At Storyboard That we believe that curriculum should examine history from all perspectives. We believe that curriculum should be actively anti-racist and culturally responsive. We believe that all students should see themselves represented in what is presented to them in school and we strive to create curriculums to help teachers do just that.
If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you do not see.
We have compiled a series of resources that focus on history and literature in order to make it easier to educate students about racial and social inequality and address systemic racism and injustice in all its forms. Our curriculum developers are working hard to continually add to our offerings with this goal in mind, to help create a more just and equitable world for our students today and in the future.
Project Ideas
- Create Awareness PSAs
- Cause & Effect of Events
- Historical Parallels
- Biography Posters
- Timelines of Major Events
- Conversations with historical figures
- Compare and Contrast Movements
- Create posters for how students can get involved
Historical Resources
- 1850s America
- Ancient Civilizations
- Atlantic Slave Trade
- Black History Month
- Civil Rights Movement
- Emancipation Proclamation
- History of Imperialism
- History of the Holocaust
- Immigration
- Indigenous Peoples
- Japanese American Incarceration in WWII
- Métis Nation of Canada
- Missouri Compromise of 1820
- Reconstruction Era
- Revolutionary War
- Slavery in America
- Tinker vs. Des Moines
- Towers Falling
- Underground Railroad
- Underground to Canada
- Voting Rights
Literature Resources (Elementary-Middle)
- Brown Girl Dreaming
- Bud, Not Buddy
- Caged Bird
- Calico Girl
- Crossover, The
- Dragonwings
- Esperanza Rising
- From the Desk of Zoe Washington
- Glory Be
- Kira-Kira
- Lions of Little Rock, The
- New Kid
- Number the Stars
- Once
- Other Words for Home
- Out of My Mind
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- Rules
- Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
- Sounder
- Story of Ruby Bridges, The
- Sylvia & Aki
- Underground Railroad
- Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, The
- We Are the Ship
- When You Trap a Tiger
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
- Wonder
Literature Resources (Middle-High)
- A Single Shard
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
- All American Boys
- Amal Unbound
- Amina's Voice
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
- Book Thief, The
- Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The
- Boy on the Wooden Box, The
- Breadwinner, The
- Chains
- Color Purple, The
- Dreams and Harlem (A Dream Deferred)
- Elijah of Buxton
- Full Cicada Moon
- Ghost
- House on Mango Street, The
- I Have a Dream
- Inside Out and Back Again
- Last Cherry Blossom, The
- Letter from Birmingham Jail
- Long Way Down
- Midnight Without a Moon
- Milkweed
- Miracle Worker, The
- Mother to Son
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
- Night
- Night Diary, The
- On Being Brought from Africa to America
- One Crazy Summer
- Poet X, The
- Raisin in the Sun, A
- Refugee
- Return to Sender
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
- Stars Beneath Our Feet, The
- Still I Rise
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Wedding Dance, The
- White Bird
- Women
Influential People
- Abigail Adams
- Alice Walker
- Amelia Earhart
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Elie Wiesel
- Frederick Douglass
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Harriet Tubman
- Helen Keller
- Khaled Hosseini
- Langston Hughes
- Lorraine Hansberry
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Malala Yousafzai
- Malcolm X
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Mary Wollstonecroft
- Nelson Mandela
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Sally Ride
- Susan B. Anthony
Teaching 'hard history' is as important as it is challenging. Issues surrounding fairness, equity, equality and social justice are not just in the news cycle but experienced by our own students and their families. Most teachers want to tackle the challenge of teaching about racism, social justice and the injustices of the past. It is a challenge often fraught with discomfort and can be a struggle to teach effectively. However, it is also a moral responsibility for teachers to honestly teach about our nation's hard history and the difficult stories of the past from around the globe. American investigative journalist, educator, and civil rights leader, Ida B. Wells famously said, "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them."
We are responsible for ensuring that our students understand the vast inequities and tragedies of the past and their direct connections to the issues we are facing in the present. American poet, activist and the youngest poet laureate in U.S. history, Amanda Gorman wrote "Being American is more than a pride we inherit. It's the past we step into and how we repair it." By learning the truth of our history, it empowers us to make decisions and foster understanding so we can avoid repeating the wrongs of the past and work to heal the injustices of the present.
How Tos about Social Justice Resources
How can I create a respectful classroom environment for discussing racial and social justice topics?
Establish clear ground rules for respectful dialogue before any discussion. Let students help define these rules so they feel ownership and safety. This sets the tone for meaningful, empathetic conversations.
Invite students to share personal connections to social justice topics.
Encourage students to connect lessons to their own lives through journaling, artwork, or storytelling. Personal relevance deepens engagement and helps students process complex issues.
Use diverse multimedia resources to introduce difficult subjects.
Integrate videos, podcasts, and graphic novels alongside textbooks. Multiple formats help students access and understand challenging content in ways that suit their learning styles.
Facilitate small group discussions to build trust and empathy.
Organize students into small groups for guided conversations on sensitive topics. This creates a supportive space where students feel more comfortable sharing and listening.
Reflect and debrief after challenging lessons.
Dedicate time for whole-class reflection or private journaling after tough discussions. This helps students process emotions and reinforces the importance of respectful dialogue.
Frequently Asked Questions about Social Justice Resources
What are effective ways to teach racial and social justice in K-12 classrooms?
Effective ways to teach racial and social justice include using diverse curriculum resources, encouraging open discussions, incorporating literature and history from multiple perspectives, and engaging students in projects that explore inequality and activism. Tools like biography posters, timelines, and historical parallels can make lessons more impactful.
How can I make my history lessons culturally responsive and anti-racist?
To make history lessons culturally responsive and anti-racist, integrate materials representing multiple viewpoints, highlight influential figures from diverse backgrounds, and use teaching strategies that encourage critical thinking about systemic injustice. Storyboard That's resources support these approaches.
Where can I find quick lesson plans on the Civil Rights Movement for students?
You can find quick lesson plans on the Civil Rights Movement at Storyboard That by visiting the Civil Rights Movement resource page. These plans include timelines, project ideas, and activities designed for easy classroom use.
What project ideas help students understand racial injustice and activism?
Project ideas for teaching racial injustice and activism include creating awareness PSAs, comparing historical movements, making biography posters of activists, and exploring cause and effect in major events. Such hands-on activities foster deeper understanding and empathy.
Who are some influential people I can feature in anti-racism lessons?
Influential people to feature in anti-racism lessons include Martin Luther King Jr., Ida B. Wells, and Amanda Gorman. Storyboard That offers resources and biographies to help students learn about their impact on social justice and equality.
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