Timely resources to help K-12 educators encourage social responsibility and foster social & emotional learning. Find out more.
TeachableMoment Lessons
Featured Lessons
In this lesson students examine New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration speech to learn what a speech can reveal about a leader’s values, priorities and vision for democracy—and how a speech can shape how people see themselves and others in a community.
26 prompts with accompanying graphics, providing you with enough opportunities for connection and engagement for every weekday in a month (and a few extras!).
Six classroom activities focused on sharing appreciations and gratitude that you can use this month, or anytime!
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
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The international scandal has raised profound questions for the citizens of our country. Our introductory lesson on the prisoner torture issue includes a student reading and
A look at the basic elements of democracy and freedom and how they have developed and at the effort to introduce democracy and freedom in Iraq.
Several brief case studies that raise questions about civil liberties in the wake of 9/11, followed by suggestions for classroom discussion.
Students work individually to create a "cultural banner" expressing values, traditions, and activities important in their families.
Working in small groups, students categorize coping strategies as positive, negative, neutral, and time-out behaviors.
A document-based question exercise has students examine differing views on what motivates terrorism by Islamic fundamentalists.
Readings and activities on wartime threats to civil liberties, the history of such threats, and the Constitutional basis for civil liberties.
In a talk at the recent Educators to Stop the War Conference, ESR Metro executive director Tom Roderick reflects on the creativity of teachers during these trying times.
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This listening circle on the tragic shooting in Orlando on June 12, 2016, gives young people a chance to share what they are thinking and feeling, encouraging mutual understanding
In this brief Teachable Instant classroom activity, students find out about the Libertarian Party candidates on the 2016 presidential ballot, and discuss where libertarians stand
Can you imagine your public school being renamed "Coca-Cola High"? This lesson has students think critically about the trend toward corporate branding of public spaces and consider
A student at Dartmouth College touched off a successful national campaign to get the Library of Congress to stop using the term "illegal aliens" to refer to undocumented immigrants
In this lesson, students learn about the controversy over new federal guidelines aimed at ensuring that "transgender students enjoy a supportive and nondiscriminatory school
A major strike by workers at Verizon offers a teachable moment: Why do people join unions? Why do they strike? And why are they now striking Verizon?