Effective civics literacy develops critical thinkers who can connect history and current events to engage in democratic action in building an equitable and just society.
In this interview, Luis Rodriguez describes how the systemic demoralization he faced in school and society at a young age drove him to join a street gang and how writing his book, Always Running, was an attempt to call his son and other young people in similar situations to change their lives.
After years of leaving his classroom walls empty, this high school teacher was prompted by the current political climate to do a little decorating. It sparked some fruitful classroom discussions.
This teacher built a custom lesson plan to mark a day when thousands of students walked out of their schools in protest. Check it out—and build your own!