New York Times Education Blog Recognizes Facing History

On January 27, 2012, the New York Times’ The Learning Network blog asked readers to weigh in: How do you teach the civil rights movement?

As parents, teachers, and readers of the blog responded with their tricks of the trade, one resource came up again and again–Facing History and Ourselves.

“I’m teaching 11th grade U.S. History here in nyc, and I’ve been relying heavily on the Facing History and Ourselves stuff, which has a central focus on social justice and emotional connection to content,” wrote educator Brodie Crawford. “I’ve been trying to use it for all my lessons, but they have some incredible Civil Rights resources.” “Good, solid history teaching takes time,” wrote Josh Padula, who teaches eighth grade history in the Boston Public Schools, where the Facing History curriculum is taught district-wide. “Our city curriculum guides provide one unit in grade 8 that focuses on civil rights. In our case, we focus on the integration of Little Rock High School in 1957…That unit is one of the most memorable for students…These kids leave understanding segregation, Little Rock and, most important in Boston, how that ‘ancient history’ directly connects to our own experiences with forced busing in the 1970s (of which I was a participant).”

Michael Schneider, a humanities teacher in Castle Rock, Colorado, and participant in Facing History's Digital Media Innovation Network recommended Facing History resources. “I suggest checking them out and attending a week long workshop, which then allows you to use their lending library as well,” he said.

Read "How Do You Teach the Civil Rights Movement?" by Katherine Schulten on the New York Times’ The Learning Network blog.

View Facing History and Ourselves' civil rights collection.