Nebraska Department of Education
Writing Emails That Matter
LOL! BRB! :-) The rules for business and professional emails differ significantly from online communications among friends. As part of a career readiness study, pupils learn the do's and don'ts of writing professional emails.
Nebraska Department of Education
You're Fired!
Is willing to learn. Follows directions. Takes the initiative. The big idea in this career development lesson is that the work habits that make one successful in school are the same as those required to succeed in a career. Class members...
Overcoming Obstacles
Listening Critically
Eschew obfuscation!! High schoolers learn techniques that permit them to listen critically, sort through verbiage used to hide meaning or mislead listeners, and determine the message's validity.
Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating Constructively
Some conversations are easy and enjoyable, while others are horrific! To begin a lesson on communicating constructively, class members list examples of conversations that are easy, average, and those that are difficult and identify what...
Overcoming Obstacles
Setting Priorities
One step at a time! High schoolers learn how to set priorities by creating a list of tasks they must complete that week, adding the consequences of not completing each task, and identifying the conflicts that will arise. They then...
Overcoming Obstacles
Identifying Goals
Effort does not necessarily equal accomplishment. What's missing from the formula is a goal. High schoolers learn the importance of identifying short-term, medium-range, and long-term goals that are both realistic and challenging. After...
Roald Dahl
The BFG Lesson Plans
A 55-page unit examines the novel, The BFG, by Roald Dahl. Six lessons pay close attention to friendship, dreams, and believing themes while analyzing interesting characters, writing creative vocabulary, smilies, metaphors, an exciting...
Anti-Defamation League
Who Am I? Identity Poems
A activity celebrating identity begins with a something-about-me activity, then moves on to writing favorite words. Class members then brainstorm metaphors and comparisons and read a poem to inspire their poetic abilities. Scholars craft...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Intensities in the Classroom
Everyone learns and experiences life differently. A set of lessons about character intensities encourages middle and high schoolers to analyze themselves, their peers, and characters from a book based on the five listed intensities:...
Nemours KidsHealth
Keep Your Brain in the Game: Grades 3-5
Boost physical activity as well as concept proficiency with brief bursts of movement. Before taking a test, scholars vote on five exercises to complete from a set of 8 cards. After two minutes, learners begin their work with heightened...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Health and Wellness Throughout the Lifespan
Every stage of life has its requirements for staying healthy. Young developmental psychologists investigate the psychological effects of stress and aging and health and wellness strategies that may improve one's quality of life. Groups...
Centervention
What Makes Me Happy Today?
Here's a worksheet that will put sunshine on papers and smiles on the faces of young learners as they draw pictures and write a short explanation of what makes them happy today. A great way to show gratitude for the good things in life.
PBS
Gratitude and the Environment
A class discussion begins a two-part lesson about gratitude and the environment. In part one, learners watch a video then share their feelings about its most memorable moment. Delving deep into the meaning of gratitude, scholars create...
Committee for Children
Class Meeting: Empathy Helps Stop Bullying
A lesson instills the importance of how empathy has the ability to aid in stopping bullying behavior. Scholars discuss, in-depth, a series of three questions. Using class input, an anchor chart is made then displayed for reference.
Centervention
A Gratitude Jar for Kids
A jar becomes a symbol of gratitude in an activity that challenges scholars to reflect on themselves. Learners decorate a jar to add a touch of personalization. Once ready, prompts offer participants a question or sentence frame that...
Thoughtful Learning
Expressing Emotions Through Drawing
Draw it out! Sometimes creating a picture is an easier way for pupils to express how they are feeling. A short mini-lesson encourages just that approach. After drawing an expressive picture, artists are asked to reflect on their work and...
Nemours KidsHealth
Healthy Relationships: Grades 6-8
Help middle schoolers develop healthy relationships with a series of activities that teaches them not only to recognize and protect themselves from unhealthy relationships, but also how to develop and maintain positive ones. In addition,...
Learning for Life
Anger/Conflict Management
What is anger? Why do we become angry, and how can we control it? Help young learners develop an important life skill in the ability to process and handle angry emotions with this simple guided activity and worksheet.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Lists to Live By: Developing a Self-Improvement Plan
Ben Franklin was a man with a plan. Learners investigate his plan for self-improvement using excerpts from Franklin's autobiography. Then, pupils develop their own plans and discuss how to sell them to others using the two-session lesson...
Nemours KidsHealth
Conflict Resolution: Grades 6-8
Conflicts happen, conflicts grow, it's how to handle them that middle schoolers need to know. Introduce tweens to a problem-solving approach for handling anger with a series of activities that has class members read articles, research...
Thoughtful Learning
Calming Down with Deep Pressure
Stressed out and tensed up! When stressed our bodies tense and our muscles clench. Teach youngsters how to calm down with simple deep pressure exercises. Press and release!
Facing History and Ourselves
Protesting Discrimination in Bristol
Using the Bristol Bus Boycott as a case study, class members examine the strategies and levels of power protesters used to effect change. The two-day activity concludes with individuals reflecting on the actions they might take in face...
WE Charity
Exploring the Four Leadership Styles
What is your leadership style? Tweens and teens independently complete a Four Leadership Styles worksheet. Once completed, they use a leadership code to identify their prominent leadership style. Class members gather by style, brainstorm...
Thoughtful Learning
Taking Action Against Bullying
A mini-lesson offers suggestions for young learners on how to take action against bullying, both for themselves and others. Individuals then craft a paragraph about strategies they might use.