Resources

Social Justice Resources

All Social Justice Resources are provided by “Planning to Change the World A Plan Book For Social Justice Educators”. If you are interested in other social justice topics and want assistance in finding resources stop by our office to view the planner or reach out to cehsfieldoffice@shu.edu to find out what topics are available. 

Resources listed may include a preview to a book available to purchase. To avoid having to purchase the book, get it from a library! WorldCat searches all local libraries at once and if the resource is not available locally you can request it via InterLibrary Loan.

Week of 1/22: 50th Anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords Friday 1/27

The Paris Peace Accords marked the end of the Vietnam War as well as US military involvement. US troops began to withdraw but war continued until 1975. Tens of thousands of American Troops died in the war while millions of Vietnamese and hundreds of thousands Cambodians and Laotians died. Linked above is a great resource for high school students, titled “Rethinking the Teaching of the Vietnam War”. This resource by Bill Bigelow provides a role-playing activity to uncover the side of the war not always seen in textbooks and the historical roots for why and whose interests were fought for.

Week of 1/29: First Day of African American History Month Wednesday 2/1

African American History Month has been recognized since 1976 but the idea dates back to 1915 with the establishment of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. A great resource for middle school students is linked above, titled “Tell all the Children Our Story” by Tonya Bolden. This story provides the perspective of children from the first recorded birth of a Black child in Jamestown to present day. A great resource for elementary students is “The Undefeated” by Kwame Alexander. This poem was originally feature on an ESPN special and is a love letter to Black life in the US. For high school students, “The Black Radical Tradition: A Compilation of Essential Text” is a free PDF of the most essential texts about Black Power, African American History, and Civil Rights.

Week of 2/5: 260th Anniversary of the Treaty Ending the French and Indian War Friday 2/10

The French and Indian War pitted French and several Native American Tribes against Britain and other Native American Tribes. For France and Britain the objective was colonial control of North America and for the Native American Tribes the objective was securing their best chance of continued sovereignty. With Britain’s victory, there were more settlers and more danger for Native nations. Linked above is a greater resource for middle and high school students titled “The French and Indian War” by Christopher Gill. With this resource students will develop their knowledge of the war through analyses of primary documents.

Week of 2/12: 10th Anniversary of Keystone Pipeline Protest at the White House Monday 2/13

Environmental activists gathered at the White House to protest the Keystone XL Pipeline Project. This pipeline would carry oil from Alberta, Canada to several areas on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. There were concerns regarding environmental damage and greenhouse gas footprint, which lead President Obama to oppose the project. Linked above is a great resource for middle and high school students titled “How to Change Everything: The Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other” by Naomi Klein and adapted by Rebecca Stefoff. This resource offers a comprehensive look at the state of climate today and how we got there while also providing tools to protect the planet.

Week of 2/19: 60th Anniversary of the Publication of The Feminine Mystique Sunday 2/19

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan voiced the frustrations of American women regarding their limited gender roles. This work sparked activism for gender equality. This work is credited for sparking the beginning of a second wave of feminism in the US. Some criticisms of this work include its focus on White, middle-class, educated, heterosexual women. Linked above is a great resource for middle and high school students titled “Feminist AF: A Guide to Crushing Girlhood” by Brittney Cooper, Susana Morris, and Chanel Craft Tanner. This resource is a YA book that tackles intersectional topics such as colorism, romance, sexual violence, and code switching to provide girls a guide to adolescence through a feminist lens.

Week of 2/26: First Day of Women’s History Month Wednesday 3/1

Women’s History Month is designed to highlight the contributions of women to history, society, and culture. Linked above is a great Teacher’s Resource title “Let Her Learn: a toolkit to Stop School Push Out for Girls of Color” by the National Women’s Law Center. This resource will help you to determine if your school’s discipline policy treats girls of Color fairly. A great resource for elementary students is “Women and Girls are Changemakers” by Shay InLak’Ech. This resource is a collection of picture books on the powerful women throughout history and includes a YouTube read along. For elementary and middle school students, “The Women Who Caught the Babies: A Story of African American Midwives” by Eloise Greenfield is a great resource discussing the training these midwives received and the ways they help many families. For high school students “Abolition. Feminism. Now” by Angela Davis, Gina Dent, Erica Meiners, and Beth Richie, in which the unrecognized genealogies of queer, anti-captialist, internationalist, grassroots, and Women-of-Color-led feminist movements, struggles, and organizations that have helped to define abolition and feminism are examined.

Additional Resources for Prospective Teachers:

World Music Therapy in Science

COVID-19 Resources

State of New Jersey & NJ Department of Education 

Seton Hall University

Resources

Stay healthy and please reach out to our office via email with any questions or concerns at cehsfieldoffice@shu.edu.