Friday night was book club night, a favorite monthly event. For 16 years we’ve been coming together to discuss, over wine and dinner, good literature, education and, occasionally, politics.  Although we briefly discussed our November book choice (Kate DiCamilo’s YA Flora and Ulysses), for most of the evening, we tried to make sense of the election results, consider the ramifications of our President-Elect’s cabinet choices, and envision the possible impacts, both immediate and long-term. I’m guessing that across the nation hundreds of thousands of similar discussions were happening.

I truly appreciate the resources individuals and groups have posted to help educators address students’ concerns and questions. Thank you to my Rwanda group for sharing an elementary school principal’s letter to his families, Joseph Long’s Facebook post I AM TRYING: THE RELEVANCE OF SOUTH PARK IN A TRUMP WORLD, and Clint Smith’s TED Talk The Danger of Silence.

To Facing History and Ourselves, thank you for the depth of resources shared on your recent (Re)Building Classroom Community Post Election. Starting with Fostering Civic Discourse: A Guide for Classroom Conversations, the resources will help students “gain critical thinking skills, empathy and tolerance, and a sense of civic responsibility.”

To the New York Times Learning Network, thank you for Election Day 2016: Teaching Ideas for Before and After the Votes Are Tallied (updated November 15). The thought-provoking article snippets and accompanying questions will provide powerful opportunities for students to reflect on and join in discussions. I also appreciate the link to the National Writing Project’s invitation to students to write a letter to the next president, a beautiful call to action.

To Larry Ferlazzo, thank you for your comprehensive collection of Best Sites to Learn about the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, including your interactives for teaching English Language Learners about the elections.

And thank you to Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver for your timely reminders of the value and importance of laughter.

If you have resources to add to 2016 elections topic, I warmly invite you to leave a comment.