Social Studies

Teaching Nelson Mandela

By Liana Loewus — December 06, 2013 1 min read
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By now you’ve heard the news from South Africa that Nelson Mandela has died at age 95.

The passing of Mandela—the symbol of the anti-apartheid movement, who served 27 years in prison before being elected his nation’s first black president—is undoubtedly a topic of discussion in schools today. And it’s a quintessential teachable moment that should not go untapped.

But how do you capture the life of a liberation leader, political prisoner, and president who helped end a nation’s system of racial oppression? How do you convey his place in history for students?

Here are some resources for bringing Mandela to the classroom:

Please feel free to add your own resources for teachers below.

Nelson Mandela and his wife, Winnie, raise clenched fists as they walk hand-in-hand upon his release from prison in Cape Town in 1990. —Greg English/AP-File

A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.