US Institute of Peace
Nonverbal Communication
What is your body saying that maybe your words aren't? Scholars explore the vast world of the subtle, and not-so-subtle, nonverbal communication cues through group and individual work. Lesson seven in a series of peacebuilding exercises...
Teaching Tolerance
Collage of Concerns
A picture can speak louder than words. An interesting lesson introduces the themes of social justice and diversity to young learners by having them create artwork. Scholars create collages from a variety of sources to showcase what...
Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating Constructively
Some types of verbal communication are just more difficult that others. High schoolers engage in a series of activities that are designed to help teens make difficult conversations easier and more effective.
PBS
No Slip Grip
The force will be with you during an inquiry-based lesson focused on friction. Young scientists explore the effect of different surfaces on friction. They use rubber bands to measure the amount of force needed to move an object on the...
Thoughtful Learning
Understanding the Parts of the Brain
A mini-lesson explains the role the parts of the brain play in thinking and learning. Scholars discover why feeling safe, calm, and connected is essential to learning effectively.
Holly Middle School
Leadership 101
A four-week leadership class is designed to help scholars develop the skills they need to become effective leaders. Pupils study the habits of highly effective people and apply these concepts to leadership. They investigate paradigm...
Facing History and Ourselves
Protesting Discrimination in Bristol
Using the Bristol Bus Boycott as a case study, class members examine the strategies and levels of power protesters used to effect change. The two-day lesson concludes with individuals reflecting on the actions they might take in face of...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Costs and Benefits of Belonging
Peer pressure and the desire for acceptance are powerful things. A thought-provoking lesson plan looks at the positive and negative effects of wanting to belong to a group. Class members examine the roles of the perpetrator, the victim,...
Nemours KidsHealth
Self-Esteem: Grades 6-8
It would be lovely if we all had mirrors that told us were were fabulous. Alas, such devices designed to boost self-esteem have yet to be invented. However, there are activities that can prove effective. Two activities in a four-page...
Curated OER
Health: Emotional Effects of Segregation
Students examine the emotional effects that African Americans experienced in the 1960's and make a connection between segregation and racism. In this segregation lesson plan students divide into groups, discuss the movie then complete...
Curated OER
Social Issues Facing Children
Students examine the issues facing children in society. In groups, they participate in a simulation to discover the lack of connection between child-support and how it affects the children and society as a whole. To end the lesson,...
Overcoming Obstacles
Working In Teams
Working in teams can be a challenge but also offer many rewards. Developing the skills necessary to work effectively in teams is the focus of the third lesson plan in the Getting Started Module designed for middle schoolers. Participants...
Overcoming Obstacles
Preparing for Tests and Exams
Avoid donuts on test days! Teach your classes how to prepare for assessments, ranging from pop quizzes to major exams, with a lesson that helps scholars identify and practice effective test-taking strategies. Participants learn about the...
Overcoming Obstacles
Writing Reports and Presenting to an Audience
A two-part lesson introduces learners to a six-step process for writing and presenting oral reports. Participants learn how to select, limit, and research a topic, how to organize their notes, draft and revise their reports, and practice...
Sacramento Country Day School
7th Grade Character Development Workshops
Be proactive. Begin with the end in mind. Synergize. These are just a few strategies outlined in Sean Covey's ground-breaking best-seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. With a series of five character development workshops...
Health Smart Virginia
Effective Communication Skills
As part of a review of concepts taught in the Health Smart unit, individuals fill out a chart contrasting passive, assertive, and aggressive behaviors. They then practice their assertiveness skills by craft "I" messages and responses to...
University of North Carolina
Symbols and Words of Hate
This resource is structured with exercises that ask class members to explore hate symbols and hate speech. Learners examine the historical significance and harmful effects of these words and symbols, examine the First Amendment and...
Curated OER
EMOTIONS AND GENDER EQUITY
Pupils discuss emotions and decide as a group which emotions are O.K. for males/females. They discuss solutions to gender bias in terms of the different emotions and write a reflective essay about what they learn from the discussion.
Curated OER
Feeling Faces
Students explore their feelings. They listen to poems for emotions and complete the basics feelings activity sheet.
Curated OER
Feelings From A to Z
Third graders express and interpret information and ideas. They identify a variety of feelings and their effect on people. They explain how someone's actions can cause someone else to have a specific feeling.
Curated OER
Protest Music Video
Young scholars use iMovie to express the meaning and context of a protest song from the '60s or '70s. They explore different views of the protest movement and gain an understanding of the emotional and political overtones of the times.
Queen's Printer for Ontario
Evaluating Wartime Posters: Were They Good Propaganda?
"Back Him Up!" Scholars will analyze how World War I posters displayed, on the home front, often attempted to stir up emotions. As they examine the different ways people used propaganda posters during the war, they will create their own...
Curated OER
The First World War
Students examine the process and effects of World War I on different segments of the population, beyond the political, diplomatic and military framework of the war. They analyze the memoirs of soldiers, read poetry of the time, and...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Stressed Out Sally
Life changes may cause stress. Here, scholars identify stressful situations in a peer's life and offer coping skills to make for a better day. A short story, "Stressed Out Sally," provides pupils with a look inside a bad day. After...