Is race for real? Learn about what "race" really is and how society has shaped its own definition. See if you are able to identify people according to they way they view themselves and look at a timeline about how ideas of race has changed.
This site has lots of teaching ideas for instilling a love of poetry in students. Sections include Poetry Class, Poetry Fun, Poetry Theater, Poetry Contests, and information on how to invite authors to your school.
Minding the Gap is a coming of age film by Bing Liu. Starting in high school, Bing begins to make skate videos. What starts as a hobby ends up as a profound exploration of issues that is likely to resonate deeply with students.
In this video from Wide Angle, an Afro-Brazilian model discusses the predominance of whites in the Brazilian advertising industry.
Explore how segregation impacted entertainment in 1960s Hollywood in this video [4:38] from American Masters, Sammy Davis, Jr.:I've Gotta Be Me. Sammy Davis, Jr. had the kind of career that was indisputably legendary, vast in scope and scale. Davis strove to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting political territory. He was a member of the popular "Rat Pack," but their appearances often featured humor where Davis was the center of the joke. In this resource, students learn about Hollywood in the 1960s and challenges faced by black performers during the time of segregation. Support materials include discussion questions, vocabulary, and teaching tips on how to make connections to the world of comedy today.
When Georgiana Lambe, an heiress from the West Indies, is asked about her opinions on marriage, she declares that she doesn't wish to be any man's "property," in this video excerpt from Sanditon: Masterpiece, based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel. Her opinion, considered controversial in early 19th-century England, is made all the more significant because her mother was, in fact, enslaved. Her friend, Charlotte Heywood, agrees with Georgiana, saying that it's right that a woman "should value her independence." After watching, explore the complicated issues of race and gender, which are as relevant today as they were in Austen's England. [2:32] Teaching materials are included.
Children look to their families with love and trust to guide their understanding about their place in this great big world. Here are some easy-to-use resources to help guide conversations with your child about racism and coming together through one small word-we-in support of racial justice for all.
Student pairs design, build and test model vehicles capable of rolling down a ramp and then coasting freely as far as possible. The challenge is to make the vehicles entirely out of dry pasta using only adhesive (such as hot glue) to hold the components together. Creativity is encouraged and different types of pasta are provided to support different functions such as round pasta for wheels and sheet pasta for the chassis. Students become familiar with the concepts of gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy and rolling resistance. Teams follow the steps of the engineering design process as they design, test and redesign their small-sized vehicles, working within the project's material constraints. The winner of the competitive final event is the pasta car that travels the longest distance beyond the bottom of the ramp.
Before there was Brown v. Board, there was Barbara Johns, a teenager who organized a student walkout for better conditions for her segregated school. Use this new video to discuss the history of school desegregation and the role of young people in leading change. [2:05]
Students see how different levels of surface tension affect water's ability to move. Teams "race" water droplets down tracks made of different materials, making measurements, collecting data, making calculations, graphing results and comparing to their predictions and the properties of each surface, determining which surface exhibits the highest (or lowest) level of surface tension with water. They apply their results to make engineering recommendations for real-world applications.
In this design challenge, students learn about the Vikings from an engineering point-of-view. While investigating the history and anatomy of Viking ships, they learn how engineering solutions are shaped by the surrounding environment and availability of resources. Students apply this knowledge to design, build and test their own model Viking ships.
Students begin to explore African American history and the civil rights movement, serving as a launch for further discussions around discrimination, justice, and valuing individuals.
Wide Angle video tells the story of two identical twins, one of whom was classified as white and the other as black, highlighting the difficulty in defining race in Brazilian society. [2:53]
A new virtual interview series from LabXchange at Harvard University, the Xchange showcases the diverse roles, projects, and initiatives that make up the intersecting fields of science, education, and health. Hosted by LabXchange Faculty Director Robert Lue, the first season features a range of perspectives on the impact of COVID-19.