Staging the Compelling Question
Students are introduced to the themes of the compelling question by responding to a quote from James Baldwin that sparks their thinking about the complexities and contradictions within US history.
Supporting Question 1: The Nation’s Founding Ideals
Students explore the supporting question "What does the Declaration of Independence state about the nation’s founding ideals?"
Supporting Question 2: Founding Ideals Versus Realities
Students explore the supporting question "What contradictions existed between the ideals and the reality of the founding of the United States?"
A Strength of My Neighborhood
A high school student describes how his neighborhood in Los Angeles helps him feel connected to the traditions of his family’s “old world” heritage in Mexico.
A Strength of My Neighborhood
In Spanish, a high school student describes how his neighborhood in Los Angeles helps him feel connected to the traditions of his family’s “old world” heritage in Mexico.
What Are You?
Canadian writer Anna Fitzpatrick describes how she moved beyond the labels and stereotypes about Indian culture to find a deeper connection to her family's history.
What Are You?
In Spanish, Canadian writer Anna Fitzpatrick describes how she moved beyond the labels and stereotypes about Indian culture to find a deeper connection to her family's history.
What Does It Mean to “Be American?”
Here are a selection of answers to New York Times reporter Damien Cave’s question, “What does it mean to be American?”
The Wooden Shoes
A high school student tells the story behind a pair of wooden shoes and their connection to her family's history in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The Wooden Shoes (en español)
In Spanish, a high school student tells the story behind a pair of wooden shoes and their connection to her family's history in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
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.