The true story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a nine-year-old who joined the Civil Rights Movement, set against the history of segregation. Students connect her courage to youth activists making change today.

Looking at the 19th Amendment and the voting-rights struggles that continued for women of color afterward, students learn about suffrage activists and discuss ongoing challenges to voting access today.

A crowdsourced bibliography from Philadelphia educators pairing children’s books with the civic themes they teach, from becoming a change agent to understanding the electoral process, for further reading beyond the core lesson list.

Written with a 2nd-grade collaborator, this lesson uses Maddi’s empty fridge to introduce food insecurity, asking students to define the term in their own words and consider what they’d do if they were hungry.

Duncan’s crayons “quit” to voice their frustrations peacefully. Students connect the story to Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolent action and consider how to use their own voice for positive change.

Centers on student voice and civic responsibility, asking students to identify a rule at home, school, or in their community they’d like to change and think through how to advocate for that change.

The true story of Georgia Gilmore, who funded the Montgomery Bus Boycott by selling pies from “the Club from Nowhere.” Students consider how one person’s skills can fuel meaningful community change.

Tells the true story of Dorothy Vaughan, a “human computer” at NASA who advocated for fair wages and recognition. Students connect her story to Dr. King’s work on labor rights and workplace fairness.

Inspired by Greta Thunberg’s climate activism, alongside other young changemakers like Marley Dias and Mari Copeny, this lesson encourages students to see themselves as capable of driving real-world change.