Resources for Teaching about Race and Racism

Here are some resources from nonprofits and media outlets that can help guide classroom conversations on race:

• The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture launched an online portal called Talking About Race that's designed to help steer conversations about racism, racial identity, and the way these forces shape every aspect of society.

• PBS NewsHour Extra released a lesson plan for grades 6-12 about the death of George Floyd. The plan includes a news video (that omits the footage of Floyd's death) and discussion questions about the protests, police brutality, and media literacy.

• The New York Times' Learning Network shared an article about the protests, along with discussion questions, and opened comments for students to share their opinion.

• The Pulitzer Center partnered with the New York Times to turn the 1619 project, a collection of essays and literary works observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery, into a curriculum for teachers of all grade levels. The curriculum includes reading guides, activities, and other resources about the history of race in America.

• Teaching Tolerance, a project by the Southern Poverty Law Center, periodically updates its package on teaching about race, racism, and police violence.

Educators also shared book recommendations on Twitter, both for their students and for themselves. And Joe Truss, a middle school principal in San Francisco, tweeted a list of actions for white teachers to take now—including learning about restorative practices and redesigning curriculum to empower and engage students of color.