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A group calling itself “Passive Activism” claims on Facebook that it’s dedicated to “spreading awareness about people who spread awareness, rather than actually do something for people who actually do things.” I admit, I laughed. But it’s really not funny.

Occupy D.C. protesters Nathaniel Brown and Nicole Normile are high-schoolers. That’s not unheard of. The really interesting story is that they were encouraged to get involved by their high school civics teacher. The two seniors are part of the seven-member, student-directed extra-curricular club “Waking Up the Nation” at the Howard Gardner School in Alexandria, Va. Since its inception in the Fall of 2010, the social activism club has tackled a number of social projects from preventing war to seeking environmental justice under the leadership of faculty advisor Matt Hawley is the group’s faculty advisor.

Inspired by a TED Talk, a teacher mobilizes his entire school community to plant an urban garden.

I was excited by my lesson plan about the presidential elections. I planned to help students research issues and form opinions by guiding them through a variety of perspectives. Then my student teacher asked a question that surprised me. “Do you ever have parents complain about elections being discussed in school?” he wanted to know. “Why would they?” I asked.

The calculated murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner show just how real the risks of Freedom Summer were.

Two TT bloggers share their tips on using dystopian young-adult fiction to engage students in discussions about tough topics.

Nadine Gordimer’s activism helped make the world better for all of us and leaves important lessons for teachers and students.

A TT awardee shares how he teaches about complex systems of oppression.

Want help boosting cultural responsiveness at your school? Ask your librarian!

Maya Angelou was an activist up until the very end of her life: visible, accessible, present to the people to whom her work and her message of hope meant the most.