Health Smart Virginia
Ending the Silence on Mental Illness
To end the silence on mental illness, groups research a mental illness. They then create a scene-by-scene script, cast parts, and record a video that details the symptoms, causes, and treatment of the disorder. They also include what...
Anti-Defamation League
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act
You, too, can prevent hate crimes! Middle and high schoolers read short biographies of Mathew Shepard and James Byrd, the two men for whom the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) is named. After learning...
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Fighting the War in Your Head
Young scholars analyze the experiences of a fictional soldier in a war and create a mental health profile for that individual. They emulate psychiatrists and propose treatment strategies for their particular soldier's post-traumatic...
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LOOKING DEEPER
Students study trauma, recognize episodes that can produce it, and behaviors it can elicit. They glean an example of a potentially traumatic event. They need to think who might be traumatized and why.
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Suggestions for Teachers: National Crisis
Students participate in group discussions in the face of national crises. For this coping strategies lesson, students openly discuss their feelings regarding traumatic events. Eleven suggestions for leading discussions with students are...
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30 Day Journal
Students collect articles, political cartoons, photographs and other artifacts relating to a specific traumatic event, such as September 11th. They reflect on their artifacts in written journals.
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We Can't Decide
Second graders investigate decision making skills that they can apply on a daily basis. In this decision making lesson, 2nd graders listen to a read aloud of Pinocchio and make a list of times when decisions have to be made. They access...
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Lesson: Tlatelolco: Mexican Student Massacre 1968
The Massacre of Tlatelolco is the focus of a discussion-based activity. Civil-minded learners consider the nature of student movements that have ended in violence based on over-reaction and government oppression. They discuss the social...
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Government Protecting Rights
Students explore tribal sovereignty. In this American Indian lesson, students learn about tribal sovereignty, watch a movie, take notes, and complete a reaction paper.
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Contemplating Nature vs. Nurture
Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a lesson that encourages awareness and open...
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Bringing the Holocaust Unit to Closure: Implications for the Future
Students study the history of the Holocaust. it is complex; therefore, understanding its implications is complex as well. Elie Wiesel refers to the Holocaust as a question within a question. Questions lead to further questions, and still...
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Response to War: How Do You Feel? What Do You Think?
The class discusses how they feel about war. They brainstorm emotions that teens have toward the war in Iraq, and then discuss their opinions of the war in small groups. The discussion is then opened up to the entire class. What do you...
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What's Fair?
Students investigate the concept of fairness. For this fairness lesson, students discuss fairness and how different people view it in different ways. They read stories which deal with fair and unfair.
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Long-Lasting Impressions
Students evaluate how their reactions to certain images have been altered by the events of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent world events that followed. They share their personal memories associated with that day.
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One Stage at a Time
Young scholars explore the psychological coping mechanisms of cancer patients and relate individual cancer survivors' stories to Dr. Kubler-Ross' stages of grief. They use first-person accounts, discussion and journals to explore these...
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I Will Survive!
Students define and explore the term "survivor" through the study of real-life stories of survival. They interview a person whom he/she considers to be a survivor, and share their interviews with the class.
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Chimpanzees: We're Not Entertained
Young scholars explore multiple perspectives to create a talk show that examines the issues facing chimpanzees. They analyze the gray areas of controversial issues to realize that there can be a wide range of possible positions on a...
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How Pollution Disrupts Our Natural Environment
Students conduct experiments to illustrate global warming. For this air pollution lesson, students first examine how a layer of greenhouse gasses might impact the earth's atmospheric temperature, then evaluate how the layer of gasses...
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Vietnam and the Long-term Effect of War
Students examine the effects of war on civilians. In this Vietnam War lesson, students research and discuss the reasons the Vietnam War began, why America became involved, and what some of the long-term effects of this war were.
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Vietnam and the Long-Term Effects of War
Students examine the aftermath of war. For this Vietnam War lesson, students consider the implications of war as they analyze the image Siege of An Loc, South Vietnam. Students discuss the causes of the war and the outcome prior to...
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Who Is That Ghostly Character?
Eighth graders listen to a taped version of the radio play, "The Hitchhiker". They write a conclusion to the play and work with a partner to evaluate it before a final revision.
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Bringing the Holocaust Unit to Closure: Implications For the Future
Students examine the relevance of the Holocaust to the present and future. They watch an excerpt from the movie, 'Schindler's List,' participate in a discussion of the movie excerpt, view and discuss a speech by Elie Wiesel, and write a...
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How Can We Improve Family Relationships? A Unit for 2nd Graders on Conflict Management and Family
Second graders examine the skills they need to have in order to function successfully in a family unit. They look at how families are different from one another and at the dynamics that exist in the families in this unit of lessons.
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Saving Energy Through Ecological Landscape Design
Learners are able to transcribe to scale the plant features of a common landscape. They determine true north and south and collect and record data on a table. Students calculate a rating for and describe a definition of insulation and...