Eighth grade social studies teachers at Alice Deal Middle School used the “Black Muslims in the United States: An introductory activity” lesson with their 550 students. The lesson, part of Teaching for Change’s Challenge Islamophobia project, was used during a unit about the colonization of North America. Read more >>

Prior to my son being born, I always saw the world differently. Prior to my son being born, I always recognized inequalities that existed.  Prior to my son being born, I never felt compelled to speak out.

Teaching for Change has opened up a new world for me. As the ESOL Department Chair at Buck Lodge Middle School in PG County, I am always trying to find ways to advocate for my students who mostly come from Central America. The Introduction to Central America lesson has allowed me to show our teachers how they can make better connections with our students.

Amy Trenkle, a DCPS middle school teacher, piloted the Zinn Education Project's Make Reconstruction History Visible project with her students. Read more>>

The Algebra Project and the Washington Teachers’ Union have launched a citywide math literacy campaign. The We the People Alliance for Math Literacy is a grassroots effort to introduce revolutionary methods for teaching math literacy that have been proven to make math accessible to students. Read more >>

On our one year anniversary, we share highlights from our accomplishments. Read more >>

Kevin Fox, an 11th-grade social studies educator at Cardozo Education Complex (DCPS), is teaching his students to analyze Cold War conflicts in Central America through an exploration of poetry and history. A lesson titled, Poetry Fires the Revolution, which is available for free download at TeachingCentralAmerica.org inspired Fox to teach this topic to his students. Read more >>

Twenty educators from D.C. area schools gathered at the Anacostia Community Museum on April 27th for a curator tour and workshop on their new exhibit A Right to the City. Following the tour, led by Samir Meghelli, Teaching for Change staff Faye Colon and Deborah Menkart led educators through several activities they could use with their students in preparation for a visit to the museum. Read more >>

At Claremont Immersion Elementary (Arlington Public Schools), fifth grade teacher Wendy Bermudez had her class engage in the popular role play, The People vs. Columbus, et al. The lesson, written in the form of a trial by Bill Bigelow of Rethinking Schools, is available for free download on the Zinn Education Project website. Read more >>

I used a number of lessons from D.C. Area Black LIves Matter Week of Action resource page and others I collected at that BLM curriculum share. #Lastwords was one of the most powerful lessons for many of my students.I have a number of students with significant learning disabilities as well. So in their classes, I used the lesson related to the book Milo's Museum. We're still working on this unit, but they seem to really be enjoying it!

The D.C. Area Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools gave a powerful start to Black History Month in classrooms across the Washington, D.C. area. Pre-K — 12th grade teachers in more than 100 schools taught lessons about structural racism, intersectional Black identities, and Black history.

Makia Green, a member of Black Lives Matter DC chapter, visited my kindergarten classroom, provided a  presentation to students and read Child of the Civil Rights Movement.

Now that February is ending (how is it already March?!), we are looking back to the beginning of the month when we participated in the nationwide Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.  When talking about something like Black Lives Matter with third graders, we work hard to make sure that the points of entry and examples are tangible, accessible, and developmentally appropriate.

At School Without Walls at Francis Stevens (DCPS), students in my elementary ESOL class read a newsela article and watched a Ted Talk in order to understand the term "systemic racism" and how it impacts people in the United States and in other countries.

In my fifth grade classroom at Rockview Elementary School (MCPS), we spent the majority of the reading block during the Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools reading and analyzing poems by Langston Hughes.

Inspired Teaching Fellow Jay Banks’ 2nd-grade classroom at DC Scholars PCS focused on Black Lives Matter by discussing resistance and advocacy. The class read Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle, the fictional story of the friendship between a young Choctaw girl and an enslaved African boy. 

As a part of Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools, SEED Public Charter School educator Topher Kandik did a powerful lesson on the last words of victims of police brutality.

Washington Yu Ying's 5th graders held discussion lessons each day of the week, connecting what they know about social justice with the Black Lives Matter Movement. Today, the entire school participated in a Black Lives Matter/Black History Month read aloud.

An Inspired Teaching Demonstration School educator wrote… "In a school where Black Lives Matter, we embrace uncomfortable, messy, and yet essential conversations about race. We recognize the systemic injustice of our society and we work daily to provide a school environment that is safe, inclusive, and affirming for every student, without exception." While a Student at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School wrote...

Kindergarten students in Sandhya Rajan's class are solidifying their commitment to valuing and protecting Black lives by adding their signature to the "BLACK LIVES MATTER" banner at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus.