On February 14, there was a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed. Seventeen were wounded. It was inconceivable. Horrific. Catastrophic. A nightmare. How do you talk about this traumatic event with your students? How do you allay their fears and concerns as your school conducts lockdown drills and maybe even Active Shooter Civilian Response Training. Three weeks later, Parkland students are at the forefront of activism鈥攍ighting up social media, saying 鈥渆nough鈥� to elected officials and demanding gun reform. With passion and a range of opinions, the country is talking about how best to keep kids safe.
Some teachers are hesitant to unpack and discuss challenging events like this with their students because it feels complex and uncomfortable. But thoughtfully talking about these controversial topics also cultivates critical thinking. We鈥檇 like to help you by offering collections of relevant 猫咪社区! stories and outside resources, plus discussion questions. Our promise is to choose resources that give voice to multiple perspectives鈥攁nd get to the truth.
Our fifth 鈥淟et鈥檚 Talk About鈥� is on school shootings and its related issues of gun laws, masculinity, and student activism. You can look forward to a 鈥淟et鈥檚 Talk About鈥� topic every first Thursday of the month.
As always, thank you for the important work that you do. You make a significant difference in how students connect with this big world鈥攁nd how they can make it better.
How to Use This Collection
Suggested below are steps to a thoughtful and meaningful discussion with your students about school shootings. Choose what is appropriate for your class.
1. Students complete a pre-survey (optional).
2. Choose at least one 猫咪社区! article and one outside article for a robust compare and contrast.
3. Use the discussion questions鈥攐r craft your own鈥攖o gauge your students鈥� understanding and opinions.
4. Students complete a post-survey (optional).
5. Explore curriculum if you鈥檇 like to dive deeper.
Reading Materials
猫咪社区! Articles
The Big Reason Young People Don鈥檛 Debate Gun Control the Way Adults Do
How Master Propagandists Linked Immigrants to the Florida School Shooting
Gun Violence Has Dropped Dramatically in 3 States With Very Different Gun Laws
High School Students Demanding Gun Reform Join Rich History of Teen Resistance
Do Gun Control Debates Ever Change Anything? In These Countries They Did
The Racist Origin of the Second Amendment and the Rise of Black Gun Ownership
Outside Resources
Discussion Questions
1. Why do school shootings happen? What factors lead to them?
2. What methods do you think would prevent school shootings?
3. Even though students who are undocumented or under 18 years old can鈥檛 vote, what are ways that they can influence change? That you can influence change? What makes young people鈥檚 voices unique and powerful?
Curriculum
(KQED)
(NY Times)
