Anti-Defamation League
Bellen Woodard, Identity, and “Crayon Activism”
Scholars learn about a young child turn activist and author, Bellen Woodard. Learners discuss identity, the importance of representation, and how activism makes a difference. Small groups brainstorm ways to create change and the steps to...
Anti-Defamation League
Identity, Hair and Seeing Myself
Scholars read about and discuss how seven-year-old Morgan Bugg wrote a company to add avatar styles that reflect her. The company realized its error and added more inclusive styles to its avatars. Learners reflect on identity, what...
Anti-Defamation League
Job Roles without Gender Boundaries
A lesson examines gender stereotypes and how they relate to career choices. Small groups look closely at job titles, identify gender bias, and brainstorm ways to add inclusivity. Individuals reflect on their interests and future career...
Anti-Defamation League
Challenging Gender Role Stereotypes
Through thoughtful discussion and a read-aloud, scholars challenge gender role stereotypes. Pupils examine pictures and collaborate with their small groups to debunk stereotypes. They explain what gender role stereotypes they know of and...
K20 LEARN
Presenting with Confidence: Speech and Debate
Stage fright? Class members learn strategies to overcome stage fright and develop confidence when giving speeches and engaging in debates.
Self Esteem Experts
Self Confidence Worksheet
Boost the confidence of adolescents with a series of self-esteem worksheets. Prompting students to think about their experiences growing up, this resource helps pupils build a positive self-image and develop strategies for handling...
Anti-Defamation League
What Is Weight Bias?
After setting rules and expectations to create a safe place to share thoughts and feelings, scholars define the terms; stereotype, basis, and discrimination. Using a web brainstorm, learners list words associated with overweight and...
Learning for Justice
Looking Closely at Ourselves
A thoughtful discussion about self-reflecting leads to a conversation about skin color and making a list of words associated with "beauty." Budding artists use a mirror to examine their features and create a self-portrait. Peers critique...
Anti-Defamation League
Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act
The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) is the subject of the activity that asks groups to research the stories of five different women and share their insights in a jigsaw activity. Participants then craft...
Overcoming Obstacles
Self-Assessment
The project is over! Now it's time to sit back, reflect, and assess. Guided by the provided questions, individuals assess their project and participation.
Overcoming Obstacles
Presenting Yourself
"Presenting Yourself," the last lesson in the "Looking to the Future" module, asks participants to review and reflect on what they have learned about themselves in the Overcoming Obstacles course. They review their course folder and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Handling Peer Pressure
The second lesson in the "Looking to the Future " module provides participants with strategies for handling peer pressure, especially when peers urge behaviors that go against one's values, beliefs, and family rules.
Overcoming Obstacles
Adapting to Change
Peter Pan doesn't want to grow up and doesn't want to change. Many middle schoolers feel the same way. The first lesson in the "Looking to the Future" module underscores the concept that change is a natural part of life and that a...
Anti-Defamation League
Why are Children’s and Young Adult Books Challenged and Banned?
September's "Banned Books Week" brings attention to the number of books that are challenged, censored, or banned each year. After watching a video about banned book week, reading articles about the history of book banning, and examining...
K20 LEARN
Allow Me To Introduce Myself: Writing A Letter Of Introduction
"Who am I?" is not only a great philosophical question that requires a lot of reflection but is also at the heart of a letter of introduction. The challenge, of course, is figuring out where to start. Middle schoolers get a little help...
Overcoming Obstacles
Controlling Emotions in Conflicts
"Stop! Think! and Cool Down!" Participants in the third instructional activity in the Resolving Conflicts module learn how to pause and reflect in stressful situations rather than react. The class generates a list of strategies that...
Overcoming Obstacles
Identifying Emotions in Conflicts
The takeaway from the second lesson plan in the Resolving Conflicts module is that "conflict is like an iceberg" in that we only see a small portion of what's involved in conflicts. Participants learn to identify the many unseen feelings...
Facing History and Ourselves
Becoming Ourselves
Here's a great way to build community during the first days of the new school year. Participants read personal narratives, then craft and share their stories with others.
Facing History and Ourselves
Frame a Special Item
If you could frame something important to you, what would it be, where would you hang it, and why would you choose this particular thing to frame? These questions launch a lesson designed to help class members get to know each other....
Facing History and Ourselves
Our Names and Our Place in the World
Names come with all sorts of nuances and can influence how we see ourselves and how others see us. To gain insight into the power of names, class members journal about their names and then read a short essay about a girl and her feelings...
Facing History and Ourselves
Dual Identities
Many of us have multiple identities. There's who we are at home, school, friends, and strangers. And often these identities come with different names. The third activity in the First Days of School series examines how names reflect...
Facing History and Ourselves
What's In a Name?
Rumpelstiltskin understood the power of names. The second lesson in the First Days of School series focuses on building community by recognizing the importance of the relationships among names, identities, and cultures. Learners engage...
Facing History and Ourselves
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Masks, a pandemic, remote learning, and isolation; scholars reflect on the past school year and consider what positive things they would like to see continued in the current school year and what negative things they would like to...
Overcoming Obstacles
Handling Stress
Middle schoolers learn how to "put stress to rest" by identifying their stress factors and the physical and emotional signs they exhibit when stressed. After the class brainstorms ways to handle these stressors, individuals commit to...