Reconstructing Race: A Teacher Introduces His Students to the Slippery Concept of Race
Teaching Activity. By Nathanial W. Smith. Rethinking Schools.
A teacher describes a series of lessons he teaches to help his students understand race as a social construct.
Time Periods: Civil War Era: 1850 - 1864, All US History
Themes: Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery and Resistance
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The Red Dot of Environmental Racism
Teaching Activity. By Alma Anderson McDonald.
A teacher looks back on her childhood to discover the meaning of environmental racism. Linda Christensen offers ways to teach about this story with students.
Time Periods: 21st Century, 2001 - Present
Themes: African American, Climate Justice, Environment, Economics, Racism & Racial Identity
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Remembering Mahmoud Darwish
Teaching Activity. By Naomi Shihab Nye and Linda Christensen.
An essay, poem, and teaching idea utilizing famous Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's work to help students "name the invisible forces that imprison them."
Time Periods: 20th Century
Themes: Art & Music, World History/Global Studies
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Rethinking What We Know About the Vietnam War
Teaching Activity. Zinn Education Project. 21 pages.
Two lessons to introduce key facts about the Vietnam War and the Pentagon Papers, documents that provide essential history that is often ignored by textbooks.
Time Periods: 20th Century, Cold War: 1945 - 1960, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974, Post-Civil Rights Era: 1975 - 2000
Themes: Democracy & Citizenship, Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
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Rethinking the Teaching of the Vietnam War
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools.
A role play on the history of the Vietnam War that is left out of traditional textbooks.
Time Periods: 20th Century, Cold War: 1945 - 1960, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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Rethinking the U.S. Constitutional Convention: A Role Play
Teaching Activity. By Bob Peterson. 14 pages. Rethinking Schools.
A role play on the Constitutional Convention which brings to life the social forces active during and immediately following the American Revolution with focus on two key topics: suffrage and slavery. An elementary school adaptation of the Constitution Role Play by Bill Bigelow. Roles available in Spanish.
Time Periods: 18th Century, Revolution & Constitution: 1765 - 1799
Themes: Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Slavery and Resistance, Women's History
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A Revolution of Values
Teaching Activity. By Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 3 pages.
Text of speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the Vietnam War, followed by three teaching ideas.
Time Periods: 20th Century, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: African American, Civil Rights Movements, Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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Salt of the Earth: Grounds Students in Hope
Teaching Activity. By S.J. Childs. Rethinking Schools.
The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film, Salt of the Earth, about a miners’ strike in New Mexico.
Time Periods: 20th Century, Cold War: 1945 - 1960, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: Labor, Latinx, Social Class, Women's History
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School Days: Hail, Hail, Rock ‘n’ Roll!
Teaching Activity. By Rick Mitchell. Rethinking Schools.
Description of a course on the history of music in the United States.
Time Periods: 20th Century, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: African American, Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Racism & Racial Identity
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“A School Year Like No Other”: Eyes on the Prize: “Fighting Back: 1957-1962”
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools.
A companion lesson to the Eyes on the Prize segment on school integration.
Time Periods: 20th Century, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
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Seneca Falls, 1848: Women Organize for Equality
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow.
A role play allows students to examine issues of race and class when exploring both the accomplishments and limitations of the Seneca Falls Convention.
Time Periods: 19th Century, Early 19th Century: 1800 - 1849
Themes: Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Women's History
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Sharecroppers Challenge U.S. Apartheid: The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party
Teaching Activity. By Julian Hipkins III, Deborah Menkart, Sara Evers, and Jenice View.
Role play on the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) that introduces students to a vital example of small “d” democracy in action. For grades 7+.
Time Periods: 20th Century, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Organizing
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Shutdown!—Confronting Plant Closures
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond.
In this role play activity, students assume the roles of union members and attempt to figure out how to respond to a threatened plant closure.
Themes: Economics, Labor, Organizing, Social Class
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The Singing Strike and the Rebel Students: Learning from the Industrial Workers of the World
Reading for Teachers. By Bill Bigelow.
Author describes how students applied strategies from the Lawrence strike to their own present day activism.
Time Periods: 20th Century, World War I: 1910 - 1919
Themes: Education, Labor, Organizing, Social Class
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Southern Tenant Farmers’ Union: Black and White Unite?
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond.
Role play on farm labor organizing in the 1930s shows how racism had to be challenged to create effective worker alliances.
Time Periods: 20th Century, Prosperity, Depression, & World War II: 1920 - 1944
Themes: African American, Labor, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
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Standing with Standing Rock: A Role Play on the Dakota Access Pipeline
Teaching Activity. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca, Bill Bigelow, and Andrew Duden. Article by Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. 15 pages. Rethinking Schools.
A role play helps students recognize the issues at stake in the historic struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux to block construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
Time Periods: 21st Century, 2001 - Present
Themes: Climate Justice, Environment, Imperialism, Native American, Organizing
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Stealing Home: Eminent Domain, Urban Renewal, and the Loss of Community
Teaching Activity. By Linda Christensen. Rethinking Schools.
Teaching about patterns of displacement and wealth inequality through the history of Chávez Ravine and the building of Dodger Stadium.
Time Periods: 20th Century, Cold War: 1945 - 1960, 21st Century
Themes: African American, Economics, Latinx, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
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Stenciling Dissent: A Student Project Draws on the Language of the Streets
Teaching Activity. By Andrew Reed. Rethinking Schools.
Teaching activity connects students to history of art as a means of protest and gives them opportunity and skills to create their own stencil with a powerful message.
Time Periods: All US History
Themes: Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing
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Stepping into Selma: Voting Rights History and Legacy Today
Teaching Activity. Teaching for Change. 2015.
Introductory lesson on key people and events in the long history of the Selma freedom movement.
Time Periods: 20th Century, People’s Movement: 1961 - 1974
Themes: African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Organizing, Social Class
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Sun City – A Teaching Guide
Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow.
Lessons to accompany the 1985 video "Sun City" that promoted the cultural boycott of South Africa initiated by Little Steven van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen’s E St. Band.
Time Periods: 20th Century, Post-Civil Rights Era: 1975 - 2000
Themes: Art & Music, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, World History/Global Studies
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