Our Recommended Resources

In every issue of Rethinking Schools magazine, we recommend resources for teachers, parents, and activists. Resource categories include curriculum, policy…

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Middle School Student

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

The Girl from the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the Advent of the Civil Rights Movement. By Teri Kanefield. (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014) 56 pp. Lessons on Brown v. Board of Education on this 60th anniversary should begin with the decades of activism that led to the historic ruling. And there is no better way to hook students than with the school walkout led by 15-year-old Barbara Rose Johns in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1951. For middle school students.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation. By Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014) 40 pp. Although written and illustrated for upper elementary school, even adults will learn a lot about the Mendez v. Westminster desegregation case in California that preceded Brown v. Board of Education. The book highlights Puerto Rican Felicitas Mendez as an organizer—galvanizing other parents and legal support to pursue an equal education for all childr History, Racial Equality, Biographies, Literature, Read Aloud, Social Justice, Children's Literature, Nonfiction, Children’s Books

Children's Literature

Nonfiction

Children’s Books

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation. By Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2014) 40 pp. Although written and illustrated for upper elementary school, even adults will learn a lot about the Mendez v. Westminster desegregation case in California that preceded Brown v. Board of Education. The book highlights Puerto Rican Felicitas Mendez as an organizer—galvanizing other parents and legal support to pursue an equal education for all childr

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

All the Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color/Todos los colores de nuestra piel: La historia de por qué tenemos diferentes colores de piel By Katie Kissinger. Photographs by Chris Bohnhoff (Redleaf, 20th Anniversary edition, 2014) 32 pp. 20th anniversary edition of Katie Kissinger’s classic book, All the Colors We Are. The book deals with skin color in a straightforward, scientifically accurate, child-friendly manner. The book, including teaching ideas, is fully bilingual.

Brazil’s Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Fight for Democracy. By Dave Zirin (Haymarket Books, 2014) 246 pp. This book should be required pre-reading for any high school student watching the 2014 World Cup games or the 2016 Olympics. Drawing on extensive interviews with Brazilians, Dave Zirin focuses on the history of soccer and the economic impact for the rich and the poor of both international competitions. New Books, Novels, Humour, Dance, History Of Soccer, Olympics, Democracy, Books Young Adult, Music Games

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Brazil’s Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Fight for Democracy. By Dave Zirin (Haymarket Books, 2014) 246 pp. This book should be required pre-reading for any high school student watching the 2014 World Cup games or the 2016 Olympics. Drawing on extensive interviews with Brazilians, Dave Zirin focuses on the history of soccer and the economic impact for the rich and the poor of both international competitions.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Risking Everything: A Freedom Summer Reader Edited by Michael Edmonds. 250 pp. This year marks the 50th anniversary of a milestone event in U.S. history, Freedom Summer. The largest collection of primary documents from Freedom Summer is now housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society (much available online). History comes to life through lessons from the Freedom Schools’ curriculum, letters home from volunteers, a Klan newsletter, hate mail, fliers, reflections by activists, and more.

The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme. By Joe Sacco Wow. We’ve never seen a book like this. Cartoonist Joe Sacco has imagined the first day of the Battle of the Somme, launched July 1, 1916, during World War I, “The Great War.” Those of us whose curriculum includes World War I will be able to find numerous ways to engage students with Sacco’s meticulous depiction of this horrific day. War, Editorial, Battle Of The Somme, Art And Literature, World War I, Rethought, Book Nooks, Book Cover

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme. By Joe Sacco Wow. We’ve never seen a book like this. Cartoonist Joe Sacco has imagined the first day of the Battle of the Somme, launched July 1, 1916, during World War I, “The Great War.” Those of us whose curriculum includes World War I will be able to find numerous ways to engage students with Sacco’s meticulous depiction of this horrific day.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights. By Steve Sheinkin. 200 pp. In 1944, an explosion resulting from officers’ gross safety violations killed 320 sailors and civilians, primarily African American, in Port Chicago, California. This book for young adults is full of stories of the brave servicemen who stood for justice in the face of accusations of cowardice and treason.

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table, by Pat Brisson. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. 32 pp. This simple, lovely children’s book begins: “As we sit around this table / let’s give thanks as we are able / to all the folks we’ll never meet / who helped provide this food we eat.” Brilliant full-color illustrations honor the labor that brings food “from farm to table.” Before We Eat might prompt children to illustrate books on people and processes behind other things we take for granted. Instagram, Quotes, Names, From Farm To Table, Pals, Chinese Name, Reflection, Toddler

Before We Eat - Tilbury House Publishers

Before We Eat: From Farm to Table, by Pat Brisson. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. 32 pp. This simple, lovely children’s book begins: “As we sit around this table / let’s give thanks as we are able / to all the folks we’ll never meet / who helped provide this food we eat.” Brilliant full-color illustrations honor the labor that brings food “from farm to table.” Before We Eat might prompt children to illustrate books on people and processes behind other things we take for granted.

Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap, by Paul Gorski. 216 pp. A powerful tool for educators trying to resist the “culture of poverty” deficit thinking embedded in so many schools’ practices and policies. Rather than trying to “fix” poor kids and their families, Gorski provides a deep understanding of the complexity of poverty and its causes. Full review: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/28_03/28_03_resources.shtml#reaching School Counsellor, Education Quotes, Instructional Coaching, School Counselor, Educational Leadership, Professional Development Books, Student Teaching, Teaching Strategies, Teaching Tips

School Counsellor

Education Quotes

Instructional Coaching

School Counselor

Educational Leadership

Professional Development Books

Student Teaching

Teaching Strategies

Teaching Tips

Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty 9780807754573 | Teachers College Press

Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap, by Paul Gorski. 216 pp. A powerful tool for educators trying to resist the “culture of poverty” deficit thinking embedded in so many schools’ practices and policies. Rather than trying to “fix” poor kids and their families, Gorski provides a deep understanding of the complexity of poverty and its causes. Full review: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/28_03/28_03_resources.shtml#reaching

Lawrence and the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike, by Robert Forrant and Susan Grabski. 127 pp. This collection of hundreds of photos and primary documents brings to life one of the pivotal strikes in U.S. history—the 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts, “Bread and Roses” textile workers strike. Chapters include life and work in Lawrence, the outbreak of the strike, the children being sent away, congressional hearings, the court trial, and the strike in popular memory. Popular, Videos, Vintage, Roses, Lawrence Massachusetts, Bread And Roses, American Industrial Revolution, New England

Lawrence Massachusetts

Bread And Roses

American Industrial Revolution

New England

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Lawrence and the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike, by Robert Forrant and Susan Grabski. 127 pp. This collection of hundreds of photos and primary documents brings to life one of the pivotal strikes in U.S. history—the 1912 Lawrence, Massachusetts, “Bread and Roses” textile workers strike. Chapters include life and work in Lawrence, the outbreak of the strike, the children being sent away, congressional hearings, the court trial, and the strike in popular memory.

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From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Voices from the Plain of Jars: Life Under an Air War, edited by Fred Branfman. Essays and drawings by Laotian villagers. 176 pp. This is an essential teaching resource for a unit on the “American war” in Southeast Asia. “By April 1973, the [U.S.] Air Force had dropped an estimated 2.1 million tons of bombs on Laos.” Through poetry, songs, drawings, and other first-person testimony, Laotian villagers tell the story of the incessant U.S. bombing--a secret war brought to light by Fred Branfman.

Yes! We Are Latinos, by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. Illustrated by David Diaz. 96 pp. Through poetry and nonfiction, this book introduces middle and high school readers to a wide range of Latina/o heritages and histories. Each chapter begins with a poem about a specific person, followed by a sophisticated yet reader-friendly historical essay. Topics include indigenous roots, migrant farmworkers, immigration, Chinese and Japanese history in Latin America, and many more. Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino People, Bilingual, Hispanic Heritage, Zulily, Yes, Latina, Heritage Month, Libros

Hispanic Heritage Month

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Yes! We Are Latinos, by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. Illustrated by David Diaz. 96 pp. Through poetry and nonfiction, this book introduces middle and high school readers to a wide range of Latina/o heritages and histories. Each chapter begins with a poem about a specific person, followed by a sophisticated yet reader-friendly historical essay. Topics include indigenous roots, migrant farmworkers, immigration, Chinese and Japanese history in Latin America, and many more.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

The Right to Stay Home: How U.S. Policy Drives Mexican Immigration, by David Bacon. 309 pp. This well-researched and story-rich piece of investigative reporting fills an important hole in most teaching about immigration: Why do people leave their homes for the United States? And does the United States have responsibility for why they can’t stay at home? Oral history narratives follow each chapter.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Finding Joy in Teaching Students of Diverse Backgrounds, by Sonia Nieto. 179 pp. For this accessible book, renowned scholar and educator Sonia Nieto asked 22 teachers from around the country how they thrive in these tough times. The answer emerges in their stories: love and social justice. At a moment in history when it’s so easy for educators to become discouraged, this volume offers wisdom and hope grounded in the day-to-day reality of school life.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

House of Purple Cedar, by Tim Tingle. 328 pp. The story opens with Rose, a young Choctaw girl, saying: “The hour has come to speak of troubled times. It is time we spoke of Skullyville.” Through her, we see horrific racism in the late 1800s in Oklahoma. Tingle’s story is characterized by the persevering humanity of the Choctaw people at a time when they were under assault by those driven by greed and racism. Grades 9 and above.

Mumbet's Declaration of Independence, by Gretchen Woelfle. Illustrated by Alix Delinois. 32 pp. Gives readers a slavery-to-freedom narrative that is clever, honest, and age-appropriate. Woelfle’s recounting of Elizabeth Freeman’s true story of resistance and liberation is smartly written and beautifully illustrated. Mumbet is a black woman enslaved in Massachusetts in 1776. Believing the promise of freedom belongs to her as well, she successfully brings a lawsuit against her owners. Founding Fathers, American Children, Black History Books, Diverse Books, Childrens Books, Womens History Month, Nonfiction Books

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Mumbet's Declaration of Independence, by Gretchen Woelfle. Illustrated by Alix Delinois. 32 pp. Gives readers a slavery-to-freedom narrative that is clever, honest, and age-appropriate. Woelfle’s recounting of Elizabeth Freeman’s true story of resistance and liberation is smartly written and beautifully illustrated. Mumbet is a black woman enslaved in Massachusetts in 1776. Believing the promise of freedom belongs to her as well, she successfully brings a lawsuit against her owners.

This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration, by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by James Ransome. 29 pp. This beautifully illustrated book opens with an African American girl skipping rope under a tree in SC. Then the rope is used to tie luggage atop the family car when they drive north to NYC. In one guise after another, it follows their participation in the Great Migration and links together three generations. Accessible, elegantly written, and focused on social justice. Art, African American History Month, The Great Migration

Art

African American History Month

The Great Migration

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration, by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by James Ransome. 29 pp. This beautifully illustrated book opens with an African American girl skipping rope under a tree in SC. Then the rope is used to tie luggage atop the family car when they drive north to NYC. In one guise after another, it follows their participation in the Great Migration and links together three generations. Accessible, elegantly written, and focused on social justice.

Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood, by Diane Levin. 162 pp. Anyone who works with young children, or is a parent or grandparent, knows the magnetic attraction of screens. They are ubiquitous, compelling, and often obnoxious in ways that range from annoying to profoundly disturbing. Levin blends research, personal story, anecdote, teacher experience, and concrete curricular and action suggestions. We don't know of any other resource that is so astute and so practical. Parenting Tips, Early Childhood Education, Parents, Early Childhood, Action, Childhood Education, Parenting, Teaching Young Children

Parenting Tips

Early Childhood Education

Teaching Young Children

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood, by Diane Levin. 162 pp. Anyone who works with young children, or is a parent or grandparent, knows the magnetic attraction of screens. They are ubiquitous, compelling, and often obnoxious in ways that range from annoying to profoundly disturbing. Levin blends research, personal story, anecdote, teacher experience, and concrete curricular and action suggestions. We don't know of any other resource that is so astute and so practical.

Growing Fairness: Building Community & Resisting the School-to-Prison Pipeline with Restorative Justice in Schools. Produced by Teachers Unite. 44 minutes. This film begins with youth, parents, and teachers talking about the need for alternatives to punitive discipline in schools. Because it shows how different approaches are being developed at schools in New York and California, it would make an excellent discussion starter for a school community thinking about alternatives. School Community, Education Reform, Restorative Justice, School Discipline, Public School, School Staff, Development

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Growing Fairness: Building Community & Resisting the School-to-Prison Pipeline with Restorative Justice in Schools. Produced by Teachers Unite. 44 minutes. This film begins with youth, parents, and teachers talking about the need for alternatives to punitive discipline in schools. Because it shows how different approaches are being developed at schools in New York and California, it would make an excellent discussion starter for a school community thinking about alternatives.

The Power of the Story: The Voice of Witness Teacher's Guide to Oral HIstory (Second Edition), edited by Cliff Mayotte. 145 pp. A valuable collection of teaching strategies to help students work with the extraordinary oral testimonies included in the Voice of Witness books. Teachers will find the lessons in this teacher's guide to be a rich source of provocations to engage with human rights dramas throughout the world. Lesson Plans, Social Studies Resources, Communication Skills, Oral History, Teaching Guides, Public Speaking

Lesson Plans

Social Studies Resources

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

The Power of the Story: The Voice of Witness Teacher's Guide to Oral HIstory (Second Edition), edited by Cliff Mayotte. 145 pp. A valuable collection of teaching strategies to help students work with the extraordinary oral testimonies included in the Voice of Witness books. Teachers will find the lessons in this teacher's guide to be a rich source of provocations to engage with human rights dramas throughout the world.

Silver People, by Margarita Engle. 272 pp. Introduces young readers to the builders of the Panama Canal. Mateo, a young boy from the Caribbean, is lured with promises of good pay and work. Instead, he finds an apartheid system where people of color are subjected to treacherous working conditions and paid in silver; the whites are paid in gold. Mateo learns how horrific life in Panama will be when he and the other new workers are measured, on their arrival, for coffins. Grades 7 and up. Historical Fiction, Latin American Studies, Ya Literature, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Ya Books

Historical Fiction

Latin American Studies

Ya Literature

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Ya Books

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Silver People, by Margarita Engle. 272 pp. Introduces young readers to the builders of the Panama Canal. Mateo, a young boy from the Caribbean, is lured with promises of good pay and work. Instead, he finds an apartheid system where people of color are subjected to treacherous working conditions and paid in silver; the whites are paid in gold. Mateo learns how horrific life in Panama will be when he and the other new workers are measured, on their arrival, for coffins. Grades 7 and up.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

When the Beat Was Born, by Laban Carrick Hill, Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III. 32pp. Introduces children to the “father” of hip hop: Clive Campbell, also known as DJ Kool Herc. Hill explores the elements of hip hop and shows how it brought opposing gangs together in an atmosphere of peace that eventually transformed them into famous hip hop crews. Grades 1–5.

If I Ever Get Out of Here, by Eric Gansworth, 373 pp. Lewis “Shoe” Blake, navigates relationships with family and friends on and off the Tuscarora Reservation. Debbie Reese, editor of the website American Indians in Children's Literature, explains that it offers “a rare but honest look at culture and how people with vastly different upbringings and identities can clash. And dance. And laugh. Gansworth informs readers about cultural difference, but he doesn't beat anyone up as he does it.” Book Lists, Books To Read, Adults Books, Young Reader

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

If I Ever Get Out of Here, by Eric Gansworth, 373 pp. Lewis “Shoe” Blake, navigates relationships with family and friends on and off the Tuscarora Reservation. Debbie Reese, editor of the website American Indians in Children's Literature, explains that it offers “a rare but honest look at culture and how people with vastly different upbringings and identities can clash. And dance. And laugh. Gansworth informs readers about cultural difference, but he doesn't beat anyone up as he does it.”

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Democracy Now! Hosts Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. www.democracynow.org The news headlines are a rundown of vital stories often ignored or distorted in the mainstream media. Headlines are followed by several in-depth reports, many of which make ideal classroom viewing: striking fast-food workers, conflict in Egypt, NSA revelations, stop-and-frisk policing, the true history of the 1963 March on Washington, drone strikes, the Trayvon Martin tragedy, the climate crisis, and more.

As Fast As Words Could Fly, by Pamela M. Tuck, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 32 pp. Pamela Tuck tells how a family and community challenge racism where they work, shop, and go to school. This picture book could be used to introduce the history beyond the big demonstrations about the fight for civil rights. It would lend itself well to a group read and discussion, and could also be a wonderful source of prompts for writing from the perspective of different characters. For grade 3 and above. Scribble, Book Recommendations, Typing Skills

Scribble

Book Recommendations

Typing Skills

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

As Fast As Words Could Fly, by Pamela M. Tuck, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 32 pp. Pamela Tuck tells how a family and community challenge racism where they work, shop, and go to school. This picture book could be used to introduce the history beyond the big demonstrations about the fight for civil rights. It would lend itself well to a group read and discussion, and could also be a wonderful source of prompts for writing from the perspective of different characters. For grade 3 and above.

$Gasland II, directed by Josh Fox., 125 min. High-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas—more commonly known as “fracking”—is one of the scariest technologies on the planet. With a blend of storytelling, outrage, science, and, yes, humor, Josh Fox offers a student-friendly look at this technology from hell. Gasland II is an important resource to help our students navigate the world's disturbing new fossil fuel terrain. For middle school and high school classrooms. Films, Energy Industry, Oil And Gas, Hbo Documentaries, Documentary Film, Award Winning, Documentaries, Live Music$

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Gasland II, directed by Josh Fox., 125 min. High-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas—more commonly known as “fracking”—is one of the scariest technologies on the planet. With a blend of storytelling, outrage, science, and, yes, humor, Josh Fox offers a student-friendly look at this technology from hell. Gasland II is an important resource to help our students navigate the world's disturbing new fossil fuel terrain. For middle school and high school classrooms.

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Stay Solid! A Radical Handbook for Youth, edited by Matt Hern and the Purple Thistle Centre. 319 pp. There may be school libraries that would deem this book too risqué or soft on drugs. But it's a remarkable assembly of testimonies, stories, advice, poetry, cartoons, lessons, and short essays from more than 100 radical activists divided into diverse subjects, including family, race, gender, school, friends, sex, disability, indigenous struggles, ecocide, and “your physical body.”

Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling, by Sabrina Jones and Marc Maurer. 128 pp. The perfect antidote to the silence in textbooks about the prison-industrial complex in the United States. In graphic novel format, facts and history of the criminal injustice system are made accessible for grades 7 to adult. Ronald Reagan, Chronicle Books, War On Drugs, Retelling, Jones, Alexander, Jim Crow

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling, by Sabrina Jones and Marc Maurer. 128 pp. The perfect antidote to the silence in textbooks about the prison-industrial complex in the United States. In graphic novel format, facts and history of the criminal injustice system are made accessible for grades 7 to adult.

"They're Bankrupting Us!" And 20 Other Myths About Unions, by Bill Fletcher, Jr. 224 pp. If you've been in a discussion with colleagues or family about labor issues, most likely you've heard someone say “Unions were good once, but we don't need them anymore,” “Unions are corrupt,” or “Public sector unions cause budget deficits.” Each chapter takes on one of the most common myths about organized labor. Useful for labor education programs and high school government or economics classes. Reading Lists, Common Myths, History Teachers, Working People, Bankrupt, Solidarity

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

"They're Bankrupting Us!" And 20 Other Myths About Unions, by Bill Fletcher, Jr. 224 pp. If you've been in a discussion with colleagues or family about labor issues, most likely you've heard someone say “Unions were good once, but we don't need them anymore,” “Unions are corrupt,” or “Public sector unions cause budget deficits.” Each chapter takes on one of the most common myths about organized labor. Useful for labor education programs and high school government or economics classes.

Same Sun Here, by Silas House and Neela Vaswani. 297 pp. 12-year-old students become pen pals: River in the mountains of Kentucky and Meena in Chinatown, New York. River writes about how his family and community are being destroyed by mountaintop removal. Meena writes back that it sounds like what happened to her parents' village when a dam was built in India. Same Sun Here teaches the reader a lot without being preachy. At times you will be convinced you came across a packet of real letters. Perspective, Writings, Fiction Books, Middle Grade Books

From Rethinking Schools: Resources

Same Sun Here, by Silas House and Neela Vaswani. 297 pp. 12-year-old students become pen pals: River in the mountains of Kentucky and Meena in Chinatown, New York. River writes about how his family and community are being destroyed by mountaintop removal. Meena writes back that it sounds like what happened to her parents' village when a dam was built in India. Same Sun Here teaches the reader a lot without being preachy. At times you will be convinced you came across a packet of real letters.

Our Recommended Resources

In every issue of Rethinking Schools magazine, we recommend resources for teachers, parents, and activists. Resource categories include curriculum, policy…

67 Pins

11y

Collection by

Rethinking Schools