Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this project named after Howard Zinn?
The Zinn Education Project was inspired by a scene from the documentary You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train, in which Howard Zinn is speaking to high school students in Chicago about American history, and by a donor’s own experience of having Zinn as a professor. The donor wanted to honor Howard Zinn’s extraordinary contributions to the field of promoting “a people’s history,” and in particular his book A People’s History of the United States, which has sold almost 2 million copies and has been translated into many languages. Through this project we also seek to highlight the many resources on people’s history - including those published before and after A People’s History of the United States.
How can I get in touch with other educators who are trying to teach from a social justice perspective?
There are a number of national and regional organizations with email lists and conferences that provide opportunities to meet other progressive educators. These include:
- Association of Raza Educators - Southwest Region
- Education for Liberation Network - National
- Educators Network for Social Justice - Milwaukee, WI
- Literacy for Social Justice Teacher Research Group - St. Louis, MO
- New York Collective of Radical Educators — New York, NY
- Rethinking Schools - Critical Teaching List-Serve
- Teachers for Social Justice - Chicago, IL
- Teachers for Social Justice - Northwest Region
- Teachers for Social Justice - San Francisco, CA
What do you mean by downloadable “teaching activities”?
A people’s history requires a people’s pedagogy to match. The teaching activities feature strategies that illustrate how a people’s history can be brought to life in the classroom. They are comprised of reflections on teaching about a people’s history, lessons, and critical reviews of literature. All of the suggested lessons have been used in classrooms and revised over time.
How can I contribute teaching activities to this site?
We welcome the contribution from teachers and educators of classroom-tested teaching activities. Please send an overview description and sample of your teaching activity to: submissions@zinnedproject.org.
How can I support this work?
We can use support in numerous ways. Please see our Support page to find out how.
Why should students study history?
Howard Zinn answers this and other commonly asked questions about teaching a people’s history in this printed interview. The questions include:
- What do you see as some of the major problems in how US history has been taught in this country?
- How do you prevent history lessons from becoming a recitation of dates and battles and Congresspersons and presidents?
- How can teachers foster critical thinking so that students don’t merely memorize a new, albeit more progressive set of facts?
- Is it possible for history to be objective?
How do I learn more about Howard Zinn?
In addition to the books and films referenced on this website, you can visit:
