What role did yellow journalism play in bringing the United States into war with Spain? As part of their study of the Spanish-American War, class groups examine newspapers of the times and other texts and then produce their own...

Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all just get along! Fortunately, the skills needed to build and maintain healthy relationships can be learned. Two activities help high schoolers build these skills. First, a class member reads a series...

One of the key competencies of social and emotional learning is social awareness and being able to see things from another's perspective. This ability to shift perspective is particularly important when crafting an argument to persuade...

After a lesson like this one, your class won't hesitate to negotiate! Pupils pair up and negotiate opposing sides of a conflict during the ninth installment in a 15-part series. Once they determine their wants and needs, individuals...

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...

After completing an online activity about the Mayflower, scholars draw a picture about what they know of the Thanksgiving holiday, including a one-sentence summary. A reading of If You Were at the First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma is...

First graders engage in this interesting series of lessons about community. They view images of communities of people working and playing together, and come up with their own piece of artwork that reflects their sense of community at...

Everyone gets frustrated from time to time. You may not be able to control the way you feel, but you can definitely learn to control the way you act in times of frustration. A helpful activity on self control encourages your class to...

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...

James Berry's poem, "What Do We Do With a Difference?" launches a activity that asks class members to consider the ways people respond when they encounter someone different from themselves. After analyzing the poem and discussing how...

Eleanor Roosevelt leads the drive to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To begin a study of universal rights, class members create a definition of a right and compare it to the 1947 version. They then investigate Eleanor's...

A case study enables class members to confirm whether different geographic parts of Seattle, Washington have disproportionate environmental burdens and benefits. Groups use the EPA's Cumulative Health Impact Analysis formula and...

Middle schoolers practice techniques they can use to get safely out of uncomfortable situations involving peer pressure. One activity engages class members in role-playing two scenarios; the first modeling negative peer pressure, while...

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,...

Looking for resources that use restorative practices to build a positive school community? Then check out this 92-page lesson plan guide that provides background information on restorative practices, suggestions for how to implement a...

A "Magic Minute" activity asks class groups to develop a commercial to advertise a way to turn a time-waster into a time-saver. Ad groups begin by brainstorming time-wasters and then problem-solve was to turn them into time-savers. After...

As part of a study of US Presidential elections, class members track the history of an issue in the 2020 campaign. They create a timeline to determine if there are any patterns, if ideas about the issue have evolved, or if in issue is no...

Photographs from the freedom movement in Selma, Alabama serve as the basis of two Socratic Seminars. Class members prepare for the seminars by closely observing the images, form a hypothesis, and use evidence from photo to support a...

Activist, feminist, and labor organizer Dolores Huerta are perhaps best known for her work with Cesar Chavez to create the United Farm Workers. Class members explore primary source documents to learn more about this Medal of Freedom winner.

Should Turkey be admitted to the European Union? Before debating this question, class members research the background and stated purpose of the EU, read articles of Turkey's bid to become a member of the EU, and the concerns other...

What is a caucus? Why is Iowa's first? Why did Iowa shift to the caucus format? After researching these basic questions, class members debate the question of whether or not Iowa should maintain its "first in the nation" status for caucuses.

Planning on using primary source materials? Introduce your class members to SOAPS, a worksheet that models how to analyze and reflect on primary source materials. Readers name the document, identify the subject (S), the...

Is the expansion of American corporations abroad a good or bad thing? After examining the global operations of Ford Motor Company, McDonald's, and Walmart, class members are asked to evaluate the impact of globalization and...

Combat hate online by bringing it into the light. Begin by giving learners a quiz, then lead a discussion based on the issues the quiz brought up. As a class, develop strategies to confront online hate. Assign different venues to groups...