Educator Resources
Teachers and parents are invited to utilize our collection of fun, hands-on activities to enrich student learning in the classroom and at home.
Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion
Teacher Resources
Anti-Racism Lesson Plan from Teaching Tolerance
By Any Means Necessary: Facing Injustice Past and Present Lesson Plan from Teaching Tolerance
Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism from ADL
There is No Neutral on Racism or Hate: Back to School for White Educators by Kathleen Osta, National Equity Project
For White Teachers in the Times of #BlackLivesMatter
Anti-bias Education from childpeacebooks.org
Educational Resources and Further Reading
‘Raising White Kids’ Author On How White Parents Can Talk About Race from NPR
Q&A with Tiffany Jewell: THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST from We Need Diverse Books
How white parents should talk to their young kids about race by Melinda Wenner Moyer
What White Children Need to Know About Race from the National Association of Independent Schools
Embrace Race: Resource Guide
Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Books from Social Justice Books
The 1619 Project from The New York Times
Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity from World Trust
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change by Barack Obama
Don’t Talk about Implicit Bias Without Talking about Structural Racism by Kathleen Osta and Hugh Vasquez, National Equity Project
The Brown Bookshelf
Courageous Conversations
Explore Pequot
After taking a virtual tour, dig a little deeper with these activities.
Library Shape Hunt (Grades K-2)
Learn how shapes create patterns in architecture by identifying and counting the circles, squares, triangles, and other geometric forms found in Pequot Library’s building design. Which shapes do you see the most? How can shapes be used to design other types of buildings? For an add-on activity, combine with ‘Picture Pequot’ and let your creativity flow!
Picture Pequot Library (Grades K-6)
Create your own version of Pequot Library! Draw, paint, build; use technology or recycled materials; the options are endless! Use your creativity to put your own spin on Fairfield’s iconic library building.
Social Studies
Primary Source Lesson: Photographs (Grades 3-6)
Analyze historic photographs from Pequot Library’s Southport Picture File, using worksheets from the National Archives.
Pequot Library Then and Now (Grades K-6)
Take a step back in time to explore what Pequot Library was like during the 19th century. Using worksheets from the National Archives, analyze historic photos to learn about Pequot’s history. Compare images from Pequot’s past to images of the library from today, while considering what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Worksheets from the National Archives
Photo Analysis Worksheet for Novice or Younger Students, or Those Learning English
Photo Analysis Worksheet for Intermediate or Secondary Students
Take a Closer Look: Tiffany and Company Stained Glass Windows
In the Stacks at Pequot Library, you will find our iconic Tiffany & Co. stained glass windows. Completed in 1898, they were a gift of Southport resident Mary Catherine Hull Wakeman, in memory of her daughter, Catherine Hull Wakeman Taintor. The windows – a “triptych” (which means there are three pieces) – were designed by Edward Peck Sperry and were included in the Tiffany Studio catalog of 1910.
Related Activities:
Create a Coat of Arms (Grades K-6)
Create a coat of arms that tells a story about your family.
Create Tissue Paper Stained Glass Windows (Grades K-2)
Pequot Library’s Special Collections
Grades 3-6
There are as many types of books as there are readers. What do books mean to you? Follow along to create a binding for a book that inspires you. To learn about the history of bookbinding, check out the guide to our past Special Collections exhibition, Cover to Cover: How People Bind Their Books.
For an added layer of interest, create beautifully decorated endpapers for your book with our “Make Marbled Paper” activity. This can also be done as a stand-alone activity and is suitable for all ages.
Learning about the Library
Grades K-5
Learn about the ways in which the library serves the community, how books are organized at the library, and how to check books out from the library. Suggested activities for students included.
Related Activities:
After watching the Learning about the Library video, check out our list of suggested hands-on activities and resources for students:
Illustration Inspiration
Grades K-6
Illustration Inspiration (Grades K-6)
Let Pequot Library’s Special Collections inspire your writing! What do you see, think, and wonder about this illustration from one of our early edition books? Observe and then write a story about what the scene means to you.
Create Art Inspired by Poetry
Grades 9-12
Art Inspired by the Poetry of Phillis Wheatley
Create a work of art inspired by a poem from one of the literary gems of Pequot Library’s Special Collections. Grades 9-12.
Analyzing Primary Sources: Posters
Grades 6-12
Analyzing U.S. Home Front Efforts: WWI Posters
Analyze materials from Pequot Library’s rich collection of WWI posters, using materials from the National Archives. Grades 6-12.
Egyptomania!
Grades 5-8
Scientific discovery in Egypt between the late 18th and early 20th centuries sparked a fascination with the country, its landscapes, art, architecture, and culture among people in the west. Egyptian-inspired designs, or motifs, were reflected in western architecture, art, and culture. We call this enthusiasm related to ancient Egypt Egyptomania. Grades 5-8.
In this lesson, students will view 19th century photographs and illustrations of Egypt from Pequot Library’s Special Collections, then create a work or art or writing inspired by what they’ve seen.
Egyptomania Lesson and Activity
See our exhibition guide to learn more about Pequot Library’s Special Collections exhibition, Egyptomania: The Western Fascination with Egypt.
George vs. George
Grades 3-5
It’s time for trivia! Which of these statements is about George Washington and which is about King George III? Find a moderator, gather your trivia team, and get to work on these fun (and interesting!) facts! Grades 3-5.
George vs George Trivia Questions
Interested in learning more about the American Revolutionary War? Check out the educator guide for our Special Collections exhibition, Riot, Sedition, and Insurrection: Media and the Road to the American Revolution, to learn about the media landscape in the thirteen colonies leading up to the war.
Special Collections Exhibitions & Related Activities
Missed an exhibition? Click the link below to see the list of all of our previous exhibitions and corresponding exhibition guides.
For related activities, and to inquire about future exhibitions and PK-12 school tours, please contact schoolprograms@pequotlibrary.org.