Curated OER
Empathy and Art
Young scholars watch an episode of the PBS show "Maya and Miguel" and examine how to express empathy with someone who has a disability. They discuss the episode, and create an art project using one hand only, or paint an object...
Curated OER
Lesson: Skin Fruit: Ideas of Empathy in Janine Antoni's Work
Kids get artistic as they explore the impact of art materials, sculpture, and performance. They discuss the work of Janine Antoni and then create a performance piece that reflects social or global issues they feel strongly about. The end...
Curated OER
Rostislav & Julianna: A Modern-Day Interpretation of Romeo and Juliet
Students author and film their own adaptations of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In this multimedia skills lesson plan, students script a play that pits an Orthodox Christian family against a Muslim family. Students use...
Curated OER
100 Questions
Students practice problem solving skills by asking questions and participating in a design challenge. In this asking questions lesson, students work in pairs to ask questions to design a solution for a difficult personal problem....
Curated OER
Treasure Tales
Create an artifact kit to engage your young learners. Then, assign small groups a section of chapter three. They will identify the main idea and three supporting details for their section. Then, they select one artifact from the kit that...
Advocates for Human Rights
Voices of Iraqi Refugees
The stated goal of this resource is to provide learners with basic facts about and build empathy for Iraqi refugees. To do so elementary classes develop a plan for how to welcome refugees to their classroom. Middle schoolers read...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Eighth Grade
Middle schoolers are likely very familiar with the concept of bullying and cliques. Discuss their experiences and brainstorm ways to handle peer conflict and feelings of exclusion with a poem that focuses on bullying, and a second lesson...
American Immigration Law Foundation
An Immigrant’s Experience
After interviewing an immigrant about their voyage to the United States and first impressions of the country, young learners create a fictional series of journal entries and design an iMovie depicting their interviewee's story.
Curated OER
What is effective communication?
Students practice a series of communicaton activities. In this communication skills lesson, students role play listening and active listening strategies to improve communication. Students write a set of guidelines for improving...
Curated OER
Smiley Face Circle Stories
Students examine different artifacts from the 1970's. In this history lesson, students discover what each artifact is by seeing the artifact and reading a card defining what the artifact represents. On the second day, students create...
Curated OER
What is reconciliation?
Tenth graders practice using empathy with an enemy. In this Current Events lesson, 10th graders prepare possible peace plans for Bosnia after the war. Students write a report on Nelson Mandela's use of reconciliation in South...
Curated OER
Using Words to Work Things Out
Students explore appropriate ways to communicate feelings. In this character development lesson, students listen to Hands are not for Hitting and several other books about expressing emotions appropriately. Students observe...
Curated OER
National Volunteer Week Celebrations
Encourage and recognize volunteering's power for positive change!
Curated OER
Mexican Culture “La Raspa”
Here are three lessons that work together to engage learners in a cultural and musical exploration. In lesson plan one the listen to the Mexican folk song, "La Raspa" and discuss cultural context. In lesson plan two they dance along to...
Curated OER
The "Be Kind Kids" Project
Students create a visual display that highlights friendship and kindness. They read and discuss a poem, and design and create a large poster or banner that emphasizes kindness, anti-bullying, and friendship.
Curated OER
I Served in the American Civil War
Students research soldier's lives in the American Civil War. They create a video about a soldier's life
Curated OER
Developing Relationships with Older People
Students read books and view movies about older people. They write a questionnaire to interview older people at a retirement center, interview the people, record their information on graphs, and write follow-up letters.
Curated OER
No Place Like Homelessness
Learners complete a unit of activities that help them understand homelessness, its causes, and ways to better the situation. In this homelessness lesson, students complete five activities that help them to define homelessness and its...
Curated OER
Developing a Relationship with Senior Citizens
Students examine how to value their elders and the senior citizens in society. They show empathy through literature to people who are generation or more older than themselves. They also study the importance of genealogy.
Curated OER
Working on the Railroad
Students plan a trip on the railroad. In this railroad creation and implementation lesson plan, students listen to the song "Working on the Railroad", make a map of where the track was laid and discuss the geographical...
Curated OER
Kidding Around In The 1980s
Learners examine pop culture of the 1980s. In this historical time period lesson, students view a Smurfs cartoon from the 1980s and discuss its similarities and differences to cartoons today. Learners work in groups to...
Curated OER
Holocaust Memorial Service
Students research victims of the Holocaust, then create pieces of art to depict the suffering of the Holocaust victims.
Curated OER
Promoting Tolerance
Students create multimedia presentations on stereotyping. In this stereotyping lesson plan, students have discussions on different kinds of stereotyping, how it makes people feel, and create a multimedia presentation on it.
Curated OER
Hurricane Katrina Relief
Pupils create a song about philanthropy. They work together to develop a list of ways to donate money. They choose an aid organization which helped victims of Hurricane Katrina to receive their donation. They reflect on their...