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.
Scout as Narrator: The Impact of Point of View
Students consider how Harper Lee’s decision to tell To Kill a Mockingbird through the eyes of young Scout impacts readers' understanding of the novel.
![Mockingbird Graphic.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/WebRedesign_Wrapper-card_Mockingbird.jpeg?h=24afd704&itok=qskeXCqD)
Art, Imagination, and the Quest for Racial Justice
In this mini-lesson, students learn about the power of art as a tool for social change and explore how Black Lives Matter activists are using art in the fight for racial justice.
![Mural of two people with racial justice imagery and phrases](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/50062994798_f4f310d929_6k_fullres.jpg?h=42a1701c&itok=JtMN4aS7)
Think Aloud
Model for students how proficient readers make meaning of a text by verbalizing your thinking as you read.
![A teacher hands out papers to students at a table.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Chicago_Classroom_2018_FH151335.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=sjJpQmho)
Sketch to Stretch
Ask students to visualize a passage of text and interpret it through drawing with this reading comprehension strategy.
![Two female students write at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Chicago_Classroom_2019_FH2101676_0.jpg?h=c11c9c1d&itok=9JMqwQ5G)
Use Poetry To Teach About Identity
Celebrate National Poetry Month with this mini-lesson that uses poetry to help students grapple with the complexities of identity and inspire them to tell their own stories.
![Zoomed in photo of student writing.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/118_Bully_Summit%2C_2012%2C_LA%2C_113_for_Web_or_Office_Use.jpg?h=7fb2964e&itok=xdupak2M)
Connect, Extend, Challenge
Deepen students' understanding of a topic by having them connect to their prior knowledge.
![Students write at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Chicago_Classroom_2019_FH2101681.jpeg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=pItuRsH2)
Connect, Extend, Challenge (UK)
Deepen students' understanding of a topic by having them connect to their prior knowledge.
![Students write at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Chicago_Classroom_2019_FH2101681.jpeg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=pItuRsH2)
Reflecting on Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb"
Use these activities to help students reflect on the themes in Amanda Gorman’s Inauguration Day poem and consider how their unique experiences and voices can help America “forge a union with purpose.”
![Photo of Amanda Gorman at Biden's Inauguration.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/AP_21020703530611_fullres_Medium_res.jpg?h=3a61c815&itok=h5ZfP4Bq)
Moral Growth: A Framework for Character Analysis
Students connect the moral development of To Kill a Mockingbird's central characters to the moments in their lives that have shaped their sense of right and wrong.
![A man named Floyd Burroughs stands with four children on a wooden house porch.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/2014_FloydBurroughsWithChildren2_FH131398.jpg?h=76e782aa&itok=X94ixWj8)
Stories of Identity and Belonging
Students read and discuss personal narrative essays and consider what factors can make it challenging for young people to be who they really want to be in the world.
Cultivating Identity Literacy
Students learn about a project, created by two young adults, that engaged people across the country in conversations about race, identity, and culture. Then they start to envision what sharing their own stories can look, sound, and feel like.