Teaching Materials Archive

Reconstruction: The Second Civil War

Film. By Elizabeth Deane and Dion Graham. 2004. 174 minutes.
Through the voices of several historians and dramatic re-enactments by actors, PBS’s Reconstruction: The Second Civil War uses the stories of ordinary citizens to paint a picture of the Reconstruction era.

Columbus in America

Film. By Paul Puglisi. 2017. 89 minutes.
Documentary on the symbol of Columbus in the United States and the campaign for Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth

Film. Graham Street Productions. 2009. 110 minutes.
The story of undocumented youth and the challenges they face as they turn 18 without legal status.

First Light

Film. By Upstander Project. 2015. 13 minutes.
Story of forced removal of Native American children in Maine sent to boarding schools.

Milo’s Museum

Picture book. By Zetta Elliott. Illustrated by Purple Wong. 2016. 36 pages.
A story that introduces young readers to the historic mis-representation (and absence) of people of color in museums and how to take action.

Somos como las nubes/We Are Like the Clouds

Picture book. By Jorge Argueta. Illustrated by Alfonso Ruano. 2016. 36 pages.
Poems written in Spanish and English address the struggles of child refugees fleeing Central America for the United States. Grade 2+.

Nuclear Savage: The Islands of Secret Project 4.1

Film. By Adam Jonas Horowitz. 2012. 60 and 87 minutes.
History of the U.S. government's testing of nuclear weapons and fallout on the people of the Marshall Islands.

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale

Picture book. Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. 2013. 32 pages.
An age-appropriate story that brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families crossing the border.

Slavery by Another Name

Film. By Sam Pollard, Catherine Allan, Douglas Blackmon and Sheila Curran Bernard. 2012. 90 minutes.
Reveals the interlocking forces in the South and the North that enabled “neoslavery” post-Emancipation Proclamation.

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch

Picture book. By Chris Barton. Illustrated by Don Tate. 2015. 50 pages.
An in-depth look at the Reconstruction period through the life of one of the first African-American congressmen.

Teaching Central America

Website. An online collection of lessons, book lists, biographies of noted historical figures, and readings for free use by classroom teachers.

Sylvia Woods: “You Have to Fight for Freedom”

Film clip. Voices of a People’s History.
Dramatic reading of an excerpt from an interview of Sylvia Woods (1919) by Alana Arenas.

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore ( Book) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore

Picture book. By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. 2015. 32 pages.
Tells the story of Lewis Michaux Sr.'s Harlem bookstore that was a center of African American history, scholarship, debate, and activism, for grades 2-5.

Catonsville Nine Website | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Catonsville Nine Files

Digital collection. Features documents, photos, and audio and video accounts about the Catonsville Nine who burned Vietnam war draft files.

Learning for Justice

Website. Films, journal, and readings for teachers on education for equity.

National Visionary Leadership Project

Digital collection. Oral history interviews with hundreds of Africans Americans of note.

Choices Program at Brown University

Website. Readings and video clips for high school students on current issues and key historic events.

Kids in Birmingham 1963

Digital collection. A resource for the stories of people who were children in Birmingham in 1963.

Berta Cáceres: Environmental Organizer

Profile. Overview and related resources about Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres.

Roudanez: History and Legacy

Digital collection. The work of Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez, founder of the first Black daily newspaper in the U.S., the New Orleans Tribune, with articles, excerpts, videos, and a timeline.

This Changes Everything (Film)

Film. By Avi Lewis. 2015. 90 minutes.
Seven portraits of communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.

Native American Activism: 1960s to Present

Overview of Native American activism since the late 1960s, including protests at Mt. Rushmore, Alcatraz, Standing Rock, and more.

Italian Americans Who Fought for Justice

Profile. Brief bios of people of Italian heritage who were committed to social justice.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer

Picture book. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Ekua Holmes. 2015. 45 pages.
Illustrated biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, activist for voting and economic rights from Mississippi.

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Profile. Overview of the farm labor organization, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, with artwork by Erin Currier.