Facing History and Ourselves celebrates the addition of the word "upstander" to the Oxford English Dictionary. Students in Facing History classrooms learn about the power of individual choices to shape history and explore how each of us can participate as citizens to create a more humane, just and compassionate world. With the readings and resources collected below, we invite you and your students to discover what it means to be an Upstander.
Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War
A new film by Ken Burns, premiering September 20 on PBS stations nationwide.
Get inspired by the untold story of American upstanders who risked their lives to help desperate refugees. Our three lesson plans use excerpts from the film, personal letters, photographs, and thought-provoking questions to explore what motivated the Sharps, the dilemmas they faced, and the impact of their actions.
Upstander Stories
Blog
Holocaust
Memory and Memorials
Legacy
Lost Voices of the Holocaust: Students Memorialize a Young Boy, His Family, and the Town that Saved Them
Hear a how a teacher and her students rallied together to plan a commemoration in the Czech Republic for a Jewish family and the town that saved them during the Holocaust.
Blog
Race in US History
Students Memorialize a Past Tragedy to Create a More Hopeful Future
<p> Students in Memphis reconcile their community's past by creating a memorial for Ell Persons, who was lynched after being accused of murder in 1917. </p>
Blog
Behind the Essay: A Q&A with Student Contest Winner Cicada Scott
2016 Student Contest Winner Cicada Scott shares more about what it's like to be a non-binary gender teenager in this Q & A.
Blog
Meet the History-Makers of Tomorrow
Facing History and Ourselves celebrates upstanders of all kinds: those who stand up to injustice, those who seek to make positive change in the world, and those who spread messages of tolerance, empathy, and knowledge. During Women’s History Month, we are cheering on young women who are doing just that.
Here are three inspiring stories of young women who we have no doubt will be history-makers of the future. How do we know? Read about how they are already upstanders in their communities.
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Everything you need to get started teaching your students about racism, antisemitism and prejudice.