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Educator Resources

These educator resources are designed to support anyone who wants to teach for social justice.
Social justice is not a singular topic to be “covered.” We encourage educators to utilize social justice as a lens through which they and their students evaluate the past and present all year long. To support this method of teaching, our materials expand beyond the historical events of the Underground Railroad to include a range of topics from various periods in history across the four core disciplines of social studies (civics, economics, geography and history). They also expand beyond social studies and provide opportunities for cross-content collaboration.
There are several types of materials included in this collection:
- Resources: informational texts, activity packets and professional development materials
- Lesson plans: materials designed to engage students for one or two class sessions
- Inquiries: materials created using the C3 Framework and Inquiry Design Model
Visit the links below to view our library of lessons and activities suitable for learners of all ages.
Phillis Wheatley: Poet
Learn about Phillis Wheatley and create your own poetry. ...
3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Social Studies, Language Arts
Resource
The Printing Press and Abolitionism
Visit the following resources to investigate the question: How did the printing press impact the abolitionist movement? ...
6-8
Social Studies
Resource
The Urgency of Our Pen: Literacy Laws
In this inquiry, students analyze materials that reveal the historical relevance of literacy and evaluate the importance of literacy, authorship, and publishing for abolitionism. ...
6-8
Social Studies
C3 Inquiry
John Anderson’s Slave Pen (9-12)
Through comparison, vocabulary and critical thinking, students will analyze the effects of treating humans as property rather than as people. Great for Grades 9-12 ...
9-12
Social Studies
Lesson Plan
The Black Brigade of Cincinnati
The Black Brigade of Cincinnati was a military unit of African American soldiers organized in 1862 during the Civil War when the city of Cincinnati, Ohio was in danger of being seized by Confederate forces. The Black Brigade became the first organized African American group employed for military duty in the Civil War ...
6-8, 9-12
Social Studies
Resource
Women’s Suffrage
Learn about the Women's Suffrage movement and the women who lead the charge for change ...
6-8, 9-12
Social Studies
Resource
The Freedom Seeker
Learn about the Underground Railroad, Conductors, and routes to freedom taken by Freedom Seekers ...
3-5, 6-8
Social Studies
Resource
Really Free
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the concept of freedom and how it has applied to U.S. citizens, specifically white and Black Americans, since the Revolutionary War. ...
9-12
Social Studies
C3 Inquiry
Founding Principles
Students will engage in social justice work by challenging normative thought regarding our nation’s founding documents. Students will consider the voices of those who were overlooked and disregarded as the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were written and consider the lasting impact of this action ...
9-12
Social Studies
C3 Inquiry