21st Century Archives

Ninth Ward

Book — Historical fiction. By Jewell Parker Rhodes. 2010. 224 pages.
Historical fiction for grades 6-12 about the devastation when the levees broke in New Orleans and how people drew on their wits, community, and history to survive.

Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet

Book — Non-fiction. By Harriet Rohmer. 2009. 109 pages.
Presents the true stories of 12 people across North America who are challenging environmental devastation. Written for middle school readers.

Dirty Business: “Clean Coal” and the Battle for Our Energy Future

Film. Produced by Peter Bull, Justin Weinstein, Alex Gibney. 2010. 88 minutes.
A feature documentary that addresses the questions: Can coal be made clean? Can renewables and efficiency happen on a scale large enough to replace coal?

Sept. 11, 2001: Orlando and Phyllis Rodriguez: “Not In Our Son’s Name”

Orlando and Phyllis Rodriguez spoke out against using September 11, 2001 as a pretext for war.

Rachel Corrie: “Letter from Palestine”

Film clip. Voices of a People's History.
Rachel Corrie's "Letter from Palestine" (2003) read by her mother, Cindy Corrie.

Howard Zinn on War

Book — Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. Introduction by Marilyn B. Young. 2011. 272 pages.
Essays spanning 1962 to 2006 that examine specific wars, wartime incidents, and the force of non-violence to move beyond war, if we are to survive.

Teaching Activity by Howard Zinn

‘Don’t Take Our Voices Away’: A Role Play on the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change

Teaching Activity. By Julie Treick O’Neill and Tim Swinehart. Rethinking Schools. 16 pages.
A role play on the Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change asks students to develop a list of demands to present to the rest of the world at a climate change meeting.

Teaching Activity by Tim Swinehart

After the Levees Broke: Bearing Witness Through Poetry

Teaching Activity. By Renée Watson. Rethinking Schools. 7 pages.
A teacher's reflection on the power of poetry to spark critical discussion and reflection on current issues of inequality surrounding disaster response in the United States.

News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media

Book — Non-fiction. By Juan González and Joseph Torres. 2011. 256 pages.
The history of media in the United States, through the lens of race.

Precious Knowledge

Film. Directed by Ari Luis Palos and produced by Eren Isabel McGinnis. 2011. 70 minutes.
High school seniors become community leaders in Tucson's embattled Ethnic Studies classes while state lawmakers attempt to eliminate the program.

Sing Your Song: What Good is a Conscience If It Is Not Awakened

Film. Directed by Susanne Rostock. 2011. 104 minutes.
A biographical documentary that surveys the life and times of performer/activist Harry Belafonte.

350.org

Website. Building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis by pushing for policies that will put the world on track to get to 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere.