The New York Times
Making Do: Learning and Growing Through Adversity
What is it that makes people keep going when they face challenges in life? Ask your class to consider this question in relation to their own experiences and as they read material from The New York Times. Using personal experiences and...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Challenge of Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias makes it difficult to overcome our preconceived notions of others. That's the big idea in a activity that teaches learners strategies to recognize and question their biases.
Curated OER
Oral History
Use oral history as a way to help learners develop communication skills. They interview a trusted adult about their life as a young person, challenges they overcame, and what they are proud of. Learners are then interviewed themselves in...
Facing History and Ourselves
Hardship and Hope: Teaching Amanda Gorman's "New Day's Lyric"
Class members come together to study Amanda Gorman's poem "New Day's Lyric." After a close reading of the poem, learners watch a video of Gorman reading her poem, and then craft additional lines for the poem where they offer suggestions...
Curated OER
Soil Runoff Challenge
Learners find ways to decrease soil runoff for an African Village as a part of a Peace Corps project. In this soil runoff lesson, students play a soil runoff challenge online. Learners complete online activities and view a slide show to...
Nebraska Department of Education
Resources and Barriers
The journey along the the road of life is filled with roadblocks and detours, but not every traveler is equipped with the same advantages. As part of a career study unit, high school freshmen analyze the resources used by someone they...
Curated OER
Navigating The Road to my Future
Some kids think that making a plan for the future is a cinch! Let them discover through peer work and discussion that the road through life isn't always an easy one. The activities and worksheets in this lesson provide them with an...
Penguin Books
Wonder in the Classroom
Would you rather be right, or would you rather be kind? A novel unit based on R.J. Palacio's Wonder focuses on the need to be kind to others and to accept their differences. As learners read the book, they discuss the themes of family...
Curated OER
It's A Challenge!
Students write a book review stating challenges the character faced and if they enjoyed the book. In this language arts lesson plan, students fill out a worksheet provided.
Curated OER
Working to Overcome Stereotyping
Students design and conduct a survey to develop an understanding of the challenges inherent in changing attitudes and overcoming stereotypes about the Muslim religion and culture. They create multimedia presentations of the findings.
US Institute of Peace
Making a Difference: Becoming a Peacebuilder
Being an agent of change is no easy task! What are some of the common challenges that peacebuilders face every day? The 14th portion in a series of 15 explores the lives of peacebuilders. Grouped pupils discuss these challenges before...
Curated OER
Obstacles to Perseverance
What does it mean to persevere. Young historians review the definition of perseverance then brainstorm a list of obstacles colonists and revolutionaries had to overcome during the American Revolution. Using this list, they identify...
Teach Engineering
Six Minutes of Terror
Help your class understand the design challenges when trying to land a remote spacecraft on a planet. Class members examine the provided information to understand how each component of a spacecraft is designed in order to safely land a...
Overcoming Obstacles
Stepping Stone Goals
Often the most challenging part of any journey is the first step, the getting started and figuring out where to start. Middle schoolers engage in a series of games and activities to learn the importance of setting short-term goals,...
Curated OER
Food Challenge
Students identify poor eating habits and create a plan to overcome them. In this eating habits lesson, students identify four eating habits they have and research the implications of poor eating habits. Students find healthy alternatives...
Curated OER
The Challenges Ahead
Students examine the physical obstacles that the Lewis and Clark expedition encountered on its journey. They report what challenges these physical obstacles might have posed. They review a modern-day map and explain if the obstacles...
EngageNY
Construct an Equilateral Triangle (part 2)
Triangles, triangles, and more triangles! In this second installment of a 36-part series, your young mathematicians explore two increasingly challenging constructions, requiring them to develop a way to construct three triangles that...
Scholastic
Lesson 2: Values and Barriers
Scholars investigate and discuss the importance of values and how they can be used to break barriers. Small groups work collaboratively to examine the text and draw inferences to answer questions. A writing assignment challenges pupils...
Curated OER
Physical Education: Mission Possible
Learners participate in a physical education activity, Mission Possible, where they attempt to steal a jug of jewels. They must successfully overcome five challenge areas to complete the activity. Students develop cooperative...
Journey Through the Universe
A Scale Model Solar System
Between the time scientists discovered Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet, it did not even make one full revolution around the sun. In two activities, scholars investigate scale models and their properties. Pupils find that it...
Curated OER
Developing Self Awareness.Community, and Exploring Personal Qualities
Older individuals just overcoming homelessness or drug abuse issues, engage in a practical lesson to boost self-awareness. They work through two hours of activities intended to aid them in gaining a self perspective while increasing...
Curated OER
We Can Win Too
Young scholars explore world history by illustrating an image. In this Mexican culture lesson, students identify the history of the holiday Cinco De Mayo and discuss the challenges the Mexican army faced. Young scholars illustrate a...
Curated OER
Willie and Friends: Overcomers in the Land Stories by Faith Ringgold
Students use puppets and plays to examine the role of African Americans throughout history. After being read a story by a puppet, they respond to each one in writing. Individually, they write a story about a place they have wanted to...
Carolina K-12
The Cold Within
“. . . one of the great challenges to humanity is acknowledging and overcoming a natural tendency to think less of and discriminate against people who are different from us . . .” Launch an examination of competition and cooperation, of...