Events | Book | Guides | Magazine | Add’l Resources
This resource page is for Teaching for Black Lives Study Group members only.
Events
As a Teaching for Black Lives study group, you are invited to attend monthly classes and workshops hosted by the Zinn Education Project.
All study group members are encouraged to attend at least three Teaching for Black Lives Campaign events, including the national welcoming and closing celebrations. Generally, there is one special event, workshop, class, or training per month.
All of these events are online, at 4:00 pm PT/ 7:00 pm ET, and last for 60 to 90 minutes unless otherwise noted.
ASL Interpretation will be available upon request. Please register at least four days in advance to give our team time to schedule interpreters.
♦ Current and Alumni Study Group Members Only
2025
Ned Blackhawk
Thursday, December 11
The Indigenous Origins of the American Revolution (1:00PM PT/ 4:00PM ET)
Join us for class on the Indigenous origins of the American Revolution, taught by historian Ned Blackhawk. The class is in preparation for teaching about the American Revolution on the 250th anniversary in 2026. Blackhawk, in conversation with Jesse Hagopian, will draw on stories and primary documents from his book, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History.
Monday, December 15
Mapping Deportations Curriculum Workshop
Learn about “Mapping Deportations” a classroom-friendly digital resources that invites visitors to see the history of U.S. immigration enforcement not as a series of disconnected events, but as a pattern. Site co-creator and award-winning historian Kelly Lytle Hernández will provide an introduction to the purpose and design of the site, including how the history of anti-immigrant legislation and racism are intertwined. Teachers will meet in small groups to brainstorm ways to integrate the site in curriculum, followed by time to ask Hernández questions and discuss ideas.
2026
Tuesday, January 13
Black Lives Matter at School Planning Workshop
Study group members will hear from Black Lives Matter at School coordinating committee member and Teaching for Black Lives co-editor, Jesse Hagopian, about the origins of the movement. We will provide ideas for the annual Week of Action (first week of February) in your school and give you time in breakout groups to connect with other study groups.
Thursday, January 22
Legalize Black Education Curriculum Workshop
Educators will engage in a new Zinn Education Project lesson that explores major examples of laws passed to suppress Black education in the wake of major victories for the Black Freedom Struggle, highlighting the historical context and motivations behind these legislative efforts. There will be time to meet with other social justice educators in small groups to brainstorms ways to adapt the lesson for your classroom.
Saturday, January 24
Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Fair (virtual)
D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice is hosting their annual virtual curriculum fair, featuring inspiring and dynamic workshops rooted in the Black Lives Matter at School movement. The event centers the national demands and 13 guiding principles that focus on improving the school experience for Black students.
Educators from across the country are invited to connect, collaborate, and prepare for the 2026 National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (February 2–6, 2026) and Year of Purpose. Workshop proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through Monday, January 5.
Brian P. Jones
Monday, January 26
Black History Is for Everyone with educator Brian Jones. This session is a Teach the Black Freedom Struggle Online Class.
In conversation with Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian, Jones will discuss his latest book Black History Is for Everyone, a look at how the study of Black history challenges our understanding of race, nation, and the stories we tell about who we are.
Thursday, February 5
Writing-for-Publication Workshop with Rethinking Schools executive director, Cierra Kaler-Jones.
Educators will write about teaching experiences, whether it’s a breakthrough as a result of participating in a Teaching for Black Lives study group, how you taught a lesson or created curriculum, how you engaged in Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, how you handled pushback, how you managed a difficult conversation, how you organized a local action in support of teaching truth, and/or the value of connecting with study groups across the country.
Monday, February 9
Jarvis R. Givens
I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month with historian Jarvis Givens. This session is a Teach the Black Freedom Struggle Online Class.
In conversation with Rethinking Schools executive director Cierra Kaler-Jones and editor Jesse Hagopian, Givens will discuss his latest book, I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month. Drawing on archival research, personal stories involving family and students, and especially the wisdom of Black educators, Givens recovers the legacy of Carter G. Woodson and many others who envisioned Black history as a liberatory force — knowledge that shapes who we are, how we resist, and what we dream.
Monday, February 23
National Gathering for current and alumni Teaching for Black Lives study group participants
Join us to share insights from your study group meetings, how you adapted a lesson in your classroom, highlights from your Black Lives Matter at School event, or a challenge you’re dealing with. Participants will collaborate with social justice educators, Teaching for Black Lives co-editor Jesse Hagopian, and study group manager Julia Salcedo.
Thursday, March 5
Writing-for-Publication Workshop with Rethinking Schools executive director, Cierra Kaler-Jones.
Bring a piece of your writing you’d like to share. It could be something you wrote during the February workshop or something else you’ve been working on (e.g., an activism story, how you engaged in Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, or a story about a lesson you did). Any and all work is welcome! In this session, you will share a sample of your writing and receive feedback to seed your story.
Saturday, March 14
Native Knowledge 360° Teach-In (12:00–3:00PM ET/ 9:00AM–noon PT)
The annual Native Knowledge 360° Teach-In, hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in collaboration with Teaching for Change, is an opportunity for educators around the world to access classroom resources from NMAI’s online education portal Native Knowledge 360°, the Zinn Education Project, and more. This event will be hosted ONLINE via Zoom.
Teaching for Black Lives study group members can use the discount code T4BL for free admission.
Monday, May 18
End-of-Year Showcase for Teaching for Black Lives Study Groups
Guides
Guides
Study Guide
This guide, for teachers who are reading Teaching for Black Lives, includes thought-provoking questions for discussion, ideas for action, and resources for groups and individuals. Written by Cierra Kaler-Jones and Jesse Hagopian. Download the Teaching for Black Lives Study Guide.
Facilitation Guide
This month-to-month guide includes prompts and suggestions for study group meetings plus best practices for communication and engagement. Feel free to adapt and build off of to fit your own setting and your group’s particular needs.
Book
The heart of the study groups is collectively reading, discussing, and applying what you learn from the Teaching for Black Lives book. You’ll find a compilation of essays, teaching activities, role plays, poems, and artwork, designed to illuminate the movement for Black students’ lives, the school-to-prison-pipeline, Black history, gentrification, intersectional Black identities, and more. The book is edited by Wayne Au, Jesse Hagopian, and Dyan Watson.
Rethinking
Rethinking Schools
Each study group member receives a complimentary one-year Rethinking Schools subscription (digital and print). If you haven’t subscribed, please do so TODAY by following these instructions:
- Visit this dedicated page for your one-year subscription.
- Use code ZEPSTUDYSUB25
Beyond your study group members, do not share the code — there is only one subscription per study group member. For questions about the subscription, extending a current subscription, or if you don’t receive a printed issue, email orders@rethinkingschools.org.
Additional Resources
Over the years, study groups have requested additional support to expand on topics found in an article or chapter of the book. Below, you’ll find resources that have been requested the most.
As you implement or adapt Zinn Education Project lessons and resources, please take photos and share your teaching stories via this link or email Julia Salcedo at jsalcedo@zinnedproject.org.