Personal Genetics Education Project
Scientific Themes in Personal Genetics
Humans can be tested for the presence of the BRCA gene, whose presence is an indicator that they have a greater chance of acquiring breast cancer than someone without the gene. Viewers have an opportunity to explore how genes and...
Curated OER
A Letter to Terry Fox
Students research information about Terry Fox on the Internet. They write a personal letter to Terry Fox.
Curated OER
Cultural Spaces
As a way to help your students understand tolerance, personal space, and cultural diversity, this lesson has them give up personal space for three minutes. There is no discussion prior to this activity and seemingly very little after....
Curated OER
Teaching Social Studies in English
Case studies, an examination of images, and readings of passages from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are used to spark conversations in ESL/ELD social studies classes about this highly-charged topic. Using a variety of...
Japan Society
Individual and Society: Natsume Sôseki and the Literature of the Early Twentieth Century
Combine literature and history by examining the work of Japanese writers after the Russo-Japanese war. This resource is for advanced classes with an interest in how literature reflects and reacts to societal change. Activities outlined...
Curated OER
Opening Eyes, Changing Minds. Talking About Personal Transformation And the Development of World Views
Learners read one teen's story of personal growth through learning about racism and the criminal justice system to explore how individuals' world views are shaped and changed through experiences and education.
Curated OER
Reaction to Pearl Harbor: Japanese American Internment Camps
This student produced presentation provides a great exploration of the Japanese-American Internment Camps during World War II, but should be used primarily as a discussion tool. The presentation includes photos, audio and pictures of...
Teaching Tolerance
Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice | Affirming Our Commonalities and Differences
Photos can challenge stereotypes. To gain an understanding of the big picture, groups examine a series of photographs and analyze how a photographer's choices can shape a viewer's reaction to an image. For the first set of photographs,...
Curated OER
The Holocaust: Watching the Anchor
Students view a film about the Holocaust titled "Devil's Arithmetic" that is based on the novel by Jane Yolen. They write journal entries to predict which characters will live or die and explore their personal reactions to the film.
Curated OER
Culture and Obesity
Students explore cultural perceptions regarding obesity. In this personal health lesson, students read case scenarios about 3 women and their health perceptions. Students discuss the women and the stereotypes associated with the women...
Curated OER
Colonial New York Slave Codes: Law and Order
Build a historical perspective from four different points of view. Young historians take on the role of a slave-owning white person, non-slave owning white person, slave, or free African-American person and imagine what life would be...
Curated OER
Whose Rite Is It?
The class explores and debates, from multiple perspectives, a petition to allow Hopi Indians to take golden eagle hatchlings from a federal wildlife sanctuary for use in a religious ceremony. Pupils defend their personal views on the...
University of Minnesota
Mirroring Emotions
Do you ever give your class the "teacher look"? Without saying a word, they become silent and engaged (hopefully). How do they know what you're thinking? Explore the concept of nonverbal communication and how it relates to our mirror...
Curated OER
Documenting History: Photographs as Social Commentaries
Young scholars examine photographs that make social statements. They examine content, symbolism, and their personal reactions to works of art that make expressive statements about social issues.
Curated OER
I Know What You Did this Summer
Pupils discuss the characteristics of a quality relationship and determine how such a relationship is maintained. After reading a scenario of a relationship, students take one character at a time and place themselves in the character's...
Curated OER
Citizenship
Students discuss and define the term citizenship. In this character education lesson plan, students explore the responsibilities of citizenship in small groups. Additionally, students compare events in history and discuss their personal...
Curated OER
Four-Corners Debate
Use this two page handout to establish the rules for class debate. The four-corners method of debate is one that provides a safe way for learners to engage in a discussion or debate over potentially heated or controversial topics. The...
Curated OER
Lincoln is in the House! ("Name-Dropping" Poems and the Power of Connotation)
“What’s in a name?” Just about everything. Barack Obama, Vincent van Gogh, Justin Bieber. Famous names evoke a multitude of reactions and poets often use the names of famous people in their works precisely because names carry...
Curated OER
Holding a 'Peace Hug' at your School
Students consider feelings. In this positivity lesson, students realize how they can create a peaceful environment with their words and actions. They discuss feelings and personal experiences as a class and expand out to the rest of...
Curated OER
Ancient Egypt
Pupils complete a series of activities to discover life in ancient Egypt. They create want ads for pyramid workers, design vocabulary flash cards and dictionaries, and research famous Egyptians. They also research the "Curse of the...
University of the Desert
A Plan For Positive Action
Can one person really make a difference? As the culminating lesson in a twelve-part series, learners discuss how they can partake in an intercultural dialogue that can have a lasting impact on the global community, and how single...
University of the Desert
Leaders in the Wilderness
What would the world be like if each person acted with greater cultural awareness and understanding? Learners consider the impact of cultural diffusion, as well as how global leaders can address some of today's pressing issues.
Curated OER
Lost Names: Scenes From a Korean Boyhood,
What a great resource to share! Based on the book Lost Names by Richard Kim, this valuable lesson focuses on the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII. Additionally, it employs first-person journaling as a mode of understanding themes...
Curated OER
Lesson: Tlatelolco: Mexican Student Massacre 1968
The Massacre of Tlatelolco is the focus of a discussion-based lesson plan. Civil-minded learners consider the nature of student movements that have ended in violence based on over-reaction and government oppression. They discuss the...