Brave Girl Rising: A Refugee Story
Created in partnership with Girl Rising, this lesson invites students to engage with the story of a young refugee and to consider the power of storytelling to spark empathy.
Confronting History, Transforming Monuments
This mini-lesson uses the story of the Robert E. Lee monument to help students consider the power of symbols and explore the summer's protests through the lens of voice, agency, and solidarity.
Different Perspectives on Migrant Detention
In this mini-lesson, students gain insight into migration and the systems surrounding migrant detention by considering the perspectives of migrants, an immigration lawyer and advocate, a border guard, and an immigration judge.
bell hooks Taught Us to Transgress
Like many people of my generation who cut their teeth on the critical insights of bell hooks, news of her passing in December unleashed a wave of reflection for me about the ways she’s impacted me as a person and public scholar. Beyond the many moments of resonance I experienced while reading her writings over the years, her impact on me is most powerfully encapsulated in an experience I had in 2008 when I met her.
Where Did the Word "Genocide" Come From?
Facing History informs readers on the history of the term "genocide."
18 Teacher Resources on Native American History and Culture
Below are 18 resources that middle and high school teachers can turn to when developing lesson plans related to the roles of Native American peoples in American history and contemporary life. These resources include online exhibitions at the Smithsonian; the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360° Educational Initiative; the work of the Mitchell and Hood Museums; and the growing work of Facing History in these thematic areas.
Ukraine: Discussing the War and Refugee Crisis with Students
Use this lesson to help students process how they are feeling about the devastating war in Ukraine, develop media literacy in what news they consume and how, and explore the mounting refugee crisis.
Do You Take the Oath?
Students consider the choices and reasoning of individual Germans who stayed quiet or spoke up during the first few years of Nazi rule.
Staging the Compelling Question
Students are introduced to the themes of the compelling question by exploring the concept of borders and learning about the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Supporting Question 1: The History of the Angel Island Immigration Station
Students explore the supporting question “How did the Angel Island Immigration Station both reflect and enforce borders within American society?”
Supporting Question 2: The Impacts of Detention on Immigrants and Their Descendants
Students explore the supporting question “How did border enforcement at the Angel Island Immigration Station impact immigrants and their descendants?”