On Sunday, Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, daughter Yumna Salman, 15, and her 74-year-old grandmother died, and Fayez Salman, their 9 year old son, remains in hospital after a horrifying hit and run targeted at the family because of their Muslim faith.  This evening, as the news unfolds, we mourn the victims and extend our deepest sympathies to their son, for whom our hearts break, and to their families, their communities, and to Muslim Canadians. 

Topics: current events, classroom lesson, islamophobia

We sit with renewed sadness for individuals and communities who have been impacted by residential schools as we mourn the loss of the 215 children whose remains were found buried at the Kamloops residential school.  Our hearts are with the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation as well as Indigenous children, communities and families across Turtle Island.

This is a time for a collective and national mourning. It is a time for acknowledgement of the ongoing work of survivors’ families and communities for truth, remembrance of loved ones and justice. It is a time for renewed calls for truth seeking, truth telling and collective action.

Topics: Memorials, Restorative Justice, Indigenous

As the ceasefire in Israel and Gaza continues to hold, Facing History and Ourselves mourns the loss of life and bears witness to the trauma wrought by the conflict. We recognize that addressing the recent violence will require careful preparation by both educators and students.

Topics: Teaching Resources, current events

This blog by Ontario educator, Michael Anthony, explores his journey learning and teaching about The Holodomor as part of the Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity course and provides helpful resources to integrate into your classroom. 

Topics: Genocide/Collective Violence, Teaching Resources, genocide, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanities Course

Choosing a piece of literature for your course is an important decision. Take a moment to reflect on the very small number of books you will have the opportunity to introduce to your students in any given year. Stories have the potential to help students understand different perspectives, question their surroundings, and build empathy in meaningful and communal ways. With such an important role to play, these are some of the questions we encourage you to consider when deciding how to develop a course and which texts to teach:

Topics: To Kill a Mockingbird, Books, English Language Arts, English Classroom, Literature, English

Knowing that experiences of loss, isolation and disconnection caused by the pandemic have exacerbated the everyday challenges many face, we ask, what could it mean for students if they had an opportunity to tell their story or speak out on an issue that they care about? And what if students could feel heard?  

Topics: Film, Human Behavior, Upstanders, Video, Upstander, English Classroom, culminating, Digital Learning

This is the 2nd blog in a 2 part series. Click here to read Part 1 which discusses the project and art as a critical tool of inquiry.

Topics: Holocaust, Survivor Testimony, Museum Studies, Holocaust Education, Holocaust and Human Behaviour, Graphic novels

This is the 1st blog in a 2 part series. Part 1 discusses the project and art as a critical tool of inquiry. Part 2 explores the process and approaches to putting together testimony and historian research methodologies for educators interested in teaching students what active historian work looks like.

Topics: Holocaust, Museum Studies, Holocaust Education, Holocaust and Human Behaviour, Inquiry, Graphic novels

This blog post outlines resources to use throughout Black History Month in February and beyond. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but a list of resources that can be part of a professional and classroom journey that excites us to learn more, unites us in our common humanity and empowers students to champion a more equitable, compassionate, and informed tomorrow.

Topics: Canadian History, black history, Equity in Education, anti-racism, Black History Month