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.

Resources for Teaching about Gun Violence in Schools

A Statement from the IRIS Center

Resources to Support Teachers and Parents After the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School

Like so many of you, we are still struggling to process the senseless loss of life in Uvalde, TX. In addition to coping with grief and anguish, educators across the country are now reevaluating their safety protocols and running through countless unfathomable scenarios in their heads. For many children and teens, the classrooms and hallways where they spend their days may now feel unsafe. And, coming on the heels of mass shootings in Buffalo, NY and Laguna Hills, CA, other familiar places like grocery stores and churches might feel unsafe as well.

Many of our young people were grappling with mental health issues prior to these events—76% of schools reported an increase in staff concerns about students exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma since the start of the pandemic. And the educators who are the first to support these students were themselves facing stress, exhaustion and burnout, even as schools increased their efforts to address their staff’s mental health needs.

And now this.

Honest, age-appropriate, and calm discussions are the first step to helping students cope with their fears and anxieties. Whether you are already talking with your students, will begin conversations across the upcoming days or weeks, or have been unable to have them at all because you’re still struggling with your own emotions, we offer the resources below, for whenever you’re ready, in the hope that you find them helpful.

During such difficult times, the IRIS Center continues to believe that a better, safer, kinder, and more equitable society is possible. The path before us may be harder than we anticipated. We may struggle, we may stumble, we may even fall. Yet we will keep getting up, we will keep moving forward. And day by day our faltering steps will become a little steadier, a little stronger, so that we can fulfill our commitment to creating a better world for our children.

Resources

American School Counselor Association, "Helping Students After a School Shooting"

ASCD, "Guiding Students and Families Through Grief"

Center on Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports, "Supporting Schools During and After Crisis"

Coalition to Support Grieving Students, "Grief Support Modules for School Personnel"

Learning for Justice, "Navigating Discussions Following a School Shooting"

National Association of School Psychologists, "Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers"

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, "Talking to Children About Terrorist Attacks and School and Community Shootings in the News"

National Child Traumatic Stress Network, "Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Recent Shooting," and "Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event"

National Geographic, "When Upsetting Current Events Shake Kids' Worlds"

The New York Times, "An Age-by-Age Guide to Talking to Children About Mass Shootings"

Understood, "Having Hard but Necessary Conversations"

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Coping Tips for Traumatic Events and Disasters," and "Incidents of Mass Violence"