Organizing
Teaching Activity PDFs
‘If There Is No Struggle…’: Teaching a People’s History of the Abolition Movement
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow. 16 pages.
A role play putting students in the position of abolitionist groups working together to end slavery.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery
Seneca Falls, 1848: Women Organize for Equality
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 17 pages.
A role play allows students to examine issues of race and class when exploring both the accomplishments and limitations of the Seneca Falls Convention.
Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Women's History
Unsung Heroes: Encouraging Students to Appreciate Those Who Fought for Social Justice
Teaching Activity PDF. Essay by Howard Zinn and lesson by Bill Bigelow. 11 pages.
Students research and share stories about unsung heroes in U.S. history.
Civil Rights Movements, Organizing, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Exploring Women’s Rights: The 1908 Textile Strike in a 1st-grade Class
Teaching Activity PDF. By Dale Weiss. 3 pages.
A teacher’s reflections about a curriculum unit on women’s rights contextualizes the history of the feminist movement within the broader struggle of people working for greater equality in the United States.
Lawrence, 1912: The Singing Strike
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond. 18 pages.
Role play on the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Mass.
The Singing Strike and the Rebel Students: Learning from the Industrial Workers of the World
Reading for Teachers PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 7 pages.
Author describes how students applied strategies from the Lawrence strike to their own present day activism.
Southern Tenant Farmers’ Union: Black and White Unite?
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond. 12 pages.
Role play on farm labor organizing in the 1930s shows how racism had to be challenged to create effective worker alliances.
African American, Labor, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
“We Had Set Ourselves Free”: Lessons on the Civil Rights Movement
Teaching Activity PDF. By Doug Sherman. 4 pages.
The author describes how he uses biographies and film to introduce students to the role of people involved in the Civil Rights Movement beyond the familiar heroes. He emphasizes the role and experiences of young people in the Movement.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
“A School Year Like No Other”: Eyes on the Prize: “Fighting Back: 1957-1962″
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 7 pages.
A companion lesson to the Eyes on the Prize segment on school integration.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Individuals in US History, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Pump Up the Blowouts: Reflections on the 40th Anniversary of the Chicano/a School Blowouts
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gilda L. Ochoa. 5 pages.
Reflections on teaching students about the 1968 walkouts by Chicano students in California.
Civil Rights Movements, Education, Latino, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
‘What We Want, What We Believe’: Teaching with the Black Panthers’ Ten Point Program
Teaching Activity PDF. By Wayne Au. 7 pages.
The author describes how he used a study of the Black Panther’s Ten Point Program to help students assess issues in their own communities and to develop Ten Point Programs of their own.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Labor Matters
Teaching Activity. By Teaching Tolerance.
Introduces students to the role of the labor movement in securing contemporary benefits such as the 40-hour workweek, the minimum wage, and workplace safety regulations.
Stenciling Dissent: A Student Project Draws on the Language of the Streets
Teaching Activity PDF. By Andrew Reed. 5 pages.
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.
Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing
Dirty Oil and Shovel-Ready Jobs: A Role Play on Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline
Teaching Activity. By Abby Mac Phail. 12 pages.
Role play on the Keystone XL Pipeline battle.
Environment & Food, Native American, Organizing, US Foreign Policy, World History/Global Studies
Teaching Guides
BRIDGE: Popular Education Resources for Immigrant and Refugee Community Organizers
Teaching Guide. By The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. 2004. 320 pages.
Lessons on immigration, labor, and organizing for high school and adult education.
Lessons from Freedom Summer: Ordinary People Building Extraordinary Movements
Book – Teaching Guide. Edited by Kathy Emery, Linda Reid Gold and Sylvia Braselmann. Foreword by Howard Zinn. 2008. 456 pages.
Readings and lessons on the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project.
Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching
Teaching Guide. Edited by Deborah Menkart, Alana D. Murray, and Jenice L. View. 2004. 576 pages.
Provides lessons and articles for K-12 educators on how to go beyond a heroes approach to the Civil Rights Movement, with a focus on education, economics, labor, youth, women, and culture.
Articles
Scholastic Inc. – Pushing Coal: A 4th-grade curriculum lies through omission
Article. By Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools, Volume 25 – Issue 4, Summer 2011.
Books: Fiction
Aani and the Tree Huggers
Book – Fiction. By Jeannine Atkins. Illustrated by Venantius J. Pinto. 2000. 32 pages.
Based on an event that took place in India in the 1970s, children and women in the village hug the trees to save them from being logged.
The Bobbin Girl
Book – Fiction. By Emily Arnold McCully. 1996. 36 pages.
Historical fiction for upper elementary based on a true story about the Lowell textile workers.
Bread and Roses, Too
Book – Fiction. By Katherine Paterson. 2006. 275 pages.
Moving young adult historical-fiction novel based on a major strike in Lawrence, Mass. in 1912.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Book – Fiction. By Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2000. 32 pages.
A barnyard struggle where the cows go on strike and the farmer is forced to negotiate.
Fire in the Hole!
Book – Fiction. By Mary Cronk Farrell. 2004. 176 pages.
Based on the true story of a silver miners’ strike in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the book shows the desperate conditions of miners’ lives and how the striking miners were detained illegally in a late 19th century version of Guantanamo.
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Book – Fiction. By Carole Boston Weatherford. 2007. 32 pages.
Historical fiction in an upper elementary picture book about the Greensboro sit-ins.
Freedom School, Yes!
Book – Fiction. By Amy Littlesugar. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. 2001. 40 pages.
Historical fiction for upper elementary about the 1964 Freedom Schools.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Haymarket: A Novel
Book – Fiction. By Martin Duberman. 2005. 330 pages.
Historical novel for high school and adults on the Haymarket struggle.
Journey of Dreams
Book – Fiction. By Marge Pellegrino. 2009. 250 pages.
Historical fiction for young adult readers about the experience of Central American refugees and the long journey north.
Kid Blink Beats the World
Book – Fiction. By Don Brown. 2004. 32 pages.
The story of the 1899 strike by the children who sold newspapers on the street.
Lyddie
Book – Fiction. By Katherine Paterson. 1995. 192 pages.
A young girl works in the mills and gets involved in labor activism.
Sacred Leaf
Book – Fiction. By Deborah Ellis. 2009. 206 pages.
A story based in Bolivia about a group of peasants who organize against the military.
Scraps of Time: Abby Takes a Stand, 1960
Book – Fiction. By Patricia McKissack. 2006. 112 pages. For ages 9+.
Historical fiction about the lunch counter sit-ins.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
¡Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A.
Book – Fiction. By Diana Cohn and illustrated by Francisco Delgado. 2008. 31 pages.
A children’s book based on the true story of the Justice for Janitors strike.
The Streets are Free
Book – Fiction. By Karusa. Illustrated by Monica Doppert. 1985 (reissued 2008). 48 pages.
A group of children organize to convince the mayor that they need a playground and when they do not get it they organize the neighbors to help them build one.
Swimmy
Book – Fiction. By Leo Lionni. 1973. 32 pages.
A classic tale for young children about the power of organizing.
Sylvia & Aki
Book – Historical fiction. By Winifred Conkling. 2011. 160 pages.
Based on the true story of two girls who meet in 1940s California and a landmark lawsuit on education.
Asian American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Latino, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
A Thousand Never Evers
Book – Fiction. By Shana Burg. 2008. 320 pages.
Set in 1963 Mississippi, this historical fiction introduces middle/high school readers to the life at that time through the experiences of 12-year-old Addie Ann Pickett.
Tough Times
Book – Fiction. By Milton Meltzer. 2007. 176 pages.
A historical novel about a child of immigrants during the Great Depression, including his participation in the Bonus March.
Underground Man
Book – Fiction. By Milton Meltzer. 2006. 288 pages.
An historically accurate novel on abolitionists and the Underground Railroad for middle school readers.
Uprising
Book – Fiction. By Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2007. 352 pages.
Three young women march against unfair labor practices in the Shirtwaist Strike of 1909-10, only to find themselves engulfed in the raging flames consuming the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.
Books: Non-Fiction
After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance
Book – Non-fiction. By Anne Sibley O’Brien and Perry Edmund O’Brien. 2009. 192 pages.
Stories about 15 activists who continue in the tradition of Gandhi, written and illustrated for upper elementary and middle school.
Individuals in US History, Organizing, World History/Global Studies
Bayard Rustin: Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement
Book – Non-fiction. By James Haskins. 1997. 128 pages.
Biography for middle school readers of Bayard Rustin.
Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century
Book – Non-fiction. By Randy Shaw. 2010. 347 pages.
The impact of the UFW on organizing and labor today.
Bread & Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream
Book – Non-fiction. By Bruce Watson. 2006. 352 pages.
The riveting story of one of the most remarkable strikes in U.S. history.
Immigration, Labor, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Social Class, Women's History
Celebrate People’s History: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Josh MacPhee. 2010. 256 pages.
A visual representation of people’s history through political posters.
César Chávez: A Photographic Essay
Book – Non-fiction. By Ilan Stavans. 2010. 96 pages.
Photo essay about César E. Chávez of the United Farm Workers.
Civil Rights History from the Ground Up: Local Struggles, a National Movement
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Emilye Crosby. 2011. 486 pages.
A grassroots history of the Civil Rights Movement.
Firebrands: Portraits from the Americas
Book – Non-fiction. By Shaun Slifer and Bec Young. 2010. 192 pages.
Images and short bios of 78 activists from throughout U.S. history and the Americas for middle school to adult.
Freedom Summer
Book – Non-fiction. By Bruce Watson. 2010. 384 pages.
A history of Freedom Summer, the pivotal period of the Civil Rights Movement in 1964 Mississippi.
Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Book – Non-fiction. By Russell Freedman. 2006. 114 pages.
Written for middle school, the story of the bus boycott, in which Rosa Parks played a role but was not the sole hero.
Freedom’s Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories
Book – Non-fiction. By Ellen Levine. 1993. 192 pages.
Thirty African-Americans who were children during the 1950s and 1960s tell their true stories of what it was like for them to fight segregation in the South.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Hands On the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Faith S. Holsaert, Martha Prescod Norman Noonan, Judy Richardson, Betty Garman Robinson, Jean Smith Young, and Dorothy M. Zellner. 2010. 632 pages.
An unprecedented women’s history of the Civil Rights Movement, from sit-ins to Black Power.
I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin’s Life in Letters
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Michael G. Long. By Bayard Rustin. Foreword by Julian Bond. 2012. 276 pages.
The story of the behind-the-scenes strategist, organizer, and advocate of non-violence, Bayard Rustin.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, LGBT, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
I’ve Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle
Book – Non-fiction. By Charles M. Payne. 1995. 506 pages.
The people’s history of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Organizing
It’s Our World, Too!: Young People Who Are Making a Difference
Book – Non-fiction. By Phillip Hoose with foreword by Pete Seeger. 2002. 176 pages.
Guide to making a difference for young people.
Jessie De La Cruz: A Profile of a United Farm Worker
Book – Non-fiction. Gary Soto. 2002. 116 pages.
An inspiring story of Jessie De La Cruz, one of the first women to organize for the United Farmer Workers.
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor
Book – Non-fiction. By Russell Freedman. 1998. 112 pages.
Child labor for middle school and above through images and essays.
Kids on Strike!
Book – Non-fiction. By Susan Campbell Bartoletti. 2003.
Describes the conditions and treatment that drove working children to strike, from the mill workers’ strike in 1834 and the coal strikes at the turn of the century to the children who marched with Mother Jones in 1903.
Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
Book – Non-fiction. By Andrea Davis Pinkney. 2000. 120 pages.
Mini-biographies of ten African-American women for upper elementary and middle school.
Letters from Mississippi: Reports from Civil Rights Volunteers and Freedom School Poetry of the 1964 Freedom Summer
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Elizabeth Sutherland Martinez. Introduction by Julian Bond. 2007. 400 pages.
Letters and poetry from Civil Rights Movement volunteers in the summer of 1964.
Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi
Book – Non-fiction. By John Dittmer. 1995. 560 pages.
A detailed, grassroots description of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.
A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter
Book – Non-fiction. By Patricia & Fredrick McKissack. 1995. 160 pages.
A true story of the history of this powerful union effort by the African American porters.
Many Minds, One Heart: SNCC’s Dream for a New America
Book – Non-fiction. By Wesley C. Hogan. 2009. 463 pages.
An innovative study of what the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) accomplished and, more importantly, how it fostered significant social change in such a short time.
No More! Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance
Book – Non-fiction. By Doreen Rappaport. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. 2005. 64 pages.
Picture book for upper elementary/middle school on the many forms of resistance to slavery.
Nobody Gonna Turn Me ‘Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
Book – Non-fiction. By Doreen Rappaport. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. 2008. 64 pages.
Stories and songs for upper elementary from the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1965.
African American, Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Labor, Organizing
A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2005. 702 pages.
Howard Zinn’s groundbreaking work on U.S. history. This book details the lives and facts that are rarely included in textbooks — an indispensable teacher and student resource.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Economics, Education, Immigration, Imperialism, Labor, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Rosa
Book – Non-fiction. By Nikki Giovanni. 2005. 40 pages.
A beautifully illustrated book for children about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood Memories of the Civil Rights Days
Book – Non-fiction. By Sheyann Webb and Rachel West Nelson as told to Frank Sikora. 1980. 168 pages.
The moving story of two young girls who were caught up in the 1965 movement in Selma, Alabama.
Side by Side/Lado a lado
Book – Non-fiction. By Monica Brown, translation by Carolina Valencia, illus. by Joe Cepeda. 2010. 32 pages.
The life stories and activism of the two founders of the United Farmworkers (UFW), written and illustrated for young children.
SNCC: The New Abolitionists
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2002. 286 pages.
A detailed history of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Students on Strike: Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me
Book – Non-fiction. By John A. Stokes with Lois Wolfe. 2007. 128 pages.
First person description of the student led movement to desegregate schools in Prince Edward County.
That’s Not Fair! Emma Tenayuca’s struggle for justice/¡No Es Justo!: La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia
Book – Non-fiction. By Carmen Tafolla, Sharyll Tenayuca, Celina Marroquin. 2008. 40 pages. Bilingual (Spanish and English).
Biography for upper elementary of labor activist Emma Tenayuca.
There Comes a Time: The Struggle for Civil Rights
Book – Non-fiction. By Milton Meltzer. 2002. 208 pages.
History of the struggle for civil rights throughout U.S. history, for middle school readers.
Voices of a People’s History of the United States
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. 2009. 704 pages.
Speeches, letters, poems, and songs for each chapter of A People’s History of the United States.
Labor, Organizing, Slavery, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Waiting ‘Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America
Book – Non-fiction. By Peniel E. Joseph. 2007. 432 pages.
A narrative history of the Black Power Movement.
Warriors Don’t Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock’s Senior High
Book – Non-fiction. By Melba Pattillo Beals. 2007. 336 pages.
Story of a teenage girl chosen to integrate Little Rock High School.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Individuals in US History, Organizing
We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin
Book – Non-fiction. By Larry Dane Brimner. 2007. 48 pages.
A sophisticated picture book on a key civil rights leader.
We Shall Overcome: A Song That Changed the World
Book – Non-fiction. By Stuart Stotts. Illustrated by Terrance Cummings. 2010. 64 pages and a CD.
History of the song from the Civil Rights Movement and other struggles, We Shall Overcome.
African American, Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Individuals in US History, Organizing
We Took the Streets: Fighting for Latino Rights with the Young Lords
Book – Non-fiction. By Miguel Melendez. 2003. 260 pages.
Legacy of the Young Lords in the Puerto Rican struggle for equality and independence.
Civil Rights Movements, Individuals in US History, Latino, Organizing
Which Side Are You On? The Story of A Song
Book – Non-fiction. By George Ella Lyon. Artwork by Christopher Cardinale. 2011. 40 pages.
This children’s book tells the story of a classic union song written in 1931 and the harsh conditions under which it was written.
The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement
Book – Non-fiction. By Bob Zellner with Constance Curry. Foreword by Julian Bond. 2008. 351 pages.
Zellner tells how one white Alabamian joined ranks with the black students who were sitting-in, marching, fighting, and sometimes dying to challenge the southern “way of life.”
A Young People’s History of the United States
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn with Rebecca Stefoff. 2009. 464 pages.
A young adult version of the best-selling A People’s History of the United States.
Films
10,000 Black Men Named George
Film. By Robert Townsend. 2002. 89 minutes.
Docudrama about A. Philip Randolph and The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first Black Union in America.
African American, Individuals in US History, Labor, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
At the River I Stand
Film. Directed by David Appleby, Allison Graham and Steven Ross. 1993. 58 min.
Documentary on the African American sanitation workers’ 1968 fight for human dignity and a living wage in Memphis.
¡Aumento Ya!/A Raise Now!
Film. Tom Chamberlin/PCUN. 1996. 50 minutes.
The dramatic story of the 1995 organizing campaign by an Oregon Latino farmworkers’ union, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), to win higher wages for Latino immigrant workers harvesting strawberries.
Bread and Roses
Film. Ken Loach. 2001. 106 min.
A compelling, fictionalized account of an actual labor campaign in Los Angeles.
Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin
DVD. Produced by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer. 2002. 83 minutes.
Documentary about the life of peace, labor, and civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Labor, LGBT, Organizing
Bus Riders Union
Film. Haskell Wexler. 2000. 86 minutes.
The Los Angeles Bus Riders Union’s triumphant struggle to win better service.
Conscience and the Constitution
Film. By Frank Abe. 2000. 57 minutes.
In World War II, 63 Japanese Americans refused to be drafted from an American concentration camp.
Asian American, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock
Film. Directed by Sharon LaCruise. 2011.
Documentary on the life of Daisy Bates, best know for her role with the Little Rock Nine.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity, Women's History
Disability History Week
Film. (Youtube video.) 6 minutes 20 seconds.
Youth at the 2010 Youth Organizing! Disabled and Proud Disability History Campaign Summit YO! explain why they believe disability history should be taught in schools.
Even the Rain/También la lluvia
Film. Directed by Icíar Bollaín and written by Paul Laverty. 2010. 103 minutes.
As a crew shoots a film about Columbus’ genocide, local people in Cochabamba, Bolivia rise up against plans to privatize the water supply.
Economics, Imperialism, Latino, Organizing, US Foreign Policy, World History/Global Studies
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1985
Film. Produced by Henry Hampton. Blackside. 1987.
Comprehensive documentary history of the Civil Rights Movement.
February One
Film. Produced by Dr. Steven Channing. 2004. 61 min.
February One tells the story surrounding the 1960 Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins.
The Fight in the Fields: César Chávez and the Farmworker Struggle
Film. Ray Telles and Rick Tejada-Flores. 1997. 116 min.
A documentary on the farmworker movement told by the organizers and farmworkers themselves.
Freedom Riders
Film. Written, produced, and directed by Stanley Nelson. 2011. 120 minutes.
A first hand look at the 1961 rides from the Freedom Riders themselves and others who were there.
Civil Rights Movements, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Freedom Song
Film. By Phil Alden Robinson. 2006. 117 min.
Based on the actual history of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), student activism, and voter registration in McComb, Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement.
Golden Lands, Working Hands
Film. By Fred Glass for the California Federation of Teachers. 170 minutes.
Ten-part film series brings the hidden history of working people in California to light, from the Gold Rush through the present.
The Good Fight: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade and the Spanish Civil War
DVD. By Mary Dore, Noel Buckner, Sam Sills. 1984. 98 minutes.
Documentary narrated by Studs Terkel on the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
Organizing, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight It
Film. Produced by Rick Tejada-Flores and Judith Ehrlich. 2002. 60 minutes.
Documentary film on WWII conscientious objectors and excellent online resources for the classroom.
Granito de Arena/Grain of Sand
DVD. Produced by Jill Freidberg. Corrugated Films. 2005.
Documentary about teachers, parents, and students fighting to defend Mexico’s public education system from the impacts of economic globalization
Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train – DVD
Film. By Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller. 2010. 78 minutes.
Documentary on life and work of Howard Zinn.
Individuals in US History, Labor, Organizing, Social Class, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
John Brown’s Last Speech
Film clip. Josh Brolin reads John Brown’s Last Speech delivered on November 2, 1859. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
The Killing Floor
Film. Directed by Bill Duke. 1985. 118 minutes.
Set during World War I, two African-American men deal with racism in the workplace and the labor union.
African American, Labor, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
The Lemon Grove Incident
Film. By Paul Espinosa. 1986.
An early story of desegregation in a 1931 school that barred Mexican-Americans.
Made in L.A.
Film. By Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. 2007. 70 minutes.
Emmy award-winning feature documentary follows the story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles sweatshops on an odyssey to win basic labor protections from a clothing retailer.
Maquilapolis (City of Factories)
Film. Directed and produced by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre. 2006. 68 minutes.
The impact of globalization as told through the lives of the women who experience it in Tijuana, Mexico.
Labor, Organizing, Women's History, World History/Global Studies
Matewan
Film. Written and directed by John Sayles. 1987. 132 minutes.
A feature film depicting a strike in a mining town in Appalachia and the struggle for solidarity across racial lines.
Mighty Times: The Children’s March
Film. By Hudson and Houston. 2005. 40 minutes.
This Academy Award-winning documentary film tells the heroic story of the young people in Birmingham, Alabama, who brought segregation to its knees.
Parent Power
Film. Produced by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown Univ. 2011. 35 minutes.
A documentary about parents in the Bronx who organized to bring high-quality education to their neighborhood.
African American, Education, Latino, Organizing, Social Class
The People Speak – Extended Edition – DVD
Film. 2009. Directed by Howard Zinn, Chris Moore and Anthony Arnove. 110 minutes.
Dramatic readings and performances based on Voices of a People’s History and A People’s History of the United States.
Labor, Organizing, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
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.
Education, Latino, Laws & Citizen Rights, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Salt of the Earth
Film. By Herbert Biberman. 1954. 94 minutes.
This classic, powerful film about a miners strike in New Mexico can be used to teach about the intersection of class, race, national origin, and gender.
Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968
DVD. Produced by Judy Richardson and Bestor Cram. 2009. 57 minutes.
A documentary film that brings to light the story of the attack by state police on a demonstration in Orangeburg, South Carolina — leaving three students killed and 28 injured.
Sir! No Sir!
Film. By David Zeiger. 2005. 84 min.
This award-winning film demonstrates the role soldiers and veterans played in the anti-Vietnam War movement.
Standing on My Sisters’ Shoulders
Film. By Joan Sadoff, Robert Sadoff, and Laura Lipson. 2002. 60 minutes.
Documentary film on women in the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.
Civil Rights Movements, Individuals in US History, Organizing, Women's History
Teaching About the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Film. By Teaching for Change. 2006. 15 min.
First grade teacher Maggie Donovan (SNCC veteran) introduces her students to the fight to desegregate the buses, placing Rosa Parks in the context of the larger community efforts.
Vicky Starr: “Back of the Yards”
Film clip. Vicky Starr’s “Back of the Yards” about organizing in the 1930s, read by Christina Kirk.
From Voices of the People’s History of the United States.
Walkout
Film. Produced by Moctesuma Esparza. 2006. 111 minutes.
Walkout tells the true story of the Chicano students of East L.A., who in 1968 staged several dramatic walkouts in their high schools to protest academic prejudice and dire school conditions.
Civil Rights Movements, Education, Latino, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Picture Books
Aani and the Tree Huggers
Book – Fiction. By Jeannine Atkins. Illustrated by Venantius J. Pinto. 2000. 32 pages.
Based on an event that took place in India in the 1970s, children and women in the village hug the trees to save them from being logged.
The Bobbin Girl
Book – Fiction. By Emily Arnold McCully. 1996. 36 pages.
Historical fiction for upper elementary based on a true story about the Lowell textile workers.
Clic, Clac, Muu Vacas Escritoras
Book – Fiction. By Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2001. 32 pages.
A barnyard struggle where the cows go on strike and the farmer is forced to negotiate.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Book – Fiction. By Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2000. 32 pages.
A barnyard struggle where the cows go on strike and the farmer is forced to negotiate.
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Book – Fiction. By Carole Boston Weatherford. 2007. 32 pages.
Historical fiction in an upper elementary picture book about the Greensboro sit-ins.
Freedom School, Yes!
Book – Fiction. By Amy Littlesugar. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. 2001. 40 pages.
Historical fiction for upper elementary about the 1964 Freedom Schools.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Organizing, Racism & Racial Identity
Grandpa’s Corner Store
Book – Fiction. By DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan. 2000. 40 pages.
A children’s book about the benefits of a neighborhood store vs. a big box store and how a community can rally to support a local business.
Kid Blink Beats the World
Book – Fiction. By Don Brown. 2004. 32 pages.
The story of the 1899 strike by the children who sold newspapers on the street.
Nadarín
Book – Fiction. By Leo Lionni. 1973 (Spanish translation 2005). 24 pages.
A classic tale for young children about the power of organizing. (In Spanish.)
No More! Stories and Songs of Slave Resistance
Book – Non-fiction. By Doreen Rappaport. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. 2005. 64 pages.
Picture book for upper elementary/middle school on the many forms of resistance to slavery.
Nobody Gonna Turn Me ‘Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
Book – Non-fiction. By Doreen Rappaport. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. 2008. 64 pages.
Stories and songs for upper elementary from the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1965.
African American, Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Labor, Organizing
Rosa
Book – Non-fiction. By Nikki Giovanni. 2005. 40 pages.
A beautifully illustrated book for children about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
¡Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A.
Book – Fiction. By Diana Cohn and illustrated by Francisco Delgado. 2008. 31 pages.
A children’s book based on the true story of the Justice for Janitors strike.
Side by Side/Lado a lado
Book – Non-fiction. By Monica Brown, translation by Carolina Valencia, illus. by Joe Cepeda. 2010. 32 pages.
The life stories and activism of the two founders of the United Farmworkers (UFW), written and illustrated for young children.
The Streets are Free
Book – Fiction. By Karusa. Illustrated by Monica Doppert. 1985 (reissued 2008). 48 pages.
A group of children organize to convince the mayor that they need a playground and when they do not get it they organize the neighbors to help them build one.
Swimmy
Book – Fiction. By Leo Lionni. 1973. 32 pages.
A classic tale for young children about the power of organizing.
That’s Not Fair! Emma Tenayuca’s struggle for justice/¡No Es Justo!: La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia
Book – Non-fiction. By Carmen Tafolla, Sharyll Tenayuca, Celina Marroquin. 2008. 40 pages. Bilingual (Spanish and English).
Biography for upper elementary of labor activist Emma Tenayuca.
We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin
Book – Non-fiction. By Larry Dane Brimner. 2007. 48 pages.
A sophisticated picture book on a key civil rights leader.
Which Side Are You On? The Story of A Song
Book – Non-fiction. By George Ella Lyon. Artwork by Christopher Cardinale. 2011. 40 pages.
This children’s book tells the story of a classic union song written in 1931 and the harsh conditions under which it was written.
Posters
Bayard Rustin Poster
Poster. By Ricardo Levins-Morales.
Bayard Rustin, long time peace activist, labor organizer, and civil rights activist.
Celebrate People’s History: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Josh MacPhee. 2010. 256 pages.
A visual representation of people’s history through political posters.
Flint Sit-Down Strike
Poster. By Dylan Miner. 11″ x 17″. 2-color offset printed.
Informational poster about Roscoe Van Zandt and the Flint Sit-In strike.
The Labor Movement
Poster. By Ricardo Levins-Morales.
Poster describes the positive impact of the labor movement.
People’s History Wall Charts
Posters. By Howard Zinn and George Kirschner. 2007. 13.75″ x 9.5″.
Visual time-lines of US history presented by era and thematically.
Profiles
Songs and Poems
“Workers of the World, Awaken!” by Joe Hill
Song. By Joe Hill. 1910.
A classic labor song, reaching out to workers to around the world.
Battle of Blair Mountain
Song. By David Rovics. 2003.
Ballad about the West Virginia Coal Mine War of 1920-1921.
Chavez Ravine: a record by Ry Cooder
Songs. By Ry Cooder. 2005.
The story of the Chicano community bulldozed to pave the way for the Dodger Stadium in Santa Monica, told through bilingual songs.
Elegy for Peter Norman
Poem by Josh Healey. From Hammertime. 2008.
Poem in text and audio about Peter Norman, the white athlete in the iconic photo of the ’68 Olympics.
Union Makes Us Strong
Song. By David Rovics. 2010.
The benefits of a union told through historic examples in a ballad.
Union Songs
Website. Developed by Mark Gregory.
Over 700 union songs in an easy to search and regularly updated online collection with lyrics and audio.
Which Side Are You On? The Story of A Song
Book – Non-fiction. By George Ella Lyon. Artwork by Christopher Cardinale. 2011. 40 pages.
This children’s book tells the story of a classic union song written in 1931 and the harsh conditions under which it was written.
The World Turned Upside Down
Song. By Leon Rosselson.
The story of the 1649 revolt of the dispossessed in England who fought against the vested interest of the propertied. A vision of society that is cooperative and in harmony with the earth.
Spanish/Bilingual
Chavez Ravine: a record by Ry Cooder
Songs. By Ry Cooder. 2005.
The story of the Chicano community bulldozed to pave the way for the Dodger Stadium in Santa Monica, told through bilingual songs.
Clic, Clac, Muu Vacas Escritoras
Book – Fiction. By Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. 2001. 32 pages.
A barnyard struggle where the cows go on strike and the farmer is forced to negotiate.
Democracy Now!
Website. Radio program hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
Daily news radio program with voices rarely heard in corporate media.
Granito de Arena/Grain of Sand
DVD. Produced by Jill Freidberg. Corrugated Films. 2005.
Documentary about teachers, parents, and students fighting to defend Mexico’s public education system from the impacts of economic globalization
La Otra Historia de los Estados Unidos
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. Translated by Toni Strubel. 2011 (translation). 512 pages.
A People’s History of the United States in Spanish.
Nadarín
Book – Fiction. By Leo Lionni. 1973 (Spanish translation 2005). 24 pages.
A classic tale for young children about the power of organizing. (In Spanish.)
¡Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A.
Book – Fiction. By Diana Cohn and illustrated by Francisco Delgado. 2008. 31 pages.
A children’s book based on the true story of the Justice for Janitors strike.
Side by Side/Lado a lado
Book – Non-fiction. By Monica Brown, translation by Carolina Valencia, illus. by Joe Cepeda. 2010. 32 pages.
The life stories and activism of the two founders of the United Farmworkers (UFW), written and illustrated for young children.
That’s Not Fair! Emma Tenayuca’s struggle for justice/¡No Es Justo!: La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia
Book – Non-fiction. By Carmen Tafolla, Sharyll Tenayuca, Celina Marroquin. 2008. 40 pages. Bilingual (Spanish and English).
Biography for upper elementary of labor activist Emma Tenayuca.
Websites
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.
Americans Who Tell the Truth
Website.
Portraits and bio of individuals who have taken a stand for justice.
Bread and Roses Centennial: 1912 – 2012
Website.
Comprehensive collection of digitized documents, news, and calendar of events regarding the historic 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Mass.
CFT Labor In The Schools Committee
Website.
Free downloadable teaching activities for pre-school to college to introduce labor history in the classroom.
Civil Rights Movement Veterans Website
Website.
Resources on the Southern Freedom Movement compiled by those who lived it. Includes a bibliography, timelines, photos, primary source documents, and lists of speakers.
Democracy Now!
Website. Radio program hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
Daily news radio program with voices rarely heard in corporate media.
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement 1954-1985
Website.
Comprehensive companion website to PBS documentary series.
The Museum of disABILITY History: Disability Timeline
Website.
Timeline from Museum of disABILITY History that chronicles significant events in disability history from 400 B.C. to 1999.
Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition
Website.
Coalition of groups dedicated to education and memorial events about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
Training for Change
Website.
Workshops, tools and publications for social justice and activist training.
Union Songs
Website. Developed by Mark Gregory.
Over 700 union songs in an easy to search and regularly updated online collection with lyrics and audio.
Voices of a People’s History
Website. Voices helps to stage public readings of primary-source materials on a people’s history.
The website also offers dozens of film clips of readings by well-known people for classroom use.
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