My Part of the Story: Exploring Identity in the United States
Help students understand that their voices are integral to the story of the United States with six lesson plans that investigate individual and national identity.
![An illustrated collage of silhouettes in bright colors.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/MyPartOfTheStoryHeroBanner.jpeg?h=24d1b2c2&itok=G64Pvbce)
Identity & Community: An Introduction to 6th Grade Social Studies
Intentionally designed for middle school classrooms, this unit explores themes of identity and community by using students' knowledge of the Memphis, Tennessee, community.
![Students participate in a group activity.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/2015_20150813_TreyClark_0419_FH221009.jpg?h=2f6148de&itok=YBxcFD7A)
Resources for Civic Education in California
Explore resources that meet the California History–Social Science Framework standards.
![Four students sit in a circle in conversation. The student in the center speaks with their hands raised.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/2017_classroomimage_FH152843.jpg?h=f2fcf546&itok=p079RewF)
Resources for Civic Education in Massachusetts
Explore resources that meet the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework.
![Students working in groups in a classroom](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/NewEngland_Classroom_2017_FH256875.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=ZaNxWg2h)
Discussing Contemporary Islamophobia in the Classroom
This unit is designed to help students in the UK reflect on how Islamophobia manifests in contemporary society and what needs to be done to challenge it.
![Students participating in a discussion.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/High_School_Students_Classroom_2015_FH137533.jpg?h=1116cd87&itok=W0ZFmcjY)
Establishing Opening and Closing Routines
These opening and closing classroom routines will set a welcoming tone, allow students to connect with one another, and encourage goal setting.
![Two students in conversation while looking down at a laptop computer.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/NewEngland_ClassroomImage_2017_FH256365.png?h=2992ba0a&itok=w8q-uOp9)
Activities for the First Days of School
These first-week-of-school activities create welcoming learning environments that prioritize care, relationships, and community.
![Students sit around a table working on a big paper activity while receiving feedback from an educator.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/ClassroomImage_StudentDiscussion_FH287359.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=jnyJGnz9)
Back to School: Building Community for Connection and Learning
These back-to-school activities and teacher resources will help you lay a foundation for a reflective and caring community at the start of the school year.
![Students move around the classroom in conversation with each other. One student looks directly into the camera with a smile on their face.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/LA_ClassroomImage_2018_FH287148.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=lbbZPe6H)
Defining Our Obligations to Others
Students are introduced to the concept of universe of obligation to better understand how societies create "in" groups and "out" groups.
![A chalkboard with a hand-drawn Universe of Obligation diagram of concentric circles on it.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/IMG_8783.jpg?h=1f7c1d57&itok=ENXxhHAU)
The Power of Representation: Patsy Takemoto Mink, Shirley Chisholm, and Kamala Harris
Use this mini-lesson to help students learn about the groundbreaking careers of Patsy Takemoto Mink and Shirley Chisholm and to consider the significance of Vice President Kamala Harris’s election.
![Kamala Harris being sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/USA-Biden%3AInauguration_2021_FH2143511.jpg.JPG?h=790be497&itok=4KIchZQ-)
Responding to Difference
Students explore a poem by James Berry about the ways we respond to difference and complete a creative assignment about their school or community.
![Students sitting in groups in a classroom](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/London_Classroom_2019_%20FH2117946.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=UGM9knhg)