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Introducing an exciting new partnership

Facing History and Ourselves + Pear Deck

As we return to school this year, Pear Deck has partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to help build community and trust within classrooms. With these ready-to-teach, interactive lessons, educators can foster a sense of belonging and prioritize social-emotional learning from the first day of school.

Facing History & Ourselves

Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Our resources address racism, antisemitism, and prejudice at pivotal moments in history; we help students connect choices made in the past to those they will confront in their own lives. Facing our collective history and how it informs our attitudes and behaviors allows us to choose a world of equity and justice.

Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck allows educators to build effective and engaging instructional content — right from Google Slides. This powerful learning tool makes it easy for teachers to build interactive slides with custom questions, formative assessments, embedded audio, and more.

Facing History & Ourselves

Facing History and Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Our resources address racism, antisemitism, and prejudice at pivotal moments in history; we help students connect choices made in the past to those they will confront in their own lives. Facing our collective history and how it informs our attitudes and behaviors allows us to choose a world of equity and justice.

Facing History & Ourselves

Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck allows educators to build effective and engaging instructional content — right from Google Slides. This powerful learning tool makes it easy for teachers to build interactive slides with custom questions, formative assessments, embedded audio, and more.

New to Pear Deck? Get started in three easy steps.

To celebrate our partnership with Facing History and Ourselves, new Pear Deck users can enjoy 90 days of Pear Deck Premium, no credit card required. To learn how to create a new Pear Deck account, click through here.

Once you have the Pear Deck Add-on for Google Slides or Add-in for Microsoft PowerPoint Online installed, simply follow the directions below!

  • 1
    Click on one of the Decks below to get a preview of the Deck and make a copy for Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint Online.
  • 2
    Once the presentation is open in Google Slides or PowerPoint Online, open the Pear Deck Add-on through the Add-ons menu in Google Slides or the Add-ins menu in Microsoft PowerPoint. You can edit the existing questions or add your own custom questions from the slide library. You can also use it exactly as it is!
  • 3
    Click the ‘Start Lesson’ button to start your interactive lesson!

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Activities for the First Days of School

The opening days and weeks of school are an important time for building community and focusing on students’ social-emotional learning. Students will be more likely to engage, take risks, and support each other if they feel a sense of trust and belonging among the group members and with their teacher.

This collection of activities address three important goals for the beginning of the school year: reorienting students to school, getting to know each other and building relationships, and creating classroom community.

Click through to each activity to preview the slides, learn more about the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum, and get your ready-to-teach copy.

See the latest Newsela Daily Decks

Activities for the First Days of School

The opening days and weeks of school are an important time for building community and focusing on students’ social-emotional learning. Students will be more likely to engage, take risks, and support each other if they feel a sense of trust and belonging among the group members and with their teacher.

This collection of activities address three important goals for the beginning of the school year: reorienting students to school, getting to know each other and building relationships, and creating classroom community.

Click through to each activity to preview the slides, learn more about the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum, and get your ready-to-teach copy.

Opening and Closing Routines

Routines can be a key component of a brave and reflective classroom community, especially at a time when students’ lives and learning have been disrupted by public health crises, racial injustice and violence, social protest, and a continuously unpredictable news cycle. Setting aside five to ten minutes at the beginning and/or end of class to welcome students to the learning space, gauge their emotional well-being, and nurture community can help students experience school as a crucial part of their day that is predictable, meaningful, and supportive.

Click through to each activity to preview the slides, learn more about the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum, and get your ready-to-teach copy.

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