Missouri Department of Elementary
How I Act Is Who I Am
A lesson centers itself around the topic of family roles. A whole-class discussion uses puppets and posters to go in-depth into the following character traits; caring, responsibility, respect, and cooperation. The discussion closes with...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Happy, Sad, Scared and Mad: All Belong To Me
"What are feelings?" and "Why are feelings important to understand?" are the essential questions of a lesson plan that boosts self-awareness. Scholars discuss the four basic emotions—happy, sad, scared, and mad—in...
Thoughtful Learning
Taking Action Against Bullying
A mini-lesson offers suggestions for young learners on how to take action against bullying, both for themselves and others. Individuals then craft a paragraph about strategies they might use.
Thoughtful Learning
Learning to Say No
It's not always easy to say "no". Give scholars the power and confidence to stand up for themselves with several steps to communicate using their voice and body language.
Thoughtful Learning
Expressing Emotions Through Drawing
Draw it out! Sometimes creating a picture is an easier way for pupils to express how they are feeling. A short mini-lesson encourages just that approach. After drawing an expressive picture, artists are asked to reflect on their work and...
Thoughtful Learning
Calming Down with Deep Pressure
Stressed out and tensed up! When stressed our bodies tense and our muscles clench. Teach youngsters how to calm down with simple deep pressure exercises. Press and release!
Thoughtful Learning
Seeing Emotion in Facial Expressions
Learning to read body language, especially facial expressions, is the focus of a mini-lesson. Young learners examine a series of photographs, identify the emotion being illustrated, and then discuss the cues that revealed the emotion.
Teaching Tolerance
Community Bulletin Board
A project-based lesson has pupils create a bulletin board to share artwork, nonfiction articles, and messages based on social justice themes. The finished board is displayed in the community to create a place for discussion.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Sample Teaching Activities to Support Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning
What is social and emotional learning (SEL), and why is it important? Using a helpful resource, teachers discover ways to enhance SEL in the classroom. They show pupils how to regulate their emotions and behaviors, set personal and...
Transforming Education
Growth Mindset Strategies
Help your students develop a growth mindset with a list of sample strategies for prioritizing efforts instead of results.Pupils learn how to embrace mistakes, set high expectations, and focus on process over product.
Transforming Education
Self-Efficacy Strategies
Scholars with high levels of self-efficacy perform better in school. Instructors review a list of strategies for enhancing self-efficacy skills. They discover how to teach learners to appropriately define success, celebrate progress, and...
National Wildlife Federation
The Pollinator's Journey: Grades K-8
Bees get all the attention, but so many more creatures contribute to pollination. Scientists explore the role of pollinators as they learn about the parts of a flower and how it reproduces. They discover how plants rely on many different...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Fish for a Day
A short video shows how a scuba divers' equipment relates to major parts of a fish. Learners draw two fish and identify what aspects are the same and which are different. The scholars then draw a scuba diver, making sure they provide all...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Ocean Habitats
Watch what happens in an underwater wonderland! Pupils view a video about two specific ocean habitats and complete a worksheet by placing the fish species into the correct habitat. They then take a deeper look into the ocean habitats by...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Beginner Ages
Explore a day in the life of a water droplet. An interactive infographic helps scholars learn how water cycles work from precipitation all the way around to condensation. Learners hover over each step of the cycle to read more as they...
National Wildlife Federation
Watershed Web: A Field Trip
Observing plant succession doesn't have to be a decade long process. A hands-on lesson plan has groups study succession over a designated space. Learners use their observation skills to record differences in plant and soil...
Thoughtful Learning
Expressing Emotions Through Movement
Encourage scholars to better understand and express their feelings with an activity designed to boost self-awareness. Scholars read several statements that challenge them to showcase how their body moves when they feel certain feelings....
National Wildlife Federation
Night Friends - American Bats
Bats are a misunderstood species. Pupils learn about the characteristics of bats in a three-part lesson. They begin by examining the adaptations of different types of bats, then explore the misconceptions humans have about the species....
Teaching Tolerance
Community Puzzle Mural
Every piece of the puzzle is important. A lesson gives individuals the opportunity to create artwork that spreads a message of inclusion and tolerance. Class members work in teams to create pieces of the mural that form a larger picture....
Teaching Tolerance
Collage of Concerns
A picture can speak louder than words. An interesting lesson introduces the themes of social justice and diversity to young learners by having them create artwork. Scholars create collages from a variety of sources to showcase what...
Teaching Tolerance
Buddy Share
Here's a project that gives academics the chance to share their opinions on social justice with storytelling, creative writing, or art. Scholars choose what they want to create and are assigned buddies to support their efforts. To...
Teaching Tolerance
Identity Self-Portraits
What symbols represent you best? Individuals consider how they would draw peers using symbols about their identities with an interview and art activity. After conducting interviews and portraits, the art makes a great centerpiece for...
Teaching Tolerance
Identity Artifacts Museum
Who are you? It's a simple question, but younger learners have the opportunity to express their complex identities by making artifacts that represent parts of their identities. After engaging in the activity, they share who they are with...
Teaching Tolerance
Fairness Fair
How can we create a more fair world? Chances are, class members have some ideas! After reading a text about fairness, individuals create skits around the ideas of fairness. Extend the learning and make their presentations a...