10 Resources for Teaching Students About Racism, Privilege, and Bias

Teaching students about racism, privilege, and bias is critical in every classroom. As Spanish teacher Jade from La Secundaria says, “Having challenging conversations shouldn’t be limited to certain classes. It’s so important for all teachers to do their part to help students grow.” To support you in this important work, you can turn to the 10 educators below and the resources they created for discussing racism, privilege, and bias in the classroom.

Resources to help students understand racism, privilege, and bias

These educators participated in TpT’s Teach for Justice grant program by creating resources that apply anti-racist and social justice teaching practices. Check out their resources below, and be sure to browse the full Teach for Justice collection on TpT.

Sonam from Live Through Literacy

I deeply believe that the ELA classroom is the future of civil discourse and social justice. Through a critical analysis of literature and an analytical approach to writing, students learn to communicate with agency and confidence to catalyze change in their communities. I was inspired to create accessible and comprehensive curricula to support teachers as they foster these important skills in their classrooms.

About Sonam: Sonam is a graduate of UT Austin and Johns Hopkins University. She has almost 10 years of experience teaching middle-grade ELA in both international and American schools. She loves reading and writing with her students as they learn to use their voices to advocate for change and justice. She shares a passion for project-based learning and innovative teaching practices with educators through journal publications and conference presentations through the Association for Middle Level Education, Texas Council of Teachers of English, and Independent Schools Association of the Central States. She also currently serves on the NCTE Middle Level Steering Committee where she advocates for the ELA teaching profession on a national platform.

Segregation/Jim Crow Laws & The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson Unit Study

Grades: 6-9

Erin from Let’s Cultivate Greatness

The TpT Teach for Justice grant program was the perfect opportunity to bring light to the urgent need for more reflection on others’ lived experiences and less memorization of facts. My TFJ resources work to challenge students to think outside not just their vantage point but also the traditionally white male-centric storyline. 

About Erin: Erin is a National Board Certified Teacher from Washington State who has been cultivating an inquiry and project-based social studies classroom for high schoolers for over 15 years. She specializes in US history and civics, but also loves teaching current global issues and sociology. Asking questions with no right answers, analyzing history as a collection of human choices, and connecting students with the community around them are the keystones of her courses. She weaves an undercurrent of empathy, equality, and empowerment throughout her teaching.

Social Status and Stratification Unit Print & Digital

Grades: 9-12

The Teacher-Author indicated this resource includes assets from Google Workspace (eg. Docs, Slides, etc.).

Cecilia from Teaching Aids That Work

I believe that education is the key to our growth and development as individuals and as a society, and I know that we can and must do better to educate all learners in meaningful and equitable ways. All of us must push ourselves to learn and grow every day, and I am honored to serve students and teachers by creating instructional content that promotes empathy, justice, and understanding.

About Cecilia: Cecilia has been in the field of education for about 15 years and has a passion for creating engaging lessons that get students excited about learning. She has taught English and literature at middle school, high school, and post-secondary levels, as well as various high school electives and history courses. She has also worked as a dean of students and a high school principal. 

Understanding and Confronting Bias: Unit for High School; SEL, Sociology, Race

Grades: 9-12

Margaret from Keeping It Relevant

Students are eager to find out why systemic racism and economic inequality are so prevalent in their communities, and they want to know what they can do to change the status quo. The materials I create provide the structure for students to engage with the work of experts on systemic racism and identify aspects in their lived experience. The materials leave room for teachers to learn alongside students, rather than position themselves as experts.

About Margaret: Margaret became a high school journalism teacher after earning a BA in journalism from UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in English from UC Irvine. She now has over three decades of experience teaching high school English, AP Language, and AP Literature. She believes students do their best critical thinking and grow most as writers when they investigate problems in their communities and write for an audience. She encourages students to engage with their lives outside the classroom as they think and write.

BUNDLE Learning About Systemic Racism and White Fragility 

Grades: 11-12+

Suzy from Wellness Dialogues

Racism is an imminent risk to all our well-being, both as individuals and as a collective. I firmly believe that social change begins with new ideas so sustained change is therefore in the hands of our young people. It is my duty to inspire thought and eventually action by educating our youth so that they have the tools to dismantle racist ideologies and institutions.

About Suzy: Suzy is a Licensed Master Social Worker and a child therapist by profession, an anti-racist consultant by necessity, and a content creator by craft. Suzy cares most about people — their safety, healing, and self-actualization. While she is currently working in the healing field, she has experience teaching English in Cambodia and South Africa and 2nd grade in New York. Suzy holds a BS in Psychology from University of Oregon and a MSW from NYU.

Exploring Identity, Privilege & Oppression 

Grades: 8-12

Yolanda from YoMan 

While on a Fulbright research trip [in Kigali, Rwanda], my colleagues and I learned many African students do not learn African history in school. Students from African Leadership University who came from many countries in Africa stated, “I know more about American and European history than I know about my own country and continent.” Students need to understand oppressive systems and how they affect people, especially people of color or people who fall under the “minority” category, on a global level.

About Yolanda: Yolanda grew up in Newark, NJ, where she attended private schools. She originally knew little about public schools, but later came to see that disparities between districts was a huge issue. She has spent the last 20 years teaching students how to “be okay” once they leave her classroom and enter into society. She focuses on being honest with students, building lasting relationships, and showing them how the skills she teaches are necessary and relevant to the “real world,” and how to use those skills to properly advocate for themselves. She has experience teaching 2nd through 5th grade, and currently teaches 5th grade ELA in Baltimore. 

Oppressive Systems Unit 

Grades: 5-8

Jade from La Secundaria

I was motivated to create this resource because there is so much more work to do. Having challenging conversations shouldn’t be limited to certain classes. It’s so important for all teachers to do their part to help students grow. I created the “Spanish Social Justice Word Study” resource because we can do this work in Spanish classes too. 

About Jade: Jade was inspired to learn Spanish when her mom went back to college. Being around her mom while she was completing homework for a Spanish class sparked Jade’s love for the language and culture. She became a teacher to share her love of language and to expose students to a new world through her lessons. She has now taught Spanish for 7 years, is the author of the forthcoming comprehension-based readers, Sueño hecho realidad and Una noche inolvidable, and is co-author of teacher’s guides and various curricular materials.

Spanish Social Justice Weekly Word Study

Grades: 6-12

This is an Online Resource for Google Apps™

Ashely from Worldwide Teacher 

Growing up as a Latinx woman, I was and am no stranger to discrimination and racism. [. . .] I realized there wasn’t any material on racism in the workplace and preparing students for life after high school. My personal experience and the lack of resources on this topic motivated me to create “Racism in the Workplace & Developing Soft Skills.” I hope that it challenges both students and teachers to look at biases we hold and be actively anti-racist while developing the soft skills needed in the workplace.  

About Ashely: Ashely originally went to school to study business administration. When she finished school, she got her TEFL certification and headed to Bali, where she volunteered as a 3rd grade ESL teacher. Afterwards, she spent some time in New York working at a non-profit helping women and children, but she realized she loved teaching and wanted to pursue ESL. She then moved to Santiago, Chile, where she taught young adults and pursued a course in Teaching Learners with Special Educational Needs, certified through Oxford Teachers Academy (OTA).

Racism in the Workplace & Developing Soft Skills

Grades: 11-12

This is an Online Resource for Google Apps™

Jillian from Miss Kowalchuk

Being a social studies teacher, I help students grapple with challenging topics on a daily basis [and] I have come to understand how to best engage students in critical and controversial subject matter. I applied to the Teach for Justice grant program because I am committed to anti-oppression education. My resources are designed to help educators critically examine social justice issues with their students in a meaningful way. 

About Jillian: Jillian comes from a family of educators and knew she wanted to be a teacher from a young age. She graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, and she has experience teaching 6th-9th grade. She has taught social studies and English for the last three years, and she’s currently completing her M.Ed. in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto with the hopes of continuing to a PhD program in the future.

Race and Racism in Canada 

Grades: 7-12

This is an Online Resource for Google Apps™

Katherine from TheCoffeeBeanTeacher2

My students inspired me to create resources for the Teach for Justice grant program. I teach in an incredibly diverse environment. As a White teacher, I continue to analyze my White privilege and its impacts on my teaching. [. . .] Reflection continuously dispels my biases to make me a better teacher. The process is never finished. My desire to establish equity in my classroom for a better future is the foundation of the resources I’ve created. 

About Katherine: Katherine is a second-year high school English teacher in North Charleston, South Carolina. She is certified in 9th-12th grade English and holds teaching endorsements in reading to succeed and online teaching. She is an instructional technology enthusiast and has taught under traditional, hybrid, and eLearning models this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

9th & 10th Grade English Social Justice Two-Week Unit

Grades: 9-10

This is an Online Resource for Google Apps™

By teaching students about racism, privilege, and bias, educators can empower future generations to be agents of change. These 10 resources can help guide you through critical conversations on these topics. To discover even more ways to support anti-racist and social justice teaching methods in your class, be sure to browse the full Teach For Justice collection on TpT.