Positively Autism
"What to Expect on Mother's Day" Social Story
Not only does this social story tell kids what to expect on Mother's Day but it also offers an explanation for why we celebrate moms and includes suggestions for possible Mother's Day gifts.
Teaching Tolerance
Dismantling Racial Caste
It's time to end racism. The final installment of the series encourages scholars to consider what is needed to ended the racial caste system in the U.S. Young historians complete group discussion, written prompt, and a hands-on-activity...
Positively Autism
"What to Expect at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Holidays are less stressful if we know what to expect. Here's a social skills story that prepares learners with autism for the change in routines that holidays bring.
Teaching Tolerance
Identity Self-Portraits
What symbols represent you best? Individuals consider how they would draw peers using symbols about their identities with an interview and art activity. After conducting interviews and portraits, the art makes a great centerpiece for...
Teaching Tolerance
Listen Up! PSA for Change
Challenge scholars to speak up about a topic by creating a public service announcement or social media blitz about an issue they feel passionate about. Have them research their issues, then decide the best way to take their messages to...
Positively Autism
"Going to Church on Easter" Social Story
The social skills story, "Going to Church on Easter," lets kids know what they might expect and how they might be expected to behave at a church service.
Positively Autism
"Going to Visit Santa" Social Skill Story
Prepare learners with autism for a visit to Santa Claus with this social skill story that tells them what to expect, as well as explains how they should behave
Positively Autism
"Getting Presents at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Here's a social skills story about getting presents at Christmas. Not only does the story explain what to expect, but also details appropriate behaviors when opening and receiving gifts.
Positively Autism
"Visiting Family at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Holidays bring their own special joys and stresses. Prepare learners on the autism spectrum for Christmas family get togethers using this social story that not only lets them know what may happen, but also details how they should behave.
Positively Autism
"What to Expect on the Fourth of July" Social Story
The social story "What to Expect on the Fourth of July" not only lets learners with autism know what to expect on this very American holiday, but also explains what behaviors are appropriate when at a fireworks display or picnic.
Teaching Tolerance
Journalism for Justice
Roll the presses! Or at least have your class members participate in the time-honored tradition of the student press by creating their own newspapers or journalist pieces on a social problem. After conducting research and collaborating...
Teaching Tolerance
The War on Drugs—Mechanisms and Effects
The war on drugs doesn't have definite results. An interesting lesson plan examines the social, political, and economic effect of the war on drugs. Academics learn how the war on drugs has led to mass incarcerations and negatively...
US Institute of Peace
Organizations Working for Peace
We're all in this together! Show young scholars that peace is a process and having the support of like-minded people can make it happen. 13th in a series of 15 peace building activities, groups conduct research on a peace organization,...
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,...
Facing History and Ourselves
Taking a Stand: Models of Civic Participation
How does an individual take a stand for a principle or belief? what skills are required to do so? What are the challenges and risks in doing so? Class members study examples of individuals engaging in such activities and then identify...
DocsTeach
Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence
What exactly did the Founding Fathers declare? Elementary historians delve into the Declaration of Independence in a fast-paced activity. The resource provides text experts and guided questions to help academics analyze the intent of the...
DocsTeach
Inevitable Accident or Wrongful Act: Judging the Titanic Disaster
The unsinkable ship that sunk. Scholars review the case against the White Star Line following the tragic loss of life from the Titanic disaster. Academics read documents and organize them into arguments for and against the cruise line....
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Pearl Harbor Activity #5: The Medium Matters
Young journalists learn that how we get our news and information matters in a collaborative social studies activity. The class is divided into three groups with the first analyzing a transcript of FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech, the second...
Council for Economic Education
Athens and Sparta-Imagine the Possibilities
Both Athens and Sparta made choices to survive in ancient Greece. Those choices were, in essence, economic ones about how to direct resources. A Venn diagram activity and reading ask class members to examine the connection between...
Council for Economic Education
Wages and the Black Death
While the Black Death wiped out a third of Europe's population during the Middle Ages, its destruction paved the way for better wages for workers and even an early form of modern capitalism. The relationship between the cataclysmic event...
DocsTeach
Benjamin Franklin: Politician and Diplomat
Benjamin Franklin was many things: a scientist, businessman, diplomat, politician. Learners explore facets of the legendary figure with a matching activity. By matching primary source documents to their descriptions, they analyze the...
US Department of Commerce
Constitution Day
Give your Constitution Day celebration a timely slant by discussing the census! An activity that includes analysis of the Constitutional call for a census, along with scaffolded worksheets, help pupils understand the connection between...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Photograph of Clara Barton
Just who was Clara Barton? Using an archive photo from the National Archives, class members consider the legacy of the founder of the American Red Cross. The activity includes the photograph, along with prompts to help young scholars...
DocsTeach
Prequel to Independence
It's about time! Young historians use primary sources to create a timeline of events leading to American Independence. The fast-paced activity is designed to be used at the end of a unit on the Revolutionary War or as an assessment tool....