# Teaching resources for Pride Month

June marks the start of Pride Month, which is an excellent time to begin (or continue!) talking with students about the LGBTQ+ community and the fight to achieve equity and justice.

In addition to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, [Pride Month](https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/) also commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement.

Here are some relevant resources and lesson plans that can be easily incorporated into end-of-year instruction to teach students about the significance of these topics.

## Lesson plans:

[ADL.org](https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/lgbtq-pride-month-and-education-resources) includes a number of LGBTQ+ Pride Month lesson plans for students ranging from elementary to high school, covering topics such as:

- [Marriage equality](https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/wedding-cake-same-sex-marriage-and-discrimination)
- [The Stonewall Uprising](https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/stonewall-uprising)
- [Hate Crimes Prevention Act](https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/matthew-shepard-and-james-byrd-jr-hate-crimes-prevention-act)
- [Transgender rights](https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/why-are-states-trying-ban-transgender-student-athletes)
- [How to be an ally](https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/understanding-heterosexism-and-how-be-ally)

At [WeTeachNYC](https://www.weteachnyc.org/resources/collection/june-lgbt-pride-month/), educators can access a collection of Pride Month lessons on gender and identity along with articles, videos, and FAQs designed to help foster learning environments in which all students feel safe and respected.

[Welcoming Schools](https://welcomingschools.org/resources/lesson-plans-lgbtq-inclusive) offers a number of downloadable lesson plans for grades K-8 to help foster equity and acceptance in the classroom, such as [Love Makes a Family](https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/welcoming-schools/documents/WS_Lesson_Love_Makes_A_Family_Display.pdf?mtime=20200713131940&focal=none) for grades K-5 and [A Look at LGBTQ History and Prominent LGBTQ People](https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/welcoming-schools/documents/WS_Lesson_Key_Events_in_LGBTQ_History_and_Prominent_LGBTQ_People.pdf?mtime=20200713131939&focal=none) for grades 3-6.

## Literature

**Elementary**
- _‘Twas the Night Before Pride_— Joanna McClintick
- _Julian is a Mermaid —_ Jessica Love
- _Ho’onani: Hula Warrior —_ Heather Gale

**Middle school**
- _Spin with Me_ — Ami Polonsky
- _Thanks a Lot, Universe_ — Chad Lucas

**Young adult**
- _Milo and Marcos at the End of the World —_ Kevin Christopher Snipes
- _Last Night at the Telegraph Club —_ Malinda Lo
- _How it All Blew Up —_ Arvin Ahmadi
- _The Music of What Happens —_ Bill Konisberg

If you’re looking for even more resources, [Educators for Social Change](https://educators4sc.org/topic-resources/teaching-about-lgbtq-pride-history-month/) links out to a number of lesson plans, articles, and additional resources to teach about Pride Month and the LGBTQIA+ community. [School Library Journal](https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=25-lgbtqai-titles-celebrate-pride) additionally suggests a number of books with LGBTQIA+ characters or themes that are great to read with students this month or anytime throughout the year.

*Swing recommends that substitute teachers get all outside teaching resources approved by the school prior to sharing with students.*

As always, it’s important to not isolate this curriculum to the summer months. All students deserve to be represented in lesson plans, just as all students can benefit from a well-rounded education. Take this month as an opportunity to present and incorporate fresh perspectives into the classroom.