Ideas This Week
Ideas This Week is your hub for updates on all things Facing History—from announcements and featured press to expert interviews, impact stories, and essays on the ideas driving our work.
Teaching about the January 6 Insurrection and its Impact on US Democracy
The January 6 insurrection remains important to understand and discuss, as well as the larger questions it raises about the state of US democracy. A recent poll found that 52% of young people between 18 and 29 believe that either US democracy is "in trouble" or "failed," while only 7% agree that it is "healthy," further highlighting the need to teach students about democratic institutions.
![Black and white photo of the US State House](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/b%26w_photo_us_state_house.png?h=a6c55029&itok=OVK2Jup-)
Every Teacher Deserves This Support
Katy Seltz, a high school educator in Tennessee, shares how Facing History has made a difference to her and her students.
![Katy Seltz speaking at Memphis 2023 Benefit - FH2200152](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/Katy%20Seltz%20speaking%20at%20Memphis%202023%20Benefit%20-%20FH2200152.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=XYDX_niy)
Freedom Dreaming and the Struggle for Equality after Emancipation
We consider how the Emancipation Proclamation opened up the chance for freedpeople to finally determine their own lives and what that looked like.
![Graphic image of reading The Emancipation Proclamation](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/3a08642r.jpg?h=aaf45653&itok=St9QJ6ma)
Inclusive Leadership: Lean into Discomfort
Facing History’s President and CEO offers advice for school leaders on how to navigate polarizing moments with students, staff, and the communities you serve.
![Our President and CEO, Desmond K. Blackburn PhD addresses a crowd of educators, alums, students, and supporters in Memphis, TN](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-12/Desmond2.png?h=e9403ca4&itok=txkL8JvY)
Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance
Teachers and others can use these resources to learn about Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20.
![Pride flag](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-11/cecilie_johnsen_G8CxFhKuPDU_unsplash.jpg?h=d08f423e&itok=Ka3Ndv4C)
5 Tips for Speaking across Difference over the Holidays
As social gatherings commence this holiday season, explore these suggestions to help keep dialogue around sensitive topics productive and meaningful.
![A group of friends and family of Indian ethnicity sit at a table set with traditional Indian food. A high angle view from overhead of the food, plates, and dishes at the dining table.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-11/iStock-1064762202.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=zd-9v8JG)
Reflections on Plymouth: "This is where our people are."
Cheryl Andrews-Maltais talks about feelings around the Mayflower landing, celebrating Indigenous survival, and how to teach true history.
![Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah, is seen on July 8, 2019 in Boston, Boston Herald](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-09/Cheryl%20Andrews-Maltais%2C%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20Wampanoag%20Tribe%20of%20Gay%20Head%20Aquinnah%2C%20is%20seen%20on%20July%208%2C%202019%20in%20Boston%2C%20Boston%20Herald.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=IjjcaSu_)
18 Teacher Resources on Native American History and Culture
Below are 18 resources that middle and high school teachers can turn to when developing lesson plans related to the roles of Native American peoples in American history and contemporary life. These resources include online exhibitions at the Smithsonian; the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360° Educational Initiative; the work of the Mitchell and Hood Museums; and the growing work of Facing History in these thematic areas.
![Three members of the Sioux tribe pose in Indian Village, 1898.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-05/Black%20Foot-Standing-Bear_Big_Eagle_Sioux_ca_1898.jpg?h=26ac82e5&itok=5rYHkhl2)
Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship Lesson Plan Ideas
Use these media literacy and digital citizenship lesson plans to foster students’ digital literacy and spur healthy habits around media and technology use.
![Three girls sitting on a couch in a studio](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-10/pexels-cottonbro-studio-5998698.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=5bZbZPo2)
8 Resources for Teaching Immigration
Explore resources designed to help educators address immigration in the classroom with curiosity and confidence.
![Illustration of people of different nationalities walking along the Earth.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-04/migration_illustration_iStock-506135132-1.jpeg?h=b440e51e&itok=tkHWZUvH)
A Gift for Your Classroom: Free Poster Download
Use our classroom posters to help foster a thoughtful and reflective learning environment.
![Classroom posters collage of Facing History & Ourselves upstanders](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-08/FY24ClassroomPosters_AllCollage.jpg?h=6eb229a4&itok=IkxAiVey)