BubbleUp Take5: #CharlottesvilleCurriculum

Living in Northern Virginia, the recent events in Charlottesville hit very close to home.   Teachers across the country have taken to the internet to voice support and to provide resources for fellow educators (using the hashtag #CharlottesvilleCurriculum). We believe that our classrooms are places to teach kids content, but first and foremost we need to teach them to be caring, kind, responsible human beings who approach the world's problems with hearts full of hope and love. In that spirit, we've highlighted several resources as this week's Take5. We hope that these resources will help you and your students to begin addressing racial hatred and violence in America. These are tough, painful topics, but we know that teachers are up to the task. It's our job. It's our passion. It's our opportunity to build a better future for our students and as important, our country.

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The first thing teachers should do when school starts is talk about hatred in America: Here's help. Valerie Strauss of The Washington Post's Answer Sheet blog offers lessons and links to materials to help teach this content. Another Answer Sheet post titled What kids need to hear about race and violence but many schools won't touch (reposted from the Educator's Room blog) is a solid companion piece.

How Silence Can Breed Prejudice: A Child Development Professor Explains How and Why to Talk to Kids about Race. In an article for The Washington Post, Brigitte Vitrupp offers strategies for discussing race with elementary-aged children.

Librarian creates #BlackLivesMatter booklist for teens. This July 2016 School Library Journal article offers a range of YA book titles for teenagers.

A collection of useful posts, articles, and videos on race and racism. Educator Larry Ferlazzo compiles lists of resources across a range of topics. This selection on race and racism is a strong addition to #CharlottesvilleCurriculum.

5 key anti-racism resources courtesy of #CharlottesvilleCurriculum. In a post for ChalkBeat, Julia Donheiser offers a nice list of of tools, ranging from podcasts to a series of lessons.

Sending Charlottesville all the love. And to our fellow educators, we send you the strength and courage to keep improving our world one day, one student at a time. 

​-Corey & Gretchen