Resources for Teaching about Race, Anti-Racism & Violence

We mourn the loss of lives as war continues to unfold in the Middle East, and recognize the escalated conflict has an impact on our students, families, staff, and community. Members of our community may have personal connections to this situation and many of us are hurting. We hold everyone impacted in our hearts.

Please note that SFUSD does not endorse a particular political viewpoint, and the following resources are not meant to be exhaustive. 

Talking with Children about War

• This guide from UNICEF is geared towards younger children.
• This guide from the Southern Poverty Law Center includes many links and resources: Handle with Care: Supporting Young People During Crises

Addressing Anti Semitism in Public Schools

• The San Diego County Office of Education's guide for educators to address antisemitism contains resources from educational organizations, many of which are promoted and used by state departments of education and teachers across the country.

Countering Islamophobia in Public Schools

• SDCOE’s resource guide on supporting Muslim students includes a section about countering Islamophobia in schools.
• The Teach 9/11 with Compassion guide also contains resources that, while not specific to the war, may be helpful.  

Additional Resources

• Discussing the Israel-Palestine Conflict in the Classroom includes suggested resources and approaches for discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict with students - and acknowledge the complexity and challenges inherent in these conversations.

SFUSD recognizes news and experiences of ongoing violent incidents across our country has an impact on our students, families, and entire community, and is committed to supporting students as they process current events.  It is alway the time to affirm our anti-racist practices, build and strengthen the authentic partnership we develop with students, and help students to engage in deeper learning. 

See resources for educators and for families about talking with students about race, racism, and police violence, as well as resources to help children, families, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing in the news.

This is also a time to continue to uplift and celebrate Black History - 365 Days a Year.  See SFUSD’s updated Black History Month Resource Guide.

The ExCEL team dedicates time to review and reflect on characteristics of White Supremacy culture and Antidotes to those characteristics.  We strive to provide concrete examples of practices we can implement in our day to day work together to serve students. 

We offer these resources for you to explore:

• White Supremacy Culture: Characteristics, Intersections & Antidotes
• White Supremacy Culture - Still Here (Tema Okun, 2021)
• Talking about Race: Whiteness (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
• SFUSD Black History Month Resource Guide (2022)
• SFUSD AANHPI Anti-Racism Playlist (2022)