Marybeth Lobiecki
Beyond Baseball with Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was more than a baseball star, he was a prominent activist. The thought-provoking resource focuses on the life and achievements of Jackie Robinson, from his baseball career to his civic participation. Academics listen and...
Overcoming Obstacles
Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
Through a series of activities, middle schoolers learn how to celebrate their strengths, identify their weaknesses, and brainstorm strategies they can use to turn their weaknesses into strengths.
Overcoming Obstacles
Being Assertive
Passive! Aggressive! Assertive!. The activities in the fourth lesson in the Communication module teach middle schoolers the difference among these behaviors and how to develop assertive communication skills. After defining and offering...
Overcoming Obstacles
Setting Expectations
As Don Quixote asserts in the musical Man of La Mancha, it is possible to achieve your dreams. For the last lesson plan in the Getting Started Module, participants learn the importance of having dreams and setting goals that...
Facing History and Ourselves
Fist to Five
A "Fist to Five" routine asks participants to indicate how they feel about an opening question, like how ready they are to start learning, how well they understand instructions, etc. Groups then suggest strategies to get learners ready...
Curated OER
Minting New Thoughts
Consider a new metaphor when discussing positive thinking with your learners by having them "recycle" their negative, poison thoughts and "minting" them into positive ones using these dollar bill printables!
Laguna Middle School
Personal Physical Fitness Plan
Sticking to a physical fitness plan can be tricky. Support young athletes' personal fitness goals with a helpful and strategie lesson plan. They reflect on their daily habits through a pre-assessment and questionnaire, create short...
Scholastic
Mindful Listening
Teach your middle schoolers to use their ears to their highest potential! Pupils practice active listening skills and reflect on how careful listening might prove to be important in and out of the classroom.
Facing History and Ourselves
The Nazi Party Platform
Not all party platforms stay democratic. A resource covers many political issues in Germany during the time of World War II, and teaches pupils about the Nazi party platform and what went wrong. Individuals participate in a warm-up...
Thoughtful Learning
Using Perspective Shifting to Understand Others
Being able to see things from another's perspective is an important part of social awareness. A short activity permits scholars to practice perspective-taking, which in turn helps them develop empathy, appreciate diversity, and promote...
Western Justice Center
Underlying Needs
Conflicts arise when underlying needs are unmet. An engaging video introduces viewers to nine basic human needs. Then, through a series of videos, worksheets, and activities, class members learn that by focusing on interests and needs,...
Nemours KidsHealth
Sportsmanship: Grades 6-8
Losing isn't any fun. It is, however, a part of competing. Two activities encourage middle schoolers to consider what good sportsmanship is, how they can be a good sport, and ways to handle situations when some are acting...
Nebraska Department of Education
Reflective Listening
Reflective listening is not casual! After learning about the practice of reflective listening, middle schoolers practice reflective listening skills in a role play activity that has them take turns being a speaker, listener, and observer.
Overcoming Obstacles
Working In Teams
Working in teams can be a challenge but also offer many rewards. Developing the skills necessary to work effectively in teams is the focus of the third lesson plan in the Getting Started Module designed for middle schoolers. Participants...
Anti-Defamation League
Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act
The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) is the subject of the lesson that asks groups to research the stories of five different women and share their insights in a jigsaw activity. Participants then craft...
Western Justice Center
Emotions, Regulation Strategies
To regulate emotions in a conflict it is first necessary to be able to identify those emotions. To that end, class members engage in a series of activities, watch a series of videos, and compete worksheets that help them understand and...
Nemours KidsHealth
Bike Safety: Grades 6-8
Two activities teach tweens and teens about bike safety. After reading articles about bike safety, class members design tags with important safety reminders that can be attached to bikes. Groups then create a dance video that...
Nebraska Department of Education
Communication Skills
It's not just what you say but how you say it! That's the take-away from a activity about verbal and non-verbal communication. An engaging activity has middle schoolers demonstrating how tone of voice and body language can totally...
Facing History and Ourselves
Mood Meter
Returning to in-class learning has proved to be a challenge for both teachers and learners. This series of 15 lessons provides instructors with ideas about establishing or re-establish classroom protocols and opening or closing routines...
Curated OER
Juggling New Opportunities
Ninth graders develop skills needed to maintain a positive self-concept. They recognize increased roles and responsibilities of the individual student within the family, school, and local community. They identify activities the...
Curated OER
Cultures
Students research different cultures around the world. They discover that each culture is a way to express oneself. They compare and constrast how different cultural events are celebrated and draw their own conclusions about them.
Curated OER
Self-esteem Builder
Students recognize and acknowledge each other's strengths as well as becoming more aware of their own through this activity. They write positive comments about each other and turn them into positive paragraphs.
Curated OER
Health Education: Self-Control
Third graders identify healthy methods of self-control. In this health lesson plan, 3rd graders take control of their own actions as they take part in a creative activity in which they learn healthy ways to monitor and control themselves.
Curated OER
Cultures of Our Nation
Learners bring in family items that represent their culture and present them to the class. In this culture lesson plan, students can bring in food, music, dance, pictures, and more.