Curated OER
Those Tear-Me-Apart, Put-Me-Back-Together, Never-Be-the-Same-Again Blues
Young scholars discuss what it might be like to be the new person in a group, choose the correct words for an apology, learn a vivid instructional activity about how unking words can hurt others, and write a paragraph to explain what...
Curated OER
Dance: Personal Soundtracks
Students create a musical autobiography. In this fine arts lesson, students explore the emotions that music can express by listening to and discussing a variety of music. Students construct a personal timeline and a collection of music...
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
Drugs Awareness
Peer pressure can lead to dangerous activities for the eighth graders in your class. Prepare them for the tough conversations in the years ahead with a set of lessons about drugs and their consequences on users' lives.
Health Smart Virginia
Mental Health/Social Emotional Skills
Looking for social-emotional resources? Check out this seven-page packet that includes activity and lesson ideas, as well as links to information resources that support the social and emotional development of tenth graders.
Health Smart Virginia
Stepping Up to Depression and Suicide
Health Smart provides a lesson that shows middle schoolers how they can step up and help someone exhibiting self-harming behaviors. After learning the signs and symptoms of depression and suicide, teams research local resources...
Curated OER
Tough Boris Lesson Plan
Students practice their expressive voices. In this Tough Boris lesson plan, students read the story by Mem Fox, discuss feeling, and use their own voice to express emotions.
Learning for Justice
Beauty is Skin Deep
If you are in need of a lesson on tolerance or the impact of media, this plan could be useful. The class begins with a brainstorming session in which they reflect on their own experiences with bias based on appearance. Next, they...
Curated OER
Real Life, Your Life: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
Students discuss the topic of body image. In this body image lesson, students view a few people's body image thoughts and discuss how to help their people. Students then write a poster and pretend press release, explaining to people...
Curated OER
If I Wasn't Me, What Would I Be?
Students use their metacognitive skills to complete a self-worth and self-concept activity. In this self-worth instructional activity, students finish a sentence about what else they would like to be and then explain why they would want...
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
What is Health?
Many indicators of health are beyond a teenager's control, but there are many changes they can make in their daily life that can improve their health. Middle schoolers think about their physical, social, and mental health status before...
Curated OER
Little Me in a Big World: Ants
Students use the life cycle of an ant to learn about their own self-esteem. In this self-esteem lesson, students read books about ants and discuss obstacles from the stories as well as the ant behavior.
Curated OER
Self-concept / Esteem
Students evaluate parenting roles and responsibilities. They examine the responsibility of parents to help promote good self-concept in their children and the importance of a child's self-esteem and ways to help a child feel good about...
Curated OER
Prescribing Beauty
Students explore self image. In this personal health instructional activity, students watch "Prescribing Beauty," and discuss what beauty is. Students develop beauty questionnaires and complete them.
Curated OER
Reshaping Body Image
Students view images and write responses based on their impressions. In this body image lesson, students brainstorm how body image is influenced culturally and participate in a small group discussion on these influences. Students view...
Advocates for Youth
Who Am I and What Can I Do?
Knowing yourself is a great start to getting through high school! A series of activities introduce individuals to the rest of the group as they share their backgrounds, their interests, and their goals in life.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
My Life—My Mental Health
Between peer pressure, an onslaught of hormones, and brand new responsibilities, the teenage years can be emotionally volatile. Equip young adults with coping mechanisms and a safe place to discuss their feelings with a guided lesson...
Curated OER
Art as Therapy
Students explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.
Curated OER
Take a Look in the Mirror: What Do You See?
Students examine their perceptions of themselves. In this personal health lesson plan, students participate in a classroom activity that requires them to describe themselves and share those descriptions with their classmates. Students...
Health Smart Virginia
Tinkle Times
The big idea in the last instructional activity in the Health Smart series is that individuals must practice emotional first aid, that just as we take care of physical injuries, we must take care of emotional injuries. Scholars watch a...
Flag House
Play Well with Others…Be Active Against Bullying!
Bully-free is the way every school should be! How can you help create that kind of culture in your school? A well-written teacher's guide containing lessons for grades 6-8 may be just the ticket. Each unit, separated by grade level,...
Curated OER
2 Cubed
Students recognize the many kinds of knowledge we all have. They develop recognition and foster self-esteem. They log on to SparkTop.org and play 2 Cubed, an online trivia game that they play one-on-one with an opponent. They identify...
Curated OER
Being Old
Students examine the characteristics of being a senior citizen in today's society. In groups, they develop a list of stereotypes associated with senior citizens. They use the internet to research their financial situtation, proper...
Curated OER
Goals, Goals, Goals
Students list the benefits of goal-setting. They describe the steps in a goal setting process. Students practice all the steps of the goal-setting process. They have an opportunity to observe how goal setting can improve performance and...
Curated OER
Relationships for Students in Middle School
Boundaries are important in relationships, no matter how close the relationship is. Middle schoolers explore the ideas of boundaries and personal space with two units about relationships. After discussing the boundaries in their own...