High School
Teaching Activity PDFs
“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
Andrew Jackson and the “Children of the Forest”
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 5 pages.
A lesson in which students develop critical literacy skills by responding to Andrew Jackson’s speech on “Indian Removal.”
ANPO: Art X War: A film tackles the U.S. occupation of Japan.
Film review and teaching activity. By Moé Yonamine. From Rethinking Schools.
ANPO is a documentary about visual resistance to U.S. military bases in Japan by Japan’s foremost contemporary artists.
Art & Music, US Foreign Policy, World History/Global Studies
The Black Upsurge Against Racial Segregation
Teaching Activity PDF. By Tasha Boettcher. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 17 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the long Civil Rights Movement in America.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
Bush II and the “War on Terror”
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 18 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 24 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on George W. Bush, the “War on Terror,” Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Patriot Act.
Democracy & Citizenship, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Carter–Reagan–Bush Consensus
Teaching Activity PDF. By Ron Perry. 16 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 21 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the recently rising disparities in power, wealth and quality of life in America.
Challenging Bill Clinton
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 17 pages. Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 23 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the Clinton presidency, as well as domestic opposition to his policies.
Individuals in US History, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Cherokee/Seminole Removal Role Play
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 10 pages.
Role play on the Cherokee-Seminole removal or Trail of Tears.
Democracy & Citizenship, Native American, Racism & Racial Identity
Civil War and Class Conflict
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 16 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 10 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on “The Other Civil War” – the class conflict fought by the poor in the north and south.
The Color Line
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 6 pages.
A lesson on the countless colonial laws enacted to create division and inequality based on race. This helps students understand the origins of racism in the United States and who benefits.
African American, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery
Columbus and Las Casas
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 1 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on Columbus’ arrival in the “New World,” and the contrasting accounts of Bartolome de Las Casas and Eduardo Galeano.
Constitution Role Play: Whose “More Perfect Union”? and The Constitutional Convention: Who Really Won?
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 23 pages.
A role play on the issues involved with the framing of the Constitution.
Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class
Daughter of Earth: Reading, Writing, and Social Class
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 7 pages.
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
Discovering Columbus: Re-reading the Past
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 6 pages.
How to engage students in a critical analysis of the textbook version of “discovery.”
The Draft Riot Mystery
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 9 pages.
Students are invited to solve a mystery, using historical clues, about the real story of the Draft Riots.
Democracy & Citizenship, Immigration, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Social Class, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Early Women’s Movement
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 6 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the early women’s movement, including their efforts for social, racial, and political equality.
Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Women's History
The Election of 1860 Role Play
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 12 pages.
Role play based on the election of 1860 allows students to explore the political debates of the time and the real reasons for the Civil War.
African American, Slavery, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Expansion of Empire
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 12 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on internal dissent over American expansionist policies.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The First Slaves
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 2 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on early American slavery, resistance, and rebellion.
Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 7 pages.
A lesson to introduce students to the numerous and varied ways African Americans resisted their enslavement, using the autobiographical Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845.
From the Jazz Age to the Uprisings of the 1930s
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 20 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 15 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the economic and social realities of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the corresponding rise of unions and the Communist Party.
Got Coal? Teaching About the Most Dangerous Rock in America
Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow.
A lesson examining the motives, goals, and environmental consequences of the coal mining industry.
Haiku and Hiroshima: Teaching About the Atomic Bomb
Teaching Activity PDF. By Wayne Au. 3 pages.
Lesson for high school students on the bombing of Hiroshima using the film Barefoot Gen and haiku.
Language Arts, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Half a Revolution
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 16 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 5 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the Revolutionary War as “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight,” as well as the failure of early Americans to complete a full revolution.
Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Social Class
Hidden in Plain Sight: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Radical Vision
Teaching Activity. By Craig Gordon. 2003. Urban Dreams and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project.
Lesson to introduce students to the speeches and work of Dr. King beyond “I have a dream.”
History Textbooks: “Theirs” and “Ours”: A Rebellion or a War of Independence?
Teaching Activity PDF. By John DeRose. 4 pages.
Analysis of textbook passages from different countries, videos and books are used to explore different perspectives about the same event in history, i.e. “Philippine-American War” vs. “War of Philippine Independence”.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
Hunger on Trial: An Activity on the Irish Potato Famine and Its Meaning for Today
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 5 pages.
Role play in the form of a trial to determine who was responsible for the death of Irish peasants during the potato famine.
Environment & Food, Immigration, Social Class, World History/Global Studies
Indian Removal
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 18 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 7 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the American policy of “Manifest Destiny” and Native American resistance to their own displacement.
La Guerra con Mexico
Handout in Spanish for the U.S. Mexico War Tea Party. By Bill Bigelow. Translated by Floralba Vivas. 8 pages.
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.
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.
A Lesson on the Japanese American Internment
Teaching Activity PDF. By Mark Sweeting. 4 pages.
How one teacher engaged his students in a critical examination of the language used in textbooks to describe the internment.
Asian American, Democracy & Citizenship, Education, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Lessons in Solidarity: Grady Hospital Workers United
Teaching Activity PDF. By Larry Miller. 6 pages.
Story and discussion questions about a teacher’s own experience of labor solidarity.
Losing Control in the 1970s
Teaching Activity PDF. By Jennifer Rosebrook. 16 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 20 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the legacy of scandal since the end of the Vietnam War and the Watergate break-in.
Democracy & Citizenship, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Most Dangerous Man in America Teaching Guide
Teaching Activities. Zinn Education Project. 2010. 100 pages.
Eight lessons for use with the documentary film about Daniel Ellsberg, the Pentagon Papers, the Vietnam War, and whistleblowing.
Media, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
One Country! One Language! One Flag!
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 3 pages.
Discussion questions and teaching ideas for examining the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the political milieu in which it was written.
The Other Internment: Teaching the Hidden Story of Japanese Latin Americans During WWII
Teaching Activity PDF. By Moé Yonamine. 18 pages.
Poetry, photography, and text are used in this role play to teach about the often untold history of Japanese Latin American internment during WWII.
Asian American, Civil Rights Movements, Criminal Justice, Democracy & Citizenship, Immigration, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
Panama, the 1991 Gulf War, and the War at Home
Teaching Activity PDF. By Robert Standish. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 22 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on Panama, the 1991 Gulf War, and the War on the Poor in the United States.
The People vs. Columbus, et al.
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 8 pages.
Role play in the form of a trial to determine who is responsible for the death of millions of Tainos on the island of Hispaniola in the late 15th century.
Preparing the Revolution
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 4 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on class differences and internal dissent before and during the Revolutionary War.
Promoting Social Imagination Through Interior Monologues
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow and Linda Christensen. 3 pages.
Empathy, or “social imagination,” allows students to connect to “the other” with whom, on the surface, they may appear to have little in common.
Language Arts, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
Protesting the First World War
Teaching Activity PDF. By Colby Smart. 16 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 14 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on anti-war efforts during the first World War, as well as the U.S. government’s response.
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
Re-examining the Revolution
Background Reading PDF. By Ray Raphael. 7 pages.
Based on his book Founding Myths, Raphael critiques the textbook portrayal of the American Revolution. The textbooks say that “a few special people forged American freedom” which “misrepresents, and even contradicts, the spirit of the American Revolution.”
Reading Between the Lines: An Art Contest Helps Students Imagine the Lives of Runaway Slaves
Teaching Activity PDF. By Thom Thacker and Michael A. Lord. 4 pages.
An art contest is used as the basis from which students can examine primary historical documents (advertisements for runaway slaves) to gain a deeper understanding of the institution of slavery in the North.
Reclaiming Hidden History: Students Create a Slavery Walking Tour in Manhattan
Teaching Activity PDF. By Alan Singer. 7 pages.
How a teacher and his students organized a tour of the hidden history of slavery in New York.
Reconstructing Race: A Teacher Introduces His Students to the Slippery Concept of Race
Teaching Activity PDF. By Nathanial W. Smith. 6 pages.
A teacher describes a series of lessons he teaches to help his students understand race as a social construct.
Rethinking the Teaching of the Vietnam War
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 8 pages.
A role play on the history of the Vietnam War that is left out of traditional textbooks.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
A Revolution of Values
Teaching Activity PDF. By the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 3 pages.
Text of speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the Vietnam War, followed by three teaching ideas.
Civil Rights Movements, Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Salt of the Earth: Grounds Students in Hope
Teaching Activity PDF. By S.J. Childs. 6 pages.
The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film Salt of the Earth about a miners’ strike in New Mexico.
School Days: Hail, Hail, Rock ‘n’ Roll!
Teaching Activity PDF. By Rick Mitchell. 10 pages.
Description of a course on the history of music in the U.S.
Art & Music, Civil Rights Movements, Racism & Racial Identity
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
Servitude and Rebellion
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olsen-Raymer. 15 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 3 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the role and dissent of indentured servants in American colonial history.
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.
Slavery and Defiance
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 9 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on black and white resistance to slavery before the Civil War.
Socialists and Wobblies
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 13 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the labor movement at the turn of the century.
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
Strikers and Populists in the Golden Age
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 18 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 11 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the Gilded Age.
Testing, Tracking, and Toeing the Line: A Role Play on the Origins of the Modern High School
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 13 pages.
A role play on the origins of the modern high school.
Democracy & Citizenship, Education, Immigration, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
The Triangle Factory Fire Tragedy: An Inquiry Unit
Teaching Activity. By Miriam Laska. Urban Dreams at OUSD.
A lesson for high school on the media coverage of historic events, using the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire as an example.
U.S. Mexico War: “We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God”
Teaching Activity PDF. Lesson by Bill Bigelow and student reading by Howard Zinn. 21 pages.
Interactive activity introduces students to the history and often untold story of the U.S. Mexico War.
Imperialism, Latino, Slavery, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Unleashing Sorrow and Joy: Writing Poetry from History and Literature
Teaching Activity PDF. By Linda Christensen. 10 pages.
Teacher reflection on different ways to effectively incorporate poetry into history or literature classes.
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
Vietnam and Beyond: The Historic Resistance
Teaching Activity PDF. By Mike Benbow and Robin Pickering. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 18 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on opposition to the Vietnam War.
Imperialism, Social Class, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The War on Mexico
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 14 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 8 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on The Mexican-American War and domestic resistance to it.
A War to Free the Slaves?
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 7 pages.
Students examine excerpts from Lincoln’s first inaugural address, the rarely mentioned original Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution that Lincoln promised to support, and the Emancipation Proclamation to explore some of the myths about the Civil War.
African American, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery
Warriors Don’t Cry: Connecting History, Literature, and Our Lives
Teaching Activity PDF. By Linda Christensen. 21 pages.
Role play and writing activities for language arts and social studies on the Little Rock Nine, Brown v. Board, and schooling in general. Designed for use with the memoir, Warriors Don’t Cry.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Language Arts, Racism & Racial Identity
What the Tour Guide Didn’t Tell Me: Tourism, Colonialism, and Resistance in Hawai’i
Teaching Activity. By Wayne Wah Kwai Au. 5 pages.
Lesson on the history of Hawai’i and the impact of colonization and tourism.
Asian American, Imperialism, Pacific Islander, Racism & Racial Identity, US Foreign Policy
What War Looks Like
Background Reading for Teachers and High School Students PDF. By Howard Zinn. 4 pages.
An essay by Howard Zinn on the impact of war.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Who Freed the Slaves?
Student Handout in PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 2 pages.
This timeline can be used as a resource for lessons on the Civil War, President Lincoln, the 54th Regiment, and the end of slavery.
African American, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Whose “Terrorism”?
Teaching Activity PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 11 pages.
Using scenarios based on real situations, this lesson helps middle and high school students examine the definition of terrorism and the use of the term terrorism in the media and U.S. foreign policy.
Women, Gays, and Other Voices of Resistance
Teaching Activity PDF. By Jack Bareilles. 17 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 19 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on the emergence and legacy of the 1960s counterculture, as well as the movements it helped create.
Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, LGBT, Women's History
World War II and McCarthyism
Teaching Activity PDF. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 19 pages.
Questions and teaching ideas for Chapter 16 of Voices of a People’s History of the United States on domestic opposition to the “good war” and the impact of McCarthyism.
Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
‘Don’t Take Our Voices Away’: A Role Play on the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change
Teaching Activity PDF. By Julie Treick O’Neill and Tim Swinehart. 16 pages.
A role play on the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change that asks students to develop a list of demands to present to the rest of the world at the U.N. climate change treaty meeting.
Environment & Food, Native American, Pacific Islander, Science, World History/Global Studies
‘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
‘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
“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
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.
Caribbean Connections: Moving North
Teaching Guide. Edited by Catherine Sunshine and Keith Warner. 2005. 240 pages.
Literature and essays about Caribbean life in the United States.
Freedom’s Unfinished Revolution: An Inquiry Into the Civil War and Reconstruction
Teaching Guide. By ASHP with foreword by Eric Foner. 1996. 302 pages.
Primary documents, essays and questions to teach the untold story of Reconstruction.
African American, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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.
The Line Between Us: Teaching About the Border and Mexican Immigration
Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow. 2006. 160 pages.
Lessons for teaching about the history of US-Mexico relations and current border and immigration issues.
Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
Book – Teaching Guide. By Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana. Foreword by Wendy D. Puriefoy. 2011. 176 pages.
The uses and methods of the Question Formulation Technique.
On Coal River
Film and Teaching Guide. Directed by Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood. 2010. 81 minutes.
This free film takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey into a community surrounded by a looming toxic threat. The film follows a former coal miner and his neighbors in a struggle for the future of their valley and the planet.
Democracy & Citizenship, Economics, Environment & Food, Social Class
The Power In Our Hands: A Curriculum on the History of Work and Workers in the United States
Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow and Norman Diamond. 1988. 184 pages.
Role plays and writing activities project high school students into real-life situations to explore the history and contemporary reality of employment (and unemployment) in the U.S.
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.
Race and Membership in American History
Teaching Guide. By Alan Stoskopf. Facing History and Ourselves. 2002.
Resources for teaching about the eugenics movement in the United States.
Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching About Social Justice and the Power of the Written Word
Teaching Guide. By Linda Christensen. 2003. 196 pages.
Lessons for teaching a range of writing genres while addressing social justice themes.
Resistance in Paradise: Rethinking 100 Years of U.S. Involvement in the Caribbean and the Pacific
Teaching Guide. Edited by Debbie Wei and Rachel Kamel. 1998. 199 pages.
Readings and teaching ideas for high school students on the Spanish-American War.
Pacific Islander, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years
Teaching Guide. Edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. 2003. 192 pages.
Readings and lessons for pre-K to 12 about the impact and legacy of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas.
Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World
Teaching Guide. Edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. 2002. 402 pages. Grades 4 – 12.
An extensive collection of readings and source material on critical global issues, plus teaching ideas, lesson plans, and rich collections of resources for classroom teachers.
Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers
Teaching Guide. Edited by Eric Gutstein and Bob Peterson. 2005. 180 pages.
Lessons and articles on social justice math education for elementary and secondary school classrooms.
Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice (Volume 2)
Teaching Guide. Edited by Rethinking Schools. 248 pages.
Social justice lessons for all ages and subjects.
Speaking Out: Women, War and the Global Economy
Teaching Guide. By Jan Haaken, Ariel Ladum, et al. 193 pages with DVD. Ooligan Press. 2005.
Interactive lessons on the 1990s civil war in Sierra Leone and broader issues such as cross-cultural awareness, the global trade in diamonds and guns, and the effects of war on women.
Economics, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History, World History/Global Studies
Strangers In Their Own Country: A Curriculum Guide On South Africa
Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow. 1985. 116 pages.
Lessons on apartheid in South Africa and the global anti-apartheid movement.
Studs Terkel’s “Working”: A Teaching Guide
Teaching Guide. By Rick Ayers. 2001. 208 pages.
Discussion questions and teaching ideas for Terkel’s classic 1974 text.
Teaching About Asian Pacific Americans: Effective Activities, Strategies, and Assignments for Classrooms and Communities
Teaching Guide. Edited by Edith Wen-Chu Chen and Glenn Omatsu. 2006. 350 pages.
Comprehensive collection of articles and lessons on Asian Pacific American history.
Teaching Economics As If People Mattered: A Curriculum Guide to Today’s Economy
Teaching Guide. By Tamara Sober Giecek. 2007. 182 pages.
Economics curriculum for high school with lessons on the human implications of economic policies.
Teaching for Joy and Justice: Re-imagining the Language Arts Classroom
Teaching Guide. By Linda Christensen. 2009. 300 pages.
Through stories, Christensen demonstrates how to draw on students’ lives and the world to teach poetry, essay, narrative, and critical literacy skills.
Teaching What Really Happened: How To Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History
Teaching Guide. By James W. Loewen. 2010. 264 pages.
A wealth of ideas on how to rethink the teaching of U.S. history.
Teaching with Voices of a People’s History of the United States
Book – Teaching Guide. By Gayle Olson-Raymer. 2011. 304 pages. Second edition.
Suggested questions and teaching ideas for each chapter of Voices of a People’s History.
Workplace Issues and Collective Bargaining in the Classroom
Teaching Guide. By Linda Tubach and Patty Litwin. 2008.
A role play and simulation curriculum on labor relations for Secondary Social Studies.
Articles
The Bonus Army
Article. By Mickey Z.
History of the 1932 Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF) or Bonus Army.
Empire or Humanity?: What the classroom didn’t teach me about the American empire
Article for Teachers and High School Students – PDF. By Howard Zinn. 4 pages.
An essay which raises questions about the justifications for empire building and imperialism.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Freedom’s Unfinished Revolution: Teaching a People’s History of Reconstruction
Background Reading for Teachers PDF. By Bill Bigelow. 4 pages.
A review of Freedom’s Unfinished Revolution, a collection of primary documents for high school on the Civil War and Reconstruction.
African American, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery
Globalization: A View from Below
Reading – PDF. By Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 5 pages.
An essay on the impact of globalization, with the story of Haiti as an example.
Howard Zinn: Interview by Bill Moyers
Article. Interview of Howard Zinn by Bill Moyers. 2009. 11 pages. From book published by The New Press.
Howard Zinn on The People Speak and a range of topics in U.S. history and contemporary issues.
Scholastic Inc. – Pushing Coal: A 4th-grade curriculum lies through omission
Article. By Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools, Volume 25 – Issue 4, Summer 2011.
The Truth About Helen Keller
Article for Teachers and High School Students – PDF. By Ruth Shagoury. 6 pages.
A review of children’s picture books about the life of Helen Keller reveals the omission of any description of her active role in key social movements of the 20th century.
Audio
May It Please the Court: Live Recordings and Transcripts of Landmark Oral Arguments Made Before the Supreme Court Since 1955
Book and CDs – Non-fiction. Edited by Peter Irons and Stephanie Guitton. 2007. 400 pages.
Book and CD provide a candid view of Supreme Court deliberations; includes MP3 recordings.
A People’s History of the United States: Highlights from the Twentieth Century (Audio)
Audio. By Howard Zinn. Read by Matt Damon. 2003.
Readings from Voices of a People’s History of the United States
Audio CD. Edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. 2007.
Sixteen readings by an all-star cast from Voices of a People’s History.
Books: Fiction
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Book – Fiction. By Sherman Alexie. 2007. 288 pages.
Coming-of-age-tale set on Spokane Indian Reservation.
Alligator Bayou
Book – Fiction. By Donna Jo Napoli. 2010. 288 pages.
Historical fiction for young adults based on the true story of the lynching of Italian Americans in late 19th century Louisiana.
A Boy from Ireland
Book – Fiction. By Marie Raphael. 2007. 224 pages. Ages 12+.
Historical fiction about the life of the Irish in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century.
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.
Bull Run
Book – Fiction. By Paul Fleischman. 1993. 128 pages.
A historical novel for middle school and above about the Civil War Battle of Bull Run drama told in sixteen voices.
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 Road
Book – Fiction. By Howard Fast. 1944. 294 pages.
This politics and economics of Reconstruction told through memorable historical fiction.
The Game of Silence
Book – Fiction. By Louise Erdrich. 2006. 288 pages.
The second in a series of novels for middle school and high school students about an Ojibwe family in the mid-19th century. The story parallels the time of the widely read Little House on the Prairie.
Haymarket: A Novel
Book – Fiction. By Martin Duberman. 2005. 330 pages.
Historical novel for high school and adults on the Haymarket struggle.
Hurricane Dancers
Book – Fiction. By Margarita Engle. 2011. 160 pages.
Historical fiction in the form of poetry about the conquest and resistance.
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.
Little Brother
Book – Fiction. By Cory Doctorow. 2008. 384 pages.
A contemporary novel for teenagers that explores Homeland Security and freedom of speech in the post-9/11 United States.
Mississippi Trial, 1955
Book – Fiction. By Chris Crowe. 2003. 240 pages.
Historical fiction for high school students about the murder of Emmett Till.
Ninth Ward
Book – Fiction. by Jewell Parker Rhodes. 2010. 217 pages.
Through this historical fiction, middle and high school readers can learn about the devastation caused by the levees breaking in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the how people drew on their wits, community, and history to survive.
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller
Book – Fiction. By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Artwork by R. Gregory Christie. 2012. 188 pages. About the life of Lewis Micheaux, owner of the famous National Memorial African Bookstore.
Riot
Book – Fiction. By Walter Dean Myers. 2011. 176 pages.
Historical novel for young adults about the 1863 draft riots in New York.
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.
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
Book – Fiction. 96 pages. 2007. By James Sturm and Rich Tommaso with an introduction by Gerald Early.
Told from the point of view of a sharecropper, this narrative in graphic novel format follows baseball champion Satchel Paige as he travels throughout the segregated South.
Sunrise Over Fallujah
Book – Fiction. By Walter Dean Myers.
Young adult novel about a U.S. soldier in Iraq. In addition to the day to day experiences of the war, Walter Dean Myers weaves in the limited media coverage of the war and raises questions about the US government “intelligence.”
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.
Trouble in Timbuktu
Book – Fiction. By Cristina Kessler. 2009. 368 pages.
Two young people take great risks to protect the ancient manuscripts of their city from being stolen by two tourists.
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.
Zora and Me
Book – Fiction. By Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon. 2010. 186 pages.
A coming-of-age story inspired by the early life of Zora Neale Hurston for ages 10 and up.
Books: Non-Fiction
News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media
Book – Non-fiction. By Juan González, and Joseph Torres. 256 pages. 2011.
The history of media in the United States, through the lens of race.
“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II
Book – Non-fiction. By Studs Terkel. 2004. 608 pages.
Interviews with over 120 people about WWII.
50 American Revolutions You’re Not Supposed to Know
Book – Non-fiction. By Mickey Z. 2005. 128 pages.
A pocket-sized collection of stories about dissent throughout U.S. history.
500 Años del Pueblo Chicano – 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures
Book – Non-fiction. By Elizabeth Martinez. 1991 (2nd Edition). 238 pages.
Chicano history as told through hundreds of pictures.
500 Years of Chicana Women’s History
Book – Non-fiction. By Elizabeth Martinez. 2007. 320 pages, 899 illustrations.
Stories and photos of Chicana/Mexican-American women in politics, labor, art, health, and more.
Civil Rights Movements, Immigration, Latino, Women's History
Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can’t Kick Militarism, An Illustrated Guide
Book – Non-Fiction. By Joel Andreas. 2004. 77 pages.
A comic book expose on militarism in graphic format, making it accessible for high school and above.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America
Book – Non-fiction. By Lerone Bennett Jr. 1988. 736 pages.
A detailed history and analysis of African American history in the United States.
Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues
Book – Non-fiction. By Bill Moyers and edited by Michael Winship. 2011. 608 pages.
Fifty interviews with political figures, writers, activists, poets, and scholars.
The Black Americans: A History in Their Own Words, 1619-1983
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Milton Meltzer. 1987. 320 pages.
Engaging first person stories and primary documents.
Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
Book – Non-fiction. By John G. Neihardt, Standing Bear, Raymond J. Demallie. 2008. 334 pages.
The life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk and the history of his Sioux people.
The Black History of the White House
Book – Non-fiction. By Clarence Lusane. 2010. 544 pages.
The untold story of African Americans in the White House from the 18th century to the present, including the presidents who held people in bondage.
Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage
Book – Non-fiction. By William Loren Katz. 2012. 272 pages.
History book for ages 10 to adult that traces relations between Blacks and American Indians since the time of the conquest.
African American, Native American, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
The Bomb
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2010. 100 pages.
Zinn’s personal reflections and political analysis on the bombing of Hiroshima.
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
Brother, I’m Dying
Book – Non-Fiction. By Edwidge Danticat. 2008. 288 pages.
A gripping autobiographical book, about one Haitian woman’s experience as a young immigrant and her family’s struggle to survive in the United States while fearing for those they left behind.
The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Edwidge Danticat. 2001. 280 pages.
Thirty-three essays and poems describing the Haitian Émigré experience.
Caribbean Connections: Overview of Regional History
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Catherine Sunshine and Deborah Menkart. 1991. 180 pages.
Essential background reading to understand the history of the Caribbean.
Caribbean Connections: The Dominican Republic
Book – Non-fiction and Fiction. Edited by Gallin, Glasser, Santana. 2005. 250 pages.
Reader-friendly overview of the history, politics and culture of the fourth largest Latino community in the United States.
Art & Music, Immigration, Latino, Sports, US Foreign Policy, Women's History, World History/Global Studies
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.
Coal Mountain Elementary
Book – Non-fiction. By Mark Nowak. 2009. 190 pages.
An expose of the coal industry using a combination of poetry, images, first person testimonies, and newspaper accounts.
Colonialism in Asia: A Critical Look
Book – Non-fiction. By Susan Gage. 1993. 52 pages.
Comic book tackles the history of colonialism in India, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Colonialism in the Americas: A Critical Look
Book – Non-fiction. By Susan Gage. 1991. 51 pages.
Graphic/comic book tackles history of colonialism in the Americas.
Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery
Book – Non-fiction. By Anne Farrow, Joel Lang and Jenifer Frank. 2005. 304 pages.
Challenges the misconception that only the South was involved in or benefited from slavery.
The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The “Great Truth” about the “Lost Cause”
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by James W. Loewen and Edward H. Sebesta. 484 pages. 2010.
Primary documents on the causes of the Civil War.
Dangerous Memories: Invasion and Resistance Since 1492
Book – Nonfiction. By Golden, McConnell, Poppen, and Mue. 1991. 272 pages.
Essential text on U.S. history; includes many primary sources on people’s movements.
Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968
Book – Non-fiction. By Stephen Lawson and Charles Payne. 2006. 227 pages.
Introduces and examines the complex story of the modern Civil Rights Movement as it should be taught, providing key background information and analysis for teachers.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
Book – Non-fiction. By Ronald Takaki. 2008. 560 pages.
A multicultural history of America, in the voices of Native Americans, African Americans, Jews, Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and others.
African American, Asian American, Immigration, Labor, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, Social Class
The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from the Black Freedom Struggle, 1954-1990
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Clayborne Carson, David J. Garrow, Gerald Gill, Vincent Harding and Darlene Clark Hine. 1991.
Readings to accompany the Eyes on the Prize film.
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.
The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord
Book – Non-fiction. By Ray Raphael. 2003. 288 pages.
The events leading up to the American Revolution.
Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past
Book – Non-fiction. By Ray Raphael. 2004. 368 pages.
Myths and the reasons that they have come to replace the real stories of the Revolutionary period.
Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case
Book – Non-fiction. By Chris Crowe. 128 pages. 2003.
Photos and narrative for high school students.
Growing Up in Slavery: Stories of Young Slaves as Told by Themselves
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Yuval Taylor. 2005. 230 pages.
Ten individuals tell stories of their childhood and teenage years in slavery.
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.
Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America
Book – Non-fiction. By Juan Gonzalez. 2011. 416 pages.
An updated and thorough account of the role the United States in the mass migration of Latinos to the U.S.
Immigration, Latino, Laws & Citizen Rights, World History/Global Studies
The Historic Unfulfilled Promise
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2012. 184 pages.
Compilation of articles Zinn penned for The Progressive magazine from 1980 to 2009.
Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
History Lessons: How Textbooks from Around the World Portray U.S. History
Book – Non-fiction. By Dana Lindaman and Kyle Ward. 2004. 404 pages.
Howard Zinn on History
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. Introduction by Staughton Lynd. 2011. 192 pages.
Zinn explores the powerful question, “Have we reached a point in history where we are ready to embrace a new way of living in the world, expanding not our military power, but our humanity?”
Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Education, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
Howard Zinn on Race
Book – Non-fiction. 2011. By Howard Zinn. Introduction by Cornel West. 192 pages. Includes some never before published writings, speeches and interviews that illustrate the evolution and fundamental prinicples around the story of race in the United States.
African American, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity
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.
Howard Zinn: A Life on the Left
Book – Non-fiction. By Martin Duberman. 2012. 384 pages.
A biography of Howard Zinn.
A Hubert Harrison Reader
Book – Nonfiction. Edited by Jeffrey B. Perry. 2001. 505 pages.
Essays by the “father of Harlem radicalism”.
Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918
Book – Nonfiction. By Jeffrey B. Perry. 2009. 624 pages.
Biography of scholar and activist Hubert Harrison.
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
The Indispensable Zinn: The Essential Writings of the “People’s Historian”
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Timothy Patrick McCarthy. 2012. 496 pages.
A concise and accessible volume of the seminal writings of Howard Zinn.
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.
The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment That Changed the World
Book – Non-fiction. By John Carlos and Dave Zirin. Foreword by Cornel West. 2011. 220 pages.
Written for grades 7+, this biography of John Carlos recounts his childhood, his legendary act of courage at the ’68 Olympics, and the backlash.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity, Sports
Landmark Cases Left Out of Your Textbooks
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Ann Fagan Ginger. 2006. 84 pages.
Short, sharp descriptions of how 43 human rights cases were won, from Haymarket Martyrs of May Day 1886 to Katrina victims in 2005.
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.
Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong
Book – Non-fiction. By James Loewen. 2007. 464 pages.
The mis-education provided by monuments and historic markers across the United States.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
Book – Non-fiction. By James W. Loewen. 2007. 464 pages.
Provides a detailed survey of twelve leading high school history textbooks.
Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity, Slavery, US Foreign Policy
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.
Malcolm X Talks to Young People
Book – Non-fiction. By Malcolm X. 2002. 164 pages.
Speeches by Malcolm X, selected for young audiences.
May It Please the Court: Live Recordings and Transcripts of Landmark Oral Arguments Made Before the Supreme Court Since 1955
Book and CDs – Non-fiction. Edited by Peter Irons and Stephanie Guitton. 2007. 400 pages.
Book and CD provide a candid view of Supreme Court deliberations; includes MP3 recordings.
Muhammad Ali Handbook
Book – Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. 2007. 431 pages.
A journey through Muhammad Ali’s sports, religious, and political journey including his involvement in anti-Vietnam war protest and the Civil Rights Movement.
My Father’s Bonus March
Book – Non-fiction. By Adam Langer. 2009. 256 pages.
A memoir centered around the Bonus March of 1932, the demonstration of 20,000 World War I veterans demanding compensation.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself: A New Critical Edition by Angela Y. Davis
Book – Non-fiction. By Frederick Douglass and essays by Angela Davis. 2009. 254 pages.
The classic biography of Frederick Douglass with an introduction and critical analysis by Angela Davis
Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book
Book – Non-fiction. By Umlando Wezithombe. 2009. 193 pages.
A graphic novel about the life and times of Nelson Mandela produced for school children in South Africa and now available for readers in the United States.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Book – Non-Fiction. By Michelle Alexander. 2010. 290 pages.
A critical analysis of the role the justice system plays in the oppression of African Americans in the United States.
African American, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Book – Non-fiction. By Barbara Ehrenreich. 2008. 256 pages.
Undercover journalism exposing hard realities of life for the working poor.
Not Written in Stone: Learning and Unlearning American History Through 200 Years of Textbooks
Book – Non-fiction. By Kyle Ward. 2010. 368 pages.
A critique of the representation of history in textbooks.
On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail
Book – Non-fiction. By Charles E. Cobb, Jr. 2008. 388 pages. High School and Adult.
An educational travel guide to historic sites of the Civil Rights Movement.
Pencils Down: Rethinking High Stakes Testing and Accountability in Public Schools
Book – Non-fiction. By Wayne Au and Melissa Bollow Tempel. 2012.
Collection of articles from Rethinking Schools magazine takes high-stakes standardized tests to task.
A People’s History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn and Mike Konopacki. 2008. 288 pages.
Graphic format with photos and narrative introduce parts of U.S. history.
Imperialism, Labor, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
A People’s History of Science: Miners, Midwives, and “Low Mechanicks”
Book – Nonfiction. By Clifford D. Conner. 2005. 554 pages.
New look at history of science, highlights hunter-gatherers, farmers, sailors, miners, blacksmiths, and more.
A People’s History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence
Book – Non-fiction. By Ray Raphael. Series editor: Howard Zinn. 2002. 528 pages.
Using hundreds of primary sources, this book tells the more accurate, populist, complicated, and interesting story of the American Revolution.
Democracy & Citizenship, Immigration, Individuals in US History, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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
A People’s History of Sports in the United States
Book – Non-fiction. By Dave Zirin. 2009. 302 pages. High school and up.
U.S. history through the lens of sports.
The Real Cost of Prisons Comix
Book – Non-Fiction. By Ellen Miller-Mack, Craig Gilmore, Lois Ahrens, Susan Willmarth, and Kevin Pyle. 2008. 104 pages.
This comic book presents the human stories behind the statistics.
The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Theresa Perry and Lisa Delpit. 1998. 227 pages.
Educators, linguists, writers, and students examine the lessons of the 1966 Oakland Ebonics controversy.
Refusing Racism: White Allies and the Struggle for Civil Rights
Book – Non-fiction. By Cynthia Stokes Brown. 2002. 192 pages.
Four short biographies of white people who’ve fought against racism in U.S. history.
Civil Rights Movements, Individuals in US History, Racism & Racial Identity
Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Segregated South
Book – Non-fiction (with CD). Edited by William H. Chafe, Raymond Gavins and Robert Korstad. 2008. 346 pages.
African American, Individuals in US History, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity, Social Class
Robeson in Spain
Book – Non-fiction. By The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. 2009. 25 pages.
Booklet in graphic novel format on Paul Robeson’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War.
African American, Art & Music, Racism & Racial Identity, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
Book – Non-Fiction. By Daniel Ellsberg. 2003. 512 pages.
A riveting behind-the-scenes account of Ellsberg’s decade of disillusionment leading up to Nixon’s resignation.
She Would Not Be Moved How We Tell the Story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Book – Non-fiction. By Herbert Kohl. Intro by Marian Wright Edelman. 126 pages. 2007.
The myths and facts about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
A Shining Thread of Hope: The History of Black Women in America
Book – Nonfiction. By Darlene Clark Hine and Kathleen Thompson. 1999.
An inspiring narrative of the role of Black women in shaping US History.
Silver Rights
Book – Non-fiction. By Constance Curry. Introduction by Marian Wright Edelman. 1996. 288 pages.
The true story of the Carter family’s decision to send their children to an all-white school.
Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America’s Struggle for Equality
Book – Non-fiction. By Richard Kluger. 2004. 880 pages.
One of the first texts, now a classic, on Brown v. Board.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Education, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity
Teach Freedom: Education for Liberation in the African-American Tradition
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Charles M. Payne and Carol Sills Strickland. Foreword by Charles E. Cobb Jr. 2008. 304 pages.
Documents the history of the use of education as a tool of collective liberation by African Americans.
This Day in Civil Rights History
Book – Non-fiction. By Horace Randall Williams and Ben Beard. 2009. 368 pages.
A full page description of a key event in the history of the Civil Rights Movement for each day of the year.
To Make Our World Anew: A History of African Americans
Book – Non-fiction. Edited by Robin D. G. Kelley and Earl Lewis. 2005.
Comprehensive history of African Americans.
Uncommon Sense from the Writings of Howard Zinn
Book – Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2009. 160 pages.
A compilation of Howard Zinn’s most inspiring writings from over a decade of speaking and writing.
Vietnam: An Antiwar Comic Book
Book – Non-fiction. by Julian Bond and illustrated by T. G. Lewis. 1967. 19 pages.
A detailed history and analysis of the Vietnam War in an easy to read format.
African American, Racism & Racial Identity, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
Book – Non-fiction. By Isabel Wilkerson. 2010. 640 pages.
The story of the great migration told through in-depth descriptions of three families.
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 as Freemen: Plessy v. Ferguson
Book – Non-fiction. By Keith Medley. 2012. 256 pages.
Brings to life the untold history of the organizing leading up the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
African American, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity
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
Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do
Book – Non-fiction. By Studs Terkel. 2004. 640 pages.
Interviews with people from all walks of life about their work.
You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times
Book – Non-Fiction. By Howard Zinn. 224 pages. 2002.
An engaging memoir by Howard Zinn which offers his life history in the context of the politics and events of his lifetime.
Films
Act of War: The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation
Film. By Na Maka o ka `Aina. 1993. 58 min.
A comprehensive documentary that focuses on the events surrounding the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893.
Democracy & Citizenship, Pacific Islander, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Anne Braden: Southern Patriot (1924-2006)
Film. Produced by Anne Lewis. 2012.
Documentary about activist Anne Braden.
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.
Barefoot Gen: The Bombing of Hiroshima As Seen Through the Eyes of a Young Boy
DVD. By Geneon; directed by Mori Masaki. 1992. 170 min.
Barefoot Gen is a story about the devastating effects of war on everyday life.
US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
Bartolomé de las Casas: “Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account”
Bartolome de las Casas’ “Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account” (1542) read by John Sayles, Viggo Mortensen, and Staceyann Chin. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
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
Bullied: A Student, a School and a Case That Made History
DVD. Southern Poverty Law Center. 2010. 40 minutes.
This documentary shows the devastating impact of bullying on students, in this case a gay student who works with lawyers to win a precedent setting case to create a safe place for students in school.
Bus Riders Union
Film. Haskell Wexler. 2000. 86 minutes.
The Los Angeles Bus Riders Union’s triumphant struggle to win better service.
Chávez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story
Film. By Jordan Mechner. 2004. 26 minutes.
A documentary about the politics and economics of land in the U.S., based on the story of a Mexican American village razed in the 1950s to build Dodger Stadium.
Chief Joseph: “Account of His Trip to Washington, D.C.”
Chief Joseph’s “Account of His Trip to Washington, D.C.” (1879), read by Q’Orianka Kilcher. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Democracy & Citizenship, Environment & Food, Native American
Chief Tecumseh: “Speech to the Osages”
Chief Tecumseh’s “Speech to the Osages” (Winter 1811-1812) read by Deepa Fernandes. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Chisholm ’72 – Unbought and Unbossed
DVD. By Shola Lynch. 2004. 76 min.
Documentary about Brooklyn Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her campaign to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 1972.
Cindy Sheehan: “It’s Time for the Antiwar Choir Started Singing”
Cindy Sheehan’s “It’s Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing” (2005) is read by Marisa Tomei and Staceyann Chin. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Democracy & Citizenship, Imperialism, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
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
The Corporation
Film. By Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan. 2004. 145 minutes.
This 26 award-winning documentary examines the nature, evolution, impacts and future of the modern business corporation and the increasing role it plays in society and our everyday lives.
Dirty Business: “Clean Coal” and the Battle for Our Energy Future
Film. Produced by Peter Bull, Justin Weinstein, Alex Gibney. 88 minutes. 2010.
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?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Beyond Vietnam”
Film clip. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Beyond Vietnam” (1967) speech is read by Michael Ealy. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
E.Y. “Yip” Harburg: Brother Can You Spare a Dime
Film clip. E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” (1932) is performed by Allison Moorer. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Earth and the American Dream
Film. By Bill Couturie. 1993. 90 minutes.
U.S. history from the standpoint of the earth.
Echando Raices/Taking Root
Film. Rachael Kamel/JT Takagi. 2002. 60 min.
The struggles of immigrants through the personal stories of families in communities in California, Texas, and Iowa.
Eugene Debs: “Canton, Ohio”
Film clip. Eugene Deb’s “Canton, Ohio” speech made on June 16, 1918 is read by Marc Ruffalo.
From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
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 Soldier
DVD. Directed by Lexy Lovell and Michael Uys. 2009. Out of the Blue Productions. 79 minutes.
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
Henry McNeal Turner: “Eligibility of Colored Members to Seats in the Georgia Legislature.”
Film clip. Henry McNeal Turner’s “Eligibility of Colored Members to Seats in the Georgia Legislature” (1968), read by Danny Glover. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
African American, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights, Slavery
Howard Zinn on Non-Violent Civil Disobedience
Film clip. 10 minutes. Howard Zinn. 1985.
Dr. Zinn’s testimony for the defense at the criminal trial of the AVCO Plowshares 7 where he describes the central role of civil disobedience in the history of the United States.
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
Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz: “Testimony on Vieques, Puerto Rico”
Film clip. Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz “Testimony on Vieques, Puerto Rico” (1979) read by Mario Murillo.
From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
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.
John Lewis: “Original Text to be Delivered at the Lincoln Memorial”
John Lewis’ “Original Text of Speech to be Delivered at the Lincoln Memorial” (1963) read by Brian Jones. From Voices of People’s History of the United States.
June Jordan: “Speech Against the Gulf War”
June Jordan’s “Speech Against the Gulf War” (1991) read by Kathleen Chalfant. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
African American, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, Women's History
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
Langston Hughes: “Ballad of Roosevelt.”
Film clip. Langston Hughes’ “Ballad of Roosevelt” (1934), read by Danny Glover. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Langston Hughes: “Montage of a Dream Deferred”
Langston Hughes, “Montage of a Dream Deferred” (1951) is read by Danny Glover. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
The Lemon Grove Incident
Film. By Paul Espinosa. 1986.
An early story of desegregation in a 1931 school that barred Mexican-Americans.
Malcolm X: “Message to the Grass Roots”
Film clip.
Malcolm X, “Message to the Grass Roots” (1963), read by Mos Def. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Democracy & Citizenship
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
Maria Stewart: Address Delivered at the African Masonic Hall
Film clip. From Voice of a People’s History of the United States. 3:41 minutes.
Maria Stewart’s “Address Delivered at the African Masonic Hall” (1833) is read by Alfre Woodard.
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.
The Meaning of Sacco and Vanzetti
Online film. By Howard Zinn.
On November 7, 2008, Howard Zinn offered a lecture on “The Meaning of Sacco and Vanzetti” at the Dante Alighieri Society Italian Cultural Center, in Cambridge, MA.
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.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Film. By Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith. 2009. 94 minutes.
The riveting story of how a Pentagon official risks life in prison by leaking 7,000 pages of a top secret report to the New York Times to help stop the Vietnam War.
The Murder of Emmett Till
Film. 60 minutes. Produced and directed by Stanley Nelson. 2003.
Documentary on the murder of teenager Emmett Till and the actions of Mamie Till Bradley which helped launch the modern Civil Rights Movement.
The North Star: “The War with Mexico”
Benjamin Bratt reads from The North Star, “The War with Mexico” (1848). From Voices of a People’s History in the United States.
Not Just a Game: Power, Politics & American Sports
Film. By Dave Zirin and Jeremy Earp. 2010. 62 minutes.
Film documentary for 6th grade to adult based on the bestselling book “A People’s History of Sports in the United States.”
African American, Media, Racism & Racial Identity, Sports, Women's History
On Coal River
Film and Teaching Guide. Directed by Francine Cavanaugh and Adams Wood. 2010. 81 minutes.
This free film takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey into a community surrounded by a looming toxic threat. The film follows a former coal miner and his neighbors in a struggle for the future of their valley and the planet.
Democracy & Citizenship, Economics, Environment & Food, Social Class
Orlando and Phyllis Rodriguez: “Not In Our Son’s Name”
Film clip. Orlando and Phyllis Rodriguez’s “Not In Our Son’s Name” (2001) is read by Benjamin Bratt.
From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
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
Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy
Film and website. Produced by Mary Becker and Renée Bergan. Writer/Narrator: Edwidge Danticat. 2009. 50 minutes.
Documentary about Haiti and global economics told through the lives of five women.
Race – The Power of an Illusion
DVD. By California Newsreel. 2003. Three episodes – 56 minutes each.
Race – The Power of an Illusion is a three-part documentary series that questions the very idea of race as biology, suggesting that a belief in race is no more sound than believing that the sun revolves around the earth.
Rachel Corrie: “Letter from Palestine”
Film clip. Rachel Corrie’s “Letter from Palestine” (2003) is read by her mom, Cindy Corrie and Alice Walker. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements, World History/Global Studies
Regret to Inform
Film. By Barbara Sonneborn. 1998. 72 minutes. Teaching guide by Bill Bigelow. Chapter of A People’s History by Howard Zinn.
A profound documentary on the impact of war, with a teaching guide and the chapter of A People’s History of the United States on the Vietnam War, “Impossible Victory.”
The Road to Brown
Film. Producer/Director/Writer: William Elwood. 56 min. 1990.
The little known story of Charles Hamilton Houston who paved the road to Brown v. Board.
African American, Education, Laws & Citizen Rights, 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.
Sam Cooke: A Change is Gonna Come
Film clip. Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” (1964), is performed by Allison Moorer. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
African American, Art & Music, Democracy & Citizenship, Laws & Citizen Rights
Scandalize My Name
Film. 2000. 60 minutes.
Documentary about the impact of the McCarthy era on African Americans in the film industry.
African American, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity
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.
Slave Catchers, Slave Resisters
Film. Produced by Judy Richardson, Northern Light Productions for History Channel. 2005. 100 min.
Documentary on the many rebellions by enslaved people and other forms of resistance.
Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”
Film clip. Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” (1851) is read by Alfre Woodard. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Soldiers of Conscience
Film. By Catherine Ryan and Gary Weimberg. 2007. 86 min.
Documentary about war, peace, and US soldiers in Iraq, from active military to conscientious objectors, wrestling with conscience over killing in war.
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
The Story of Bottled Water
Film. By Annie Leonard. 2010. 7 minutes.
A viewer-friendly, informative, animated critique of the bottled water industry.
Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties
DVD. Nonny de la Peña. 2004.
A documentary that investigates the ways in which the civil liberties of U.S. citizens and immigrants have been rolled back since 9/11/2001 and the passage of the Patriot Act.
Unlearning “Indian” Sterotypes
Film. 1977 (Updated in 2008). Rethinking Schools and the Council on Interracial Books for Children.
Native American history through the eyes of Native American children.
Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy
Film. Produced by National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. 2001. 28 minutes.
Stories of three immigrants (from Bolivia, Haiti and the Philippines) to the U.S. and how global institutions and multi-national corporations erode people’s capacity to survive in their home countries.
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.
Viva La Causa
Film. Bill Brummel Productions. 2008. 39 minutes.
A documentary film and teaching guide on the grape strike and boycott led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in the 1960s.
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
We Shall Remain
Film and website. 2009. 450 minutes.
Three hundred years of Native American history.
Civil Rights Movements, Laws & Citizen Rights, Native American, Racism & Racial Identity
When the Levees Broke – A Requiem in Four Acts
Film. By Spike Lee. 2006. 256 minutes.
Spike Lee’s masterful 4-part, 4-hour documentary on Hurricane Katrina.
When We Were Kings
Film. Directed by Leon Gast. 1996. 89 minutes.
Documentary about the famous heavyweight championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Yuri Kochiyama: “Then Came the War”
Yuri Kochiyama, “Then Came the War” (1991) is read by Deepa Fernandes and Sandra Oh. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun
Film. Producer/Writer: Kristy Andersen. 2008. 84 minutes.
Documentary about the life, literature, and research of Zora Neale Hurston.
Posters
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.
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.
Social Stratification in the United States
Poster and book. By Stephen J. Rose. 2007. 56 pages.
Visual representation of the distribution of wealth in the United States.
Women of Hope Poster Set: African American + Study Guide
Poster.
African American, Individuals in US History, Women's History
Profiles
Hatuey: 1512 – 2012
Profile. Hatuey.
Hatuey was a freedom fighter in the early 1500s who mobilized Caribbean islanders against invasion, theft, and murder by European conquistadors.
Murray, Pauli: Fighting Jane Crow
Article. By Paula Giddings, The Nation, May 23, 1987.
Review of Pauli Murray’s autobiography, Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage (Harper & Row).
Songs and Poems
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.
E.Y. “Yip” Harburg: Brother Can You Spare a Dime
Film clip. E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” (1932) is performed by Allison Moorer. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
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.
Hills of Tennessee
Song. By David Rovics. 2005.
Eye-opening song that tells of the perils of mountain top removal.
Langston Hughes: “Montage of a Dream Deferred”
Langston Hughes, “Montage of a Dream Deferred” (1951) is read by Danny Glover. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
Occupy Wall Street – Song by David Rovics
Song. By David Rovics. 2011.
A ballad of the Occupy Movement with a high energy beat.
Song for Hugh Thompson
Song. By David Rovics.
Ballad about Hugh Thompson who tried to defend the people of My Lai, Vietnam.
Art & Music, Individuals in US History, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
Union Makes Us Strong
Song. By David Rovics. 2010.
The benefits of a union told through historic examples in a ballad.
Spanish/Bilingual
500 Años del Pueblo Chicano – 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures
Book – Non-fiction. By Elizabeth Martinez. 1991 (2nd Edition). 238 pages.
Chicano history as told through hundreds of pictures.
Adicto a la Guerra: Por que el E.E.U.U. no Puede Librarse del Militarismo
Book – Non-fiction. By Joel Andreas. 2005. 80 pages.
Spanish-language edition of the expose on militarism in graphic novel format. Accessible for high school and above.
Imperialism, US Foreign Policy, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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.
Conexiones Caribenas: La Republica Dominicana
Teaching Guide. By Anne Gallin, Ruth Glasser and Jocelyn Santana. 2005.
Selected readings in Spanish from Caribbean Connections: Dominican Republic.
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 Guerra con Mexico
Handout in Spanish for the U.S. Mexico War Tea Party. By Bill Bigelow. Translated by Floralba Vivas. 8 pages.
Rights Matter: The Story of the Bill of Rights
Website. The Bill of Rights Education Project, ACLU of Massachusetts.
The site offers a downloadable 69-page student friendly booklet on the Bill of Rights, available in English and Spanish.
Websites
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.
History Matters
Website. A clearinghouse of history resources for high school and college teachers and students.
Journey Up Coal River
Website.
Lesson plans for high school and college on creating a sustainable economy based on the example of the Coal River Valley in West Virginia.
Mario Savio: Memorial Lecture Fund
Website. Mario Savio: Memorial Lecture Fund and Young Activist Award.
This website provides information about the free speech activisit as well as information about nominating students for the Young Activist Award.
Ridenhour Prizes: fostering the spirit of courage and truth
Website.
Awards for individuals, books, films, and organizations for truth-telling and whistleblowing.
Rights Matter: The Story of the Bill of Rights
Website. The Bill of Rights Education Project, ACLU of Massachusetts.
The site offers a downloadable 69-page student friendly booklet on the Bill of Rights, available in English and Spanish.
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Website. A companion to the PBS films series of the same title.
African American, Civil Rights Movements, Laws & Citizen Rights, Racism & Racial Identity
The Story of Stuff Project
Website.
Series of short films on environmental and economic issues that make complicated issues easy to understand for middle school to adult viewers.
Studs Terkel: Conversations with America
Website.
Life and work of Studs Terkel, prize-winning author, radio broadcast personality, and people’s oral historian.
This Week in History from PeaceButtons
Website.
Descriptions of historical events from the grassroots, organized by dates.
Tracked in America
Website.
Explores the historical context and stories of individuals who have been targets of U.S. government surveillance during the 20th century.
List of Resources
- Articles
- Audio
- Books: Fiction
- Books: Non-Fiction
- Films
- Picture Books
- Posters
- Profiles
- Songs and Poems
- Spanish/Bilingual
- Teaching Activity PDFs
- Teaching Guides
- Websites
