Collection
Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies Links
Find all of the readings, videos, and online tools referenced in our three Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies supplements.
At a Glance
Language
English — USSubject
- English & Language Arts
- History
- Social Studies
Grade
6–12Overview
About This Collection
This page is designed for educators using the following Common Core Writing supplements:
- Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies: Holocaust and Human Behavior
- Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies: Choices in Little Rock
- Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies: Civil Rights Historical Investigations
Gathered here are all of the digital resources referenced throughout these supplements.
Inside this Collection
Resources to Use with Strategies
The resources below provide additional guidance for using strategies in our three Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies supplements.
Cornell Library Citation Management
Cornell University Library
Strategy: Evidence Logs
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) Resource and Citation Resources
Purdue University
Strategy: Evidence Logs
Google Lesson Plans
Google for Education
Strategy: Successful Online Research
List of Transition Words
Michigan State University
Strategy: Adding Transitions
Source Evaluation Resource
Project Look Sharp
Strategy: Assessing Source Credibility
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) Source Evaluation Resource
Purdue University
Strategy: Assessing Source Credibility
Anti-Judaism before the Enlightenment
Deepen your understanding of the history of antisemitism with this overview of the persecution, violence, and restrictions Jews throughout Europe faced during the Middle Ages.
The Ancient Roots of Anti-Judaism
Scholars trace anti-Jewish myths, hatred, and violence back to the time of the Roman Empire in this historical overview of anti-Judaism’s roots.
From Religious Prejudice to Antisemitism
Learn about the restricted rights and membership of Jews in newly unified Germany, and antisemitism's pervasiveness across Europe during this period.
The Brutal Realities of World War I
Gain insight into the death and destruction of World War I with firsthand accounts from former soldiers.
Negotiating Peace
Learn about the concessions that the Treaty of Versailles required from Germany after its defeat in World War I.
Rumors of Betrayal
Investigate how a rumor about the role of Jews in Germany’s surrender in World War I escalated throughout the defeated nation.
Creating a Constitutional Government
Examine the rights, protections, and democratic aspirations in the constitution of Germany’s newly formed democracy, the Weimar Republic.
In Search of Meaning
Consider why paramilitary groups such as the Freikorps formed in the aftermath of World War I in Germany.
The Beginning of the Nazi Party
Consider why the Nazi Party platform and Adolf Hitler attracted followers in the wake of Germany’s defeat in World War I.
Youth and Belonging in the Weimar Republic
Firsthand accounts from youth in the Weimar Republic shed light on what it was like to come of age during this period of change in Germany.
A New Economic Crisis
Gain insight into the devastating poverty, unemployment, and hopelessness experienced by Germans during the Great Depression.
Hard Times Return
Compare the party platforms of the Communists, Nazis, and Social Democrats in Germany’s 1932 presidential elections, a time of deep economic crisis.
Hitler in Power
Consider the motivations and expectations of Paul von Hindenburg when he appointed Hitler to chancellor of Germany.
Hitler's Rise to Power: 1918-1933
Scholars Wendy Lower, Peter Hayes, Michael Berenbaum, Jonathan Petropoulos, and Deborah Dwork describe how Adolf Hitler became a powerful political figure in Weimar Germany in the aftermath of World War I.
Outlawing the Opposition
Learn about Hitler’s early measures against "enemies of the state," including the Enabling Act and the first concentration camp at Dachau.
Enabling Dictatorship
Read the text of the Enabling Act, the law many historians argue was the legal basis for Hitler’s dictatorship in Nazi Germany.
Storm Troopers, Elite Guards, and Secret Police
Learn about the roles of the the SA, the SS, and the Gestapo in Nazi Germany.
Learning to Be a Good German
Consider how Nazi ideology influenced the morality of a girl growing up in Nazi Germany.
No Time to Think
Explore bystander behavior, conformity, and obedience in a German college professor’s account of how he responded to Nazi policies and ideology.
Do You Take the Oath?
Login Required
Reflect on the choices and actions of two Germans who had to decide whether or not to pledge an oath of loyalty to Hitler.
Hitler's Rise to Power: 1933-1934
Scholars Timothy Ryback, Wendy Lower, Jonathan Petropoulos, Michael Berenbaum, and Peter Hayes discuss Adolf Hitler’s final steps in securing total power in Germany.
The Nuremberg Laws
Learn about the laws that redefined what it meant to be German in Nazi Germany, and that stripped Jews and others of citizenship.
Women and the National Community
Investigate a primary source text that outlines the Nazis' vision for women in German society.
The Impact of Nazi Propaganda: Visual Essay
Explore a curated selection of primary source propaganda images from Nazi Germany.
Joining the Hitler Youth
Reflect on these firsthand experiences of former members of the Nazi Youth.
“Heil Hitler!”: Lessons of Daily Life
Get a glimpse into the daily lives of children in Nazi Germany, and consider how the Nazis “educated” Germany’s youth.
Schooling for the National Community
Learn how the Nazis transformed German schools to advance their nationalist and racial ideologies.
The Night of the Pogrom
Learn what incited Kristallnacht and get insight into the experiences of Jews in Germany on the night of horrendous violence in November 1938.
Opportunism during Kristallnacht
Examine firsthand reports of the theft committed against Jews during the chaos and violence of Kristallnacht.
A Family Responds to Kristallnacht
Login Required
Learn about a family who assisted their Jewish neighbors after Kristallnacht, and the consequences they faced for this decision to help.
Thoroughly Reprehensible Behavior
Read a report from the disciplinary hearing of a German college student who chose to help his Jewish neighbors after Kristallnacht.
A Visitor’s Perspective on Kristallnacht
Consider a Swiss merchant’s account of how his German colleagues responded to the events of Kristallnacht.
World Responses to Kristallnacht
Consider how leaders like FDR, clergy members, and ordinary people around the world responded to the news of Kristallnacht.
The Voyage of the St. Louis
Consider why countries including the United States refused to accept Jewish refugees aboard the M.S. St. Louis who sought escape from Nazi-occupied Europe.
"Kristallnacht": The November 1938 Pogroms
Scholars discuss the events of Kristallnacht, a series of violent attacks against Jews in Germany, Austria, and part of Czechoslovakia in November, 1938.
Bystanders at Hartheim Castle
Consider why the residents of Hartheim kept silent about the evidence of mass murder they witnessed in their town throughout World War II.
The War against Poland: Speed and Brutality
Examine how Nazi Germany's army targeted both the Polish army and the people of Poland as it waged war.
Colonizing Poland
Learn about the Nazis’ plan to rearrange the population of Poland, which resulted in the displacement of more than a million ethnic Poles and Jews.
The War on Jews in Poland
Build your understanding of the Nazis’ devastating treatment of the Jews in Poland during the German occupation.
Hitler's Ideology: Race, Land, and Conquest
Scholar Doris Bergen discusses the ideologies of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
Reserve Police Battalion 101
Investigate perpetrator behavior with historian Christopher Browning’s study of the men of a police unit that killed Jews during World War II.
A Matter of Obedience?
Learn about psychologist Stanley Milgram’s experiments on obedience and the insight they offer into the motives of Nazi perpetrators.
Obedience: The Milgram Experiment
Login Required
This documentary describes the social science experiment known as The Milgram Experiment.
Establishing the Killing Centers
Learn about the Nazis’ creation of death camps designed exclusively to carry out mass murder.
Auschwitz
Read eyewitness accounts of the killing process at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
A Commandant’s View
Get insight into how a commander at a Nazi death camp viewed his victims and coped with his actions.
Difficult Choices in Poland
Consider how two people in occupied-Poland responded to the persecution and murder of Jews in their community.
A Basic Feeling of Human Dignity
Diary entries from a Jewish woman imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen shed light on how prisoners in camps and ghettos were deprived of dignity.
Protests in Germany
Investigate different examples of protest and resistance by Germans against the Nazi regime in the 1940s, including the White Rose resistance group.
Deciding to Act
Marion Prichard reflects on rescue, heroism, and the choices she and others in German-occupied Amsterdam made during the Holocaust.
Le Chambon: A Village Takes a Stand
Explore rescue during the Holocaust with the story of a community in Southern France that sheltered and hid thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution (Spanish available).
Diplomats and the Choice to Rescue
Read the stories of two diplomats who chose to use their status to rescue Jews from the Nazis during World War II.
What Did the World Know?
Consider what people around the world knew about the mass murder occurring during World War II, and the role of journalism in the spread of information.
Obeying Orders
Learn how the Nuremberg defendants' argued that German leaders were following orders when committing atrocities during the Holocaust.
The Technology of Mass Murder
Learn about the doctors, engineers, and technicians who helped develop the tools that were instrumental in the mass murder of millions of people during the Holocaust.
The Business of Slave Labor
Learn about the use of slave labor by German companies and manufacturers during World War II.
Choices that Define Us
Explore three stories of choices people made during World War II and consider their complexities, their impact, and what they can teach about human behavior.
Resources for the Choices in Little Rock Supplement
The resources below provide additional guidance for Common Core Writing Prompts and Strategies: Choices in Little Rock.
Philander Smith College
National Park Service
Daisy Bates House
National Park Service
Women's Emergency Committee
National Park Service
Transcript of Road to Brown
California Newsreel
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Three Good Things
Students practice gratitude by naming and recording three good things that have happened that day.
Slow Down with The Slowdown
Students use poetry as a spark for reflection and discussion about what’s happening in their lives and the world.
Take a Stand
Students practice debate and perspective taking by taking a stand on a controversial statement.
Appreciation, Apology, Aha
Students reflect on the day by asking them to share an appreciation, an apology, and an “aha” moment.
Closing Challenge
Students identify one personal or academic goal that they would like to commit to in the week ahead.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Students reflect on the past year and generate ideas for the kind of learning community and learning experiences they are hoping for this year.
Our Names and Our Place in the World
Students consider what parts of our identities we choose for ourselves and what parts are chosen for us, as well as the impact our names can have on our identities.
Making Meaning of Community
Students explore the idea of “community” in order to identify its key aspects and deeper meaning.
Emoji Emotions
Students use emojis to practice sharing what they are feeling while building empathy for their classmates.
Unlimited Access to Learning. More Added Every Month.
Facing History & Ourselves is designed for educators who want to help students explore identity, think critically, grow emotionally, act ethically, and participate in civic life. It’s hard work, so we’ve developed some go-to professional learning opportunities to help you along the way.
Exploring ELA Text Selection with Julia Torres
On-Demand
Virtual
Listen to #DisruptTexts founder Julia Torres about taking a critical lens to text selection in ELA classrooms.
Working for Justice, Equity and Civic Agency in Our Schools: A Conversation with Clint Smith
On-Demand
Virtual
Listen to writer and educator Dr. Clint Smith as he shares his poetry and reflections on working for justice, equity, and civic agency in our schools.
Centering Student Voices to Build Community and Agency
On-Demand
Virtual
Explore approaches to centering student voice, building authentic relationships and cultivating community with Molly Josephs, the creator of This Teenage Life, a youth-driven, story-sharing podcast that started as a school club.
The resources I’m getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable.
—
Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif
