Timely resources to help K-12 educators encourage social responsibility and foster social & emotional learning. Find out more.
TeachableMoment Lessons
Featured Lessons
A rich collection of resources to bring Morningside's Culturally Affirming SEL Wheel and greater focus on equity to your classroom and school.
In honor of Teacher Appreciation week, Morningside Center offers this Circle-based lesson as an invitation for students and Circle keepers to reflect on the impactful teachers and “teachers” in their lives; what lessons were learned; and ways they’ve passed this learning forward.
Spring is a natural time for transformation, for embracing new beginnings while shedding those attitudes or mindsets that no longer serve us. It’s also an ideal time to consider the changes in our lives and their impact. In this lesson students reflect on change, grief, and loss through a scrawl wall, a circle, and building a collective playlist.
SEL & RP
Activities to support students' social and emotional learning and restorative practices
Current Issues
Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news
Tips & Ideas
Guidance and inspiration to help build skills and community in your classroom and school
Filter TeachableMoment Lessons By:
This lesson, which requires two class periods, aims to help students understand why people come out, and the impact coming out can have on both a personal and societal level.
Student readings explore the morality and legality of President Obama's controversial "kill list" and consider arguments for and against drone warfare. Questions for student
Students come up with a working definition for democracy, then watch and discuss an animated short on the Citizens United Case. Homework prepares students for a liberal vs
Students consider opposing views about taxes and wealth, analyze charts about wealth distribution, and decide how they think wealth should be distributed.
Two student readings (with discussion questions) examine the historical development of the boycott as a tactic used by both progressives and conservatives, and recent boycotts
TeachableMoment marks the 50th anniversary of Michael Harrington's influential book with a series of readings and discussion questions for high school students. In Part II
In the wake of the tragic killing of the Florida teen, two student readings examine the controversy surrounding Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law and the wider gun control debate.
Students consider American consumption of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas; learn about new methods of extracting these fuels; and discuss their pros & cons.
Two student readings, with discussion questions, provide an overview of Harrington's book and consider the state of poverty in the U.S. now.
Filter TeachableMoment Lessons By:
The 2016 election has caused anxiety among many students, as well as a surge in bullying and harassment in many schools. We provide suggestions for supporting students and
Students consider the history of "dog-whistle" politics and whether the current campaign season marks a break from the past practice by making racial references overt.
Instead of stepping in to resolve a student's problem, try simply paraphrasing the student's point of view. Sometimes this is all it takes to calm a student down so that they can
Our students do circles once a week on our special Friday schedule. I haven't run any of them because I am teaching at that time. I've seen them done very well, but in some circles
This activity has students step into the shoes of voters whose views they may not agree with - and roleplay a dialogue.
We've experimented with different circle sizes, and I believe there is such a thing as too big a circle. What do you think is an ideal size for circles?