Critical Classroom Conversations

Juneteenth.com
This website is an educational resource with Juneteenth related information, activities, and supplies. It also features a database of Juneteenth events, both in the U.S. and internationally. 

So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?
A New York Times article that provides a brief guide to the history, celebration, and importance of Juneteenth. 

Juneteenth: The Growth of an African American Holiday (1865- ) 
Historian Dr. Quintard Taylor describes the origins and evolution of the Juneteenth holiday since 1865. 

Activists Are Pushing to Make Juneteenth a National Holiday. Here’s the History Behind Their Fight
A Time article that covers the origins of the holiday and the movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday. 

Five myths about Juneteenth
A 2020 Washington Post article delving into five common misperceptions of Juneteenth. 

Why all Americans should honor Juneteenth
A seven minute video from Vox explaining the history and significance of the holiday. 

What Juneteenth tells us about the value of Black life in America
A nine minute video from the Washington Post featuring reporter Nicole Ellis visiting Galveston, Texas. 

Thirteenth
This 2016 documentary, directed by Ava DuVernay, is an important insight into where Black Americans find themselves today, in their post-Emancipation reflections. There may be freedom from enslavement on plantations, but many are facing a similar and all too familiar plight in prisons.

Ways to Discuss School Shootings With Students…
A well-structured lesson, including short readings, a short video, and discussion/writing prompts for students. Published after a school shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado, and widely applicable to school shootings nationwide. 

Anxiety Over School Shootings
A medium-length article about natural emotional responses to school shootings. Would be useful to aid in seeking student feedback about approaches to discussing school shootings and specific student needs in response to school shootings.

Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
A short article about the range of emotions most often felt, in the wake of a school shooting. Allows educators to discuss with students that both educators and students should consider these healthy approaches.

Students, Families, and Educators Should Lead the Way on the Gun Crisis
A short to medium-length article written by a middle school student and her mother, following tragic school shootings. While published during a previous Presidential administration, this would work well to foster a discussion or written responses about potential policy solutions to gun violence as well as ways to communicate with local policy-makers.

Educators tackle tough conversations about race and violence — this time virtually
A long-length and in-depth article about educators discussing police brutality and racial injustice, but in a virtual space due to COVID-19. Would work well if broken up into parts, during whole class discussion or for annotation. 

Teens Talk About Encounters with Police Violence and Injustice
A well-structured lesson, including short readings, multiple short videos, and discussion/writing prompts for students. 

Preparing for a Conversation About Policing and Racial Injustice
A medium to long-length article for educators to prepare discussions or written responses to events related to police brutality and racial injustice. Includes multiple different slideshows, specific activities, and embedded links to other articles.

Q&A: How To Talk To Kids About Black Lives And Police Violence
A medium-length article in which an educator discusses the importance of discussing police violence with students and how teachers can foster those conversations. Would function well as a whole-class read and discussion or an individual read and response activity.

In Solidarity: Mourning Daunte Wright
Shared by the Minnesota Urban Debate League, a short statement memorializing Daunte Wright and also linked resources for discussion or possible written response activities.

Toolkit for Talking About Racism and Police Violence with Students
This toolkit offers strategies for how educators can engage in this reflection and strengthen their practice. Most of this information would be most fitted for preparing a unit or discussion.

Education Minnesota Resources
Education Minnesota has compiled the following lists of resources for educators and parents to help children and adolescents cope and process these and other traumatic events. The list is extensive and, if planned in advance, could create a standalone unit.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus
A medium to long-length article for educators to use, as they continue to navigate teaching during a global pandemic. Included at the end of the article are additional resources, some of which would work well in a unit or for choice reading before a class discussion or written response assignment.

Supporting Students’ Mental Health During COVID
A medium-length article for educators, emphasizing the importance of restructuring curriculum during this time of crisis. Also included are a few suggested activities to help address students’ needs during this crisis.

The Pandemic Will Affect Students’ Mental Health for Years to Come. How Schools Can Help.
A medium to long-length article, including graphics, perfect for a discussion about the intersection of student needs and the expectations of leaders in Education.

Novel Coronavirus: What’s the Real Story?
A lesson in which students will generate and prioritize questions about the novel COVID-19 and evaluate scientific and/or technical information from multiple authoritative sources, assessing the evidence and usefulness of each source for answering their prioritized questions. 

How Teachers Are Talking to Students About the Coronavirus
A medium-length article discussing how teachers of all grade levels are meeting the challenge of discussing COVID-19 with students. Would work well as a whole-class read and discussion, to compare and contrast how students have been involved in that discussion so far and what they are thinking.

For additional resources and to report incidents of Asian American and Pacific Islander hate, consider Stop AAPI Hate at https://stopaapihate.org.

Responding to Anti-Asian Violence and Georgia Shootings
A short article for educators including important historical framing as well as lived experiences and realities of folks of Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Island descent. Would work well as a part of a larger history unit or also as a smaller, more specific and dedicated mini-unit.

After Atlanta: Teaching About Asian American Identity and History
A short article for educators in and a list of linked external literature. Would work well as a part of a larger history unit or also as a smaller, more specific and dedicated mini-unit.

FBI under pressure to tackle anti-Asian hate crime in wake of Atlanta shootings
A medium-length article uncovering the underreported issue of Anti-Asian hate crimes, with relevant context from the most recent in Atlanta, Georgia in March, 2021. Would work well as a part of a larger history unit or also as a smaller, more specific and dedicated mini-unit.

How to Help Fight Anti-Asian Violence
A medium-length article including historical and personal accounts about Anti-Asian violence, including potential actions for support. Would work well towards the end of a discussion or unit about the overall issue.

Coronavirus and Infectious Racism
Background information and lesson materials for a small unit centered on Anti-Asian rhetoric and action. Activities sharpen critical thinking, discussion, writing, and research skills.

#MinneAsianStories: Power of Me
A group of Asian Americans in Minnesota share their personal stories and lived experiences about being Asian in the United States. These stories help provide insight into the lifelong burden many Asians and Asian Americans feel. This can be extremely helpful in a classroom without any Asian American students who feel comfortable sharing this deeply personal information.

NPR Reading List on Anti-Asian hate and violence
A list of 10 articles which contribute to the conversation about anti-Asian attacks and where our society can go from here. Could be useful as a choice reading assignment with open discussion or written response to hearing articles other students chose and summarized.

Teach MLK in Connection With the Attack on the U.S. Capitol
Multiple literature-based resources to discuss the attack on the U.S. Capitol in the context of American History. Useful for in-class discussions or written responses leading up to and around Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

How to Talk to Children About the Insurrection, Other Difficult Issues
A short audio feature from NPR about how educators and guardians can talk to students and children about the insurrection at the United States Capitol.

When Bad Things are Happening
Teaching Tolerance’s guide to reacting to a crisis with a classroom discussion. Their recommendations build on the Psychological First Aid (PFA) framework, developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Resources for Teachers in the Days After the Capitol Attack
A compilation of resources from a former classroom teacher who is now the Visiting Assistant Professor of Educational Studies at Swarthmore College and a co-founder and core member of the Philly Children’s Movement.

Current Events in Your Classroom
Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. This is their current events learning page with resources intended to foster thoughtful conversations.

How to Teach the U.S. Capitol Attack: Dozens of Resources to Get You Started
Education Week assembled a preliminary list of resources from experts, practicing educators, and national organizations to help with teaching recent events.