Elementary History/Social Studies Resources

“Culturally responsive teaching is about helping culturally and linguistically diverse students build their skill and capacity to do rigorous work.” —Zaretta Hammond

Students engage in authentic cycles of inquiry: developing questions & planning inquiry, applying disciplinary tools & concepts, evaluating sources & using evidence, and communicating conclusions & taking informed action.

Students take action in their community based on the information they have gathered throughout their inquiry. 

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for LGBTQIA+ Month, but could be used throughout the year. 

This is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for Women's History Month, but could be used throughout the year.

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for Black History Month by Tamara Fields from Sherman Elementary, but can be used throughout the school year

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled to remember Martin Luther King, Jr., but could be used throughout the year. 

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for Lunar New Year, but could be used throughout the year. We have tried to attach bilingual versions when available. Please feel free to email me if you know of other bilingual books or video read alouds to include at romerom@sfusd.edu

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for SFUSD Inclusion Week, but could be used throughout the year. This bookshelf is based on the books recommended in the SFUSD Inclusion Resource Guide. 

Here is a library that can be used for Native American History month, but should be used throughout the year. These books have been recommended by the SFUSD American Indian Resource Guide and the American Indians in Children’s Literature List.

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for Filipinx Heritage Month, but could be used throughout the year. This bookshelf is based on the books recommended in the SFUSD Filipinx Heritage Guide. 

Here are some read alouds and links to help you teach about Diwali in your classrooms. They can be used now and throughout the year as we discuss holidays, traditions, cultures, and families.

Diwali Bitmoji Classroom submitted and compiled by Ekta Kumbhani (1st grade teacher @ Grattan)

Here is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for Día de los Muertos, but could be used anytime during the year to discuss holidays.

A virtual library that features Latiné authors and characters that can be used throughout the year

Titles taken from the Latinx Heritage Guide to use for read-alouds throughout the year.

This is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for AAPI Month, but could be used throughout the year. 

This is a collection of read alouds that have been put together for Jewish American Heritage Month, but can used throughout the year.

This is a collection of read alouds that have been compiled for Arab American Heritage Month, but could be used throughout the year.

Here is a collection of books to use at the beginning of the year or anytime you want to do some community and identity building in class.

Holi Bitmoji Classroom submitted and compiled by Ekta Kumbhani (1st grade teacher @ Grattan)

This guide has beed updated and presented by our Indian Education Program to provide resources for educators to use throughout the year

We are currently accepting interest forms for the Get Smart with Art for the 2025/26 school year. Please submit an interest using this form. 

• This is not an application for the upcoming year; this form is only to gauge interest for the the upcoming year 

Educator programs

• Educator programs are offered throughout the year to introduce teachers to the Museums’ collections and special exhibitions. Programs focus on incorporating art and art making into existing classroom curriculum and are led by museum staff.

Guided tours at the museum are available for grades 3-12. Self-guided visits are available for grades K-12.

Be sure to check our Teacher Resources page for art projects, artist-designed activities, videos, animations, and discussion questions.

OMCA looks forward to greeting you and your students with onsite programs that help students reflect, connect, and contribute to their communities. 

Explore the many stories of California and its people, while learning about the natural, artistic, and social forces that affect the state. Come investigate your own role in California’s history and its future.

Whether in OMCA’s Galleries of California Art, History, or Natural Sciences, or one of our special exhibitions, all of our cross-disciplinary programs are rooted in inquiry, dialogue, creative expression, and centering joy and justice.

We

MoAD celebrates Black cultures, ignites challenging conversations, and inspires learning through the global lens of the African Diaspora. Lesson Plans, Museum Tours, MoAD in the Classroom, Education Resources,
Original Programs, Workshops, Talks, and Engaging Events.

Book a docent tour of City Hall. Tours are available on Fridays at 11:00 or 1:00
p.m. and can be booked by calling 415-554-6139. School tours are free, but
reservations are required. 

There is also a virtual tour of City Hall available that can be taken before your visit as well.

The Department of Elections is offering a Voting System Demonstration. 5th grade students have the opportunity to view a brief presentation on voting rights and then complete and cast a practice ballot into a ballot
scanning machine. Schedule by filling out this Event Request Form

This program is made possible by the Bar Association of San Francisco Justice and Diversity Center and the Barrister's Club. These tours provide an opportunity for students in grades five through eight to visit the civil courthouse, observe hearings and jury trials, and interact with court staff and judges. Students observe the operation of the judicial system. The program also introduces students to the careers that can be found in the judicial system while teaching basic observation, fact-gathering and critical thinking skills.

The California Judicial Branch presents Judges in the Classroom. There are lessons that compliment the visit from a judge to discuss in your classroom. Educators in every county in California have access to a "civics pro"--a judge! ​Present what you'd like on the request form, chances are we'll identify the perfect volunteer for your students in grades K-12! 

Here you can access virtual tours of the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center exhibits, video lessons and curriculum for their popular Native STEM Makers Program. You will also find curriculum, handouts, and flyers.

The Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum presents their virtual Tongva Experience Field Trip. Julia Bogany, a Tribal Council Member and the Cultural Consultant for the Tongva-Gabrielino, the native people of the Hermosa Beach South Bay shares the history, stories, and culture of the Tongva Tribe with our students to help fulfill their California History educational requirement.

Some educational resources and activities for you to learn about the expansive Chumash culture. 

Recommendation: Click on everything. There are lessons that integrate Social Studies and Science (5th Grade Lesson Plan: Shadows of the Sun and a Chumash Calendar), There are current stories of Chumash people today (We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Navajo Wedding) and stories about how the next generation is keeping traditions and customs alive today through paddling and tomols.

The Chinese Historical Society of America offers educators classroom resources that they can use before, during, or after their visit to the museum.

The curriculum guide attached contains resources related to Chinese American Exclusion/Inclusion or Towards Equality: California’s Chinese American Women

CCC provides essential arts access for school groups and the community. Explore our educational programs below!

For information about our tours for school classes and private groups, please visit our TOURS page.

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Visit our EVENTS page for upcoming events and programs!  

Lots of videos with songs and stories along with deeper discussions that explore race, identity, ethnicity and self-love.

From Sesame Workshop:

Coming Together is a Sesame-wide initiative that helps children grow up with a healthy self-identity and sense of belonging. We’re working to create a world where all children can reach their full potential—and do so in celebration of our diverse world. Our research-based, child-centered resources include the whole family, inviting parents and caregivers, educators, and providers to help children celebrate their own race, ethnicity, and ethnicity and become upstanders for themselves and one another.

Here is a link to some Community Builders made by Seesaw for TK-2 Students

The California Indian History Curriculum Coalition (CIHCC) is a group of educators, tribal scholars, and native activists who promote the creation, adoption and implementation of California Indian-vetted curricula.

The resources on this page support our commitment to public/private school educators focused on infusing a California Indian voice into the content of what our children learn in school. Please use the Curricula & Lesson Plans provided below, organized by tribal identity.

This unit is written and provided by our partners in the Indian Education Program for 4th grade teachers. However, 3rd grade teachers may want to take a look at it as the focus addresses 3rd grade standards. Any questions regarding this unit should be sent to MaryHelen Sherman shermanm1@sfusd.edu

Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. Most Americans have only been exposed to part of the story, as told from a single perspective through the lenses of popular media and textbooks. NK360° provides educational materials, virtual student programs, and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples and offers a view that includes not only the past but also the vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today

CCC provides essential arts access for school groups and the community. Explore our educational programs below!

For information about our tours for school classes and private groups, please visit our TOURS page.

​

Visit our EVENTS page for upcoming events and programs!  

Lessons that focus on LGBTQ+ history in California and aligned to the current CDE Framework. Most lessons are geared towards 4/5th grades, but there are are 2 lessons that could be used with 1st/2nd. 

This site has various lessons with varying degrees of success by grade level, but is a good site to pull primary sources and images.

This is the latest and most up-to date version of the California Department of Education History-Social Science Framework K-12

The Social Justice Standards are a set of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into four domains—Identity, Diversity, Justice and Action (IDJA). The standards provide a common language and organizational structure: Teachers can use them to guide curriculum development, and administrators can use them to make schools more just, equitable and safe. The standards are leveled for every stage of K–12 education and include school-based scenarios to show what anti-bias attitudes and behavior may look like in the classroom.

Educators can use the Social Justice Standards as the basis for building custom learning plans on tolerance.org. Free registration is required.