Resources for Teachers for the Insurrection at the US Capital
Here is a list of resources that I found helpful after last Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol. Please comment below if you have more to add. As always, sending support to all of the teachers out there who are holding it together and holding it down for their students.
Beyond the Stoplight: Resources for teachers on the days after the attack on the US Capital
This post has a really important reminder that teachers do NOT have to “teach” about this horrific event, but if you are going to talk about or give your students space to talk about it, do so “with intention, care, and an explicit commitment to justice and equity.”
Twitter thread by the Zinn Education Project: “Teach About the Coup AND the Georgia Victory. They are connected. Now more than ever, students need lessons and inspiration from organizing in the face of white supremacy.” (Thanks to Teaching for Change for spotlighting this for me.)
From the Zinn Education Project: Teach the Roots of the 2020 Rebellion
Lessons and resources on white supremacy and resistance in the United States
Teaching Tolerance: Leading Conversations After the Insurrection in Washington D.C.
We shared this Newsela article with our students on Thursday - it can be adjusted for multiple reading levels, starting at 3rd grade.
Facing History and Ourselves: Responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol
PBS: Classroom resource: Three ways to teach the insurrection at the US Capitol
New York Times: Teaching Resources for the Storming of the U.S. Capitol by Pro-Trump Extremists
NPR Article: How To Talk To Kids About The Riots At The U.S. Capitol
This has resources and could be helpful to share with parents if they have concerns or want to continue the discussion at home
If you are worried about backlash or concern from families:
My go to response to parents who worry that topics are too “scary” is, “We totally agree this is a complex topic that must be addressed thoughtfully and with intention. Here is a resource to help you as we work together to keep answering your child/student’s questions. Thanks for your partnership in this important work!” I also note how rigorous asking and answering critical questions about the world is and how we are tying history into events unfolding around us.
However, I have the backing of my administration and I teach at a school with a social justice mission. I also have an amazing co-teacher so I am not facing these confrontations alone. Many teachers are in very different positions. Do what feels right for you and your students. You always know best. If you decide to go ahead with these discussions and do receive pushback, try to make it about the students when you respond. Go back to the questions and concerns they had and how you were trying to answer them (which is your job, after all!). The news was and is scary, but ignoring it won’t make it go away or reassure your students.