Overcoming Obstacles
Developing Personal Power
The final instructional activity in the series teaches participants that they can use their personal power to bring about positive change. The class engages in a series of activities that reveal the kinds of personal power they have,...
Nebraska Department of Education
Phone Etiquette
High school freshmen prepare for the world of work by practicing a phone interview. After examining a list of "Do's and Don'ts," pairs take turns being the job applicant and the interviewer.
TeenMentalHealth
Know Before You Go Teacher’s Guide
A 124-page guide provides instructors with what they need to know before launching a seven-lesson thematic unit designed for high school seniors on issues they will face after graduation. Topics covered include mental health and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Understanding Nonverbal Communication
People communicate in all sorts of ways. As part of a study of nonverbal communication, teams of three must complete a puzzle without speaking to one another. After debriefing the activity and analyzing the messages nonverbal cues...
Amani Project
Make an Instrument
Create a little harmony with Amani Project! Young musicians create their instruments using found or recycled objects. As an introduction, class members first experiment with sounds they can make with their bodies (clapping, stomping...
Overcoming Obstacles
Listening Responsibly
Responsible speaker + critical listener = effective communication is the equation at the heart of a responsible listening lesson about the power of words. Class members view the clip of the courtroom scene from the film A Few Good Men...
Overcoming Obstacles
Creating a Win-Win Situation
As part of a study of ways to resolve conflicts, class members examine the characteristics of win-win solutions and then practice win-win negotiations. They also examine the role of a mediator in conflict resolution and then script and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Accessing Resources
Everyone needs help achieving their goals. The trick is to figure out how to access resources that will be of help. Participants engage in activities that teach them how to identify what help they need to achieve their goals and how to...
Overcoming Obstacles
Being Accountable
Taking responsibility for our actions is the topic of a lesson about being accountable. Middle schoolers engage in a series of games and activities that ask them to demonstrate accountability as they create solutions to dilemmas.
Facing History and Ourselves
Community Is... Community Isn't
Scholars continue their exploration of the concept of community by first completing an anticipation guide and then engaging in a Four Corners activity to share their responses. They analyze an essay in which the author defines community...
Anti-Defamation League
Don't Let Hate Ruin the Fun: Youth and Online Games
Gamers unite! Take action against bullying and hate speech in online video games! After reading data that reveals the extent to which various age groups experience hate and, or harassment while playing video games online, groups develop...
Anti-Defamation League
When Perception and Reality Collide: Implicit Bias and Race
The big idea in this lesson is that implicit bias often clouds perceptions. High schoolers watch a short video, read research articles, and engage in discussions about implicit bias and how these biases lead to stereotyping. They craft...
Curated OER
Puberty/Adolescence, Day 2: "Who AM I? Where Am I Going?"
A great unit! There is a lot of content that is personal so make sure you have created a safe zone in your classroom before doing this lesson. It will have much more meaning if your learners share their life with others in the class....
Santa Clara County Office of Education
The Rainbow Fish: Activities for Parents to Do with Children at Home
The Rainbow Fish, Marcus Pfister's award-winning story about the joys of sharing, is the inspiration for this resource loaded with fun. Suggestions for language and language arts, math, science, and social studies activities are included...
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.
Orange County Department of Education
Katie's Trunk
Fifth graders read the story of "Katie's Trunk". They identify the traits of integrity and fairness in the characters John Warren and Katie. Students explore how people can experience the same event but interpret it differently. They...
Curated OER
Fix the Problem!
People won't let me finish talking!...I hate the lunch room...Leave my name alone! Explore a variety of problems learners can face on a daily basis, and use this game to have pupils determine the best ways to answer those situations.
Facing History and Ourselves
Hands Up, Don't Shoot!
Why is it so difficult to develop a clear understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer? To answer this question class members listen to a NPR discussion of the findings of...
Teach With Movies
Title: "The Yearling" - Topics: Literature/U.S.; U.S./1865-1913 & Florida
Life in the Florida swamps after the Civil War comes alive in the 1946 film adaptation of Majorie Kinnan Rawlings’s The Yearling. The film of this powerful coming-of-age story, filled with love and loss, can be used with or without a...
Curated OER
Teddies
Here's a really cute lesson that utilizes all of your children's teddy bears. Each pupil brings their favorite teddy bear to school. The lesson has many wonderful suggestions for learning activities that can be done with the bears once...
Pfizer
Stress Lessons Toolkit
New ReviewA unit plan that is over 50 pages in length offers lessons and activities that define stress, practice breathing techniques, bring awareness to triggers, refocus worries and fears, and offer practical problem-solving strategies. The unit...
California Department of Education
Studying for Careers
A instructional activity bridges the connection between studying and careers. Scholars complete a vocabulary worksheet in preparation for a discussion on study habits and career skills. Learners fill out another worksheet to identify...
National Australia Day Council
True Blue? On Being Australian
Who or what is an Australian? Discover a plethora of student-centered, engaging activity ideas on the question of Australian identity, organized according to five major themes: people, symbols, place, sport, and words.