Timely resources to help K-12 educators encourage social responsibility and foster social & emotional learning. Find out more.
TeachableMoment Lessons
Featured Lessons
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.
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.
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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This usually happy season may also bring up negative feelings for some students--perhaps because of family tensions or divisions, health problems or financial stress. It's
Two student readings describe the origin of the gerrymander, its likely effects following the 2010 elections, and efforts to reform redistricting systems. Discussion questions and
Three student readings examine Bush's recent statements about torture, the legal advice he received, and excerpts from the ACLU's recent request that Bush be investigated by the
Three student readings consider Iraq War documents released by WikiLeaks; the U.S. policies those documents call into question; and information on WikiLeaks and its leader, Julian
Two student readings and two supplementary readings explore the big banks' faulty paperwork, robo-signers, and freewheeling fraud, which have devastated the lives of millions of
Student readings and discussion questions explore 1) the growth of U.S. poverty; 2) multiple perspectives on the causes, effects, and proposed solutions of poverty; 3) the historic
Two student readings describe the history of the imprisoned activist and the human rights situation in China today. Discussion questions follow.
This two-part lesson for grades 5-8 is aimed at increasing students' understanding of homophobia. The first part focuses on personal experiences of our differences; the second part
In the wake of the suicides of six gay teens who had been bullied or cyberbullied, this lesson helps high school students consider the issue of cyberbullying and how we can make
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These guidelines provide helpful suggestions for discussing upsetting issues in the news.
In this circle activity, students share their thoughts and feelings about events in Ferguson and reflect on a quote about protest from Martin Luther King Jr.
In this brief activity, students share their thoughts and feelings about the grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer who killed unarmed black teen Michael Brown in
The world's richest 85 people have as much wealth as half the people on earth. Students develop graphics or concepts to demonstrate this extreme inequality, express their thoughts
In this lesson, students learn about a performance art piece by Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz that dramatizes her reactions to the handling of her campus sexual
This circle activity invites students to share their feelings about gratitude and to express gratitude for things large and small.