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.
“Payos for Cornrows” by Aaron Samuels
In this spoken-word poem, Aaron Samuels reflects on his experience with the identities of Black and Jewish.
![Student highlights paper](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-03/RooseveltHS-29.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=SdqH9A8X)
Maggid, The Four Children
Use this reading to introduce students to the Four Children featured in the Maggid, the storytelling section of a Passover Seder.
"How to Bloom in Dark Places” by Warsan Shire
Poet Warsan Shire tells the story of a young Somali-born refugee in this poem from the film Brave Girl Rising.
![The short film, "Brave Girl Rising" was produced by the nonprofit organization Girl Rising in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/shorthand_image140of143.jpeg?h=4dc35482&itok=n38DLgVw)
Hope Frye's Testimony on Child Migrant Detention
Immigration lawyer Hope Frye describes the conditions at child migrant detention centers in her congressional hearing testimony.
![Undocumented immigrant families walk from a bus depot to a respite center after being released from detention in McAllen, Texas, U.S., July 27, 2018.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/PerspectivesonDetention_RTX6D3SR_fullres_Medium_res.jpg?h=c9f93661&itok=on7f84Gi)
Avoid Fueling Polarization When Taking Action
This reading contains excerpts from researcher Arthur Brooks about types of activism that move beyond “us” and “them” narratives.
![Students in classroom setting.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-05/6-1-22FacH10814.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=uFU4RoiQ)
The Redneck Stereotype
Authors Joseph Flora and Lucinda MacKethan describe the characteristics of the “redneck,” a specific stereotype of a poor white Southerner.
![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)
A Letter to the Students of Colour Who Were in My History Classes
Dylan Wray reflects on his time in the classroom as a white educator teaching a racially diverse group of students in South Africa.
![Female high school students discuss a topic.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/2019_DSC08259_FH2117952.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=_f2VCzke)
James Baldwin’s Lesson for Teachers in a Time of Turmoil
This 2017 essay by author and former high school teacher Clint Smith draws connections between the role of education in past turbulent historical times and the present political climate.
![Clint Smith speaking at TED@NYC Talent Search](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/2014_ClintSmithatTEDatNYC_FH2173941.jpg?h=f2fcf546&itok=MZdXt6QJ)
Two Names, Two Worlds
Jonathan Rodríguez reflects on his name through poetry. How does his name “place him in the world”?
Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Examine the historical context leading up to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and understand how Eleanor Roosevelt became involved in the process.
![Eleanor Roosevelt and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lake Success, New York, November 1949.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/24427-2011-001_a.jpg?h=e15b44ae&itok=kmDSMzTQ)
What Is Democracy?
Use this selection of quotes about democracy to prompt reflection on democracy's complex definition.
![English language newspaper from election day with an "I voted" sticker.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/media_democracy_newspaper_voting_wikimedia_commons.jpeg?h=424dc15a&itok=URCrHs-G)