Administrative Office of the US Courts
Elonis v. U.S.
With the explosion of social media sites, with online threats and cyber bullying, issues of freedom of speech have taken on a whole new aspect. Elonis v. U.S. represents the first time the Supreme Court has considered whether or not...
Healthy Native Youth
Chapter 2: Learning About Adolescence
The Native American symbol, The Circle of Life, represents life's spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional well being. By way of deep discussion, and two games, the lesson uses the Circle of Life to explore the stages of...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
US Institute of Peace
Understanding the Levels of Conflict
Conflicts can quickly get out of hand—which is why it's important to understand the four different levels of conflict. An important lesson plan lays out the definitions of personal, local, national, and international conflict before...
TED-Ed
Lessons from Auschwitz: The Power of Our Words
Some words are best left unspoken. Words matter, according to Benjamin Zander, conductor, teacher, and lecturer. To illustrate his point, Zander recounts a story told to him by a survivor of Auschwitz. As a result of her experience...
K20 LEARN
It’s Never Too Late to Apologize: Character Development and Theme in “The Scarlet Ibis”
Sometimes saying I'm sorry just doesn't cut it. Scholars examine a series of apology poems, songs, and stories and consider each speaker's regrets. Using what they have learned, they analyze James Hurst's short story, "The Scarlet Ibis,"...
US Institute of Peace
Defining Conflict
Before there can be peace, we have to understand conflict. Introduce the concept of conflict through a two-part activity that combines discussion, collaboration, and writing. The first in a 15-part series examines the multiple meanings...
Curated OER
Governance
Third graders participate in decision-making situations. In this social studies lesson students make connections between rules and laws and the purposes for those rules and laws. Students use critical and creative thinking skills to...
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...
Family & Children's Service
Children in Change
While children may not have the opportunity to directly affect the changes happening in their family life, help them develop necessary coping skills for expressing their emotions and dealing with those changes.
Curated OER
What Color Is Your Apple?
Third graders spend time identifying the characteristics they have and ones they would like to develop for their own personal growth. As a class, they brainstorm ways they can tell they are growing up or being mature. Individually, they...
Curated OER
Personal Stories and Primary Sources: Conversations with Elders
Students learn from their elders. For this oral and social histories lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the America in which their grandparents grew up. Students conduct interviews with elders in...
Curated OER
Worksheet for Choosing a Research Paper Topic & Developing a Thesis Statement
How do you choose a research topic? This helpful graphic organizer is provided to aid middle and high schoolers in organizing their initial thoughts and choosing a topic. They have to narrow their topic by culture, time frame, event,...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Dating Behaviors
Upper graders discuss the importance of responsible dating. In addition to a discussion period, the lesson includes Powerpoint presentations, poster designs, and related role-playing activities. In one scenario, students act as parents...
Curated OER
Personal and Global Conflict
Students review vocabulary of conflict. In this citizenship lesson, students practice conflict resolution skills by participating in a role play involving national representatives working with a UN Mediator. Students reflect on the...
Curated OER
Developing Relationships with Older People
Young scholars 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
Social Studies: MySpace as Crime solver
Students research how police use MySpace to apprehend criminals. They debate the pros and cons of this method and decide if the local policy needs to be changed. Students create a better policy for using the Internet and present it to...
Curated OER
A Letter to Terry Fox
Middle schoolers research information about Terry Fox on the Internet. They write a personal letter to Terry Fox.
Curated OER
Professional Development Made Easy
Online professional development sources are economical and offer flexible scheduling.
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: A Common Solution?: Lesson Plan
Students explore the ideological and political development of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X through primary source documents. They identify the various personal, social, and political factors that influenced Martin Luther King,...
Curated OER
Moral Development: Lawrence Kohlberg
Students study the stages of moral development. In this psychology lesson, students explore Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development as they read, respond to, and evaluate a moral development scenario.
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The Mind of a Terrorist: A Psychosocial Perspective
What a great way to make a psychology lesson on personality development socio-politically relevant! Class members investigate causes of radicalism--specifically, becoming a terrorist. This resource includes background information, key...
Ohio National Guard
Emotional Intelligence
Guide young learners through the tumultuous emotions of growing up with a set of worksheets about self-esteem and empathy. Each worksheet focuses on a different skill, allowing youngsters to work through their feelings and relate to...
Curated OER
The Soundtrack of One's Life
Students gather important information about a historical figure. They write a short biography, including illustrations. Students collect songs from the time period when the person lived. They create a play list in iTunes. Students...