Resources for Teaching & Talking about the January 6th Attack on the Capitol  

by Alison Dover

These resources will be shared with the FSD Board on January 10, 2021. To add to this list, please email FSDCollective@gmail.com. We especially welcome resources and model lesson plans from FSD teachers!

These four sites have some specific & awesome elementary/middle resources for directly addressing the events at the Capitol on 1/6.

• Tips for parents and teachers talking to young children about the January 6th attack
• Responding to the insurrection at the US Capitol (Facing History)
• Resources for teachers on the days after the attack in the Capitol (Dr. Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Michigan State University)
• Discussing political violence and extremism with young people (State of Colorado)
• New York City Department of Education Resource Guide for Teaching about January 6, 2021
• 3 ways to teach about the Insurrection at the US Capitol (PBS)

These three are more general, but useful nevertheless – they focus on expressing feelings about political events in classroom-positive ways, and the final is an example of an interactive book talk about how kids can use kindness in the face of hate and discord.

• Democracy Doodles with Mo Willems and the National Symphony Orchestra
• What will I say to my students tomorrow? Discussion starters
• 5 tips for teaching in times of unrest (Ida B Wells Education Project)
• Book Talk: Come With Me by Holly McGhee

From FSD Teacher Blair Campbell (1st grade)

Monday

• Read aloud Being a Good Citizen
• Discuss what it means to be a good citizen – brainstorm with students – anchor chart example
• After – Was there a time you observed someone being a good citizen? Not being a good citizen? Invite students to share experiences.

Tuesday

• Read aloud – What if everybody did that?
• Discuss what the meaning of the story was. Have you ever done what others did when you shouldn’t have? Or didn’t follow others because you felt what they were doing was wrong?

Wednesday

• How to change the world by Kid President
• Brainstorm with students – Do you think you can help change the world? What are the traits of a good leader?

Thursday/Friday

• What Can A Citizen Do? Read Aloud
• Video on what citizenship is
• SeeSaw activity
• Read aloud – Most People
• Share themes of the books and discussions/reflections from the week