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.
What Happened During the Insurrection at the US Capitol and Why?
This mini-lesson guides students to use an iceberg diagram to synthesize the events of January 6, 2021, and outline the complex array of causes at work.
![Photo from inside the capitol on January 6th.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/shutterstock_1888486645_full-res.jpg?h=781d8428&itok=E5Jj8lDn)
Youth Taking Charge! Placing Student Activism in Historical Context
Use this mini-lesson to explore the rich history of youth activism from the 1960s to present day.
![Students protesting for gun control.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Parkland2_AP_18052669994705_Medium_res.jpg?h=ffeece36&itok=a5MpsFR0)
Young People Respond to Climate Change
Explore with your students why young people are calling for action against climate change and some of the strategies they can use to make a difference on this issue.
![Swedish activist Greta Thunberg participates in a youth climate change protest in front of the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/YoungPeopleClimateChange_RTX706QZ_full-res.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=O-m3XU8m)
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)
Citizen Power Makes Democracy Work
Students explore citizenship, power, and responsibility using the work of civic entrepreneur Eric Liu.
![Student speaking](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/SL_190522_0675.jpg?h=0f4230fa&itok=3-vI66f_)
Defining Democracy
Students brainstorm different definitions of democracy and consider democracy's relationship to their own communities and cultures.
![Student writing and discussing](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/SL_190522_0668.jpg?h=0f4230fa&itok=7bJ88-IJ)
Free Press Makes Democracy Work
Students explore the importance of a free press to democracy through recorded conversations with journalists from the United States and South Africa.
![Student speaking](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/SL_190522_0675.jpg?h=0f4230fa&itok=3-vI66f_)
Insights on Democracy from South Africa
Students consider how South Africa's particular history and culture influence the ways its citizens understand and practice democracy.
![A bird’s eye view of students sitting at tables in a library.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/5-1-17FacH07756.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=9Ud2teJv)
Literature and Imagination Make Democracy Work
Students explore the connection between literature, imagination, and democracy by engaging with the work of acclaimed author Azar Nafisi.
![A sitting teacher speaks to three students while holding a book.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/_DSF7297-15.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=PjXiF622)
Reflection and Action for Civic Participation
Students consider the importance of young people in democracy and analyze stories of civic participation using a ten-question framework.
![Students listening to the teacher](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/SL_190523_0856.jpg?h=c11c9c1d&itok=uHWNF4Ss)