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.
How to Bring Spoken Word Poetry into the Classroom
For National Poetry Month, introduce students to spoken word poetry and explore its power to give voice to issues that impact our communities.
![Smiling student gesturing during classroom discussion](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/_DSF7139-10.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=Q2T3mPi7)
How to Read the News Like a Fact Checker
Reading “laterally” is a key media literacy strategy that helps students determine the quality of online sources. This mini-lesson trains students to use this technique to evaluate the credibility of the news they encounter on social media feeds or elsewhere online.
![Two high school students look at a laptop screen in a school library](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/NewEngland_Classroom_2017_%20FH256241.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=i6eK1LBI)
Indigenous Rights and Controversy over Hawaii’s Maunakea Telescope
Provide students with historical context for understanding the protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea and help them explore the reasons why many Native Hawaiians oppose its construction.
![Demonstrators gather to block a road at the base of Mauna Kea](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/IndigenousRights_AP_19196579152982_full-res.jpg?h=b6580eb4&itok=Muc3hfzj)
The Power of Representation: Patsy Takemoto Mink, Shirley Chisholm, and Kamala Harris
Use this mini-lesson to help students learn about the groundbreaking careers of Patsy Takemoto Mink and Shirley Chisholm and to consider the significance of Vice President Kamala Harris’s election.
![Kamala Harris being sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/USA-Biden%3AInauguration_2021_FH2143511.jpg.JPG?h=790be497&itok=4KIchZQ-)
The 1963 Chicago Public School Boycott
Teach about the 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott as an entry point as entry point for discussing the history of segregation in US northern cities.
Backlash and the KKK
Students learn about the violent responses to the transformation of US democracy that occurred as a result of Radical Reconstruction.
![Black and white photo of the house committee](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Civil_Rights_House_Committee_Investigating_KKK_2021_FH2177934.jpg?h=a9a611f7&itok=-pUVaIhR)
Understanding Universe of Obligation
Students are introduced to the concept of "universe of obligation" and prompted to illustrate circle of individuals who they feel a responsibility to care for and protect.
![Picture of universe of obligation drawn on a chalkboard.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-11/universe%20of%20obligation_2.jpg?h=c202cbf9&itok=OOQP5hk9)
Shifting Public Opinion
Students examine the factors that led many northerners to turn against federal policies passed during the Reconstruction era that protected freedpeople.
![A drawn picture of people crowding into the Fourth National Bank](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Civil_Rights_1873_The_Panic_Run_Fourth_National_Bank_FH2177935.jpg?h=42c383de&itok=6Sqx22pi)
Reflecting on the Danger of Silence
Students use Clint Smith’s talk “The Danger of Silence” to create “blackout poems” that express their ideas for how they can use their voices to empower themselves and others.
![Students engage in discussion in a San Francisco classroom.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/San_Francisco_Classroom_2017_FH152714.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=dM3u491J)
Political Violence and the Overthrow of Reconstruction
Students learn about the period of violence in the South from 1873-1876 and examine its role in influencing elections and ending Republican control of Southern state governments.
![A picture of one hand holding down another hand on top of a gun and a pile of papers](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Civil_Rights_1877_truce_not_compromise_FH21406.jpg?h=312fc7ac&itok=MV62_lKt)
The Unfinished Revolution
Students explore the legacies of the Reconstruction era today, reflect on the idea of democracy as a continuous process, and consider how they can best participate in the ongoing work of strengthening our democracy.
![Demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Avenue with signs for Black Lives Matter](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/GettyImages-1243915005.jpg?h=854cce58&itok=t3udj4vL)