Overcoming Obstacles
Problem Solving at Home
The final lesson in the "Problem Solving Module" focuses on finding creative solutions to problems that might arise at home. Individuals then create a storyboard that illustrates how they would apply the six-step problem-solving process...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Campaign
The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...
Nebraska Department of Education
Stress and Coping
Life can be stressful. Class members fill out T-charts identifying stressors associated with school, parents, friends, and life then list coping strategies that can help with each category.
Curated OER
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is an important topic to address with middleschoolers. Here, learners take an active role in identifying and discussing this issue. Reviewing this resource with your class will help to equip them to be a part of the...
Curated OER
Puberty/Adolescence, Day 2: "Who AM I? Where Am I Going?"
A great unit! There is a lot of content that is personal so make sure you have created a safe zone in your classroom before doing this lesson. It will have much more meaning if your learners share their life with others in the class....
Visa
Money Matters: Why It Pays to Be Financially Responsible
What does it mean to be financially responsible? Pupils begin to develop the building blocks of strong financial decision making by reviewing how their past purchases are examples of cost comparing, cost-benefit analysis, and budgeting.
Visa
Make It Happen: Saving for a Rainy Day
Every little penny counts, especially when it comes to saving for emergencies or long-term goals. Pupils evaluate different saving and investment strategies, such as a CD or money market account, through worksheets and by...
Curated OER
Puberty
Introduce the topic of puberty. This presentation breaks it down into bite-sized pieces: physical changes, mental changes, emotional changes, and social changes. There is some basic information in each section, which hopefully opens it...
Curated OER
Consumerism Scavenger Hunt
In this social studies worksheet, students discover how to be an informed consumer by first reading 10 questions pertaining to marketing, advertising and purchasing choices. Students use Internet searches to find the answers. There are...
Social Media Toolbox
Twitter Time
Tweet all about it! Junior journalists explore the Twittersphere to determine its effectiveness as a news broadcasting tool in the 12th installment of the 16-part Social Media Toolbox. Participants follow and record their observations of...
Social Media Toolbox
Cyberbullying
What can we do to make our school community more aware of cyberbullying? From The Social Media Toolbox, lesson 10 of 16 takes on the tough topic of bullying. Learners research cyberbullying through online research, then create an...
Curated OER
Drug and Alcohol Awareness
Fourth graders examine the statistics when it comes to teens and drug and alcohol abuse. In groups, they research the side effects of four different drugs. Using the information, they perform a skit, or puppet show to share their data...
Baylor College
Body Mass Index (BMI)
How do you calculate your Body Mass Index, and why is this information a valuable indicator of health? Class members discover not only what BMI is and practice calculating it using the height and weight of six fictitious individuals, but...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to the Works of Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Middle school years can be tough. An educator's guide for the works of Lynda Mullaly Hunt introduces readers to two texts that discuss the struggles pre-teens face during middle school. Chapter-by-chapter questions and activities for two...
Curated OER
Live By the Gun, Die By the Gun
Students view a PBS "In the Mix" video about handgun violence and gun safety laws. They participate in a discussion about the video, speculate about the causes of gun violence and its prevalence in the U.S. and identify current gun laws.
Curated OER
Boomers Assess High School
Students examine drug and alcohol abuse by American teens. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Boomers Assess High School", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and...
Curated OER
Minority Teenage Fathers: Rights and Responsibilities
Students examine current laws and use problem solving activities designed to develop in students the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate situations they may/ be confronted with as potential teen-aged fathers.
Curated OER
Stick Your Neck Out
Students research stories of teens who care using a website embedded in the lesson. In this character education lesson, students read about students who performed philanthropic acts and discuss the projects that most influenced them.
Curated OER
9-11: Looking Back...Moving Forward
Students watch and discuss a video about teens living in and around New York and how 9-11 changed their lives. They answer discussion questions, read and discuss newspaper/magazine articles, take a self-test on depression, and create a...
Curated OER
Stick Your Neck Out
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students investigate the "Giraffe Heroes Project" and read about service works that teens have completed.
Curated OER
A Journey to Paradigm Shifts Guided Through the Lives of Gandhi and King
The students read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Through this study the students will learn what paradigms are, and how to distinguish whether the paradigms they have established in their lives are positive or...
Curated OER
Journey to Synergy on the path of Gandhi and King
Students explore the concept of synergy. In this peace and tolerance instructional activity, students read sections of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Covey and then discuss how Gandhi and King mastered the art of synergy....
Curated OER
Family Law - Domestic Violence
Students take a closer look at domestic violence. In this family law lesson plan, students participate in a classroom simulation that requires them to define domestic violence and students then discuss teen dating violence. Students make...
Curated OER
CLOSE TO HOME - Overboard
Students read a comic about a teen drug overdose that leads to death. For this drug awareness lesson, students role play characters in the story that react to the death of their friend due to drug use in an online forum. Students...