Missouri Department of Elementary
Be a Problem Solving Star
Encourage scholars to problem solve everyday frustrations using the STAR method. Using the acronym, learners remember to stop, think, act, and review. Participants begin with a math analogy in which they problem-solve to find the correct...
Curated OER
Random Acts of Kindness For Kids
Develop a world-wide, email chain on which class members can showcase their acts of kindness. After defining the meaning of random acts of kindness through discussion and through a reading of Random Acts of Kindness,...
Curated OER
Cyberbullying:What is It? What Can We Do About It?
Students examine the prevalence of cyberbullying. In this character education lesson, students read articles about cyberbullying and its implications. Students respond to discussion questions.
Curated OER
Using Words to Work Things Out
Students explore classroom community building. In this character development and community building lesson, students listen to Hands Are Not for Hitting and generate a class list of positive ways to handle classroom conflicts. Students...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Confronting the Murder
The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...
Overcoming Obstacles
Uncovering Stereotypes
The second lesson in the "Resolving Conflicts Module" teaches participants how to avoid stereotyping and how to look for common ground with those with opposing views.
Curated OER
Michelle Kwan: Heart of a Champion
Who is a champion to your class? Elementary and middle schoolers think of a role-model from their lives. Then, in their journals, they write evidence of that person's perseverance. They identify the character trait of perseverance with...
Health Smart Virginia
Self-Awareness
Introvert or extrovert? To find out more about themselves, class members fill out an Introvert or Extrovert worksheet. Learners are also introduced to a decision-making model that enhances self-awareness.
Nebraska Department of Education
A Time Management Simulation
Middle schoolers participate in a simulation that underscores the importance of time management. The activity stresses the importance of organization, setting priorities, goal setting, and developing and maintaining a schedule.
Nebraska Department of Education
Stereotypes
Stereotyping leads to prejudice. That's the central concept in a instructional activity designed for eighth graders. After identifying the traits associated with different stereotypes, class members brainstorm actions they can take to...
Media Education Lab
Understanding Viral Messages
Imagine advertising for a product but not being paid to do so. Welcome to the world of Viral Messaging. Class members first view a T-Mobile flash mob video that went viral and has been seen by over 14 million viewers. After analyzing the...
McGraw Hill
Phonics Teachers Resource Book
Looking to improve your classes literacy program? Then look no further. This comprehensive collection of resources includes worksheets and activities covering everything from r-controlled vowels and consonant digraphs, to the...
Facing History and Ourselves
Preparing Students for Difficult Converstaitons
Many of the issues facing 21st Century learners are challenging and even discussing these issues can be a challenge. So how do teachers prepare learners for these difficult conversations? How do instructors create a safe classroom where...
Echoes & Reflections
Survivors and Liberators
The end was just the beginning. The period immediately after the end of World War II and the Holocaust is often called "The Return to Life" as survivors looked to reunite and recreate broken families and shattered lives. A two-lesson...
Echoes & Reflections
The "Final Solution"
Nazi policies shifted from deportation and imprisonment to extermination of the Jewish people in death camps in the "Final Solution." Learners examine photos of artifacts, read poetry written by survivors, analyze testimony from...
Curated OER
Learning About Honesty
Students read a short story and complete a character skills activity. In this character skills lesson, students read the story Timmy's Lies to complete a study about honesty. Students answer questions for reading comprehension.
Curated OER
Taking a Stand on Bullying
Middle schoolers stand up against bullying in a character-building lesson. After discussing historical figures who became advocates in times of adversity, they brainstorm ways to end bullying at their own school, and use a formal letter...
Curated OER
Rates of Puberty Change: Lesson 2
The class fills in a handout - How Appearances Change During Puberty. They then discuss the changes that both boys and girls go through and make some comparisons of the differences between boys and girls . Hopefully this class is a...
Curated OER
Changes of Puberty
Examine the growth and development that takes place during the pre-teen and teen years. Middle schoolers discuss puberty and then research specific changes that occur during puberty. The class performs skits based on the changes they...
Curated OER
What Can I Do?
Here is a good way for children to identify ways to handle conflict. They discuss the connection between feelings and conflict. Everyone listens to a story about a conflict between two friends and they discuss what they could have done...
Curated OER
Discrimination and Media: Focus on Mental Health
Students explore discrimination by the media. In this media awareness lesson, students examine stigmas concerning mental illnesses as they are portrayed in the media.
Curated OER
Using Poetry in Teaching Reading to Special Education Students
A series of well-written activities, these lessons prompt middle schoolers reading below grade level (at a second, third, or fourth grade level) to use poetry to practice basic reading skills. They rhyme, build words, make inferences,...
Talk, Trust & Feel Therapeutics
Step Back and Breathe
Create emotional superheroes with a unit equipped with several activities and lessons designed to establish coping skills and practice tools that boost healthy habits. Through discussion, chants, writing, and drawing, scholars learn to...
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...