As the summer approaches, each of our Canada office staff are eager to find a comfortable spot on a couch or in the sun, with a cup of cold water, tea or coffee and pick up a book.  Here's what we're reading this summer!

Topics: Books, Reading, Summer, Reading List

June is Indigenous History Month but it is my hope that we are always aware of the Indigenous people around us. Some of us may not share the same experiences in life, but whether you are Canadian or Indigenous or both, we have a shared history, from different perspectives. 

Topics: Teaching Resources, Indigenous History, Indigenous, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Indigenous Awareness Month, Indigenous History Month

If you were to think of an identity chart for a Jewish person, what/who comes to mind? Depending on how many Jewish people you know, you may be falling into a singular story of who is Jewish. If we think about pop culture, then perhaps you are thinking of Tevye the MilkMan, Barbara Strrissand in Yentl or Jerry Seinfeld. While they are iconic characters, this perpetuates a singular story of what a Jewish person is. Let’s unpack and move away from singular stories because there is no one way of looking and being Jewish.

Topics: Identity, Teaching Resources, Jewish Education Program

“Either way, the fact that you are here at all changes everything.  Because this - you and me, looking at these stories together - this is one of the most beautiful parts of being a human; the drive to connect and understand, heal and blossom.  This is the kernel that takes my breath away; the piece that I want to hold on to.”

Topics: Books, English Language Arts, ELA, English Classroom, English, Disability education, book club

In 2015, the House of Commons designated April as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation, and Prevention Month and commited to “[honouring] the memory of the victims of genocide and reflect on the root causes of these tragedies, so that they never happen again.”

Topics: Armenian Genocide, Facing History Resources, Genocide/Collective Violence, Teaching Resources, genocide, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanities Course, Inside a Genocide Classroom

At Facing History and Ourselves, our mission is to use the lessons of history to challenge teachers and students to stand up to bigotry and hatred. This requires us to know the ideas and choices that have formed our history and the opportunities we have today to shape our present and future. In this blog post, you will learn about Ògo Tàwa Inc., a creative non-profit organization, and how you and your students can be involved in a Black Lives Matter (BLM) Dance Challenge. This dance challenge provides an opportunity for young people to work together and take a stand  against racism, bigotry and hatred.

Topics: Upstanders, Black History Month, dance

This blog has been re-posted from the FacingToday blog post written by Kaitlin Smith, a Marketing and Communications Writer for Facing History and Ourselves.

Topics: Holocaust Education, Holocaust and Human Behaviour, international holocaust remembrance day

This blog is Part 2 of Teaching about The Holodomor. We recommend reading through Part 1 of the blog, Teaching about The Holodomor, as it provides a meaningful way to teach about the man-made famine inflicted upon Ukrainians by Joseph Stalin and the Soviets. You can use the contents of that blog as a way to learn and/or teach about The Holodomor before engaging in Holodomor Memorial Day in Schools.

Topics: Memorials, Genocide/Collective Violence, Memorial, Inside a Genocide Classroom, Holodomor

This Remembrance Day, We Begin with Why we Remember

“I remember him leaning in and asking why I would want to forget.  ‘Memory,’ [Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel] said, ‘wasn’t just for ... survivors. The people who ask us to forget are not our friends. Memory not only honors those we lost but also gives us strength... Nothing good comes of forgetting; remember, so that my past doesn’t become your future’....”

Topics: Classrooms, Facing History Resources, Teaching Resources, Remembrance Day