Teaching history is challenging because human stories are challenging. As you explore the lives and events that have impacted human history, you will encounter many topics that will be difficult to discuss with your students. As educators, it is important that we do not allow our discomfort to become an excuse for not teaching difficult topics. To help you in this process, we have gathered the following resources for how to engage students in ways that allow them to take appropriate care of themselves while grappling with troubling subject matter.
We recognize that the list of possibly triggering subjects that we offer here is not exhaustive and that the threshold for discomfort will be different for everyone. We plan to treat this as a living document and will continue to add, adapt, and alter it as new issues arise. Please feel free to make recommendations and suggestions based on your own classroom experiences to help us further enrich the practice of care for our students.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and in need immediate assistance, these phone lines are available 24/7:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE
Resources for Teaching about Suicide
- From nysed.gov: https://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/documents/MentalHealthandSuicidePreventionResources.pdf
- Resources for suicide prevention: https://www.samhsa.gov/childrens-awareness-day/resources-suicide-prevention
Resources for Teaching about Domestic/Sexual Violence
- Additional Information at: https://www.rainn.org/resources
- From the United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-domestic-abuse
Resources for Teaching with Offensive Language
- From Library of Congress: https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2011/11/dealing-with-difficult-subjects-in-primary-sources/
- From Facing History and Ourselves: https://www.facinghistory.org/en-gb/resource-library/addressing-racist-dehumanising-language
Resources for Trans Inclusive Teaching
- Trans Inclusive Classroom Practices, NYU: https://www.nyu.edu/life/global-inclusion-and-diversity/learning-and-development/toolkits/trans-inclusive-classrooms.html
- From Teach for America: https://www.teachforamerica.org/one-day/opinion/7-non-negotiables-for-supporting-trans-nonbinary-students-in-your-classroom
Resources for Teaching about Genocide
- From Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education: https://www.ojmche.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ojmche-teaching-guidelines-dec20-1.pdf
- From Holocaust Center for Humanity: https://www.holocaustcenterseattle.org/guidelines-for-teaching-about-genocide
- Toolkit for Educators from The Genocide Education Project and Woven Teaching: https://genocideeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/SOG_3-5-21_final.pdf
- Regarding genocide of Indigenous peoples, from the Holocaust Museum of Houston: https://hmh.org/library/research/genocide-of-indigenous-peoples-guide/
Resources for Teaching about Slavery
- From Learning for Justice for Grades K-5: https://www.learningforjustice.org/frameworks/teaching-hard-history/american-slavery/k-5-framework/introduction
- Article in Education Week: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-teaching-about-slavery-in-the-u-s-start-with-honesty/2021/11
- Forum on Education Next: https://www.educationnext.org/teaching-about-slavery-forum-guelzo-berry-blight-rowe-stang-allen-maranto/
Resources for Discussing Racism and Antisemitism
- NEA Principles for Talking about Race in Schools: https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/10-principles-talking-about-race-school
- From American University, with information about anti-racist practice: https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/teaching-about-racism/#:~:text=An%20anti%2Dracist%20curriculum%20can,engage%20in%20anti%2Dracist%20activism.
- From United States Holocaust Museum: https://www.ushmm.org/teach/teaching-materials/antisemitism-racism
- The Jewish Education Project offers resources on antisemitism: https://www.jewishedproject.org/resources/pride-and-prejudice-educational-resources-anti-semitism
Resources for Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
- From University of Denver: https://operations.du.edu/inclusive-teaching/content/trauma-informed-pedagogy
- From Barnard College: https://barnard.edu/trauma-informed-pedagogy
- Examples of Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning in College Classrooms: https://traumainformedteachingblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/examples-of-titl-in-college-classrooms-3.2020-color-3.pdf
Resources for Teaching about War
- From TeacherVision: https://www.teachervision.com/historic-wars-military-action/talking-with-children-about-war-and-violence-in-the-world
- Verywell Family guidance for parents, which could be useful for teachers as well: https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-war-4147597
- From NEA, regarding teaching about/with the war in Ukraine: https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/teaching-about-war-ukraine
