Explore by Theme
Dozens of downloadable teaching activities, books, films, and websites. Select by theme on the right.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Pink and Say
Book – Fiction. By Patricia Polacco. 1994. Upper elementary.
The narrative of two young boys who meet and help each other during the Civil War.
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
African American Involvement in the Vietnam War
Website.
Resources by and about African-Americans’ contributions in the Vietnam War, from the perspectives of those who served in the war to those who protested the war.
African American, Democracy & Citizenship, Racism & Racial Identity, Wars & Related Anti-War Movements
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.
Americans Who Tell the Truth
Website.
Portraits and bio of individuals who have taken a stand for justice.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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- Civil Rights Movements
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- Democracy & Citizenship
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- Imperialism
- Individuals in US History
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Zinn Education Project
Wednesday, February 22nd at 14:16 Orisanmi Burton, librarian at DCPS McKinley Technology High School, wrote about a Black History Month event at his school that went beyond the traditional narrative: “On Feb. 2 we hosted a panel discussion on youth incarceration and Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow. Panelists included staff attorney for the DC Public Defender Service Alec Karakatsanis and Andy Cevasco from the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. Over 40 students participated in an engaging discussion around mass incarceration, sentencing disparities, youth transfer laws, and strategies for moving forward.” What is your school doing for Black History Month?
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
zinnedproject.org
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.
Zinn Education Project
Wednesday, February 22nd at 10:05 Zinn Education Project friends in the D.C. area -- please get your tickets today for a very special event on March 12 called What Kids Aren't Learning: History Under Attack and Why It Matters with noted speakers and hosts: Khalil Muhammad, Jeff Biggers, Enid Lee, Bernard Demczuk, and Renee Poussaint.
What Kids Aren't Learning: History Under Attack and Why It Matters | Teaching For Change
teachingforchange.org
With the recent ban on teaching ethnic studies in Tucson, Arizona, the work of Teaching for Change is more vital than ever. Students and teachers around the country, not just in Arizona, are being denied classes that teach the honest, complex, and diverse narrative that is U.S. history. With history...
Zinn Education Project
Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:20 On this day in 1943, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst were executed for their role in the White Rose, a group that urged students to rise up and overthrow the Nazi government. "We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace!" -- quote from the 4th leaflet.
History in Pictures - February
On Feb. 22, 1943, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst were executed for their role in urging students to rise up and overthrow the Nazi government. They were members of a group called the White Rose, who organized nonviolent resistance to Hitler, and were arrested for printing and distributing anti-Nazi flyers.
Photo: Hans Scholl (left), Sophie Scholl (center), and Christoph Probst (right), leaders of the White Rose resistance organization. Munich, Germany, 1942 (From the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, George J. Wittenstein.
See trailer for film about the life of Sophie Scholl: http://zeitgeistfilms.com/displaytrailer.php?directoryname=sophiescholl&size=high&extension=mov
Leaflets from the White Rose: http://unitarian-stcatharines.org/pdf-files/whiterose.pdf
History in Pictures features just a few of the many stories that are often left out of the textbooks. The sources for these stories include: This Week in History from Peace Buttons (http://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/thisweek.htm), Planning to Change the World: A Social Justice Plan Book for Teachers (http://www.justiceplanbook.com/), This Day in Civil Rights History (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/13684), History.com (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history), 50 American Revolutions You Are Not Supposed to Know (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/11632), A People's History of the United States (http://zinnedproject.org/posts/67), Black Facts Online (http://www.blackfacts.com), Today in Labor History (http://www.unionist.com/big-labor/today-in-labor-history), Primary Source (http://resources.primarysource.org/content.php?pid=184419&sid=1549829), and many more.
