Ideas This Week
Ideas This Week is your hub for updates on all things Facing History—from announcements and featured press to expert interviews, impact stories, and essays on the ideas driving our work.
We Learn by Doing and Reflecting: Civic Voice and Action
Discover best practices on cultivating your students’ voices and facilitating civic action projects.
![Image of youth from KQED Youth Media Challenge event](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/CallForChange-Lockup.jpg?h=4c6c0eb8&itok=0Bah1OEZ)
World Day of Social Justice Activities
Students can explore ways to bring about meaningful change with this collection of resources and journal prompts.
![Person Holding Sign above their head that says More Equality More Love](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/Person%20Holding%20Sign%20aboe%20their%20head%20that%20says%20More%20Equality%20More%20Love%20%28FH2201203%29.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=ie1tftT2)
Educators Have the Power to Strengthen Democracy
See how Facing History's civics education resources strengthen students' civic skills and attitudes about democratic participation.
![Teacher And Students having a discussion](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/SL_190522_0014.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=gP64QyiG)
King: A Life—A Conversation with Jonathan Eig and Adam Green
The life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. is explored in discussion with the author of the bestselling biography King: A Life and scholar Adam Green.
![Martin Luther King, Jr., half-length portrait, facing left, speaking at microphones](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/3c11165u.jpg?h=948fb393&itok=-XZCfpBO)
Teaching about the January 6 Insurrection and its Impact on US Democracy
The January 6 insurrection remains important to understand and discuss, as well as the larger questions it raises about the state of US democracy. A recent poll found that 52% of young people between 18 and 29 believe that either US democracy is "in trouble" or "failed," while only 7% agree that it is "healthy," further highlighting the need to teach students about democratic institutions.
![Black and white photo of the US State House](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/b%26w_photo_us_state_house.png?h=a6c55029&itok=OVK2Jup-)
Every Teacher Deserves This Support
Katy Seltz, a high school educator in Tennessee, shares how Facing History has made a difference to her and her students.
![Katy Seltz speaking at Memphis 2023 Benefit - FH2200152](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/Katy%20Seltz%20speaking%20at%20Memphis%202023%20Benefit%20-%20FH2200152.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=XYDX_niy)
Challenging Racial and Religious Hatred in the Classroom
A look at recent teacher training sessions to support teachers in discussing racial and religious hatred in the classroom.
![British Muslim Heritage Center in Manchester, United Kingdom](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/89d8eee9-963c-4e8b-ae1b-773df34741a3.jpg?h=ddb1ad0c&itok=VnEqTJ8b)
The Power of a Single Word: The 75th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention
Seventy-five years after coining the term "genocide," Raphael Lemkin's voice continues to echo in the consciousness and responses of global citizens.
![Raphael Lemkin's United Nations ID card](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/aa-p154-b01-f012-004-002.jpg?h=b64789bb&itok=TMt7Snq5)
5 Tips for Speaking across Difference over the Holidays
As social gatherings commence this holiday season, explore these suggestions to help keep dialogue around sensitive topics productive and meaningful.
![A group of friends and family of Indian ethnicity sit at a table set with traditional Indian food. A high angle view from overhead of the food, plates, and dishes at the dining table.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-11/iStock-1064762202.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=zd-9v8JG)
18 Teacher Resources on Native American History and Culture
Below are 18 resources that middle and high school teachers can turn to when developing lesson plans related to the roles of Native American peoples in American history and contemporary life. These resources include online exhibitions at the Smithsonian; the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360° Educational Initiative; the work of the Mitchell and Hood Museums; and the growing work of Facing History in these thematic areas.
![Three members of the Sioux tribe pose in Indian Village, 1898.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/Black%20Foot-Standing-Bear_Big_Eagle_Sioux_ca_1898.jpg?h=26ac82e5&itok=5rYHkhl2)
Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship Lesson Plan Ideas
Use these media literacy and digital citizenship lesson plans to foster students’ digital literacy and spur healthy habits around media and technology use.
![Three girls sitting on a couch in a studio](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-10/pexels-cottonbro-studio-5998698.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=5bZbZPo2)