Critical consciousness (CC) is the ability to understand, critique, and act against oppressive social structures and systemic forces. To assist educators in understanding and enacting strategies that foster CC, the authors identified examples of CC in third through fifth grade virtual classes of a 2020 "Children's Defense Fund's" Freedom…

The scholarly conversation on preparing teachers to organize safer, more humanizing learning environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth generally does not intersect with conversations unfolding in the broader teacher education literature, specifically around what "practice" means in…

This article introduces the concept of a new curricular model that addresses these issues through the body. The Thirdspace Movement Model can be integrated in K-12 Physical Education in coordination with other models. The Thirdspace Movement Model creates an environment where students practice movements and engage in critical discourse that…

Learn how to enact justice-oriented pedagogy and foster students' critical engagement in today's history classroom. Over the past 2 decades, various scholars have rightfully argued that we need to teach students to "think like a historian" or "think like a democratic citizen." In this book, the authors advocate for cultivating…

In recent years, the field of education has been fraught with a variety of different challenges. A multi-year pandemic, book banning, and legislative efforts seeking to ban Critical Race Theory and LGBTQ positive curriculum have had negative effects on K-12 education, leaving many educators feeling the progress made in several states and…

This article describes a kindergarten teacher's incorporation of children's literature for dynamic learning frame, growth mind-set, and social justice development into her classroom literacy instruction. The authors first compare a dynamic learning frame with a growth mind-set, explaining their use of the former because of its consideration for…

Bringing together an inspirational group of educators, this book provides key insights into what it means to implement social justice ideals with young children. Each chapter highlights a teacher's experience with a specific aspect of social justice and ethnic studies, including related research, projects and lesson plans, and implications for…

This is the first in a series of booklists drawn from recommendations by State and National Teachers of the Year and Finalists for State Teacher of the Year. This booklist is a resource for educators, parents, community members, and policy makers interested in reaching young people on issues of social justice. The collection of more than 200 books…