Resource Library
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.
![A group of high school students sit at desks in conversation.](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_480/public/2023-10/AdobeStock_254378868.jpg?itok=f6YAphey)
Introducing Our US History Curriculum Collection
Draw from this flexible curriculum collection as you plan any middle or high school US history course. Featuring units, C3-style inquiries, and case studies, the collection will help you explore themes of democracy and freedom with your students throughout the year.
Establishing Opening and Closing Routines
These opening and closing classroom routines will set a welcoming tone, allow students to connect with one another, and encourage goal setting.
![Two students in conversation while looking down at a laptop computer.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/NewEngland_ClassroomImage_2017_FH256365.png?h=2992ba0a&itok=w8q-uOp9)
Activities for the First Days of School
These first-week-of-school activities create welcoming learning environments that prioritize care, relationships, and community.
![Students sit around a table working on a big paper activity while receiving feedback from an educator.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/ClassroomImage_StudentDiscussion_FH287359.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=jnyJGnz9)
The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy
Use this rich collection of Reconstruction era primary sources, videos, and a 3-week unit to engage your students in this pivotal period in US history and its legacies today.
![African American and Radical Republican members of the South Carolina Legislature in the 1870s.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Recon_Crop.jpeg?h=3d25abbd&itok=3H_YJPTl)
The Reconstruction Era Primary Sources
Enrich your teaching on the Reconstruction era with these primary source documents and images.
![Portraits superimposed on an image of the American flag](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Reconstruction_2022_FH2174814.png?h=8e4088dc&itok=zv81hdEs)
What Makes Democracy Work?
Explore this collection of lesson plans that cover a wide range of themes related to democracy, including citizen power and civic participation, the rule of law, the role of a free press, and more.
![A magnifying glass over the definition of democracy in a dictionary.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/shutterstock_1202650933.jpg?h=790be497&itok=PduYr60h)
Teaching Resources for the US Elections
Use these resources on voting, media literacy, polarization, and bias to talk about US elections with your high school and middle school students.
![Abstract red, white, and blue painting with thick brush strokes.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/PoliticalPolarization_full-res.jpg?h=5eef411c&itok=dyNgzenB)
Current Events in the Classroom
Explore classroom resources for making connections between current events and your curriculum, including activities and discussion strategies for high school and middle school students.
![A student speaks while another listens attentively.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-09/2019_classroomimage_nametagsremoved_FH2109026.jpeg?h=06ac0d8c&itok=xuOv2CjU)
Materials for From Reflection to Action
Access all the teaching strategies and additional resources referenced throughout the guide From Reflection to Action: A Choosing to Participate Toolkit.
![Students typing on laptops](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Cleveland_Classroom_2016_FH221925.jpg?h=6a1033c7&itok=lxqbzZEX)
Community Matters: A Facing History & Ourselves Approach to Advisory
Our advisory curriculum for grades 8–10 contains a year’s worth of activities, handouts, and best practices for establishing inclusive communities where students can engage in honest discussions and build their voices.
![Students sit in a circle in a library and smile and laugh](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/NewEngland_Classroom_2017_FH256478.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=cHsO4g-T)
Confronting Apartheid
Examine how South Africans grappled with their history, from early interactions with white European settlers, resistance to the imposed apartheid regime, and a long struggle for democracy.
![Group of people waving South African flags in back lit.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/Democracy_2018_SouthAfricaConfrontingApartheidBannerunedited_FH282249.jpg?h=40d6a7d7&itok=gii2H08Z)
Resources for Civic Education in California
Explore resources that meet the California History–Social Science Framework standards.
![Four students sit in a circle in conversation. The student in the center speaks with their hands raised.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/2017_classroomimage_FH152843.jpg?h=f2fcf546&itok=p079RewF)