Advocates for Human Rights
Creating a Welcoming School and Community
The final activity in a unit study of immigration and human rights asks class members to design a project for their school that builds support for immigrant classmates. To prepare for this project, individuals use what they have learned...
Curated OER
Lesson: Jeremy Deller: Conversing about Conflict
Bridge cultural awareness, community, government, and art with an introspective and thought-provoking lesson. Upper graders become globally and socially aware as they analyze and explore the art of Jeremy Deller. They consider his images...
It's About Time
Coal and Your Community
When I was young, I was afraid of the dark. Now I am afraid of getting the electric bill. This fourth lesson in a series of eight focuses on coal mining, conservation, and energy efficiency. Scholars start by taking data from a table and...
Virginia English Bulletin
Book Trailer Projects From Classroom to Community
Invite your pupils to express their understanding of a novel through a collaborative video project. Groups choose a novel from those you have studied in class, select four scenes, storyboard the scenes, film the scenes, edit the film,...
EduGAINs
Go H2O! Investigating Residential Water Systems
Before your learners excuse themselves to get a drink at the water fountain, prompt them to think about where that water comes from. A middle school science lesson encourages groups to research their community's source of drinking water,...
New York City Department of Education
Myself and Others
Self reflection is an important skill to reinforce in our children, and it's especially helpful to help them realize who they are in the context of their environment. A collection of lessons about self image and community encourage...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Ninth Grade
"Bullying and Prejudice" and "Do You Cyber Bully," two lessons from a complete Bully Free program, serve as samples of the approach used in a unit designed to bring awareness to and to combat bullying. Each lesson asks class members to...
Facing History and Ourselves
Making Rights Universal
Class members continue their discussion of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). After examining an infographic the summarizes the document, groups examine four of the rights to decide if they are or are not universal, and if...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using the Scientific Process to Study Human Evolution
Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? How do we know? Scholars dig in to the tools and methods researchers used to study the process of human evolution by watching a slideshow with embedded video clips. Pupils learn the importance of asking...
Curated OER
Preparing and Planting the Garden
Students prepare to build and plant a garden. In this service learning instructional activity, students take all the necessary steps to prepare a community garden for planting and reflect on the experience.
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Kindergarten
Keep bullying away with the help of two lessons that focus on the golden rule and reporting hurtful behavior. Both lessons incorporate a classroom meeting that encourages an open dialogue about making good choices at school. Finger...
Smithsonian Institution
Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers
Justice for All - Educating Youth for Social Responsibility: Grades K-5
In grades kindergarten through fifth grade, scholars take part in a social-emotional learning unit designed to boost social responsibility. Three hundred pages provide lessons and activities related to everyday classroom practices, the...
Curated OER
"The Beaches of Agnes": Planning a Video Self Portrait
Agnes Varda’s autobiographical “The Beaches of Agnes,” models for young filmmakers the cinematic self-portrait. Far from “old and plump,” Varda is a giant of filmmaking and will inspire your pupils. After watching a clip of this famous...
Oregon Education Professional Development Commission
The First Days
Designed for first-year teachers, this 116-page packet has it all. Questions you should ask administrators and fellow teachers, a checklist of things to do before school starts, a school-year calendar to record special school events and...
Curated OER
Unique Monique: Building a Community of Unique Individuals
Young scholars recognize that each student is unique and has special talents. Students develop a puzzle piece that describes them and their particular talents. Young scholars share their pieces and post on a bulletin board.
Lakeshore Learning
Back-to-School Bulletin Board Templates
Spiff up your classroom walls with three adorable templates! Each hot air balloon, puzzle piece, or surfboard can be decorated by a teacher or pupil and pinned up on the wall to create a cute class display.
PwC Financial Literacy
Planning and Money Management: Spending and Saving
Financial literacy is such an important, and often-overlooked, skill to teach our young people. Here is a terrific lesson which has pupils explore how to come up with a personal budget. They consider income, saving, taxes, and their...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: A Bird's Tale
Who wouldn't love to get a letter from a blue bird? Elementary art enthusiasts analyze the social and historical context of Ason Yellowhair's Navajo piece, Bird and Cornstalk Rug. They examine the construction and images on the rug...
Curated OER
Introduction to Community Helpers
Young scholars examine different types of community helpers. For this introduction to community helpers lesson, students discuss stories and view a PowerPoint presentation of young scholars working as community helpers and defining the...
Curated OER
What is a Community?
Students explore the characteristics of their community. In this communities lesson, students read Humphrey the Lost Whale: A True Story and discuss how the community came together to solve a problem. Students identify services within...
Curated OER
Community Calendar
Young scholars create a calendar about good citizenship. In this character building lesson, students work in groups to make a citizenship calendar to sell to others. They use the profits to improve their community.
Curated OER
Community of Trusted Learners
Middle schoolers brainstorm the characteristics of trusted learners. In this social skills lesson, students brainstorm what a 'community of trusted learners' would look like. Middle schoolers create a continuum of distrustful to...
Curated OER
Political Cartoons About Community Problems
Students research problems faced by their community and create political cartoons for the issues. In this community problems lesson, students brainstorm problems their community faces and draw a political cartoon for the problems....