We’ve been preoccupied with the question, How can we help students who are feeling vulnerable right now? We hope we’re doing it, indirectly, through our efforts to support you.
We recently came across The Zinn Education Project, inspired by Howard Zinn’s book A People’s History of the United States, which teaches history as the outcome of many/all people’s choices and actions. Since the 2016 election, they’ve created a page explaining how their resources can be particularly helpful right now.
No doubt, still reeling from this poisonous election, it is hard to be hopeful. But we invite you to draw on curriculum at the Zinn Education Project to help your students make sense of this new context. We include lessons—some highlighted below—that:
- Show how social movements have made important strides even during dark times.
- Help students explore other moments in history when elites have mobilized to roll back racial and economic progress.
- Highlight examples of “divide and conquer” politics.
- Help students explore aspects of Trump’s agenda—immigration, the environment, Muslims, civil liberties, the press, and economic inequality.
It’s vital that we introduce our students to the individuals and social movements that have made this country more just.
They have many lesson plans, which you can explore under these sample headings:
Strides Against All Odds • Roll Back Racial and Economic Progress • “Divide and Conquer” Politics • Environment • Civil Liberties • Immigration • Economic Inequality • Muslims • Press • U.S. Presidents
One that jumped out at us: “Stenciling Dissent“. Truly, there are hundreds of ideas to explore.
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