunities, resources, and each other to achieve the vision of a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ+ people and its allies.

Safe Zone trainings are a series of four workshops for UCF faculty, staff and students to educate themselves about LGBTQ+ issues, what it means to be LGBTQ+, and how to be a good advocate for the community. The training sessions are delivered in two parts. The first part is LGBTQ+ 101, which is comprised of LGBTQ+ 101 and Safe Zone Advocates. The second part is called Safe Zone advocate training, and it consists of the Coming Out workshop and the GOLD workshop, which aim to expand pre-existing knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community.

A student advisory board that serves as a liaison between students, faculty, and staff and LGBTQ+ Services, the Lavender Council works to make UCF a more accepting and welcoming campus by developing and advising on student-centered programs for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

PFSA's mission is to promote an environment which fosters cultural sensibility and enrichment by providing quality programming, networking opportunities, and guidance to UCF's LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff on all UCF campuses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Do We Celebrate Pride Month in June and LGBT History Month in October?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every so often, Professor Martha Brenckle thinks about a group of people she never met who gathered at Bill Federick Park at Turkey Lake more than 40 years ago. This group of ordinary people organized Orlando's first pride picnic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Who is included in your curriculum and who can be added when teaching Hispanic history?

What are the lasting contributions of Hispanic people and groups to the culture and history of the United States?

How is Latino history woven into the fabric of U.S. history?

What are some historical and cultural connections between Latin America and the United States?

Latin American and Latino History

This section provides historical context and framing for EDSITEment's resources on Latin American and Latino history, as well as ways to integrate NEH-funded projects into the classroom. Lessons are grouped into four thematic and chronological clusters: the indigenous societies of Mesoamerica and the Andes; the colonization of the Americas by Spain; the Mexican Revolution; and immigration and identity in the United States. By no means are these clusters exhaustive; their purpose is to provide context for learning materials available through EDSITEment and NEH-funded projects, and to serve as jumping-off points for further exploration and learning. For each theme, a series of framing questions and activities provides suggestions for connecting and extending the lessons and resources listed for that topic.

Indigenous Mesoamerica and Andes

Indigenous peoples inhabited the Americas long before their "discovery" by Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century. Major civilizations had risen and fallen here, just as they had in Eurasia. One of the most famous archaeological sites in the Americas, Teotihuacan, was home to a complex and wealthy society that collapsed nearly a millennium before Christopher Columbus set out from the Spanish port of Palos in 1492. Students can explore the history and culture of the best-known of the major Mesoamerican civilizations in the lessons The Aztecs: Mighty Warriors of Mexico and Aztecs Find a Home: The Eagle Has Landed. In the South American Andes, the Incas came to control a vast territory crisscrossed with an impressive network of roads traversed by couriers. Students can learn more about the Inca empire and its communication system in Couriers in the Inca Empire: Getting Your Message Across. The NEH-funded project, Mesoamerican Cultures and Their Histories, provides dozens of additional lesson plans about indigenous societies and cultures.

Framing questions and activities:

Terminology and periodization: Often, names and time periods are taken for granted. These discussion questions prompt students to think critically about the names used to refer to groups of people and to the ways they think about the division of time around the period of European contact with the Americas.

While we use the term "the Aztecs" most commonly today, this was not what the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan would have called themselves. Historians usually use either Nahuas/Nahua-speaking, to refer to the language these people spoke (and which is still spoken to this day), or Mexica, which refers to the most powerful of the three groups in the Triple Alliance that controlled Tenochtitlan and the Valley of Mexico when Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519. Ask students to reflect on these different names. Why might "Aztec," which is not what the Mexica specifically or Nahuas generally would have called themselves, have become so common? What is gained from a better understanding of the history of these names and their meanings?

Ask students to read and explore this timeline of Mesoamerican civilizations. Reflect on the words often used to describe these civilizations and what happened to them after the arrival of Europeans to the New World. What words come to mind? Ask them to reflect on the terms "Pre-Hispanic" and "Pre-Columbian." What do these terms communicate, and what do they omit? Why do these questions about terminology and periodization matter? Can they think of alternative ways to refer to these time periods? What are the pros and cons of these alternatives?

Evidence-based claims: The NEH-funded virtual exhibit, Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire, invites students to explore recent archaeological finds made at the site, while placing them in historical and cultural context. As students interact with the site, ask them to create a chart with headings such as "Trade," "Religion," "Diet," "Agriculture," and "Social Structure," adapting these categories as you see fit. Students should record what claims the site makes about these different aspects of Teotihuacano society and what evidence is used to support these claims (for example, under "Trade," a student might write: "Teotihuacan had extensive trading partnerships, evidenced by the prevalence of green quetzal feathers depicted in carvings of elites. These feathers needed to be imported from as far as 600 miles away, indicating that the city was able to command resources from such distances through trade and diplomacy").

Holes in the historical record: As students complete the activities in Aztecs Find a Home: The Eagle Has Landed, they will explore another archaeological site: Mexico City itself, which was the seat of Aztec power, the capital of the Spanish colony of New Spain, and now the capital of Mexico. As students observe sites in Mexico City where ruins of Tenochtitlan, colonial structures, and modern skyscrapers are simultaneously visible, ask them to reflect on the other kinds of evidence an historian might use to learn about the Aztecs. Though Nahuatl was a written language, many Nahua texts were destroyed during conquest and subsequent attempts to convert indigenous people to Catholicism. Surviving texts produced in Nahuatl and by indigenous authors were almost all created after the conquest. What does this mean for historians and students? How might they approach what sources do exist? Students can reflect on these questions independently and share their thoughts with a partner, small group, or whole class. For grades 11-12, this exercise would be a good segue into some of the materials from The Conquest of Mexico, a lesson plan created by Dr. Nancy Fitch for the American Historical Association.

Comparing and contrasting: After students have learned about both the Aztec and Inca empires using the EDSITEment lesson plans Aztecs Find a Home: The Eagle Has Landed, The Aztecs: Mighty Warriors of Mexico, and Couriers in the Inca Empire: Getting Your Message Across, ask them to compare and contrast important features of these two civilizations. How were these societies organized? How did tribute and taxation work in each? Language? What territories did each control, and by what mechanisms? Students can work in groups to research different points of comparison before sharing their findings and reflecting as a class.

Contact, Conquest, Colonization

When Spanish conquistadors reached the New World, they encountered these complex indigenous societies with their sophisticated, surplus-producing economies, as well as smaller, nomadic societies. The early Spanish colonizers, far fewer in number than the populous New World civilizations they sought to conquer, often attempted to graft onto existing tribute systems to extract this surplus wealth, with major indigenous cities like Tenochtitlan (situated where Mexico's capital city is to this day) serving as the geographic loci of early colonization. Spanish colonization was helped along by Spain's military technology, alliances with rival indigenous groups, and, most crucially, disease. The Spaniards introduced contagious diseases, such as smallpox, to which indigenous people had little immune resistance. Indigenous populations were decimated by the combination of warfare, disease, and harsh labor on Spanish plantations. As Spain's empire expanded, the Spanish crown depended heavily on the Catholic Church to subjugate indigenous peoples, both settled and nomadic, and integrate them into the colonial economy. Along New Spain's northern frontier, which stretched into the present-day United States and where contact and conflict with other burgeoning European empires was likely, fortified missions relying on coerced indigenous settlement and labor were important institutions for expanding the geographic and demographic reach of the Spanish empire. In the EDSITEment lesson plan, Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Spanish Mission in the New World, students are invited to use the image of the mission to explore one instance of the missionary institution in the mid-17th century. This lesson might be further enriched with an exploration of Spanish mission sites in California in The Road to Santa Fe: A Virtual Excursion.

The processes of conquest and colonization were often carefully documented by Spaniards, creating a rich-and problematic-historical and literary record. A prime example, the journey of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, can be found by visiting New Perspectives on the West. For another perspective on Spanish exploration and settlement, visit Web de Anza, which is packed with primary source documents and multimedia resources covering Juan Bautista de Anza's two overland expeditions that led to the colonization of San Francisco in 1776. Surviving indigenous perspectives are more difficult to find. Even when available, these sources pose significant interpretive challenges because they were often mediated through Spanish individuals or institutions. For grades 11-12, The Conquest of Mexico provides a plethora of primary and secondary sources (including texts produced by indigenous people), lesson plans, and exercises in historical analysis. Finally, Southwest Crossroads offers lesson plans, in-depth articles, and hundreds of digitized primary sources that explore the many narratives people have used to make sense of this region, from colonization to the present.

Framing questions and activities:

Source interpretation: In several EDSITEment lessons about Spanish colonization, students are asked to analyze images to glean information about colonial institutions and practices. They have also confronted the problem of authorship and perspective in primary sources from this period, with the archive of the colonizer serving as the main paradigm through which the processes of conquest and colonization are understood. Two lessons from the NEH-funded website, Southwest Crossroads: Cultures and Histories of the American Southwest, throw this problem into sharp relief. In Encounters-Hopi and Spanish Worldviews, students work with texts written by both Hopi and Spanish authors, as well as maps and images, to learn about missionaries' violent attempts to convert Hopi villagers to Catholicism and to reflect on the lasting impacts of those attempts for Hopi culture and society. In Invasions-Then and Now, students work with a Spanish account of a sixteenth-century expedition, a map of similar expeditions, and a twentieth-century poem to reflect on the echoes and reverberations of the colonial past.

Image analysis: The EDSITEment lesson Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Spanish Mission in the New World is based on the analysis of a watercolor painting of the mission. Students can learn more about the architecture of Spanish missions from the National Park Service, and use their insights to analyze the architecture of other missions pictured in the University of California's digital exhibition of Spanish mission sites in California. They can explore additional photographs of Spanish missions, as well as get a sense for the distribution of missions in what is now the United States, from Designing America, a website created by the Fundación Consejo España-Estados Unidos and the National Library of Spain. Ask students to think critically about this last source in particular as they read through its descriptions of mission architecture and function. How does this information compare with, for example, this Hopi author's account of the construction of a Spanish mission? Why might this be?

The Mexican Revolution

Beginning in 1910 and continuing for a decade, the Mexican Revolution had profound ramifications for both Mexican and U.S. history. The EDSITEment Closer Readings Commentary on the Mexican Revolution provides background on the conflict and its cultural, artistic, and musical legacies. A lesson plan for the Mexican Revolution covers the context for, unfolding of, and legacies of the Revolution for later social movements. Students can learn about the role played by the United States in the Mexican Revolution in the EDSITEment lesson plan "To Elect Good Men": Woodrow Wilson and Latin America.

Framing questions and activities:

Guided research: Ask students to explore the Mexican Revolution in greater detail. Useful sources, in addition to those already mentioned, include:

The following questions and prompts can guide their research:

Describe Mexican political, economic, and social conditions during the Porfiriato.

What were some of the causes of the Mexican Revolution?

Who were some of the major military actors in the Mexican Revolution? Why were they involved, and what were they fighting for?

How have different people experienced and understood the Mexican Revolution? Provide at least two different individuals' perspectives.

Before students begin their research, ask them to review the sources provided and give examples of primary and secondary sources. As they answer the guiding questions, they should use at least one primary and one secondary source to support each of their answers.

Comparing and contrasting: After studying the Mexican Revolution and U.S. involvement in it, ask students to make comparisons with another revolution or conflict that they have studied. They might consider the following factors:

Major divisions and conflicts

The role of foreign intervention

Outcomes of the conflicts

Major actors involved in the conflict

The way the conflict was represented in contemporary accounts (for example, by researching coverage in historic newspapers on Chronicling America)

Ways the conflict is commemorated today

Students should create presentations of their findings to present to each other. As they listen to their classmates, ask students to take notes about the various revolutions. Use their observations to start a discussion about the word "revolution." What should be classified as a revolution? Could a coup be a revolution? A civil war? Why do they think some civil wars are classified as such, while others are labeled revolutions, even though the impacts of both might be equally profound?

Immigration and Identity in the United States

The border between the United States and Mexico has changed over time, and much of the territory that now forms the southwestern United States was at one point Mexican. But the movement of people, goods, money, and ideas has always been a feature of this border. That movement, especially of people, has not always been voluntary. During the Great Depression, many thousands-and by some estimates as many as two million-Mexicans were forcibly deported from the United States. Over half of those deported were U.S. citizens.

Less than a decade later, U.S. policy changed completely: rather than deporting Mexican-Americans and Mexicans, the United States was desperate to draw Mexican laborers into the country to ease agricultural labor shortages caused by World War II. As a result, the Mexican and U.S. governments established the Bracero Program, which allowed U.S. employers to hire Mexican laborers and guaranteed those laborers a minimum wage, housing, and other necessities. However, braceros' wages remained low, they had almost no labor rights, and they often faced violent discrimination, including lynching. Oral histories from braceros, as well as several lesson plans about the program, can be found at the NEH-funded Bracero History Archive

The Bracero program ended in 1964. Two years before, in 1962, César Chávez had co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with Dolores Huerta. The NFWA would later become the United Farm Workers (UFW). In response to the low wages and terrible working conditions experienced by farmworkers, Chávez and Huerta organized migrant farmworkers to press for higher wages, better working conditions, and labor rights. Students can learn more about Chávez and Huerta in the EDSITEment lesson "Sí, se puede!": Chávez, Huerta, and the UFW.

The UFW was part of the larger civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond. The Chicano movement fought for the rights of Mexican-Americans and against anti-Mexican racism and discrimination. It was also important in the creation of a new collective identity for, and sense of solidarity among, Mexican-Americans. Other ethnic categories sought to include a greater number of people of Latin American heritage and to capture aspects of their shared experience in the United States. In the 1970s, activists pushed for the inclusion of "Hispanic" on the U.S. Census in order to disaggregate poverty rates among Latinos and whites. Since then, different terms have emerged to describe this diverse population, including Latino and Latinx. The PBS project Latino Americans (available in English and Spanish) documents the experiences of Latinos in the United States and includes a selection of lesson plans for grades 7-12, as well as shorter, adaptable classroom activities. Additional resources for teaching immigration history include the Closer Readings Commentary " Everything Your Students Need to Know About Immigration History," which provides an overview of immigration history in the United States, and Becoming US, a collection of teaching resources on migration and immigration created by the Smithsonian Institution.

Framing questions and activities:

Terminology and identity: There are many words to describe the experiences and identities of Latinos in the United States. The words "Hispanic" and "Latino" are intentionally broad and meant to capture a wide diversity of identities and experiences, which means that they can also erase or diminish specific individuals and their stories. Teaching Tolerance has created and compiled a selection of educational materials, including readings, discussion questions, and suggestions for teachers, to help address this topic in the classroom. Within this Teacher's Guide, the lessons in the section "Borderlands: Lessons from the Chihuahuan Desert" address questions of identity, belonging, and difference in greater depth.

Comparing and contrasting: Like "Sí, se puede!": Chávez, Huerta, and the UFW, the EDSITEment lesson Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and the Power of Nonviolence addresses the civil rights movement and the use of nonviolent protest to fight racism, discrimination, and exploitation. Ask students to research a specific protest organized by the UFW and one by leaders of the movement for African American civil rights. They might return to the lessons for some ideas, or work on a protest not included in the lesson plans. Ask them to discuss the following questions with respect to their chosen protests:

What actors were involved? What united them?

What were they protesting?

What strategies did they use? Describe the mechanics of the protest: its location and duration, what actions the protesters took, how they responded to any resistance or confrontations, how and why the protest ended. Depending on the protest they have chosen, a timeline and/or map may be a good way to represent this information.

Were there any divisions, controversies, or conflicts within the movement?

What responses met the protest? How was the protest represented in different media outlets from the time?

How has the protest been commemorated or remembered since it took place? How have those commemorations changed over time?

If you were to design a monument, event, or other public commemoration of this protest, what would you create? Why?

Guided research: To expand students' understanding of protest and resistance in the United States, ask them to research a contemporary protest movement. They might use the questions from the "Comparing and contrasting" activity, above, as guidance. Students should create presentations about their chosen movement to share their findings with the class; afterwards, they can discuss any similarities and differences they noticed between the contemporary protests, as well as continuities with and changes from the historical protests they have studied in class.

Landmarks of Movement and Migration

Borderlands

Challenging ideas of fixed boundaries of nations and empires, the term "borderlands" conceptualizes the crossroads where cultures meet in the movement of people, ideas, and goods. In the context of United States history, borderlands can describe the changing relationships of the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S.-Canada border, and Indigenous-U.S. borders. These contact zones help us understand place as a tool for identity-creation and citizenship.

Throughout the colonial era, borders changed over time in the Americas. Spanish colonization further impacted trade, language, and culture-often at the expense of Indigenous people. As people claimed land for themselves and built new communities, regional and ethnic identities developed. Hispanic heritage refers to a person who is from, or a descendant of someone from a Spanish-speaking country. Latino/a or Latinx heritage refers to a person who is from, or a descendant of someone from a country in Latin America. Hispanic and Latinx communities continue to grow and impact the built environment.

Imperialism and Missionaries

Spanish colonization of the Americas began under the Crown of Castile with Spanish conquistadors, such as Bernal Diaz del Castillo and Hernán de Cortés. The Americas were incorporated into the growing Spanish Empire, with the exception of British America, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Throughout these land holdings, the Spanish Empire established Catholic missions to religiously convert Indigenous people local to the area. These missions were often found on the outermost borders of Spanish colonies.

Founded in 1716, Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción is one of five Spanish missions in San Antonio, Texas. The Spanish established missionary outposts in Texas as barriers to the threat of French expansion from Louisiana. Using a system they previously employed in Arizona and New Mexico, Spanish missionaries moved to remote areas to build missions where they preached Christianity. The missionaries taught American Indians about Spanish language, arts and crafts, and culture in order to convert the Indigenous population to Christianity and allegiance to the Spanish Crown.

The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico reflects the complex heritage of the American Southwest. Constructed in 1610 to house the first Spanish royal governor of New Mexico, Don Pedro de Peralta (1584-1666), the Palace of the Governors is the oldest, extant public structure built by European settlers in the continental United States. As control of the New Mexican territory shifted over the centuries, the Palace served as residence to the Spanish in the colonial era, Pueblo Indians during the Pueblo Revolt, Mexican governors, and American governors. In 1912, New Mexico became the 48th state of the United States. Over a century late, the Palace of the Governors serves as the New Mexico History Museum.

Trade and Migration

Officially established as a trading route in 1829, the Old Spanish National Historic Trail spans over 2,700 miles across New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. Following Mexican independence in the 19th century, trade between the United States, Mexico, and western territories flourished along this network of trails. The route ensured safe passage through dry and sweltering environments for explorers, traders, and settlers as they traversed between burgeoning trading posts like Santa Fe to Los Angeles and beyond. The historic trail remains a physical reminder of the contact and exchange of goods, ideas, and people across the region.

National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are lived-in landscapes where historical, cultural, and natural resources form congressionally-recognized, nationally important places. The preservation of these distinct historic, cultural, and environmental sites provide a sense of place and community. NHAs foster community collaboration to make history and heritage relevant to local interests and needs.

An NHA in Colorado, the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area reflects the diverse region where Indigenous, Latinx, and Anglo peoples inhabited the alpine desert valley. Named for the surrounding jagged mountain range, the San Luis Valley contains wildlife and forest wilderness areas, one of the largest and highest alpine valleys in North America, the beginning of the Rio Grande, and part of the Old Spanish Trail, as well as Colorado's oldest town, San Luis. Spanish explorers passed through the region in the 18th century and by the 19th century, settlers migrated to the area via Mexican land grants. The descendants of these families remain in the San Luis Valley today.

Immigration and Work

Funded by the NEH, The Bracero History Archive preserves the experiences of the millions of Mexican guest workers to the United States between 1942 to 1964. The Bracero Program brought Mexican laborers, known as braceros or "strong arms," into the U.S. on temporary work visas due to domestic farm-labor shortages during and after World War II. Of the five bracero processing centers created by the program, Rio Vista Farm in Texas is the only one that remains. Rio Vista Farm served as a reception and processing center for the more than 80,000 manual laborers annually entering the U.S. throughout the duration of the program. Although many braceros returned home after the completion of their contracts, many Mexican-Americans can trace their grandfathers' and fathers' immigration to the U.S. through this program.

Considered the "Ellis Island of the South," Freedom Tower became a symbol of freedom due to the aid offered to Cubans fleeing the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Built in 1925 in the Renaissance style with Spanish Baroque embellishments, Freedom Tower served as the headquarters of the Miami News and Metropolis newspaper before it was acquired by the United States government. Used as a processing center for Cuban immigrants from 1962 to 1974, the building serves as a physical reminder of Cold War era politics and the Cuban exodus. Today, the tower is a registered historic site and the home of the Miami Dade College's Museum of Art and Design.

K-12 Lessons for Hispanic History & Culture

Social Studies and History

The Mexican Revolution-In order to better understand this decade-long civil war, we offer an overview of the main players on the competing sides, primary source materials for point of view analysis, discussion of how the arts reflected the era, and links to Chronicling America, a free digital database of historic newspapers, that covers this period in great detail.

Chronicling America's Spanish-language newspapers-The Spanish-language newspapers in Chronicling America, along with those published in English, allow us to look beyond one representation of the communities and cultures pulled into the United States by wars and treaties of the 19th century. Spanish-language newspapers reveal how these communities reported on their own culture, politics, and struggles to form an identity in a brand new context.

Hispanic American Keywords for Chronicling America-This resource is part of EDSITEment's Race and Ethnicity Keyword Thesaurus for Chronicling America. Here you will find historically accurate keywords that may help in using the Chronicling America historic newspaper database to research topics in Hispanic American history.

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Spanish Mission in the New World-Focusing on the daily life of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, the lesson asks students to relate the people of this community and their daily activities to the art and architecture of the mission.

Literature and Language Arts

Esperanza Rising: Learning Not to Be Afraid to Start Over (also available in Spanish)-In this lesson students will explore some of the contrasts that Esperanza experiences when she suddenly falls from her lofty perch as the darling child of a wealthy landowner surrounded by family and servants to become a servant herself among an extended family of immigrant farm workers.

Magical Realism in One Hundred Years of Solitude (Curriculum Unit)-Author Gabriel García Márquez meshes magical elements with a reality which is, in his view, fantastical in its own right. In One Hundred Years of Solitude, García Márquez vividly retells episodes in the history of Latin America through the story of real and fantastical events experienced over the course of one century by the Buendía family.

Women and Revolution: In the Time of the Butterflies-In this lesson, students undertake a careful analysis of the main characters to see how each individually demonstrates courage in the course of her family's turbulent life events in the Dominican Republic during the dictatorial rule of Rafael Trujillo.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: The First Great Latin American Poet (Curriculum Unit, also available in Spanish)-Through this curriculum unit students will gain an understanding of why Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is considered one of the most important poets of Latin America, and why she is also considered a pioneering feminist writer and poet.

"Every Day We Get More Illegal" by Juan Felipe Herrera-In his poem "Every Day We Get More Illegal" Juan Felipe Herrera, the former Poet Laureate of the United States, gives voice to the feelings of those "in-between the light," who have ambiguous immigration status and work in the United States.

"Translation for Mamá" by Richard Blanco-Richard Blanco wrote the poem "Translation for Mamá" for his mother, who came to the United States from Cuba to create a new life for herself and her family. Using both English and Spanish language translation, Blanco honors the bridge between his mother's new identity and the losses she faced in emigration.

Culture and Arts

La Familia-Students will learn about families in various Spanish cultures and gain a preliminary knowledge of the Spanish language, learning the Spanish names for various family members.

De Colores-This lesson plan is designed for young learners at the novice or novice-intermediate level of proficiency in Spanish. The vocabulary, the colors, is appealing to young learners because colors are easy for them to comprehend and observe while connecting the newly acquired vocabulary to familiar objects.

Origins of Halloween and the Day of the Dead-This EDSITEment feature can be used with students as a framework for discussing the origins and history of the Halloween festival and introducing them to the Mexican festival, the Day of the Dead ( el Día de Muertos), recognizing the common elements shared these festivals of the dead as well as the acknowledging the differences between them.

Mexican Culture and History through Its National Holidays-This lesson will focus on holidays that represent and commemorate Mexico's religious traditions, culture, and politics over the past five hundred years.

Lessons from the Chihuahuan Desert

Borderlands narratives have historically been seen as peripheral to the development of American history and identity and the binational spaces border people occupy have been portrayed as dangerous, illegitimate, and as part of a distinct counter-culture. During "Tales from the Chihuahuan Desert: Borderlands Narratives about Identity and Binationalism," a summer institute for educators (grades 6-12) sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and offered by The University of Texas at El Paso, scholars and teachers examine debates about American history and identity by focusing on the multicultural region and narratives of the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez metroplex.

The lessons and materials provided below were created by institute attendees in the interest of developing "their own creative ways of implementing diverse storytelling methodologies into their teaching philosophies in order to more holistically reflect on the complex histories and identities of border peoples and of the binational spaces they inhabit." The complete portfolio of lesson plans is available at the "Tales from the Chihuahuan Desert: Borderlands Narratives about Identity and Binationalism" homepage.

Smokestack Memories: A Borderlands History During the Gilded Age-The second industrialization also known as the Gilded Age from about 1870s-1900s is one of the most significant time periods in American history. In 1887, a smelter was established in El Paso which would become known as ASARCO. The purpose of this lesson is to understand and contextualize the global, national, border, and regional impact of industry during the Gilded Age. (Grade: 7, 8, 11) (Subject: U.S. History, AP U.S. History)

Push/Pull Factors and the Quest for God, Gold, and Glory-Through these two lessons that connect early European exploration of US territories with contemporary immigration, students draw upon the familiar to understand the past and the long history of the United States as a nation by and for people of many cultures. (Grade: 8) (Subject: U.S. History, World History)

Making a Nation-Through these lessons, students will produce an interactive map of North America in the earliest days of colonization that demonstrates the multiple nations and borderlands that cut across the physical space that we now consider to be clearly defined that they can then use throughout their study of American history. (Grade: 8) (Subject: Language Arts and Social Studies)

Borders Near and Far: A Global and Local Investigation of Borderlands-This lesson is designed as an introduction for exploring the theme of borders and borderlands throughout a literature course. Compelling questions and text-based examples are provided to prepare students for independent close readings and discussions of borders at multiple points during the school year. (Grade: 11-12) (Subject: Literature and Language Arts)

Know Thyself-This unit focuses on the topics of identity, stereotypes, culture, and biculturalism. It is a four-part unit intended to extend throughout the semester with supplemental activities and resources in between. This unit is presented in English to serve lower level Spanish courses, however, it can be adapted and taught in Spanish with additional vocabulary instruction and scaffolding. (Grade: 9-12) (Subject: Language, Spanish level 1, 2)

Borders: Understanding and Overcoming Differences-Students will examine the concept of borders, both literal and figurative, as well as what a border is and how it is created. They will use this knowledge as they learn about the U.S.-Mexico border and will delve deeper into the idea of borders as they examine their own lives. (Grade: 8-10) (Subject: Spanish and Social Studies)

"Latino Americans" Documentary Resources

Latino Americans is an NEH-funded documentary series that chronicles the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos from the first European settlements to the present day. The website contains trailers from all episodes, a timeline, and an opportunity to upload your own video history. The related education initiative invites teachers and learners to explore the many ways that Latinos have contributed to the history and culture of the United States.

To accompany Episode 3: War and Peace, Humanities Texas offers a collection of resources to explore the contributions of Latino Americans during the second world war and the experience of returning servicemen who faced discrimination despite their service. These lesson plans and activities include viewing guides to support students as they watch the episode and primary sources to draw out key themes and events introduced by the film.

Related Websites & Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hispanic Heritage and History in the United States

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since 1988, the U.S. Government has set aside the period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made and continue to make to the United States of America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The history of Juneteenth acknowledges hard history while also empowering students to be advocates for change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
June is Pride month. I designed these calendars to inspire reading stories of those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Some titles are familiar favorites, others are new releases, and a few more are soon-to-be released. The first calendar shows middle grades chapter books, and the second calendar displays some picture book titles. The picture book calendar is one you could easily follow and read one-a-day, but it's unlikely you'll read one chapter book each day for the month of June, so that calendar is really just inspiration for you to build your school or classroom library collections. Representation matters in elementary, middle and high school libraries. Grab the PDF here.

Don't forget to use resources like EPIC to access LGBTQIA+ stories. Here's a collection I curated that's available on EPIC. Some of you may be glad that your schools are not in session in June; an easy excuse not to share these lists or these books with your school community. But, remember, these books should be shared all year long, and made available in your libraries all year long.

Happy Pride!

Posted on

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
June is Pride month. I designed these calendars to inspire reading stories of those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Some titles are familiar favorites, others are new releases, and a few more are soon-to-be released. The first calendar shows middle grades chapter books, and the second calendar displays some picture book titles.

# data[].attributes.headline
Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress

# data[].attributes.subject
Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Offered by Yale University. Developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress will ... Enroll for free.

# data[].attributes.headline
Blending and Braiding Funds to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 on the Most Vulnerable Students

# data[].attributes.subject
Blending and Braiding Funds to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 on the Most Vulnerable Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Engage in real time with experts on key issues, challenges, and solutions related to education, health, and justice. Register for our upcoming webinars and browse our webinar archives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blending and Braiding Funds to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 on the Most Vulnerable Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Engage in real time with experts on key issues, challenges, and solutions related to education, health, and justice. Register for our upcoming webinars and browse our webinar archives.

# data[].attributes.headline
Resource Planning for Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
Resource Planning for Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Engage in real time with experts on key issues, challenges, and solutions related to education, health, and justice. Register for our upcoming webinars and browse our webinar archives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resource Planning for Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Engage in real time with experts on key issues, challenges, and solutions related to education, health, and justice. Register for our upcoming webinars and browse our webinar archives.

# data[].attributes.headline
Managing Resources Effectively in Response to COVID-19

# data[].attributes.subject
Managing Resources Effectively in Response to COVID-19

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Engage in real time with experts on key issues, challenges, and solutions related to education, health, and justice. Register for our upcoming webinars and browse our webinar archives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Managing Resources Effectively in Response to COVID-19

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Engage in real time with experts on key issues, challenges, and solutions related to education, health, and justice. Register for our upcoming webinars and browse our webinar archives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Help enhance social-emotional learning in your school to create a community of advocates! In partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Discovery Education, Kaiser Permanente is expanding its Resilience in School Environments (RISE) Initiative to offer a versatile series of no-cost virtual and onsite resources designed to foster greater social and emotional resiliency in schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Only 1% of the children's books published in the U.S. in 2016 featured Indigenous characters, and even fewer (1/4 of the 1% = 8 books total) were written by Indigenous authors.

"Most of what kids see in books today are best sellers & classics that stereotype & misrepresent Native people in history. There's a lot of bias in them. The books that I recommend are ones that can counter that bias in several ways. One, they're not stereotypical. Two, most of them are set in the present day, which is important in countering what we see in a lot of children's & young adult literature, which says that we vanished, we didn't make it to the present day, and of course we did." -Debbie Reese, Nambe Pueblo, of American Indians in Children's Literature

Indigenous people are very much a part of today's society. With their stories, Indigenous writers share the range of their lives, past and present, and we hope that you'll embrace and share their stories. This list of 14 recommended children's books by Indigenous writers and illustrators was curated by The Conscious Kid Library and American Indians in Children's Literature, in partnership with Brooklyn Children's Museum.

Little you
little wonder Little wish
gentle thunder You are mighty
you are small

You are ours
after all

Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk, illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis: A lyrical lullaby imbued with traditional Inuit beliefs, this bedtime poem written by internationally acclaimed Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk describes the gifts bestowed upon a newborn baby by all the animals of the Arctic. Lyrically and lovingly written, this visually stunning book is infused with the Inuit values of love and respect for the land and its animal inhabitants. Ages 3-7.

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon: Born of Mohawk and Cayuga descent, musical icon Robbie Robertson learned the story of Hiawatha and his spiritual guide, the Peacemaker, as part of the Iroquois oral tradition. Now he shares the same gift of storytelling with a new generation. Hiawatha was a strong Mohawk who was chosen to translate the Peacemaker's message of unity for the five warring Iroquois nations during the 14th century. This message not only succeeded in uniting the tribes but also forever changed how the Iroquois governed themselves - a blueprint for democracy that would later inspire the authors of the U.S. Constitution. Ages 5-10.

Sharing Our World: Animals of the Native Northwest Coast: The images and text in this book are the work of First Nations and Native artists from communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Through their art and words, each artist has shared the importance of their personal and cultural relationship to the natural world. Cultural meanings are provided from the Nuxalk, Namgis, Coast Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Haida, Bella Bella, Tsimshian, Kwa Na Ki Nulth and Nuchatlaht Nations. "We have a spiritual connection with all that dwell in our natural surroundings. Our beliefs, based on our ancient traditions, guide us to live in balance with the wildlife that we share this land with." - T.J. Young, Kaigani, Haida. Ages 3-7.

When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard: Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things. But she does not know how to read. Ignoring her father's warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders' school to learn. The nuns at the school call her Margaret. They cut off her long hair and force her to do menial chores, but she remains undaunted. Her tenacity draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn. But the young girl is more determined than ever to learn how to read. Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and complemented by stunning illustrations, When I Was Eight is a young readers version of the bestselling memoir, Fatty Legs. Now young readers can meet this remarkable girl who reminds us what power we hold when we can read. Ages 6-8.

"We Sang You Home" illustration by Julie Flett

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light by Tim Tingle, illustrated by Karen Clarkson:In this powerful family saga, author Tim Tingle tells the story of his family's move from Oklahoma Choctaw country to Pasadena, TX. Spanning 50 years, Saltypie describes the problems encountered by his Choctaw grandmother - from her orphan days at an Indian boarding school to hardships encountered in her new home on the Gulf Coast. Tingle says, "Stories of modern Indian families rarely grace the printed page. Long before I began writing, I knew this story must be told." Seen through the innocent eyes of a young boy, Saltypie is the story of one family's efforts to honor the past while struggling to gain a foothold in modern America. Ages 6-10.

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu: The affirming story of how a contemporary Native girl turns to her family and community to help her dance find a voice.Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared by generations of women in her family, and she hopes to dance at the next powwow. But she has a problem - how will her dress sing if it has no jingles? The cone-shaped jingles sewn to Grandma Wolfe's dress sing t ink, tink, tink, tink. Jenna's heart beats to the brum, brum, brum, brum of the powwow drum as she daydreams about the clinking song of her grandma's jingle dancing. Ages 4-8.

Dragonfly Kites by Tomson Highway, illustrated by Julie Flett: Joe and Cody, two young Cree brothers, along with their parents and their little dog Ootsie, are spending the summer by one of the hundreds of lakes in northern Manitoba. Summer means a chance to explore the world and make friends with an array of creatures, but what Joe and Cody like doing best of all is flying dragonfly kites. Off soar the dragonflies into the summer sky and off race the brothers and Ootsie too, chasing after their dragonfly kites through trees and meadows and down to the beach before watching them disappear into the night sky. In their dreams, Joe and Cody soar through the skies with their kites until it's time to wake up. Tomson Highway brilliantly evokes the very essence of childhood as he weaves a deceptively simple story about the power of the imagination. Dragonfly Kites has a bilingual text, written in English and Cree. Ages 4-7.

The Conscious Kid Library is an education, research, and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in young children. They promote access to diverse children's books that center underrepresented and oppressed groups. www.theconsciouskid.org

American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society. https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com

Brooklyn Children's Museum(BCM) works to ensure that all children have access to cultural learning opportunities that build empathy, encourage creative thought and problem solving, and inspire global citizenship. BCM believes in the power of culture to help children and families find comfort, resilience and stimulation. All books featured in the #IndigenousReads list support BCM's commitment to cultural learning and will be available to read during story time at the museum throughout November. www.brooklynkids.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#IndigenousReads by Indigenous Writers: A Children's Reading List

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Only 1% of the children's books published in the U.S. in 2016 featured Indigenous characters, and even fewer (1/4 of the 1% = 8 books total) were written by Indigenous authors. "Most of what kids see...

# data[].attributes.headline
Beyond the So-Called First Thanksgiving: 5 Children's Books That Set the Record Straight

# data[].attributes.subject
Beyond the So-Called First Thanksgiving: 5 Children's Books That Set the Record Straight

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's November, a time of year that many parents, teachers, and librarians look forward to giving children books about what is commonly-and erroneously-called "The First Thanksgiving." Others seek books that counter the narrative of Pilgrims and Indians warmly sharing a meal together, and still others want to avoid that disingenuous feel-good story altogether and provide children with books that are about indigenous people, books that provide insights and knowledge that are missing from all too many accounts.

Your local bookstore probably has a special shelf this month filled with books about "The First Thanksgiving." In most of them, Native peoples are stereotyped, and "Indian" instead of "Wampanoag" is used to identify the indigenous people. When the man known as Squanto is part of the stories, his value to the Pilgrims is that he can speak English, and he teaches them how to plant and hunt. The fact that he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Spain-if mentioned at all-is not addressed in the story because elaborating on it would up-end the feel-good story.

But there is an antidote to these books, and it goes beyond volumes that merely counter the feel-good tale. There are a multitude of works by Native writers who tell stories from their experience and history. While Thanksgiving is a good time to grab people's attention about Wampanoag-European interactions, it does not need to frame the story. These books give a far more nuanced, and accurate, account of Indigenous Peoples. They will set children and adults alike straight on what really happened around the time of the so-called First Thanksgiving, and what Native life is like today.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library The Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in Warren, Pennsylvania was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1960 and 1965. The dam provides flood control on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, and hydroelectric power production. The dam impounds the Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake. It also misplaced 600 Senecas when built and flooded 10,000 acres of Seneca land.
***1.**The People Shall Continue, by Simon Ortiz (Children's Book Press, 1977)*

The starting point for this picture-book poem, illustrated by Sharol Graves, is not 1492, nor is it 1621. The story begins the moment that "all things came to be," when "the People were born." This provides an immediate departure from the typical re-telling of creation stories by non-Native writers, who tend to cast our stories in a romantic and mystical realm.

Right off the bat, Ortiz tells us that the People differ in how they came to be.

Some say, "From the ocean."
Some say, "From a hollow log."
Some say, "From an opening in the ground."
Some say, "From the mountains."

As the poem progresses, the People start talking about strangers who seek treasure, slaves and land. Across the continent, the People fight to protect themselves.

In the West, Pope called warriors from the Pueblo and Apache Nations.
In the East, Tecumseh gathered the Shawnee and the Nations of the Great Lakes, the Appalachians, and the Ohio Valley to fight for their people.
In the Midwest, Black Hawk fought to save the Sauk and Fox Nation.
In the Great Plains, Crazy Horse led the Sioux in the struggle to keep their land.
Osceola in the Southeast, Geronimo in the Southwest, Chief Joseph in the Northwest, Sitting Bull, Captain Jack, all were warriors.

The People signed treaties, and many were moved. Their children were taken to boarding schools. Throughout, parents told their children:

"You are Shawnee. You are Lakota.
You are Pima. You are Acoma.
You are Tlingit. You are Mohawk."

Through the years, the People kept their stories alive. Then, they realized, it was the powerful forces of the rich and of the government that made not only them but also others suffer: Black People, Chicano People, Asian People, and poor White people. Ortiz ends with a call to all Peoples to ally against forces that seek to destroy the humanity within each of us.

We must ensure that life continues.
We must be responsible to that life.
With that humanity and the strength
Which comes from our shared responsibility
For this life, the People shall continue.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library The Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in Warren, Pennsylvania was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1960 and 1965. The dam provides flood control on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, and hydroelectric power production. The dam impounds the Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake. It also misplaced 600 Senecas when built and flooded 10,000 acres of Seneca land. 2.Muskrat Will Be Swimming, by Cheryl Savageau (Tilbury House Publishers, 1996)
Set in the present day, this book is about a young girl being taunted by schoolmates. Her grandfather helps her cope with bullying by telling her their Skywoman story, which is part of the creation story of the Haudenonsaunee.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library The Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in Warren, Pennsylvania was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1960 and 1965. The dam provides flood control on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, and hydroelectric power production. The dam impounds the Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake. It also misplaced 600 Senecas when built and flooded 10,000 acres of Seneca land. 3.First Americans, series by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (First Americans Books, various years)
This picture-book nonfiction series, similar in scope to Ortiz's The People Shall Continue, consists of eight books profiling the Apache, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Hopi, Iroquois, Seminole and Sioux. Each one begins with a creation story and concludes with present-day information about each tribe and its people. In each, Sneve provides information about leaders, past and present.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library The Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in Warren, Pennsylvania was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1960 and 1965. The dam provides flood control on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, and hydroelectric power production. The dam impounds the Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake. It also misplaced 600 Senecas when built and flooded 10,000 acres of Seneca land. 4.Indian Shoes, Cynthia Leitich Smith (HarperCollins, 2002)
This easy-reader chapter book is about Ray Halfmoon, a Seminole-Cherokee boy, and his grandfather, who live in present-day Chicago. Indian Shoes is one of six stories in the book. Sprinkled with humor and warmth, each story is rich with details about Native life. Being set in Chicago, it makes clear that Native people are part of today's America, and that some of us-be it by choice or other circumstances-live away from our homelands.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Visual Library The Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in Warren, Pennsylvania was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1960 and 1965. The dam provides flood control on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, and hydroelectric power production. The dam impounds the Allegheny Reservoir, also known as Kinzua Lake. It also misplaced 600 Senecas when built and flooded 10,000 acres of Seneca land. 5.The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich (HyperionBooks for Children, 1999)
Another chapter book, this one about the Ojibwe people and their early encounters with whites who were moving into their homelands. An award-winning book, it launched a series that now has four books in it: Game of Silence (2005), Porcupine Year(2008), and Chickadee (2013). The fifth book, not yet published, is titled Makoons.

RELATED: Native American Heritage Month: Children's Books for Your Black Friday Shopping List

Tribally enrolled at Nambe Pueblo, Debbie Reese holds a doctorate in Education and publishes American Indians in Children's Literature.
-
Support Indian Country Today by becoming a member. Click here.
-

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Beyond the So-Called First Thanksgiving: 5 Children's Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's November, a time of year that many parents, teachers, and librarians look forward to giving children books about what is commonly-and erroneously-called "The First Thanksgiving."

# data[].attributes.headline
Thanksgiving | Native Americans | One Word

# data[].attributes.subject
Thanksgiving | Native Americans | One Word

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Thanksgiving | Native Americans | One Word | Cut

# data[].attributes.headline
A Culturally Responsive Approach to Discussing Thanksgiving in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
A Culturally Responsive Approach to Discussing Thanksgiving in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this ongoing series, we explore what culturally responsive teaching looks like at different grade levels and offer concrete examples and resources. Last week we explored going beyond "The Single Story". Today, educator Lindsay Barrett offers a culturally responsive approach to discussing Thanksgiving in the Classroom. More in this series:
Discussions of holidays can be challenging for teachers to navigate. School expectations can range from complete avoidance to blind participation in longstanding outdated projects and events. For historically based holidays, there's the issue of how to cut through mainstream perceptions to be historically accurate. Furthermore, fully embracing culturally responsive teaching means thinking of differences like how we celebrate holidays as just the "tip of the iceberg." Regardless, students across the US will soon have time off school for Thanksgiving and be inundated by media and marketing related to the holiday, so being prepared with a culturally responsive approach is important. One way to discuss Thanksgiving that will be meaningful to your students -whether or not they'll be tucking into a turkey dinner- is to share books that expand upon some of the universal themes the holiday evokes.
The Harvest
Discussions honoring the bounty of a harvest need not be limited to today's stereotypical Thanksgiving menu or even what the colonists and Wampanoag actually ate. Enjoy Pat Mora's Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! America's Sproutings with your class to give students a broader perspective. This collection of haiku celebrates American crops from pecans to prickly pears and includes nonfiction information about each food. Read about a surprising and possibly unfamiliar harvest in Ghosts for Breakfast. Or, present an alternative account of the relief of a plentiful harvest can bring. In Sweet Potato Pie, a loving and industrious family sells pies at the Harvest Festival to save their farm. Invite students to share their own harvest knowledge and family traditions.
Food and Family
Limiting multicultural teaching to discussions of different foods could be considered lingering in the "tip of the iceberg" category referenced above. However, when you expand the conversation to explore the many family traditions that exist around preparing and eating food together, conversations become much more rich. Discuss select paintings in Carmen Lomas Garza's Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia and In My Family/En Mi Familia to explore traditions like making tamales and harvesting nopal cactus. Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic has many parallels to typical Thanksgiving traditions, including a family road trip, hoards of aunts, uncles and cousins, and a big family meal. The book also introduces Chinese culinary customs and offers opportunities to discuss how families can maintain traditions -and create new ones- even if they differ from mainstream culture.
Gratitude
A typical Thanksgiving classroom activity is for students to list what they are thankful for. The book Gracias-Thanks can initiate broader conversations about expressions of gratitude. The bilingual text and illustrations depict a vibrant and close-knit family of color, offering a culturally sensitive departure from the common image of a family gathered around a turkey laid out on a white tablecloth. Presented alongside a more stereotypical Thanksgiving text, teachers can even ask students to analyze what makes Gracias-Thanks a more inclusive look at being thankful.

Discussing how various families and cultures express gratitude is a culturally responsive take on this theme. The classic Giving Thanks: A Native American Morning Message (also available in Spanish) presents the Mohawk "Thanksgiving Address," which honors the gifts of the natural world. The book can be a springboard for investigating diverse gratitude rituals and celebrations.

True, culturally responsive teaching means going "beyond heroes and holidays," but it also means approaching holidays in a nuanced and intentional way. Diverse books and the discussions that follow are reliable tools for any classroom.
About the Author: Lindsay Barrett is a former elementary teacher and literacy nonprofit director. She currently works as a literacy consultant and stays busy raising three young boys. Find out more about her work at lindsay-barrett.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Culturally Responsive Approach to Discussing Thanksgiving in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this ongoing series, we explore what culturally responsive teaching looks like at different grade levels and offer concrete examples and resources. Last week we explored going beyond "The Single Story". Today, educator Lindsay Barrett offers a culturally responsive approach to discussing Thanksgiving in the Classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Engaging Students and Families from Diverse Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

# data[].attributes.subject
Engaging Students and Families from Diverse Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Engaging Students and Families from Diverse Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
September 2020 A conversation with researchers and district leaders
Finding ways to reach and connect with historically underserved or marginalized populations, including Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students and families, as well as those with language backgrounds other than English, is important for educators at any and all times. Disparities for these students have become even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent national focus on social justice has intensified the calls for addressing them.

REL West recently hosted a webinar sharing lessons from research and practice to help educators engage with students and families from these populations during this especially challenging time. Education researchers and technical assistance providers Barbara Jones and Margit Birge of WestEd were joined by school district leaders D'Lisa Crain from Nevada's Washoe County School District ( WCSD) and Sara Stone and Claudia Medina from California's Alameda Unified School District ( AUSD). In a conversation convened by Jason Snipes, REL West's Director of Alliance Research, the presenters shared strategies for effective student and family engagement with a focus on how they apply in in a distance learning context. This blog summarizes key takeaways from the webinar.

First, consider students' and families' basic needs

Student and family well-being is a key facilitator for student learning at any time, and in the current pandemic it may be especially impacted. To the extent that districts and schools can help address some of students' and families' basic needs, they should communicate caring and concern, validate the unique and difficult circumstances families currently face, and forge connections between home and school.

With this in mind, and knowing that their African American, Latinx, Native American, and immigrant populations would be hardest hit by the pandemic, both AUSD and WCSD intentionally set out to meet the needs of these communities. They connected with family networks and community partners - ranging from local PTAs to food banks to tribal leaders - to help them check on students' and families' well-being, communicate important information, and help meet basic needs like food and transportation.

Focus on communicating and building relationships with students and families

The webinar presenters discussed the application of the U.S Department of Education's Dual-Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships. A 2013 report on the framework notes that "no meaningful family engagement can be established until relationships of trust and respect are established between home and school." This is especially true for students and families who feel that educators don't understand or don't value the importance of their life experiences or their home language.

The AUSD and WCSD presenters shared how they emphasized frequent communication with families in both English and other home languages. AUSD, for example, provides all information in six languages. In addition to sharing information by email, it uses varied platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Snapchat to communicate with students and families. In WCSD, school and district leaders found that when teachers had established strong relationships with families before school buildings closed, those families and their students were more willing to take calls and work in partnership from home. Also, working with tribal leaders helped WCSD stay connected with some students and families on the far outreaches of the district.

Presenters also reflected on the importance of educators taking an asset-based approach, in which students' families and communities are valued as "funds of knowledge." In adapting to distance learning, AUSD and WSCD regularly sought input from families. For example, AUSD created multilingual surveys to learn how families and students felt about the amount of contact and the nature of information they received from the district so that staff could adjust supports and provide appropriate resources.

Implement practical strategies for distance learning

AUSD and WCSD were both able to quickly but thoughtfully pivot to distance learning when shelter-in-place orders closed school buildings in March 2020. Some of their efforts reflected guidance that Barbara Jones shared based on her own work: establish a learning culture that includes families so everyone knows the norms and expectations for participation and learning; focus on learning over compliance; and give students tools to assess their own learning so they develop a sense of personal agency and group responsibility.

Both districts began distance learning with paper packets available at school sites or delivered by bus to centrally accessible locations, such as community centers. They then took some time to establish priorities and curriculum for online learning. AUSD took a trauma-informed approach, creating an online learning environment focused on student well-being, maintaining caring relationships and a sense of hope, reinforcing learning related to key standards, and providing continuous feedback to support understanding. WCSD similarly prioritized family wellness and social and emotional learning through daily personal contact for every child and family. With the help of partners, both districts provided devices and Wi-Fi access wherever possible, relying on paper packets as a backup.

Both districts created video tutorials to guide students' online experience and model how families could support online learning. They connected families to each other via social networking channels and asked non-teaching staff (for example, food service workers and bus drivers), community partners, and other social service and mental health partners to check in on students and families and communicate or provide needed supports.

Learn from the past and plan for more effective distance learning ahead

District presenters agreed that many challenges remain. WCSD, for example, still has 5,000 students without Wi-Fi access and 16,000 without a laptop. Virtual classrooms using a video platform like Zoom allow educators to see into the homes of families who live differently than they do; presenters noted that some teachers' judgements about these differences highlighted a need for conversations and training about implicit bias. Some staff also need professional learning on how to provide high-quality, standards-based instruction in a digital format with appropriate supports to meet the needs of all learners. The presenters also agreed there is much to be learned about how to maintain relationships with families and address the trauma that students, families, and staff are experiencing during the pandemic.

The presenters encouraged other educators to consider opportunities the pandemic may present for systemwide improvement as they prepare for the 2020/21 school year. Key takeaways that the district presenters expect to be using as they move forward include:

being deliberate and intentional even though doing so might be slower

focusing first on basic needs and supporting family well-being

engaging families in decision-making and seeking their input

maintaining, building, and leveraging relationships with families, and

engaging community partners in the distance learning effort.

Watch the video recording from this webinar and download slides and other resources on the webinar event page.

The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences funds a network of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories ( RELs). Each REL serves a designated region of the country and works with educators and policymakers to support a more evidence-based education system. In response to COVID-19, the RELs have collaborated to produce a series of evidence-based resources and guidance about teaching and learning in a remote environment, as well as other considerations brought by the pandemic. To access these resources, visit https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/covid-19.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engaging Students and Families from Diverse Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic - REL West

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
September 2020 A conversation with researchers and district leaders Finding ways to reach and connect with historically underserved or marginalized populations, including Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students and families, as well as those with language backgrounds other than English, is important for educators at any and all times.

# data[].attributes.headline
Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combatting Racism in Schools

# data[].attributes.subject
Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combatting Racism in Schools

# data[].attributes.headline
Sesame Street: Janelle Monae: Power of Yet

# data[].attributes.subject
Sesame Street: Janelle Monae: Power of Yet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sesame Street: Janelle Monae - Power of Yet

# data[].attributes.headline
Sesame Street: Bruno Mars: Don't Give Up

# data[].attributes.subject
Sesame Street: Bruno Mars: Don't Give Up

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sesame Street: Bruno Mars: Don't Give Up

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From the Authors in the West Virginia University Press Teaching & Learning Series

Pedagogies of Care

Open Resources for Student-Centered & Adaptive Strategies in the New Higher-Ed Landscape

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The power of educational development lies in a single thread-one specific message-that runs through our entire enterprise. It is simply this:

You are not alone.

Pedagogies of Care: Open Resources for Student-Centered & Adaptive Strategies in the New Higher-Ed Landscape offers practical and engaging advice about what "next" should look like across higher education, from sixteen current and forthcoming authors in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education book series from West Virginia University Press.

Collection editors Victoria Mondelli and Thomas J. Tobin note that the resources in Pedagogies of Care take many forms: "Our contributors created videos, audio podcasts, interviews, infographics, and articles. All are underpinned by a student-centered, evidence-based ethos."

We welcome you to use these resources in your own teaching preparations, in educational development with your faculty colleagues, in discussion groups-however they can be useful for you. Our aim is to help facilitate successful teaching and learning in a time of disruption and hardship.

Much about the future is uncertain, so let's make ready: rally toward radical hope, evolve our practices, and meet new possibilities for growth and well-being.

Together.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TEACHING

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES

assessment

contributors

JOe Bisz

Joe Bisz is a national instructional speaker, educational games designer, creative writer, and English professor at the City University of New York.

His book The Allure of Play: The Educator's Guide to Implementing Learning Activities and Games is forthcoming from West Virginia University Press.

See joebisz.com to learn more.

WVU PRESS

All of the contibutors to the Pedagogies of Care collection are authors in the Teaching & Learning in Higher Education book series from West Virginia University Press. We are grateful to series editor James M. Lang and WVU Press Director Derek Krissoff for permission to share elements from our existing and forthcoming books in the Pedagogies of Care collection.

​

To learn more about WVU Press, discover the Teaching & Learning book series, and engage with our books and authors, please visit wvupress.com.

Oh, and please support your local and independent bookstores, y'all. Where you can, consider buying directly from the press or your local shops.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From the Authors in the West Virginia University Press Teaching & Learning Series Pedagogies of Care Open Resources for Student-Centered & Adaptive Strategies in the New Higher-Ed Landscape ABOUT THE COLLECTION The power of educational development lies in a single thread-one specific message-that runs through our entire enterprise.

# data[].attributes.headline
Online Tools for Your Classroom- video tutorials

# data[].attributes.subject
Online Tools for Your Classroom- video tutorials

# data[].attributes.headline
Confronting White Supremacy in the K-12 Classroom: Supporting #BLM and Anti-Racist Teaching

# data[].attributes.subject
Confronting White Supremacy in the K-12 Classroom: Supporting #BLM and Anti-Racist Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Confronting White Supremacy in the K-12 classroom: Supporting #BLM and Anti-Racist Teaching

# data[].attributes.headline
From Linguistic Racism to Linguistic Justice and Liberation: Black Language, Literacy, and Learning Webinar

# data[].attributes.subject
From Linguistic Racism to Linguistic Justice and Liberation: Black Language, Literacy, and Learning Webinar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
University of Pittsburgh School of Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
From Linguistic Racism to Linguistic Justice and Liberation: Black Language, Literacy, and Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Opinion

To become anti-racists, white people must acknowledge their power

As someone who researches and presents to school leaders and teachers across the country about how racism functions in schools, I have been asked the same question repeatedly in recent weeks: "What is your opinion on 'white fragility'?" Ten times out of 10, a Black educator is asking me this question. My response is always noncontroversial because I respect the work of Robin DiAngelo, whose 2018 book White Fragility has caught fire with white people seeking to better comprehend the concept of racism. But I do raise the point that her work is only a starting point for understanding anti-racism.

After reflecting on this question from Black educators, I worried whether my response has been critical enough of white fragility-the idea that when white people are confronted with even minimal amounts of racial stress, for example, a conversation about race and racism in America, their initial reactions are to become angry, fearful, guilty, or tearful.

So, I called my mentor, Cynthia Dillard, a professor of teacher education and a colleague at the University of Georgia, to discuss her perspective on the idea of white fragility. She pointedly asked me: "Tina, what's fragile about racism?" She was right. I have never known racism to be fragile.

Racism is violent. It systemically kills, destroys, and diminishes the dreams and real lives of Black, brown, and Indigenous people every day in the United States and has for centuries. Racism killed Breonna Taylor, racism killed George Floyd, and racism is a major factor in determining who will live and die from COVID-19. The idea that whiteness is fragile or weak does not reflect the racial terror people of color have experienced in this country.

By design, racism is powerful and sustained by anti-Blackness, violence, and capitalism. Even DiAngelo herself, a white woman, classifies white fragility as a form of bullying. She writes: "Let me be clear: while the capacity for white people to sustain challenges to our racial positions is limited-and, in this way, fragile-the effects of our responses are not fragile at all; they are quite powerful because they take advantage of historical and institutional power and control."

It is by design that white people do not have the language to address or understand how racism and white privilege work in their own lives. For example, our current education system does not provide white students with anti-racist curriculum, language to call out racism, or teachers of color to learn from. After 13 years of schooling, many white students end their K-12 experience without ever having a teacher of color or being challenged to disrupt their learned racism.

More From This Author:

"An Essay for Teachers Who Understand Racism Is Real"

"Teachers, We Cannot Go Back to the Way Things Were"

"White Teachers Need Anti-Racist Therapy"

"How Schools Are 'Spirit Murdering' Black and Brown Students"

"Dear White Teachers: You Can't Love Your Black Students If You Don't Know Them"

"'Grit Is in Our DNA': Why Teaching Grit Is Inherently Anti-Black"

If we are going to begin the hard, anti-racist work of systemically eradicating racism from institutions and the everyday practices of white people, then we need white people to know just how powerful they are, how destructive racism is, and how managing inequality is not racial progress. White fragility legitimizes white people's belief that they are powerless as they continue to benefit from and consume unearned privileges, positions, and power. This belief is not paving a path to anti-racism. Although I support DiAngelo's work as a starting place for white folx seeking understanding of racism, the idea of white fragility without further context is harmful to the work of anti-racism.

In the field of education, anti-racism often looks like school districts managing inequality and racism instead of eliminating them. School districts all over the country have Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments, where they hire BIPOC-Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color-to manage and measure oppression. There is still little to no talk of removing institutional barriers. Instead, the focus continues to be on tracking how students of color perform against the barriers of racism, poverty, and language.

In the state of Georgia, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement presents an actual award to schools called "Beating the Odds." The award is calculated by "variables that are outside of a school's control" such as school size and students' race, ethnicity, disabilities, English fluency, transience, and economic insecurity. The state acknowledges that these are barriers to student achievement. But instead of eliminating English-only testing or funding education fully, it bestows a hollow honor on schools for managing inequities and racism "the best."

Effectively, school districts declare that there are barriers that hinder students' educational growth and then seem to be fine managing those inequalities with awards, reports, committees, and task forces. I would be remiss if I did not pause here to say that race is not a barrier-racism is the barrier. These types of awards and measures perpetuate grit models of academic achievement where students of color are asked to persevere through injustices and jump over institutional barriers, while schools measure their "success."

As we work to make this country anti-racist, this goal is only achievable if white people acknowledge their power and cede it for the humanity and rights of everyone, including themselves, by methodically tearing down racist policies and replacing those policies with ones that value the lives of BIPOC. Thus, the work of anti-racism is anything but fragile. DiAngelo's White Fragility represents the training wheels of anti-racism work, but if white people expect to accomplish real social change, they need to acknowledge their strength.

If they are strong enough to oppress people of color for over 400 years and create a country that can systemically kill Black people in broad daylight with impunity, they are strong enough to destroy the system that they built. They are strong enough to walk in the footsteps of co-conspirators such as Jane Elliott (the international lecturer on racism and creator of the "Blue Eyes & Brown Eyes Exercise"), Mandy Manning (the 2018 National Teacher of the Year who handed President Donald Trump letters from refugee students at her award ceremony ), James Tyson (who assisted Bree Newsome in taking down the confederate flag in South Carolina and put his hand on the flagpole so the cops would not tase the pole and kill Newsome), Heather Heyer (the civil rights activist who was killed in 2017 at a protest in Charlottesville, Va.), and Brandelyn Tosolt (the anti- racist educator and co-founder of the Abolitionist Teaching Network). These white folx saw themselves as anything but fragile. They saw the need to attack the system of racism from all angles.

If anti-racism is going to be more than a slogan, then white people must follow the lead of these activists and educators and stop believing they are too fragile to work toward ending racism.

Related Video

In 2016, Bettina L. Love, the author of this essay, spoke to Education Week about African-American girls and discipline. Here's what she had to say:

Published in Print: August 26, 2020, as There Is Nothing Fragile About Racism

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Back to Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Opinion As someone who researches and presents to school leaders and teachers across the country about how racism functions in schools, I have been asked the same question repeatedly in recent weeks: "What is your opinion on 'white fragility'?" Ten times out of 10, a Black educator is asking me this question.

# data[].attributes.headline
Black Gaze Podcast episode featuring Dr. Betina Hsieh 

# data[].attributes.subject
Black Gaze Podcast episode featuring Dr. Betina Hsieh 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Solidarity Needed Between Blacks & Asians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to this episode from Black Gaze on Spotify. Dr. Bertrand and Dr. Porcher invite their very first co-host, Dr. Betina Hsieh to discuss the solidarity needed between Blacks and Asians. We have a critical conversation about anti-Blackness in the Asian community.

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating the Space to Talk About Race in Your School

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating the Space to Talk About Race in Your School

# data[].attributes.headline
Repurposing Our Pedagogies: Abolitionist Teaching in a Global Pandemic Webinar

# data[].attributes.subject
Repurposing Our Pedagogies: Abolitionist Teaching in a Global Pandemic Webinar

# data[].attributes.headline
Developing Classroom Community in Online Spaces through Humanizing Practices

# data[].attributes.subject
Developing Classroom Community in Online Spaces through Humanizing Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Developing Classroom Community in Online Spaces through Humanizing Practices

# data[].attributes.headline
10 Word & Phrases You Might Not Know Are Racist

# data[].attributes.subject
10 Word & Phrases You Might Not Know Are Racist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Raising our kids in this day and age isn't always easy and what we say, both to our kids and to each other, really matters. Unintentional hurtful communication is a reality, but with time and a greater understanding of one another's experiences, we can learn to communicate with sensitivity-especially when it comes to dismantling racism and promoting social justice in our communities. After polling members of a diverse social justice parenting network, we found 10 phrases that should be avoided as we try to manifest a more inclusive and fair society. Keep reading, because the kids are listening.

How this can be hurtful: Because we live in a society where people are targeted or denied opportunities because of the color of their skin, it can be insensitive to people of color's experiences of injustice to make this kind of statement. Saying you don't see color could be interpreted to mean that you are not aware of, or concerned by, the systemic bias that maintains disproportionate vulnerability for people of color in American society.

More importantly, as a society, we are striving for equity, not assimilation. Being different is not inherently negative; this is a false and divisive worldview. Just as in natural ecology, diversity makes our communities more resilient. We need to acknowledge that we do see differences in skin color but need to be careful not to consciously or unconsciously ascribe negative meaning to the colors that we see.

How to better align our language with our intentions: Perhaps a more thoughtful alternative would be: "I try not to judge people by their skin color." This is a solid approach because it signals that you are actively engaged in a process of learning and growth.

How this can be hurtful: As a term previously used to dehumanize people, "oriental" is a word that can evoke a racist history and make people feel disenfranchised. To understand this, we have to appreciate the origin and historical usage. Scholars, like Erika Lee, have noted that the word "oriental" was tied to anti-Asian sentiment, violence, and xenophobic legislation (such as lynching and the Chinese Exclusion Act) in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. In 2016, President Obama had the word "oriental" stricken from federal law.

How to better align our language with our intentions: "She looked to me like she could be of Asian descent." This acknowledges the limitations in our ability to accurately determine anyone's race but is a geographically and politically relevant attempt to describe someone.

How this can be hurtful: This is a challenging statement because it compounds a denial of our existential need for growth with the myth of racial homogeneity. In general, there is always room to grow in our sensitivity and awareness; there is never a time that we should articulate our social position as so perfect that we are above reproach or education.

Also, since your friendship with that person of color is probably not predicated on the sole premise of dismantling systemic racism, it is illogical to leverage that relationship in a conversation about racism. You don't want to exploit and undermine your authentic friendships simply to justify an unwillingness to hear how your words or actions made someone else feel.

How to better align our language with our intentions: Be vulnerable enough to admit that you had not intended to be racist, but there are sometimes disconnections between our intentions and our actions. A more effective statement could be: "I have never been made aware that these actions/this language could be racist or hurtful."

How this can be hurtful: There is such a complex history and narrative with Indigenous Americans who are caught between dehumanizing exoticism and the false perceptions of exploiting government "hand-outs." Any kind of explicit language, comments or questions reflecting either of these points of view can be problematic. However, it can also be subtly disempowering to call people by a name given to them by their colonizers, rather than using the names that they call themselves.

According to a 1997 survey of Native American college and high school students, reported in Native Americas, more than 96% identified themselves with their specific indigenous nation, and only a little more than half of these youths identified themselves as American citizens. While most of us are not going to be able to discern between indigenous ethnic groups, we should be able to perceive the difference between a person descended from India (an Indian) and a Native person.*

How to better align our language with our intentions: "He is Indigenous" or "he is Native" are better options. Using this language at least acknowledges the connection between indigenous heritage and the land that comprises the United States of America.

*It is worth noting that native is a term that can be used pejoratively, but generically it means "first."

How this can be hurtful: Statements like these are making an exception of an individual within a racial group. These are especially hurtful because they are full of tangled racist nuances. In a single sentence like this, you are making several simultaneous assertions that you probably don't intend:

You are expressing a biased or narrow view of a racial group.

You are saying that you accept this individual on the contingency that they do not align their behavior too closely with the stereotypes of their actual racial group.

You are attempting to establish yourself as the arbiter of someone else's racial identity.

You are disenfranchising this person from the racial group to which they belong, leaving them without any true social "safe place."

The person of color on the receiving end of this statement is stuck between a rock and a hard place. The options are either: (1) to reject this offer to assimilate and risk confrontation and fall out in real time or (2) to accept this contingent social proposition and cooperate in systemic racism by reinforcing stereotypes and validating narrow worldviews.

How to better align our language with our intentions: A better approach would be: "I feel like we have a lot in common." This signals that you are prioritizing the things that unite you over the things that divide you, which is a step towards humanity.

Gyped/Jipped: This term originated as a racially derogatory word for the nomadic Romani people who have been the target of unfounded accusations of theft.

Grandfathered In: This expression was introduced into our vernacular with the passing of the 15 th Amendment. Once black people were granted the right to vote, several states created prerequisites for voting. The "grandfather clause" exempted white people (who were lineal descendants of people who were allowed to vote before the federal legislation) from having to pass literacy tests or pay poll taxes to qualify to vote.

Moron: This word was submitted by eugenicist Henry Goddard to describe people of inferior genetic characteristics. In 1913, he and his staff classified 40% of Hungarians, Jews, and Italian immigrants as "moronic" and had them deported.

Long Time, No See: This expression is pidgin English, and it was originally used to mock the way Native Americans and/or Chinese people spoke English.

Peanut Gallery: This is a classist and arguably racist reference to describe the least expensive seating in theaters, which were often occupied by black theater-goers.

-Mimi Nartey
RELATED STORIES: How I Explain Racism to My White Friends (So They Can Explain It to Their Kids) 21 Places to Visit to Understand Race in America How to Teach Children Compassion How to Educate Your Children on Riots & Protests This Author Compiled a List of 500 Diverse Books for Teens & Tweens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Words & Phrases You Might Not Know Are Racist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Raising our kids in this day and age isn't always easy and what we say, both to our kids and to each other, really matters. Unintentional hurtful communication is a reality, but with time and a greater understanding of one another's experiences, we can learn to communicate with sensitivity-especially when it comes to dismantling racism and promoting social justice in our communities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Just, Equitable and Inclusive Education Resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Just, Equitable and Inclusive Education Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The College of Education is committed to anti-racist teaching and learning. We are committed to dismantling racist polices, practice and ideas that influence schools, teachers and children. One of our strategic goals is to provide a just, equitable, and inclusive education . To that end, we have curated resources that encourage understanding the history behind and the current impact of systemic racism and oppression. As a college, we call upon our faculty, staff, students and community members to walk this journey with us and become part of the solution through awareness, advocacy and allyship.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Just Equitable and Inclusive Resources - College of Education | CSUF

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The College of Education is committed to anti-racist teaching and learning. We are committed to dismantling racist polices, practice and ideas that influence schools, teachers and children. One of our strategic goals is to provide a just, equitable, and inclusive education .

# data[].attributes.headline
Resources for Abolitionist Teaching and Solidarity in These Times

# data[].attributes.subject
Resources for Abolitionist Teaching and Solidarity in These Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teachers 4 Social Justice: 2020 Resources for Abolitionist Teaching and Solidarity in These Times

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching To Thrive Podcast by the Abolitionist Teaching Network

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching To Thrive Podcast by the Abolitionist Teaching Network

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to ATN - Teaching To Thrive on Spotify. Teaching to Thrive is a podcast committed to sharing ideas that strengthen the everyday lives of Black and Brown students within our schools and communities. Each episode is aimed at empowering our knowledge for collective liberation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's about reaching students where they really are.

Editor's Note: In 1988, a teacher most commonly had 15 years of experience. In recent years, that number is closer to just three years leading a classroom. The "On Teaching" series focuses on the wisdom of veteran teachers.
In the fall of 2001, armed with an undergraduate science degree and a rushed teaching credential, I stood in front of a sea of Black and brown middle-school students in the Bronx and announced that I was their teacher. On the first day of school, I told them, "This is my class. I am going to be teaching you science and math. You will listen, you will work hard, and you will be respectful." I had practiced these lines in the mirror for weeks. My shoulders were back, my hands were in my pockets, and my teacher scowl had been perfected. Everything I had been told about how to teach-that success was only attained in a quiet, contained classroom, and you had to be tough to maintain it-was contained in those few lines.

A few weeks later, I was walking the aisles of the classroom while my students were working quietly on math problems, when loud sirens began to penetrate the walls. Thinking it was just another police car or ambulance, I yelled at my students to focus. In that moment, ensuring that they were not yielding to distractions was my biggest concern. But the sirens persisted for longer than usual. Students looked up at me with concern; my brows tightened in a scowl that forced their eyes back to their notebooks. I knew that no math was happening, but as long as no eyes were lifted from the page, I felt successful. Then the phone rang.

The voice on the other end informed me that two airplanes had crashed into the World Trade Center. Parents were storming the school building and wanted to take their children home. I was told to keep the students focused and not tell them that anything was happening. One student in my class, scared by the sirens and the confusion, asked if she could call her mother. I said no.

In the weeks that followed, words like terrorist and bomber became common language. On more than one occasion, I heard those words hurled at the three Muslim students in my classroom, but I just told the students who had wielded them to watch their language and kept on teaching.

I taught through violence against Muslim students and used the permission I tacitly received from the school to justify my inaction. I ignored the chaos of the world beyond the classroom because I believed that it was my job to just keep on teaching. Looking back now, I realize I was not actually teaching at all.

Almost 20 years after September 11, 2001, the coronavirus pandemic has emerged as another siren, tearing through our collective sense of normal. We are responding to this virus and adjusting our methods for remote learning. But institutional racism is also deadly, and it's even more widespread. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd, had a symptomatic case of the racism virus. But teachers place metaphorical knees on the necks of young people in classrooms all the time-and their symptoms aren't always as obvious. I know this because I had the virus, too.

The best teachers don't just keep teaching. Instead, they use their pedagogy as protest: They disrupt teaching norms that harm vulnerable students. In my years in the classroom since 2001, I've learned something about how to do this. I call it reality pedagogy, because it's about reaching students where they really are, making sure that their lives and backgrounds are reflected in the curriculum and in classroom conversations.

Reality pedagogy interrupts the notion that teaching is about managing students and their behavior. Instead, I've learned to see them as co-teachers, and I create space for dialogue-in small groups outside of class-about how they experience the classroom and the world beyond it. It's a space for connection, but also for any critiques they have of my teaching. These conversations are generative for everyone involved. Teachers need feedback from their students, who can see what teachers have been trained to ignore in their blind pursuit of a calm, quiet classroom. And students need a sense of agency, which they are often denied.

Co-teaching requires that teachers be humble enough to become students of their students-especially the students who have been most harmed, and will benefit most from a teacher listening to their experiences. In my first years of teaching, I never asked to hear my students' thoughts about having to sit and learn while the world around them was going crazy. I didn't make space for my Muslim students to heal from being targeted. But if I had started that dialogue, I would have learned a lot from them about how I could have been a better teacher.

When students have this kind of agency, a classroom can start to function like a family-or even a small society. I give all of my students a classroom responsibility that counts toward their grades and involves taking care of the physical classroom and each other. And I institute democratic decision making for all actions taken in the classroom: Students help to decide what assignments we work on, how long we spend on activities, and what to discuss. The classroom can serve as an example of what the world should look like- all students with equal power, regardless of their culture or background-rather than a replication of what it is.

Reality pedagogy involves connecting academic content to events happening in the world that affect students. The curriculum can weave in specific references to the neighborhoods where young people are from, inequities that they and their families are hurt by, and protests in the community. But that doesn't mean these lessons are always serious. Students can compete to show their knowledge through art, games, and music. I have created projects like the Science Genius competition, where young people write raps about science content and events happening in their lives and compete to be the best scientist, rapper, and storyteller. The classroom-especially for Black youth-should not feel like a place where they are policed or silenced. Black joy can be a part of daily learning.

All teachers will sometimes fail. But that's why we have to accurately see ourselves in the classroom. I suggest that teachers videotape their teaching for study, so they can self-diagnose for the racism virus they may be suffering from and spreading unintentionally.

In 2001, I thought that good teaching meant delivering content knowledge to students who were behaving "appropriately." In 2020, I know that is not enough. I've learned to see my classroom as a platform for empowering students and transforming society, and to use my pedagogy as a form of protest against norms that silence students. Far from sacrificing content knowledge, engaged students, whose voices are heard, are better able to learn it.

A pedagogy of protest privileges dialogue with students even when the school schedule says there is no time for it. It creates space for youth to teach about their lives even when the curriculum says there is no space for it. It focuses on building community and family even when the school administration tells teachers not to express emotion with students. If teachers want to respond to racism as they've responded to the coronavirus pandemic, they can start here-in their own classrooms.
This article is part of our project "On Teaching," which is supported by grants from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Panta Rhea Foundation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's about reaching students where they really are.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Ways to Show You Care for Your Black Students

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Ways to Show You Care for Your Black Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Opinion

Teachers play a key role in making Black students feel safe in school

One question that many school leaders and practitioners are grappling with is how they can best support Black students. A litany of data has highlighted disparate outcomes for them at the K-12 level. We must do better. Teachers can and must be part of efforts to improve classrooms for Black students. Teachers who make a difference are able to move beyond traditional classroom practices to ensure that they feel comfortable and safe in classrooms.

As a former classroom teacher and student, I can attest to the need for extra attention and care to help Black students feel comfortable in historically excluded spaces. Schools explicitly exclude them by way of suspensions and implicitly exclude them through curriculum, culture, and policy. Black students are not the only ones who suffer racial discrimination in school, but in light of the recent protest for Black liberation across the country, it is imperative that Black students receive particular emphasis and focus. School practices must account for their experiences and needs. When we find ways to demonstrate care for Black students, our empathic actions benefit all students.

Here are five suggestions for how we can show care for our Black students:
1. Make sure curricular materials are inclusive and positively represent all Black folks.
We must consider Black students when creating curriculum to ensure instructional materials are inclusive of all Black life. By "all," I mean men, women, LGBTQ+, mixed-raced folks, and those with disabilities. It is not enough to discuss Black people briefly during thematic units on marginalized groups. Their historical exclusion in instructional materials contributes to the lack of care Black students experience in school. Without curricular representation, the contributions of Black innovators, the examples of Black excellence, the struggle for Black liberation, and the diversity within Blackness are absent from curricular materials. Black people must be equally represented across all disciplines to ensure that Black students feel included in the learning environment. As educators, we should ask ourselves:

* Are any of my books written by Black authors?
* Do my books and curriculum materials illustrate the diversity that exists within the Black community?

2. Seek feedback from Black students.
It is impossible for any teacher, regardless of race, to understand the experiences of Black students in our classes, unless they ask their Black students directly. As teachers, we rarely seek feedback from our students, and this prevents us from understanding how Black students may be experiencing our class. Black people experience this country in unique ways based on structural disadvantages and systemic racism. Unfortunately, the experiences in classrooms are no different. It is important to listen to the voices of Black students because they are often those who suffer most in the learning environment.

To show care for them we must seek answers to questions such as:

* What does it feel like to be a Black student in my classroom or in this school?
* Do Black students feel safe in my classroom?
* How can I help Black students experience success in my classroom?

3. Educate ourselves and our students on the nature of racism.
* White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
* No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships by Jaleel R. Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, and Tyrone C. Howard
* Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom by Matthew R. Kay
* How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

It is difficult for anyone to combat racism, if they do not understand it. Racism is a complex, multifaceted issue that has permeated American society for centuries. Racism is so deeply embedded in American culture that it often goes ignored by those not directly affected. To psychologically and emotionally protect Black students in the classroom, we must develop our understanding of racism and the many ways it presents itself.

As teachers, we can learn more about racism by watching lectures on combating anti-Blackness, attending anti-racist workshops, and reading anti-racist literature. As we educate ourselves about racism, we must find ways to educate our students as well. We must engage in difficult conversations with our students that support the elimination of anti-Blackness in our classroom and school. And we should ask ourselves:

* Do my students understand the racial context of the text, lesson, and/or unit?
* Do my students see me discuss race- related issues?
* Do my students know how to interrupt racism by my example and by examples they've learned in class?

4. Believe Black students.
Many Black students go through school simply not being believed or constantly trying to prove their innocence. Blackness in school is often seen as a sign of guilt, which means that Black children are not often viewed as innocent in the same ways that other children are viewed. Far too often when Black students express themselves in school, they are ignored or not given the same attentiveness as their peers. Black students need teachers to believe them when they speak about how they experience schooling. The information students share should inform future policy around issues such as curriculum, discipline, and overall school climate. Black students need allies who will support them in times of turmoil and back them in conflicts with other adults on campus. Not only must we support them through conflicts, but we need to celebrate all of their successes and progress as well. Black students need to feel trusted, and teachers must show them that their thoughts, opinions, and experiences matter.

5. Build relationships with caregivers.
One of the best ways to show care for Black students is by building relationships with their families. As teachers, we must get to know Black caregivers in efforts to demonstrate our commitments to their children's success. In the book I recently co-authored, No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships, I wrote about the benefits that come along with teachers finding ways to build relationships and collaborate with caregivers. Caring for Black students requires an understanding of the way care is demonstrated in their home lives. It is important that Black students view their teachers and caregivers as members of the same team working hand in hand to ensure their success.

It is not enough for schools to release a formal statement about how they are supporting Black students. Black students should not have to wait until the murder of another unarmed Black person in order to feel like their educators care about Black life. As educators, we have a responsibility to take consistent actions and create environments that are safe for all Black students. What are we waiting for?

Web Only

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Back to Top

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Ways to Show You Care for Your Black Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Opinion One question that many school leaders and practitioners are grappling with is how they can best support Black students. A litany of data has highlighted disparate outcomes for them at the K-12 level. We must do better. Teachers can and must be part of efforts to improve classrooms for Black students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Resources compiled by Dr. Kari Kokka

# data[].attributes.subject
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Resources compiled by Dr. Kari Kokka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Curricular Resources for K-12 Teachers 

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Students in California 

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Students in California 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer (LGBTQ) youth are at high risk for bullying and violence, poor mental health, and other challenges.

The availability of data from WestEd's California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), which provides arguably more data on LGBTQ youth than any other source in the nation, offers educators, school administrators, and state officials an important opportunity to explore how LGBTQ students - and other populations - perceive their school climate and how those perceptions relate to their academic success and emotional well-being.

This report describes the school experiences of LGBTQ students by examining two years of CHKS data from approximately 800,000 secondary school students. The data reveal students' perceptions of school supports, school safety, school engagement, academic performance, and mental health.

Previous research in the field has pointed to challenges faced by LGBTQ students but has generally conflated multiple gender identity and sexual orientation categories, making it difficult to draw conclusions regarding how different kinds of students experience the challenges differently. This report instead disaggregates data by three gender identity categories and by five sexual orientation categories, thereby providing a more complete and nuanced picture.

The findings in this report indicate that LGBTQ youth receive substantially fewer social supports from teachers and school peers than their non-LGBTQ peers. The authors document the unmet needs and challenges of LGBTQ youth in California and provide suggestive evidence that schools might significantly improve the well-being of LGBTQ students by implementing policies and services and by creating a culture of support to address LGBTQ students' unique needs and elevated risks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding the Experiences of LGBTQ Students in California

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This report describes the school experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer students. It draws on two years of California Healthy Kids Survey data from approximately 800,000 secondary school students and their perceptions of school supports, school safety, school engagement, academic performance, and mental health.

# data[].attributes.headline
Resources from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

# data[].attributes.subject
Resources from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The ODEI would like to share resources with you to help educate around issues of power, privilege, oppression, and racism. The information shared below is presented in multiple ways (articles/books to read, videos/webinars to watch, and podcasts to listen to). Join the ULV community as we learn and grow together to help combat injustices, call out racism, advocate for equitable systems, and fight for change.

Readings

Watch or Listen

Take

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources | Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ODEI would like to share resources with you to help educate around issues of power, privilege, oppression, and racism. The information shared below is presented in multiple ways (articles/books to read, videos/webinars to watch, and podcasts to listen to). Join the ULV community as we learn and grow together to help combat injustices, call ...

# data[].attributes.headline
Promoting Principal Leadership for the Success of Students with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
Promoting Principal Leadership for the Success of Students with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This website was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A120003. David Guardino serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or polices of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PSEL 2015 and Promoting School Leadership for Students with Disabilities | CEEDAR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This website was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A120003. David Guardino serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or polices of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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. That's why we're sharing the resources below, from an interactive timeline and coloring book to many other classroom resources.

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.

You can learn about these trailblazers and more with GLSEN's new LGBTQ History Cards.

GLSEN's LGBTQ+ History Cards feature icons and events from the LGBTQ+ community in contemporary history. Research shows that inclusive curriculum is a critical part of fostering safe and affirming learning environments for all students.

LGBTQ History Coloring Book

A perfect activity for elementary school students and adults alike, this coloring book features leaders and groundbreaking events in American history that highlight people with LGBTQ identities.

Download the full coloring book in color or black and white. These LGBTQ leaders and events are featured in the book:

We'Wha

Bayard Rustin

Compton Cafeteria Riots

Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera

Marriage Equality and Edie Windsor

Laverne Cox

Purchase hard copies in bulk for your classroom!

Student Resources

These LGBTQ students shared their stories about how their identities are affected and represented historically.

Educator Resources

One LGBTQ icon to include in class is Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California. Sign up to gain free access to a short animated film about his life and other educational resources, offered by our partner BrainPOP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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.

# data[].attributes.headline
Culturally Relevant Education Course Enhancement Module  

# data[].attributes.subject
Culturally Relevant Education Course Enhancement Module  

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We frame this CEM as Culturally Relevant Education, extending the Culturally Responsive Teaching Innovation Configuration by discussing the commonalities and evolution of related terms and providing resources for conceptual understanding, content area application, and behavior support. The National Center on Education Statistics (NCES; de Brey et al., 2019) projects that by 2027, the United States' student population will be majority non-White, with Hispanic/Latinx representation increasing most significantly. Between 2000 and 2015, the numbers of students identifying Hispanic/Latinx (16-26%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4-5%), and of two or more races steadily increased; American Indian/Alaska Native (1%) remained stable; and White (61-49%) and Black (17-15%) declined. The teaching workforce remains overwhelmingly female (77%) and White (80%; NCES, 2017). Two strategies to support all learners include: (a) continuing efforts to diversify the workforce, and (b) ensuring all educators are prepared to be culturally relevant educators.
Academic Achievement Discrepancies
Standardized academic achievement measures, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), suggest that the education received by some of our nation's learners - mostly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds - is insufficient. Academic achievement gaps between White and Black and White and Hispanic students have declined modestly, but gaps remain in almost every state across the nation with enough representation to be counted. Some states have made strides in closing the gaps between White and Black and Hispanic students while others have experienced widening gaps (Hansen, Levesque, Quintero, & Valant, 2018). However, even with gaps narrowing, underachievement for any segment of our student population is a problem.
Disproportionality in Special Education
When students experience persistent academic and behavioral difficulty, they are increasingly referred for special education services. For some, the referral process happens inappropriately and/or prematurely; for others, it is slow, allowing academic deficits to solidify. Disproportionality in special education has been examined and reported in different ways for decades. The issue remains that certain groups of students face greater risk of being referred to and receiving special education services. According to the 40th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2018), the risk ratios for receiving special education services were as follows: American Indian/Alaska Native, 1.7; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.5; Black/African American, 1.4; Hispanic/Latino, 1.0; White, 1.0; two or more races, 0.9; and Asian, 0.5. In other words, American Indian/Alaska Native students are 1.7 times as likely and Asians are half as likely as all other groups to receive special education services. These data and service delivery vary widely. Some states and districts employ Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for instruction and intervention and attempt to individualize the educational program for all learners with a focus on the most vulnerable.
MTSS - Panacea or Restructured Problem?
MTSS is a framework designed to structure team-based decision making to support academic and behavioral learning with increasing intensity (i.e., tiers of supports) based on need. Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are variations of this concept (Center on PBIS, n.d.). Over the years, cautions have emerged about implementing intervention without considering culture and without looking to the learning environment rather than the child for deficits. If a child fails to respond to an intervention, he or she might be considered a non-responder rather than the intervention being considered inappropriate (Garcia & Ortiz, 2008).

Instruction and intervention must consider student background, including family, culture, and community. The innovation configurations (ICs) on Culturally Responsive Teaching (Aceves & Orosco, 2014) and English Learners (Richards-Tutor, Aceves, & Reese, 2016) provide background information on these topics and serve as tools for identifying the extent to which the essential components are addressed in courses and professional learning opportunities.
Policy-Informed Practice
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) represent hallmark legislation guiding schooling for learners in the United States. Revisions and amendments over the years have intended to meet the increasingly complex needs of diverse communities.

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA; Elementary and Secondary Education Act) non-regulatory guidance for Title II, Part A (U.S. Department of Education, 2016) includes:

Establishing outcome-oriented performance metrics to facilitate oversight by the authorizer and provide common expectations and standards for academies to include developing rigorous qualifications for teacher and/or principal candidates to successfully complete the program such as demonstration of cultural competency, classroom management skills, subject area and content-specific knowledge, and the ability to use standards-based, data-driven, and differentiated instruction (p. 6).

Providing ongoing professional development aimed at cultural competency and responsiveness and equity coaching, designed to improve conditions for all educators and students, including educators and students from underrepresented minority groups, diverse national origins, English language competencies, and varying genders and sexual orientations (p. 19)

The importance of providing culturally relevant instruction and intervention has been acknowledged in IDEA. An Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) archived document (U.S. Department of Education, 2007) outlines the following culturally relevant instructional principles:

Link assessments of student progress directly to the instructional curricula rather than to abstract norms for standardized tests.

Examine not only the individual child, but also his or her instructional environment using direct observational data.

Create classroom environments that reflect different cultural heritages and accommodate different styles of communication and learning.

Develop and implement family-friendly practices to establish collaborative partnerships with parents and other caregivers, including those who do not speak English.

The racial/ethnic mismatch between teachers and students cannot continue to be a barrier to student learning and achievement. All teachers, regardless of background, are responsible for the outcomes of students, and the accountability measures are increasing for professionals and the programs that prepare them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We frame this CEM as Culturally Relevant Education, extending the Culturally Responsive Teaching Innovation Configuration by discussing the commonalities and evolution of related terms and providing resources for conceptual understanding, content area application, and behavior support.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Conscious Kid- Parenting and Education Resources Through a Critical Race Lens

# data[].attributes.subject
The Conscious Kid- Parenting and Education Resources Through a Critical Race Lens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to our Patreon page! We are so grateful to have you here with us.

Our goal with Patreon is to create a small, intimate community where we can get to know each other better, create space for in-depth, personal discussions, and respond to specific questions and concerns you have as you navigate intersections of race, equity, parenting, and education.

To share a little bit more about ourselves, we are an 501c3 educational nonprofit that equips parents and educators with tools they can use to support racial identity development, critical literacy, and equitable practices in their homes and classrooms. We use critical race theory (which is intersectional) to navigate how issues of race impact young children and their identity development. Most of our work takes place off-line and is focused on critical media literacy research, teaching, advocacy, and increasing access to books that center marginalized groups through our book-of-the-month subscriptions and children's lending library.

Every person on our team is a parent of color. We are all navigating these issues right alongside you and bring our experiential knowledge and insight to the table, along with our educational and professional qualifications. We all hold graduate degrees and our directors include PhD candidates in Education, HBCU Professors, critical race researchers, and practitioners who each bring over a decade of experience to this work. In 2019, our work has been featured by Forbes, Teaching Tolerance, People Magazine, School Library Journal, Parents, and NPR CodeSwitch.

Your tangible support goes a long way in making our work sustainable. It will allow us to:
-Create a precedent that values and compensates educators of color for our time, labor, and experiential knowledge
-Continue our work and presence on social media to share free resources, books, and information on a daily basis
-Support our partnerships and book donations to Title I schools across the country
-Engage in more original research. In 2019, we published our Research on Diversity in Children's Literature journal article on Dr. Seuss. There are many other critical research projects we can't wait to accomplish with your support
-Dedicate our time and energy to our work, rather than seeking and worrying about the resources needed to fund it

Thank you for joining us and being a part of this beautiful community. We appreciate your presence and can't wait to connect on a deeper level in this space!

If you would like to support our work with a one-time contribution instead of becoming a monthly patron, you can do so here. Any and all support is invaluable to us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Conscious Kid is creating Parenting and Education Resources through a Critical Race Lens | Patreon

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to our Patreon page! We are so grateful to have you here with us. Our goal with Patreon is to create a small, intimate community where we can get to know each other better, create space for in-depth, personal discussions, and respond to specific questions and concerns you have as you navigate intersections of race, equity, parenting, and education.

# data[].attributes.headline
Remote Teaching & Learning Resources from the Kennedy Center

# data[].attributes.subject
Remote Teaching & Learning Resources from the Kennedy Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Engage in Vigilant Self-Awareness

People who are white or perceived as white have more privilege and fewer barriers to resources than Black people and other people of color. If we do not know our power, we can abuse it unintentionally or fail to leverage it toward antiracism. Constant self-reflection enhances our ability to disrupt white privilege when we see or enact it. Some questions to ask yourself include

How does your identity provide or prevent access to necessary resources?

How does your power and privilege show up in your work with students, take up space, or silence others?

What single narratives are you telling yourself about students, and how does that affect grading, behavior management, and other interactions?

Do you and the academic materials you use uphold whiteness or lift up the voices and experiences of people of color?

2. Acknowledge Racism and the Ideology of White Supremacy

Acknowledging the social construct of race and racism and the ideology of white supremacy recognizes the problem so that we are not harmful in our ignorance and so that, together, we can strive for solutions. For educators of color, the work means continuing to call out racism and recruiting white coconspirators to join in antiracist work.

3. Study and Teach Representative History

No matter what subject you teach, history (including African American history, which is U.S. history) is important. Knowing our country's whole history helps us make sense of how our current education system perpetuates inequity.

For too long, we have taught U.S. history devoid of a true depiction of Black excellence and have focused on erasing the truth of racial oppression and uplifting whiteness. Our curriculum superficially talks about slavery and civil rights (notably, textbook provider McGraw-Hill called enslaved Africans "immigrants" and "workers" ), and teaching practices risk traumatizing Black students by enacting mock slave auctions, slave games, and underground railroad games. Alternately, resources such as Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s PBS documentary series on Reconstruction or The New York Times Magazine's 1619 Project provide a comprehensive opportunity to learn and discuss history and race with colleagues and students. The Zinn Education Project and Rethinking Schools also have teaching materials that explore topics like the Tulsa race riots and colonization.

4. Talk About Race with Students

To open up conversations with young people, use stories from history and literature as a starting point, and ask students to take on the perspective of a character about whom they are reading. Reading literature and role-playing enhance empathy and other social cognitive skills. Teaching Tolerance's resource, " Let's Talk: Discussing Race, Racism, and Other Difficult Topics," includes suggestions for working through discomfort. The Educational Leadership article " Helping Students Discuss Race Openly " also has a great list of steps to begin the conversation. (And the September 2019 issue of this newsletter includes guidance from educator Liz Kleinrock on how to lead students through challenging topics like race .)

5. When You See Racism, Do Something

Most important, when we see racism-whether at the individual or policy level-we must have the courage to act. White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo provides guidance for engaging in gentle but firm conversations with offenders that prevents the defensiveness that race conversations inspire. Share data on specific practices and use stories to humanize the data. Build partnerships with racial-justice organizations in your communities to integrate their work in teaching and learning. Form a taskforce to assess data, policies, and practices with an antiracist lens to disrupt systemic decisions that historically have disenfranchised people of color. Be mindful that these efforts should not be carried solely by the people of color in your school, who are living and struggling with racism on a daily basis.

Shape an Antiracist Future

In his book How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi writes, "The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' ... One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist'" (p. 9). Teaching for an antiracist future starts with us, the educators. An antiracist educator actively works to dismantle the structures, policies, institutions, and systems that create barriers and perpetuate race-based inequities for people of color. Educating students to see and respect the humanity and dignity of all people should be a national imperative, especially if we want to heal-and have a future-as a nation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Educators have an obligation to confront the harm of racism, says one social-emotional learning expert.