Understanding the Events in Charlottesville

As students head back to school, many will have concerns and questions about the recent events in Charlottesville, VA. To help guide parents and teachers through these important and difficult conversations, we have compiled a list of relevant BrainPOP resources.

• The removal of Confederate statues is one of the driving forces behind the recent violence. The Civil War Causes topic helps students understand the issues that split the nation, and can serve as a springboard to discuss what the Confederacy represents to different people.

• Video and images of white nationalist demonstrations evoke painful memories of slavery, segregation, and the Holocaust. The Reconstruction and Jim Crow topics examine the history of discrimination against African Americans, and provide context to today’s racial tensions. Our movie about Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel explores the tragic consequences of anti-semitism and prejudice against all minorities.

• The Civil Rights topic chronicles the historic struggle for racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s, and celebrates the exercise of free speech through peaceful protest. In the accompanying primary source activity, students analyze a photograph of civil rights activists preparing for harassment they might encounter while protesting. Our Martin Luther King, Jr. topic examines the importance of compassionate leadership and peaceful protest to effect change. And our Harvey Milk topic helps students understand that anti-LGBT slogans are another form of hate speech against a minority group.

What ideas do you have for incorporating BrainPOP resources into discussions on recent events? Please share in the comments below, or contact us directly.