"What are feelings?" and "Why are feelings important to understand?" are the essential questions of a lesson that boosts self-awareness. Scholars discuss the four basic emotions—happy, sad, scared, and mad—in preparation...

Three apples—green, red, and rotten—exemplify character traits, negative and positive. Following a discussion about the classroom community, scholars complete an apple-themed worksheet that challenges them to read each trait, color it...

A lesson encourages scholars to be star community members. Pupils take part in a class discussion that challenges them to brainstorm at least two ways to show responsibility within one's community. Small groups play a game in which...

Respect is the focus of a activity designed to encourage social awareness. Following a whole-class discussion, scholars list what they believe respect looks, sounds, and feels. Pupils turn their new-found knowledge into a plan of...

Honor family traditions with a lesson plan that examines the variety of winter celebrations. Class members discuss their family's traditions then complete a cut-and-paste practice page in which they match a picture to the name of a...

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...

Encourage scholars to express themselves with help from an engaging song. Sung to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down," participants sing phrases that offer tips for dealing with emotions—sad, happy, worried, proud, mad, and...

Changes in the family such as a new baby, divorce, a new job, or death are the focus of a lesson that examines how every family is different. Scholars draw a picture of their family then share the changes that have occurred within it....

Scholars watch two puppet dialogues illustrating negative and positive communication between friends. Then, they discuss how the puppets' communication skills influenced the outcome of each interaction. 

After a class discussion about celebrations and customs, class members draw pictures depicting special events from their family cultures. Next, they draw pictures of an event from a different culture and share their work with classmates.

Class members read a handout to learn about using I-Messages—honest statements that begin with I to get their points of view across. Next, learners practice using I-Messages with partners to better communicate without hurting...

Reach for the STARs! Using the resource, scholars review the STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Review) method and discuss how to use it to solve a math equation. Next, small groups collaborate to solve a common problem in the classroom using the...

The final lesson in a four-part unit on conflict resolution offers middle schoolers strategies for how to keep themselves in check when involved in conflicts. A role-play activity and a reflective journal stress the importance of...

To complete a study of the importance of developing a positive self-image, high school seniors complete an "Action Plan for Maintaining Who I Am" worksheet. They then submit their finished worksheets for inclusion in their Personal...

Eighth graders determine the net amount of an income for a fictional job. They must determine their net worth minus standard deductions. Students must then determine their monthly budget including, groceries, credit, and rent.

Pupils explore jobs at home. They name a personal strength, indicate interests, and explain the importance of jobs to home and school.

Students plan a budget and pay bills when they visit the "Reality Store," a series of classroom studying stations. The use of paying bills and running a class store is used to help students grasp the concept of business.

Fifth graders work in small groups to compile job changes. They use data from the list of changes that the group generated together. Students analyze the data to determine: categories of changes, patterns or trends of changes, and future...

Fifth through eighth graders think of themselves as newspaper reporters as they listen to a presentation by a guest speaker. As reporters, they take notes during the presentation. Using these notes, they create a rough draft and then a...

Third graders examine the need to treat others the way they would like to be treated. They determine whether the damage from teasing and mean words can be healed. They discuss how people feel when they are teased and how to repair the...

Third graders observe as the teacher pretends to tease a student and try to describe what the problem is. They brainstorm times when they felt unsafe at school either physically or emotionally and write down their responses on the board...

Fifth graders discuss their future plans with the counselor and then complete the True/False survey. They read through the tobacco fact sheet and answer questions asked by the counselor. As a group, they calculate the cost per cigarette...

Students examine safe and healthy scenarios. As a class, they participate in an activity in which they identify a situation as either safe or unsafe as well as healthy or unhealthy. Once class activity is complete, individuals repeat the...

Students discuss and demonstrate how to play and work cooperatively with other people and with a group. In small groups they role-play how to work cooperatively with each other, with the goal of completing their group's puzzle using...