Civil Rights Education for Every Grade Level
Free, standards-aligned curriculum from kindergarten through college — connecting the history of civil rights to the data, law, and civic action of today.
Every unit maps to C3 Framework for Social Studies, Common Core ELA/Literacy in History, and relevant AP course frameworks.
Students work directly with historical documents, court opinions, legislative records, and NCRRRI field data — not textbook summaries.
Each unit opens with a compelling question and builds toward student-generated evidence-based arguments, not rote recall.
Project modules connect classroom learning to local conditions using NCRRRI city profiles, hearing schedules, and community research.
Illustrated storybooks (K–5), documentary clips, oral history recordings, and interactive data activities support diverse learners.
All curriculum materials are reviewed by NCRRRI's Education Advisory Panel, which includes K–12 teachers, university faculty, and civil rights historians.
Four Grade-Band Programs
Each program is designed for its grade band's developmental level and standards requirements. Expand any band to see the full module list, available formats, and download options.
From the Classroom to the Public Record
The Grades 9–12 and College programs include dedicated testimony preparation modules. Students learn to research, draft, and deliver public testimony — and when NCRRRI hearings open in their city, they are ready to participate in the national civil rights record.
Testimony Preparation Module
Included in the Grades 9–12 and College programs, this four-lesson module walks students through the full testimony process: researching a civil rights issue, connecting personal experience to documented conditions, drafting a three-minute statement, and practicing delivery before peers.
- 01Lesson 1: What is public testimony and why does it matter?
- 02Lesson 2: Research — connecting your experience to the data
- 03Lesson 3: Drafting a three-minute statement
- 04Lesson 4: Practice, feedback, and delivery
Hearing Schedule
Hearings open September 2026
No testimonies have been collected yet. The public record opens when each city's hearing is officially convened. Students who complete the testimony preparation module will be ready to participate when their city's hearing opens.
NCRRRI's 15-city hearing schedule runs from September 2026 through September 2028. Educators can register their students as youth witnesses — a designated category that gives young people a formal role in the public record.
Share Your Experience with the Curriculum
Are you using NCRRRI's civic education materials in your classroom or community program? We want to hear from you. Your feedback helps us improve the curriculum and inspires other educators across the country.
Submit Your FeedbackEmail [email protected] or use the button above. Educator statements may be featured on this page with your permission.
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Knowledge is the first step. Action is the next.
Every student who learns this history is better prepared to participate in the democracy that history shaped. Every student who testifies adds to the record that will shape what comes next.