Temperance and Good Citizenship Day is Friday, Jan. 15th, 2021!
Need a lesson plan for Temperance and Good Citizenship Day? Begin your planning now by downloading a teacher toolkit from the Washington Secretary of State, including: voter registration forms, a classroom guide to registering voters, posters, and bookmarks with QR codes to sign up.
Download Teacher Toolkit
Share a video with your class! Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal have partnered with the Seattle Sounders and the OL Reign to talk about civic engagement and encourage students to become future votes. Secretary Wyman sat down with Seattle Sounders Goalkeeper, Stefan Frei, to discuss his first time voting in an election and how he gives back: Watch the video (10:42 minutes).
Native Knowledge Resources
Explore this selection of resources focused on Native American and Alaska Native knowledge curated by SPS Native American Education staff. Our aim is to make it easy for teachers to integrate teaching about contemporary culture and people as well as Washington State tribal history with their lessons all year long.
View Resources
Superintendent Juneau reads Fry Bread with Seattle Super Readers!
Watch and read along with Superintendent Juneau (Mandan, Hidatsa, Blackfeet) as she shares Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, a picture book by Kevin Noble Maillard (Seminole), for Seattle Super Readers Book of the Month (8:46-minute video).
Living Nations, Living Words: A Map of First Peoples Poetry
Joy Harjo (Muscogee Creek), the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, launched Living Nations, Living Words: A Map of First Peoples Poetry—an interactive map of contemporary Native poets.
"For my signature project as the 23rd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, I conceived the idea of mapping the U.S. with Native Nations poets and poems. I want this map to counter damaging false assumptions—that indigenous peoples of our country are often invisible or are not seen as human. You will not find us fairly represented, if at all, in the cultural storytelling of America, and nearly nonexistent in the American book of poetry." —U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
Listen to the Library of Congress collection of audio recordings of 47 contemporary Native American poets reading and discussing an original poem. Poets include Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, Natalie Diaz, Ray Young Bear, Craig Santos Perez, Sherwin Bitsui, Layli Long Soldier, and other featured voices.
Learn more about Joy Harjo and other Native American poets
Changer: The Radio Play by Sound Theatre
Gather round and listen to Sound Theatre's new radio play, Changer and the Star People:
Changer: The Radio Play
Myths, Legends, and Sovereign Futures
Adapted by Fern Naomi Renville and Roger Fernandes; Directed by Fern Naomi Renville
"Storytellers Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha Klallam) and Fern Naomi Renville (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) bring the Coastal Salish stories of The Changer to the radio-stage. Through old stories, we can envision tribal sovereignty in our world today. With the help of familiar friends, Changer reminds us to share dreams together for us and for our children’s future. This production is an adaptation of the first half of the original play."—Sound Theatre
To enrich the experience, read a related book suggested by librarians at the Seattle Public Library.
I Am Native: A Video Highlighting Native American SPS Students and Leaders
I Am Native: A Discussion Between Seattle Public Schools Native American Students and Leaders (9:29-minute video) features Superintendent Denise Juneau, Board President Zachary DeWolf, Vice-President Chandra Hampson and students from Nathan Hale High School’s šəqačib program.
New Books by Native Authors
Check out our growing collection of contemporary Native American books such as Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis with Traci Sorell, The Break by Katherena Vermette, Give Me Some Truth by Eric Gansworth, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall, III, The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson, and many more titles. Email our librarian about borrowing books, including classroom sets.
Explore New Books
Author Joseph Bruchac Visits Seattle Public Schools
Photo, left to right: Chandra Hampson, School Board Director; Superintendent Denise Juneau; Joseph Bruchac, Nulhegan Abenaki author; and Gail Morris, Native American Education Program Manager visit Licton Springs K-8.
Seattle Public Library "Library Link" for Students, Teachers & Staff
Library Link is a collaboration between The Seattle Public Library (SPL) and SPS to provide access to the library's vast collection of information resources.
SPS students, teachers and staff can log in without signing up for a library card. Visit SPL's Library Link webpage for details. Access eBooks through Libby, animated picture books and nonfiction through Bookflix, movies and graphic novels through Hoopla, research databases, and much more!
View this short video to learn the basics of Library Link—good for getting started. Need help? Call SPL at 206-386-4636 or www.spl.org/ask for email/chat.