More Lessons for Students: “What Happened During the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Why?”

 

We shared some teaching ideas in the previous post to assist your students in responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol.  The website “Facing History and Ourselves” has just published some additional teaching ideas to supplement it.  We pass it on for your consideration.

 

More from Facing History and Ourselves

 

Following events like the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, social media and 24-hour news networks can overwhelm us with information, often presented out of context and sometimes simply untrue. Simultaneously, political and media narratives quickly emerge that offer oversimplified and misleading explanations for what happened. In this environment, understanding exactly what happened and why requires careful reading, rigorous thinking, and an appreciation for the complex array of causes at work in history and current events.

This Teaching Idea guides students to synthesize what happened and outline multiple causes. It includes excerpts from texts that explore the ways in which inflammatory language, disinformation, and white supremacy were contributing causes of the insurrection. As information continues to emerge, we encourage you to continue to add to and amend the iceberg diagrams you create with your class.

 

Get the Teaching Idea: “What Happened During the Insurrection at The U.S. Capitol andWhy?”

 

P.S. If your students have not had the opportunity for initial processing and reflection on the insurrection, we recommend you start with our Teaching Idea, Responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol.