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Civics in Real Life - Florida Joint Center for Citizenship
Grades
6 to 12
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Expand civic literacy with weekly updates and resources from the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship. Each week the center adds civics concepts related to the current news. View topics...more
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Expand civic literacy with weekly updates and resources from the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship. Each week the center adds civics concepts related to the current news. View topics by date and title, then click to download. The downloads are one page PDF documents containing a short overview of the relevant topic along with a "To Think and To Do" activity.
tag(s): constitution (88), courts (19), elections (80), electoral college (22), holidays (166), politics (113), presidents (122), supreme court (27)
In the Classroom
Because this site offers weekly downloads, it is a great addition to use in any social studies classroom for civics lessons or providing ongoing civics discussions throughout the school year. Engage students by creating groups to explore concepts even further throughout the year. For example, divide your class into four or five groups, then have each group rotate throughout the month to take the information from a weekly update and conduct further research. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and share each of the activities for students to revisit and review the content. Take advantage of tools such as Google Slides, reviewed here, to focus student groups on learning activities. Create a slide template that includes students' areas to answer questions, reflect upon finding, and share resources used. Extend learning using podcasts as a final project for students to discuss and share their researched topic. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is an excellent option for podcasting in the classroom because of the free features that include adding links and lists to podcasts and the ability to schedule podcasts release for your chosen date and time.
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Fake News: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation - Pace University
Grades
4 to 12
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This helpful page provides information to help you understand how to verify news resources for research purposes. This resource guides the readers through suggested tips on how to stay...more
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This helpful page provides information to help you understand how to verify news resources for research purposes. This resource guides the readers through suggested tips on how to stay alert and recognize fake news. Be sure to look at Real New About Fake News and Other Resources of Interest. Use this resource as a news consumer's handbook that includes ways to identify and recognized fake news stories and resources.
tag(s): digital citizenship (92), internet safety (114), journalism (72), media literacy (104), news (229), Research (83)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other resources for teaching how to navigate online information. Include this website within a learning management system such as ActivelyLearn, reviewed here, to build a complete learning unit that includes articles, videos, and assessments that fully immerse and engage students in the learning activities. Enhance learning throughout the school year using Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and organize online information. For example, create a Padlet that includes a column for each of the four categories of fake news mentioned on this website, then ask students to share examples found during online use. Extend learning by asking students to become the teacher through presentations on how to recognize and avoid fake news. Provide a variety of options for student presentations including a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create simple video explainers, or use Minecraft Education Edition, reviewed here, and have students create a game to teach the hazards of disinformation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LGBTQ History and Why It Matters - FacingHistory.org
Grades
10 to 12
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Examine history through the lens of LGBTQ people and events with this lesson provided by FacingHistory.org. Challenging students to consider their current knowledge of history, students...more
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Examine history through the lens of LGBTQ people and events with this lesson provided by FacingHistory.org. Challenging students to consider their current knowledge of history, students participate in reflective and analytic activities that provide insight into experiences not included in typical historical narratives. This lesson includes printable exercises for students, along with suggestions for teaching strategies and extension activities.
tag(s): bias (22), civil rights (195), difficult conversations (58), sexuality (15)
In the Classroom
This lesson plan includes many excellent activities and resources that work well as a stand-alone lesson or to incorporate into your current history units as a supplement to provide a new perspective that highlights bias, gender, and civil rights issues. Discussing LBGTQ issues may lead to difficult conversations in the classroom; use this lesson to provide factual information within current history lessons. This site includes a variety of ideas and descriptions of teaching strategies that work well with any lesson. Be sure to bookmark this page to use as a reference for strategies to incorporate within many of your current units. One strategy mentioned is the use of exit cards as a reflective response or class discussion. Learn more about incorporating exit tickets as an authentic learning activity by viewing the archive of the July 2021 OK2Ask webinar, Measuring Authentic Learning Activities with Exit Slips, reviewed here. Consider sharing this lesson with your school's guidance counselor to use when counseling students who are dealing with identity or gender issues.
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White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack - Peggy McIntosh
Grades
10 to 12
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This article from the National Seed Project discusses the concept of white privilege and identifies some of the daily effects of this privilege. Most notable in the article is the ...more
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This article from the National Seed Project discusses the concept of white privilege and identifies some of the daily effects of this privilege. Most notable in the article is the list of conditions the author defines as attached to skin color privilege compared to those based on class, religion, ethnic status, or geographic location. In addition to the article, a series of notes for facilitators is included for presenters using My White Privilege Papers series.
tag(s): bias (22), character education (75), civil rights (195), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Include this article with others as part of your ongoing professional development about racism and bias. It is also practical to use with older students as part of lessons on racism. Make it easier for students to break down the information in the article through the collaborative use of Fiskkit, reviewed here. Upload the article to Fiskkit and share the link with students. Ask them to highlight areas of interest and add comments. Follow the author's advice and encourage students to draw on personal experiences as part of their discussions. One method for sharing experiences is through the use of short audio discussions using PodcastGenerator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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'Interrupt The Systems': Robin DiAngelo On 'White Fragility' And Anti-Racism - Ari Shapiro/NPR
Grades
9 to 12
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NPR's Like Kit series shares this article and audio from a recent podcast featuring a discussion with author Robin DiAngelo. DiAngelo shares suggestions for white people with specific...more
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NPR's Like Kit series shares this article and audio from a recent podcast featuring a discussion with author Robin DiAngelo. DiAngelo shares suggestions for white people with specific ideas on how to reflect upon their racism. Other recommendations include tips on how to educate yourself by engaging in resources created by people of color. This article contains many links to supplemental information, including books and a 21-Day Habit Building Challenge.
tag(s): authors (105), bias (22), character education (75), civil rights (195), difficult conversations (58), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other resources to discuss racism, bias, or when addressing difficult conversations in the classroom. Use a curation tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to share and discuss articles, videos, and online information. As students research and learn more from other authors, help them organize information using Webnote, reviewed here. Webnote is a virtual sticky note (think notecard) taking tool similar to the the physical sticky notes and can be used in place of 3X5 cards used for notetaking by hand. Use Webnote to keep a list of authors and articles, jot down big ideas, and compare suggestions for making positive changes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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'Me And White Supremacy' Helps You Do The Work Of Dismantling Racism - Eric Deggans/NPR
Grades
9 to 12
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This article is part of the NPR Life Kit series that provides tips and advice for everyday problems from experts. Much of the article consists of an interview with Layla ...more
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This article is part of the NPR Life Kit series that provides tips and advice for everyday problems from experts. Much of the article consists of an interview with Layla Saad, an East African, Black Muslim author. It includes defining terms such as "white-centering" and "ally cookies" to help readers understand white privilege. Another focus of the article is using journals to develop a conscious awareness of behaviors and thought processes.
tag(s): bias (22), black history (125), cross cultural understanding (155), identity (28), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other materials when teaching about racism, bias, identiy, or cross-cultural understanding. The interviewee shares responses in the article by raising questions for individuals to consider and use for reflection. Ask groups of students to take different questions to discuss and respond to as part of your article's discussion. Extend learning by asking them to share their findings by creating concept maps using a tool such as mindmaps, reviewed here, or with a presentation using tool like Prezi, reviewed here. Consider using Wakelet, reviewed here, as a curation tool for collecting and sharing resources with students, and also as a presentation tool for students to share their learning with peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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'Not Racist' Is Not Enough: Putting In The Work To Be Anti-Racist - Eric Deggans/NPR
Grades
8 to 12
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This article from National Public Radio (NPR) is part of their Life Kit series that provides advice from experts on everyday problems. The discussion focuses on the topic of racism...more
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This article from National Public Radio (NPR) is part of their Life Kit series that provides advice from experts on everyday problems. The discussion focuses on the topic of racism and suggestions on how to be anti-racist. The author shares four tips to use as guidelines on personal behaviors at home, work, and everyday life.
tag(s): bias (22), black history (125), cross cultural understanding (155), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other materials when discussing racism and bias. Engage students in a collaborative discussion of this article and others using Fiskkit, reviewed here. Add a link to the article in Fiskitt, then share with students to add questions and comments as they discuss the article together online. To help students focus on the topic, consider providing a list of possible questions before reading the article. Extend learning by asking students to use graphic organizers such as a 4-Circle Venn Diagram Creator, reviewed here, to compare and contrast information. For example, ask students to explore different media forms such as television, social media, podcasts, and literature and compare different presentations of racism and bias.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Justice Standards: Unpacking Identity - Learning for Justice
Grades
8 to 12
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Delve into the essential questions of how identity develops and how it affects our relationships with this professional development topic from Learning for Justice. This lesson teaches...more
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Delve into the essential questions of how identity develops and how it affects our relationships with this professional development topic from Learning for Justice. This lesson teaches the five identity anchor standards and how identity affects relationships in a school and classrooms. Use the charts as a reflection piece to focus on your identity and learn through school-related scenarios on how to apply and teach anti-bias standards to students.
tag(s): character education (75), cross cultural understanding (155), difficult conversations (58), empathy (27), identity (28), professional development (392), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Use this course as an introduction to understanding bias and identity from both a personal and professional level. Adapt information from this course to include in your lessons on racism, empathy, and difficult conversations. For example, use the images and charts in the application section to identify and understand that first impression and physical characteristics don't always provide a complete picture of another person's identity. Include these activities as part of a larger teaching unit using a learning management system such as ClassFlow, reviewed here. ClassFlow includes many options for building interactive lessons that promote critical thinking skills through various response formats, media options, and teacher feedback.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Whiteness Project: Millenials in Dallas, Texas - Whitney Dow
Grades
9 to 12
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The Whiteness Project features a series of interviews with millennials from Dallas, Texas. The short video interviews share their understanding of their whiteness. At the end of each...more
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The Whiteness Project features a series of interviews with millennials from Dallas, Texas. The short video interviews share their understanding of their whiteness. At the end of each interview, a statistic providing context is shared to encourage the viewing audience's self-reflection. View all of the statistics used on the site by selecting the data link at the top of the page.
tag(s): character education (75), civil rights (195), cross cultural understanding (155), cultures (131), difficult conversations (58), empathy (27), racism (76)
In the Classroom
The Whiteness Project provides a unique and interesting resource for introducing and discussing difficult topics in the classroom, including racism, prejudice, bias, and empathy. Share this site with students and provide them time to listen to some of the conversations and the provided statistics. Encourage students to choose one statistic as a starting point for additional research. For example, one piece of data shared is the number of adults who have two or more races in their background. This provides a starting point for researching race in your community, state, or in the country. As students complete research, ask them to share their findings in a multimedia presentation using a tool like Sway, reviewed here, to add graphs, charts, images, and video that support their findings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Code Switch - National Public Radio (NPR)
Grades
9 to 12
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Code Switch is an NPR podcast featuring conversations about race that air several times each month. The podcast includes a wide variety of topics ranging from politics to sports and...more
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Code Switch is an NPR podcast featuring conversations about race that air several times each month. The podcast includes a wide variety of topics ranging from politics to sports and much more. The podcast hosts include award-winning journalists from a variety of races to share their perspectives on current issues. Podcasts range in length from approximately 20 minutes to just under one hour. Each podcast link includes a transcript, download link, and embed code.
tag(s): black history (125), character education (75), difficult conversations (58), native americans (91), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Include this podcast as a resource for lessons on racism, bias, or when facing difficult conversations in the classroom. Be sure to sign up to listen to the newest podcasts on your favorite resource and scroll through the archives to find relevant recordings beginning in 2016. As students listen to podcasts, use Google Slides, reviewed here, to create a reflective document for students to share important information from the podcast along with any questions or information for further research. Use the podcasts as a model for students to create their own podcasts on any topic. Search ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, to find many tools to help students develop interesting podcasts including rubrics, podcast tutorials, and a lesson plan for teaching with podcasts. When students are ready to record and share their podcasts, Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is a free podcasting tool that provides options for scheduling broadcasts, adding chapters, and much more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Design for Change USA - Design for Change
Grades
K to 8
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Design for Change uses a virtual platform to engage students and build social awareness through activities that critically look at themes. Create an account to view your dashboard and...more
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Design for Change uses a virtual platform to engage students and build social awareness through activities that critically look at themes. Create an account to view your dashboard and options found on the site. Content is based upon three themes - Racial Injustice, Educational Equity, and Climate Action and is delivered in a content framework of feel, imagine, do, and share. Lessons begin with an empathy warmup podcast. The following steps engage students in understanding the problem of each theme before developing suggested solutions. Download educator toolkits for all activities found using your account dashboard.
tag(s): character education (75), climate (81), climate change (88), empathy (27), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Bookmark activities and podcasts shared in this site to use when teaching about racial bias, empathy, and climate. Download the educator's toolkit to use as an excellent resource for graphic organizers for students to organize information and plan action steps for multiple different uses. As a culminating activity, engage learners to share their ideas by creating digital books using Book Creator, reviewed here. Have students create books that include images, videos, and written text that share their ideas on steps to take to address social issues.
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SpeakUp! - Martie Gillin
Grades
5 to 12
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SpeakUp! is a non-profit organization that provides resources to support teens in their social emotional learning while developing positive relationships with adults. Their programs'...more
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SpeakUp! is a non-profit organization that provides resources to support teens in their social emotional learning while developing positive relationships with adults. Their programs' focus is on encouraging teens to have supportive conversations that help teens deal with any issues. Register for upcoming programs or learn how to become a SpeakUp! school. Be sure to check out the link to the site's resources that includes helpful guides with contact information for help with many different topics, including suicide, drug abuse, bullying, and more.
tag(s): bullying (49), cyberbullying (41), diseases (67), drugs and alcohol (27), eating disorders (7), sexuality (15), social and emotional learning (86), social media (54)
In the Classroom
Share the resource guides with parents and students on your class website to use when facing any of the covered topics. Use Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to curate and share helpful guides for parents and students within one collection. As you and your class discuss problems that face teens, ask students to use Canva Edu, reviewed here, to share what they learn. For example, have students create posters to display in the classroom that include the dangers of drug abuse and include tips for helping someone that displays signs of drug abuse. Ask other students to design and share infographics that include facts and figures discussing cyberbullying, along with suggestions on how to respond to bullies.
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Preparing Students for Difficult Conversations - FacingHistory.org
Grades
6 to 12
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This lesson provides a foundation for creating a safe and supportive classroom to discuss difficult issues. It is part of a larger unit based upon the shooting of Michael Brown ...more
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This lesson provides a foundation for creating a safe and supportive classroom to discuss difficult issues. It is part of a larger unit based upon the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the racial tension that followed the shooting. Although the focus is on Ferguson, easily use this example lesson with any other difficult topics. This lesson includes a video, student materials, and additional resources, including supplemental articles to use in discussions.
tag(s): civil rights (195), journalism (72), media literacy (104), racism (76), social media (54)
In the Classroom
As an introduction to the lesson, one of the activities is to ask students to brainstorm a list of teens' news resources and a list of news resources used by parents or older people. Use Microsoft Whiteboard, reviewed here, or Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to create and analyze your lists. Use the whiteboard tools to create lists, Venn Diagrams, and add notes to extend student reflections on different news sources. Turn the Know-Heard-Learned Chart included in the lesson into an editable worksheet to use as a collaborative document to record student understanding of any events' timeline.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Say Their Names - Chicago Public Schools
Grades
K to 12
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This Google document shares strategies and suggestions to help parents and educators discuss race, racism, racial violence, bias, and racial justice. The document includes recommendations...more
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This Google document shares strategies and suggestions to help parents and educators discuss race, racism, racial violence, bias, and racial justice. The document includes recommendations and links to resources on how to start difficult conversations, where to find resources, mental health resources, and how to teach students to understand and evaluate information found in the media. Be sure to check back often; this document updates on an ongoing basis.
tag(s): civil rights (195), courts (19), politics (113), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this document as a guide to discussing racism in the classroom and as a link to many additional materials. Organize your resources using a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here. Use the shelf option in Padlet to create columns to organize information. For example, create columns to sort materials by grade levels or by type of content. As you teach lessons, use a mind mapping tool like Coggle, reviewed here, to organize and share complex information. Extend learning using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create student-produced explainer videos sharing their ideas on addressing racism, media literacy strategies, or steps to help others through difficult times.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Lowdown: The Obama Years, A Retrospective Lesson Plan - PBS Learning Media
Grades
6 to 12
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Explore the achievements and setbacks of Barack Obama's presidency in this lesson that includes an interactive timeline of his eight years in office. The lesson plan includes essential...more
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Explore the achievements and setbacks of Barack Obama's presidency in this lesson that includes an interactive timeline of his eight years in office. The lesson plan includes essential questions, vocabulary, and suggestions for small group or individual instruction. Activities are correlated to Common Core Standards, or sign in using a free account to link activities to your state standards.
tag(s): 20th century (61), black history (125), presidents (122)
In the Classroom
As you explore the interactive timeline together as a class or with small groups, use a simple polling tool like SurveyPlanet, reviewed here, to assess student understanding of the different events on the timeline. Use SurveyPlanet to add each event to a poll and ask students to weigh in on their opinion on if the event was an accomplishment or a setback to the Obama administration. Use an online curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to organize and share additional resources with students to enhance learning. For example, create a Padlet with columns for each year of the Obama presidency and add online articles from different resources that discuss each event. Extend learning by asking students to apply their knowledge of the Obama presidency and compare it to another president's term in office using one of the storytelling tools found at Knight Lab, reviewed here. Scroll down Knight Lab's main page to find options that include a Storyline to tell the stories behind numbers, StoryMap - maps that tell numbers, and a timeline creation tool.
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Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson - Share My Lesson
Grades
6 to 12
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Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson brings the latest news and current events into your classroom with timely information, videos, and discussion questions from PBS NewsHour Extra. Select...more
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Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson brings the latest news and current events into your classroom with timely information, videos, and discussion questions from PBS NewsHour Extra. Select any post to open the resource and read more about the prompt or question. Articles share a summary of the issue along with the video clip from the PBS NewsHour discussion. In addition to discussion questions, this site also includes extension activities to enhance learning. This site doesn't require registration; however, creating an account allows you to save favorites to collections for later use. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): journalism (72), news (229), politics (113)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use with any current events lessons and as a resource for finding fact-based information to use to help understand modern history. Most of the discussion questions ask students to defend a point of view based on the shared topic. Use technology tools to help students organize their thinking and share their questions and responses. Engage students in the learning process using Fiskkit, reviewed here, as a collaborative discussion tool for sharing online articles related to the topic discussed. Fiskkit offers tools for annotating and collaboratively discussing online information. Share student opinions and discussions using Flip, reviewed here. Ask students to respond to the discussion question within Flip using their fact-based research. Use the comment feature to encourage collaboration and student discussion. As a final project, extend learning by asking students (or student groups) to share their responses as part of a multimedia presentation that includes student writing, videos, maps, and infographics. Have students use a presentation tool such as Sway, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, to share their final projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News and Media Literacy Resource Center - Common Sense Media
Grades
6 to 12
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1 Comments
This collection of vetted resources provides activities and lessons for current news and social discussion topics. In addition to materials found for specific lessons, scroll further...more
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This collection of vetted resources provides activities and lessons for current news and social discussion topics. In addition to materials found for specific lessons, scroll further down the page to find curated collections for news and literacy, media literacy, and social and cultural literacy. Each collection includes regularly updated resources specially chosen to reinforce and practice each literacy skill. Pay particular attention to activities with a green heart icon; these are the site's favorite resources.
tag(s): bias (22), journalism (72), media literacy (104), news (229), social media (54)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to take advantage of the many curated resources for teaching media and news literacy. Use a curation tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to save and share favorite resources found on this site with students. Use the shelf option in Padlet to create columns and organize information by topic, type of content, or for use by different groups of students. Enhance instruction by asking students to become creators of information as they share their learning. Have students use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to create infographics to demonstrate different forms of media bias or to share facts learned from news articles. Extend learning even further by asking students to create blogs using edublogs, reviewed here, to demonstrate how to write and share the news using credible information and factual resources.
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Comments
This is such a valuable resource and it's so helpful to have one collection that I know has been vetted with accurate, useful information that teachers can use for themselves as well as with their students. I also love the "In the Classroom" section with suggestions for ways to use the information and resources.Peggy, AZ, Grades: 0 - 8
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Developing Empathy - Equality and Human Rights Commission
Grades
8 to 12
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This high school level lesson teaches the development of empathy through role-play activities. The activities include slides and student worksheets to download as PDF documents. In...more
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This high school level lesson teaches the development of empathy through role-play activities. The activities include slides and student worksheets to download as PDF documents. In addition to the lesson, extension activities include suggestions for examining your school's anti-bullying policy and ideas to differentiate instruction based upon students' literacy skills. Though this Lesson has be archived all downloads and links are still working.
tag(s): character education (75), emotions (47), social and emotional learning (86)
In the Classroom
Include this lesson with others as part of character education and empathy activities. The starter activity includes students sharing a time they experienced different feelings. Use AnswerGarden, reviewed here, to post each question and ask students to share their response. This allows students to answer anonymously while still creating a visual word cloud with responses. Copy the embed code to include each of the word clouds on your class website or share using your AnswerGarden poll's link. Include all of the polls within one collaborative Wakelet collection, reviewed here, that includes students' responses to the other lesson activities including written reflections, analysis of your school's bullying policy, and discussions of how to recognize and encourage empathy in others.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Talking About Race and Privilege: Lesson Plan for Middle and High School Students - National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
Grades
6 to 12
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This lesson plan guides students toward defining the concept of "privilege" and to identify examples of "privilege" in their lives. The lesson begins with using the Webster's Dictionary...more
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This lesson plan guides students toward defining the concept of "privilege" and to identify examples of "privilege" in their lives. The lesson begins with using the Webster's Dictionary definition of "privilege" and then leads to historical perspectives on "privilege" related to race in the United States. Another component of the lesson is the use of the Privilege Aptitude Test adapted from the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel with follow-up reflection questions. Use the link to print or download the lesson in PDF format.
tag(s): civil rights (195), psychology (67), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Include this lesson plan with your other resources when teaching lessons on racism and social injustice, either in-person or through remote or blended learning situations. Instead of using paper charts as mentioned in the lesson, use a digital chart creation resource such as Lucidchart, reviewed here, to create collaborative digital workspaces. Lucidchart includes several features that expand learning through the use of commenting, real-time collaboration, and colorful visual displays. Guide students in how to think through reflection questions using topics available in Thinkalong, reviewed here. Thinkalong offers an interactive multimedia format that guides students through investigations that lead them to contemplate possible solutions to serious problems.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Teaching 'The New Jim Crow' - Tolerance.org
Grades
9 to 12
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Teach the lessons of race and justice in society using the book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, as a resource. The ten lesson unit ...more
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Teach the lessons of race and justice in society using the book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, as a resource. The ten lesson unit includes a Teacher's Guide that provides chronological lessons, activities, and audiovisual resources appropriate for Social Studies, Language Arts, and American History courses. All materials align with Common Core Standards. Additional information found on this site includes a conversation with the book's author, Michelle Alexander, and two webinars that discuss the book and suggestions to support using the book in high school classrooms.
tag(s): civil rights (195), courts (19), politics (113), racism (76)
In the Classroom
Incorporate this free unit as a guide to teaching the sensitive topics of race and justice with or without using the novel. As you begin your unit, use AnswerGarden, reviewed here, as an anonymous brainstorming and response tool. Use AnswerGarden by forming open-ended questions such as "The hard part of talking about racism is..." or "The beneficial part of talking about racism is..." as a way to elicit student ideas without students being concerned about sharing ideas orally with their peers. Use AnswerGarden in various ways throughout the unit to gauge student ideas and responses to lesson topics. All of the lessons include essential questions and big ideas, use Flip, reviewed here, as a collaborative tool to encourage student conversations through Flip's video response options. Extend learning using podcasts as a format for students to share their learning about race and our justice system. For example, PodcastGenerator, reviewed here, for students to create podcasts to discuss different components of race relations and the justice system.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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