Resources for Educators Responding to the January 6th Insurrection
At Corwin, we believe that the conditions leading up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 have been long in the making. Moreover, we believe that the greatest promise for preserving our great democracy and promoting justice for marginalized Americans rests in the hands of our brave public school educators.
Rather than attempting to conceal, distort, or whitewash this terrible moment in our history, we wish to offer a counterproposal: Process it with your students. Recognizing that many of us were never adequately prepared to enter into such conversations, our hope is that this resource center will guide you and your students along the pathway to greater understanding, moral clarity, and social justice.
Curriculum Materials and Teaching Strategies by Corwin Authors
- Let's Talk Racial Healing: If Not Us, Then Who? - opens in a new tab, by Victoria Romero and Gary Howard
- How to Teach Students About the Capitol Riots Using a Social Justice Framework - opens in a new tab, by Dr. Crystal Belle
- Word Choice and Power - opens in a new tab, by Tonya Ward Singer
Checklists, Resources, and Toolkits
- American School Counselor Association: Helping Students in Troubling Times - opens in a new tab
- Beyond the Stoplight: Resources for Teachers on the Days After the Attack on the U.S. Capitol - opens in a new tab
- Black Lives Matter at School - opens in a new tab
- Common Sense Media: Explaining the News to Our Kids - opens in a new tab
- Facing History: Responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol - opens in a new tab
- Learning Forward: How to Support Educators Through the Crisis at the U.S. Capitol - opens in a new tab
- National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers - opens in a new tab
- NYC Department of Education: January 6th, 2021 Resource Guide - opens in a new tab
- PBS: Lesson Plan: Discuss 22-year-old Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” - opens in a new tab
- PBS Newshour, Classroom Resource: Three Ways to Teach the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol - opens in a new tab
- SSchat: Resource Sharing for January 6 - opens in a new tab
- C-SPAN: Video Lesson Plan: Reactions to the January 6 Attacks on the U.S. Capitol - opens in a new tab
Informational Articles
- Caring for Students in the Wake of a Traumatic News Event (EdWeek) - opens in a new tab
- How the Attack on the Capitol Happened, From Planning to Siege to Arrests (GQ Magazine) - opens in a new tab
- No, Elementary Students Are Not Too Young to Talk About Race (ASCD) - opens in a new tab
- Witnessing History: Teachers and students left reeling, looking for lessons in an insurrection (Chalkbeat) - opens in a new tab
Lessons and Reflections Shared by Teachers
- Reflection Lessons with Emphasis on Student Feedback by Sam Mandeville, Middle School Teacher, New Hampshire - opens in a new tab
- Lesson Plan with Emphasis on Signs and Symbols Used by Insurrectionists by Adina Goldstein, Middle School Teacher, Pennsylvania - opens in a new tab