As we send this email, we are dismayed by the breaking news from Ukraine, the increased number of education gag rules and anti-trans laws, the climate emergency, the ongoing pandemic, and much more.

As teachers prepare to address the current news in the classroom, there is the added challenge of finding a people's history perspective. The corporate media, just like most textbooks, present these stories in isolation, with one lead story silencing all others, and with limited historical context.

One source we recommend is Democracy Now!. They cover multiple stories every day, highlight the historical context of colonialism and imperialism, and focus on voices of the people working for peace with justice. We welcome your recommendations for more resources.

People's history is for all ages. To support teachers in middle and elementary schools, the Zinn Education Project is working to increase what we offer. Here, we feature some of our favorite age-appropriate materials and opportunities for younger students.

A 5th-grade teacher leads a mixer activity to help her students understand that the Civil Rights Movement was not fueled only by great leaders, but also by ordinary people who became change makers and organized with others. Learn more in Rethinking Schools.

In this Rethinking Schools article, a 2nd-grade teacher shows how connecting a student's home to the classroom led to profound lessons for all her students — in this case, about pipelines, fossil fuels, and climate justice. Learn more.

At Newsela, educators can access — for free — select Zinn Education Project articles at the original high school level plus four reading levels, ranging from 3rd to 9th grade. See articles adapted from our website.

In this engaging guide, two social studies educators unpack problems that so often characterize the elementary curriculum and show how creative solutions can replace common pitfalls.

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, teacher education student, or curriculum coordinator, this book can transform your understanding of the social studies disciplines and their power to disrupt the narratives that maintain current inequities. Learn more.

Rethinking Elementary Education offers practical insights about how to integrate the teaching of content with a social justice lens, how to seek wisdom from students and their families, and how to navigate stifling tests and mandates.

Its articles and lessons are organized thematically and were selected from more than 25 years of Rethinking Schools issues.

Learn more and order online at Rethinking Schools.

Looking for a radical newspaper by and for middle school students? Here it is: IndyKids is a multi-platform current events and social justice news source.

Visit IndyKids to subscribe. While browsing, find out how you can help your students apply to be Kid Reporters. 

Here are noted people’s history and social justice books that have been adapted for young readers. Find more in the collection at Social Justice Books.

Here are new picture books to bring people's history to upper elementary. They can also be enjoyed by middle and high school students. Find more titles at Social Justice Books, including a list of books for K-12 on Reconstruction.

On Monday, March 14, 2022, journalist Vikki Law will address prison resistance and myths about incarceration.

Her book, “Prisons Make Us Safer” and 20 Other Myths About Mass Incarceration, is an accessible guide for activists, educators, and all who are interested in understanding how the prison system oppresses communities and harms individuals.

This event is part of the Zinn Education Project’s Teach the Black Freedom Struggle series of monthly online classes.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, but there are few books for children and young adults on the topic. In addition, not enough books feature families dealing with incarceration. Here is a short list of recommended books for young people on incarceration.

More than 8,000 educators have signed the pledge to #TeachTruth. Read the pledges and add your name. And use lessons from our #TeachTruthSyllabus.

Students in Georgia are protesting Senate Bill 377 and HB 1084. Follow Hands Off Georgia on Instagram for upcoming events. The students' statement reads: “Within the next few weeks, a series of bills will attempt to be passed by Georgia Representatives. . . One of these bills includes HB1084, which aims to ban all aspects of Critical Race Theory, including all mention of the United States as a systemically racist institution. This legislation explicitly censors the ability to talk about and teach issues many students of all races feel are vital to creating a just world.” Teachers and other activists have also rallied recently in Georgia to defend right to #TeachTruth.

Your support is needed to help more students learn people’s history. Most of the Zinn Education Project’s funding comes from individuals like you.