Missouri Department of Elementary
My Conflict Shield
As an exercise in self-awareness and improvement, class members create a Conflict Shield listing 12 skills they believe are the most useful in conflict resolution. They then color the ones they have mastered while leaving uncolored those...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Putting on Armor
Peers can exert tremendous pressure that can lead to positive and negative consequences. To conclude the Risky Business unit, class members create a Personal Safety Plan. They list things or situations that cause stress, things they have...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Counting by 7s
Everyone takes a different journey through grief. A series of lesson plans for the novel Counting by 7s introduces readers to the main character who loses her parents in a car crash. Discussion questions and writing prompts combine...
Global Oneness Project
Understanding Blindness
Gaia Squarci's photo essay, Broken Screen, turns viewers attention to the challenges faced by those with visual impairments. After viewing the images, class members discuss why they believe the photographer structured the album as she did.
University of Texas
Scarcity
How can having too little of something impact your life? Scholars investigate the concept of scarcity in their own lives and in the overall picture of the economy. Brainstorming activities as well as student-parent work bring to light...
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Friends and Family Guide: How to Help Someone in an Abusive Relationship
Ask a question! Listen up! Stay connected! These three strategies are at the heart of a guide that teaches how anyone can safely help someone in an abusive relationship.
Province of Manitoba
The Outdoors Camping and Survival Skills
Equip young campers with the tips and strategies for a safe trip to the outdoors with a series of lessons. They learn how to start fires with and without firewood, keep warm in snowy weather, and purify water to make it safe for drinking.
Global Oneness Project
Deconstructing Consumerism
To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that they...
Global Oneness Project
Protecting Wilderness
Would you live in a tree for three years to protect a redwood forest? Viewers of Rainhouse Cinema's Among Giants documentary consider the actions of Earth First! environmental activists who moved into the treetops of a grove of giant...
Curated OER
Literacy: Each One Teach One
Students read the book, Amber on the Mountain and discuss its philanthropic implications. They determine the literacy needs of their own communities. They ask family members to complete reading recollection forms about when and how they...
Curated OER
Community Resources
Young scholars create a list of specific government offices and community agencies in their community. They define the services each of the agencies provides. Students demonstrate how to locate information about services providers in...
Curated OER
Bullying
Seventh graders investigate bullying. For this character education lesson, 7th graders participate in a class discussion on how to make the school a more respectful place. Students brainstorm ideas and develop a plan to create a...
Curated OER
Playing By The Rules
Learners investigate the meaning of honesty. In this character education lesson, students brainstorm school experiences where they have the choice of being honest. Learners illustrate and describe actions related to honesty in a journal.
Curated OER
Nelson Mandela, Symbol of Courage
Fifth graders study Nelson Mandela. In this leadership lesson, 5th graders study the life of Nelson Mandela. Throughout their learning, they read biographies on Nelson Mandela, compare their community to those in South Africa, discuss...
Curated OER
We Are a Comm-un-it-y. I've Got All My Classmates with Me-Part I
Students investigate the meaning of community. In this community lesson, students look at the concepts of civic engagement, civic responsibility, and common good. They determine how a classroom is a community and the need for having...
Curated OER
An Atlas of Health Care
Students use educational software to create an alphabetical directory of maps that indicates the precise location of the community's health care facilities.
Curated OER
What's Public? What's Private?
Students compare and contrast public and private land. In this philanthropy activity, students identify public areas in the school and create posters about taking care of various public places.
Curated OER
Good Will - Three Chinese Stories
Students listen to The Seven Chinese Brothers and identify tall tale elements in it. They brainstorm ways they could help each other in school. They create a banner reflecting the style and art of Chinese decorations and clothing in the...
Curated OER
Befriending Bullies
Young scholars discuss how to create a bully free classroom. They share teasing and bullying stories and read books on bullying and teasing. Students buddy read with second grade young scholars in order to create friends at the school....
Curated OER
Growing a Citizen
Students analyze messages and values associated with civic engagement present in the media. They analyze the local community's promotion of values associated with civic engagement by conducting investigative research. They hypothesize...
Curated OER
Fitness Challenge
Students participate in a year-long physical fitness challenge. They record their weekly physical activities which occur outside of the normal school day. To be included the activity must be 30 minutes or more in duration, must raise...
Curated OER
4-H Cat Activity Page
As part of a unit on animals, this would be an interesting activity for upper elementary and middle school students. The 40 question activity could be linked to a research activity on animals or pets.
Curated OER
Making News
Students explore the news media. In this social studies lesson, students discuss what the definition of news is. Students write a newspaper article about positive activity that students at their school are involved in.