Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Eighth Grade
Middle schoolers are likely very familiar with the concept of bullying and cliques. Discuss their experiences and brainstorm ways to handle peer conflict and feelings of exclusion with a poem that focuses on bullying, and a second lesson...
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
Incredible Encouragers
Learners observe and demonstrate how to use and give positive encouragement to their teammates and opponents. They read and discuss a list of positive sayings, then during a P.E. game, students earn Incredible Encourager stars when they...
Curated OER
Self-Esteem Activity
Students create a classroom atmosphere that is so positive that even the most discouraged or most shy student feels empowered to participate. They discuss positive and negative words and internal and external locus of control.
Curated OER
Positive Futures Fair
Students, in groups, research an issue they feel is significant in today's world. They present and justify specific actions for the audience to take that would help to better the issue of public concern.
Curated OER
I Feel Angry or Sad When...
Students identify inclusive procedures for activities. For this social skills lesson, students perform skits that illustrate inappropriate as well as appropriate classroom behavior.
Curated OER
What Can I Do?
Students identify feelings and learn how to handle conflict. In this character education instructional activity, discuss what to do when a friend is feeling sad and develop positive ways to handle negative feelings.
Curated OER
Reflective Journaling
High schoolers write to influence positive change. In this service learning lesson, students reflect on their service learning experiences as they journal about sharing their time, talent, and treasures. High schoolers share their...
Curated OER
Game Related Social Skills
Most of us like to play games, but knowing what to do when a game doesn't go the way one expects is a learned skills. Adolescents with behavioral disorders practice responding to a variety of situations that arise during game play. They...
Facing History and Ourselves
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Masks, a pandemic, remote learning, and isolation; scholars reflect on the past school year and consider what positive things they would like to see continued in the current school year and what negative things they would like to...
KindAPUSH
The Jungle Document Exercise
Go with your gut! Scholars read excerpts from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and record their initial feeling from the reading as strong positive, positive, neutral, negative, or strong negative. They then discuss how their responses...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Ingredients of a Relationship Recipe
An eye-catching hook makes a smart analogy between ingredients for a food recipe and ingredients for quality relationships. Scholars discuss and list qualities they feel contribute to positive interactions. Pupils create a recipe card...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Relationships…Going Up While Growing Up
The final activity in a series of five that focus on developing the interpersonal skills required to develop and maintain positive relationships asks class members to identify their best friend-making skill. Individuals share these...
Physics Classroom
Dots and Graphs
Scholars demonstrate understanding of kinematic graphs through matching dot graphs to position time graphs, dot graphs to velocity graphs, and a mixture of the two. If users feel stuck or confused, a Help Me! button offers an explanation...
Physics Classroom
Universal Gravitation
Are you feeling weighed down by your current gravitation presentation? Assign a hands-on interactive instead! Physics scholars work through a series of progressively harder questions about mass, distance, and gravity using an online...
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...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Extending the Number System
Don't feel negative about negative numbers. Individuals extend their knowledge of positive numbers and fractions to rational numbers. They see how to represent negative rational numbers on a number line, learn about opposites and...
Health Smart Virginia
Building Self-Esteem and Self-Image
The ninth lesson in the Health Smart series is designed to get high schoolers to understand the factors that make them feel the way they do about themselves, their bodies, and their self-worth. Pupils watch a video about teens and body...
Social Skills Central
Ready, Set, Respond!
When faced with a difficult situation, do you respond selfishly, face it head on, or ignore the problem? This game encourages learners to evaluate the wide range of reactions we can have to problematic situations, and how our responses...
Healthy-Weight-Loss-Help.com
Your Motivation and Goal Setting Worksheet
Set your health and fitness goals the write way! With this journaling activity, your class will determine health and fitness goals specific to their individual needs, consider why and how they will work to achieve their goals, and...
Curated OER
What About Fighting?
What are the positive and negative consequences of violence? Elementary and middle schoolers discuss how some see violence as the answer to resolving conflicts. They identify the positive and negative aspects to using violence, and ask...
Curated OER
Animals in the Media
Sure to activate young minds, this resource asks learners to consider how media influences their personal points of view. Pupils examine how animals are portrayed in the media to understand why they feel the way they do about those...
Curated OER
Ordinary People: Guided Imagery
After reading chapter six of Ordinary People with your class, conduct this activity with your class. Turn the lights down, put on your softest voice, and have them try to imagine that they lost a close friend. Then, encourage them to...
Curated OER
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Bio Poem
Get to know your learners on a deeper level or invite them to step into someone else's shoes by introducing them to a bio poem. With this type of poetry, scholars will answer questions such as self-description, hopes for the future, and...