In this lesson children will be asked to make a graph, then listen to a story. After the story, they will do a similar graph and then compare the two graphs.
Our age-appropriate classroom lessons and activities for grades K-12 aim to deepen your students' understanding of September 11 and develop their critical thinking skills. The guide, written by Morningside Center executive director Tom Roderick, also includes recommended books and other teaching ideas.
Students write and perform a skit or monologue that brings awareness to a specific issue addressed in the text.
MLB starting pitcher Adam Wainwright talks about what it takes to succeed in the major leagues, the dangers of choosing to use drugs and alcohol.
How to use our resources:
1) Watch a dynamic video featuring a powerful, personal story
2) Discuss the video in a group using provided discussion guides
3) Engage in deeper learning through fun, interactive activities that reinforce the concepts from the video.
In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT, students learn about and discuss renewed calls for gun control and the National Rifle Association's history of successfully resisting such reforms.
Agree or Disagree? asks students to demonstrate their argumentative and comparative writing skills.
Having been personally affected by drug abuse, singer songwriter Ally Burnett learned early on the consequences one person’s mistakes can have on an entire family. After completing the Ally Burnett worksheet, encourage students to share their natural highs by having them hashtag #LiveNaturallyHigh on their social media accounts.
How to use our resources:
1) Watch a dynamic video featuring a powerful, personal story
2) Discuss the video in a group using provided discussion guides
3) Engage in deeper learning through fun, interactive activities that reinforce the concepts from the video.
By marrying his love of music and building things, Andy Powers of Taylor Guitars followed his passion, making custom guitars for musicians like Taylor Swift and Jason Mraz. After completing the Andy Powers worksheet, encourage students to share their natural highs by having them hashtag #LiveNaturallyHigh on their social media accounts.
How to use our resources:
1) Watch a dynamic video featuring a powerful, personal story
2) Discuss the video in a group using provided discussion guides
3) Engage in deeper learning through fun, interactive activities that reinforce the concepts from the video.
In this Animating Civic Action lesson, from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Washington State Governor's Office of the Education Ombuds, students listen to the story of Jared, a student experiencing homelessness. Students are asked to examine what it means to be homeless, to identify how homelessness affects people and to and to consider ways they can act to take action against homelessness in their school community.
In this Animating Civic Action lesson, from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, students listen to the story of Esther, a student refugee, about her experience in school. Students are asked to examine what it means to stereotype others, and to consider ways they can act to make their community more welcoming and inclusive.
Often throughout American history former refugees rise to be community leaders dedicating their lives to helping others. Refugees often overcome key obstacles including language and culture to become important activists addressing social and political problems. Refugees offer key perspectives on the application of civic virtues and human rights. In this lesson students will hear from three refugee students about their experiences. Then, students will be asked to:Identify and describe obstacles student refugees encounter while assimilating at school.Identify reasons why refugees go on to develop a strong sense of civic duty and desire to give back to their communities. Research and identify ways they can take civic action to build a better community.
Students will build empathy to be “helpers” and make a difference in the lives of others through consideration of two questions: How can we listen effectively to better understand people’s stories, and how can we respond to and communicate effectively to peoples’ stories? Students will then propose opportunities to take action to improve our community response to support all students and their communities.
Juggling a professional golf as well as a modeling career, Anna Rawson was so busy being focused on her natural highs she didn’t have time to give drugs a second thought. After completing the Anna Rawson discussion questions, encourage students to share their natural highs by having them hashtag #LiveNaturallyHigh on their social media accounts.
How to use our resources:
1) Watch a dynamic video featuring a powerful, personal story
2) Discuss the video in a group using provided discussion guides
3) Engage in deeper learning through fun, interactive activities that reinforce the concepts from the video.
Are You Convinced? asks students to demonstrate their argumentative and evaluative writing skills.
Students produce original art (visual art, music, drama or poetry) that conveys an anti-bias or social justice message. Students then plan a public showcase of their work.
Beau Bokan decided early on that drugs would not bring him happiness and success. The lead singer of blessthefall resisted peer pressure and rose above his neighborhood. After completing the Beau Bokan worksheet, encourage students to share their natural highs by having them hashtag #LiveNaturallyHigh on their social media accounts.
How to use our resources:
1) Watch a dynamic video featuring a powerful, personal story
2) Discuss the video in a group using provided discussion guides
3) Engage in deeper learning through fun, interactive activities that reinforce the concepts from the video.
Beautiful Language asks students to demonstrate their narrative skills when writing to gain the understanding of others.
During this lesson, students will reflect on the ways they have experienced or participated in bias based on physical size and appearance—and will discuss how society’s expectations about body image and appearance affect people. Students build on their media literacy skills as they examine media images for messages that consciously and unconsciously affect attitudes and behaviors toward others. Finally, the class will explore ways to get beyond appearance as a dominant force in their social lives.Note: This lesson has been adapted with permission from the original created by GLSEN for its program, No Name-Calling Week.
The Berkeley Unified School District has pioneered garden education since the first school garden was planted at LeConte Elementary in 1983. This single garden inspired many others, and over the next twelve years it evolved into a multi-school Gardening and Cooking Program with annual support from a federal grant of $1.9 million from the California Nutrition Network. We lost this funding in 2013, along with many other nutrition and garden education programs, at which point we refocused from a nutrition-based program to one that supports teachers and students in the academic classroom.
This change encouraged us to develop a pilot curriculum in 2013–1014, with support from teachers, garden educators, and consultants from the Edible Schoolyard, Berkeley. Our team of experts gleaned from existing lessons and research to synthesize drafts to best fit our own school gardens. We rewrote the pilot lessons with input from our school communities and with incredible support from P. Rachel Levin, an English Language Coach, to develop academic and health targets accessible to all of our students.
The curriculum builds upon many years of educating our students in the garden and scales up content across grades and lessons for instructional scaffolding. It is designed as an interactive teaching tool to be co-taught with classroom teachers and garden instructors as leads. Each lesson connects directly to standards: Next Generation Science, Common Core State, Physical Education, and Environmental and Health Education. Our concise and easy-to-follow lessons are a packed 45 minutes for preschool through fifth grade. Flexibility is important to us, so some lessons include several activities that teachers can choose from to accommodate their lesson plans. Consistency is also important, so we follow themes and lesson structure found in the Curriculum Map.
Bethany Hamilton, professional surfer, talks about how surfing has helped her to stay naturally high. She shares how adversity has made her stronger and how gratitude has helped her face new challenges.
How to use our resources:
1) Watch a dynamic video featuring a powerful, personal story
2) Discuss the video in a group using provided discussion guides
3) Engage in deeper learning through fun, interactive activities that reinforce the concepts from the video.