Current Issues

The police killing of George Floyd has ignited outrage, grief, and protest across the country. Here are some suggestions to give your students space to share their thoughts and feelings about these events.

Students hear the voices of the food workers who harvest, deliver, serve, and sell our food, and consider how these workers are on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus crisis has thrown our nation’s economic disparities into stark relief. In this activity, students use a set of interactive charts to investigate the current state of economic inequality in the U.S.—and make their own charts showing how they would like to see that data change.

The effects of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package will be felt by everyone. Students read about and discuss this historic and controversial legislation. 

Students consider how the coronavirus pandemic has revealed gaps in our public health system, amplifying calls for universal health insurance and a national paid sick leave policy.

This online activity provides a supportive virtual space where school staff can connect and gather strength to support our students during the coronavirus pandemic.

The poem Yes, by William Stafford, is a timely one to share with students and colleagues, either face to face or virtually. Here, a reading and suggestions for how to reflect together on the poem. 

Students learn about and discuss key issues in Bloomberg’s candidacy, including his policing, climate change, education, and housing policies as mayor of New York City.

Students examine some key foreign policy issues in the 2020 Democratic primary, and compare the stances of two contenders, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders.

Ella Baker, who helped build many of the most important organizations of the civil rights movement, defied traditional gender roles. She deprioritized charismatic leadership from above and instead empowered people to take charge of their own struggles for freedom.