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Teacher Education Guide

Teaching Social Justice - Resources

Sources for Lesson Plans and Activities

Critical Media Project
"Critical Media Project (CMP) is a free media literacy web resource for educators and students (ages 8-21) that enhances young people’s critical thinking and empathy, and builds on their capacities to advocate for change around questions of identity.
Global Oneness Project
Global Oneness Project is a resource for multimedia stories and lesson on social issues.
Islamic Networks Group: Resources for Educators
Free lesson plans and resources for teaching about Islam, multifaith education, Islamophobia, and racism. Most plans are middle school or older, but may be adaptable.
Learning for Justice: Learning Plans
A searchable and filterable list of activities and learning plan assignments from Learning for Justice.
iWitness
iWitness has first-person testimonies from refugees, Holocaust survivors, and other personal stories with activities, multimedia content, and educator resources.
GLSEN Educator Resources
GLSEN provides lesson plans as well as professional development and curriculum resources for supporting LGBTQ inclusivity.

Organizations Promoting Social Justice Education

Common Sense Education
Common Sense a nonprofit organization dedicated supporting digital literacy. Their Common Sense Education site has resources on digital literacy and equity for teachers.
DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is a nonprofit for young people and social change to empower them take action to improve their communities.
Facing History and Ourselves
"Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate."
GLSEN
GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment.
Islamic Networks Group (ING)
"Islamic Networks Group (ING) is a peace-building organization providing face-to-face education and engagement opportunities that foster understanding of Muslims and other misunderstood groups to promote harmony among all people."
Learning for Justice
"Learning for Justice seeks to uphold the mission of the Southern Poverty Law Center: to be a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people."
NEA EdJustice
"NEA EdJustice engages and mobilizes activists in the fight for racial, social and economic justice in public education."
Zinn Education Project
"The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people’s history in classrooms across the country."
Teaching for Change
"Teaching for Change provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write, and change the world."

Featured Mini Collections by the WCSU Libraries

Black History Mini Collection
WCSU Library is celebrating Black History by curating this mini collection of books, music, art, films, talks, podcasts, and notable websites. The collection includes books you can borrow from the Haas and Young Libraries and from the libraries in the CSCU library consortium (i.e., the 12 Community Colleges, 4 Connecticut State Universities, and the CT State Library).
Hispanic Heritage Mini Collection
Celebrate and explore this eclectic and fascinating collection of Hispanic literary works. Included in this collection are fiction, and non-fiction narratives, poetry, memoirs, children’s literature, and more! Feel free to check out WCSU materials that interest you at the circulation desk.
Human Rights Mini Collection
Human rights advocates and NGOs continuously report on violations of human rights across the globe. This mini-collection highlights a few of these issues and aims to educate and engage students and faculty in the struggle to ensure the dignity and equal rights of all members of the human family.
Indigenous and Native American Mini Collection
Take a moment to engage with the vibrant culture of the country's indigenous peoples and to learn about the destruction of the indigenous people who called Connecticut and the rest of the United States their home for thousands of centuries. There are museums located very nearby to visit, documentaries and feature films to watch, podcasts to listen to, and e-books and print books to read. (The print books are on display on the first floor of the Haas Library opposite where Einstein's cafe used to be. They are available to check out.)
Pride Mini Collection
Explore a vibrant collection celebrating LGBTQ+ voices. Discover compelling memoirs, thought-provoking essays, and engaging fiction that illuminate the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ experiences. Whether you're on a journey of self-discovery or seeking understanding, our LGBTQ+ collection provides a diverse range of voices.
Women's History & Literature Mini Collection
Join WCSU Library in celebrating Women's History Month by exploring this mini collection of books, art, films, talks, and podcasts. Our collection includes books you can borrow from the Haas Library and from the libraries in the CSCU library consortium (i.e., the 12 Community Colleges, 4 Connecticut State Universities, and the CT State Library).