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 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?
Students consider how the Republican and Democratic Parties have evolved over time — and whether a new 'realignment' is happening today.
After a quick quiz, students learn about the candidates' tax proposals and discuss our nation's complex and contentious tax policies.
Updated: The presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on October 9, 2016, raised some important but difficult issues about sexism and sexual assault. In this
Using tweets, video and a poster, students review the history of the Black Lives Matter movement, consider criticisms of it, and examine the movement's policy goals.
This is our third year using circles as part of our middle school after-school program. We've had some powerful experiences in circles and it's really helped strengthen our
Are the candidates telling the truth? Students learn tips for fact-checking and research campaign issues they're most interested in.
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has added momentum to a remarkable wave of protests by athletes against racial injustice and police killings. Students discuss tweets about the
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By examining and discussing text, tweets, and images, students consider why a caravan of people are leaving their homes in Central America and heading north.
This lesson invites students to examine reasons why Americans may not vote, both in the past and in the present. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the struggle for
A new UN report on climate disruption points to the need for immediate action. In this lesson, students discuss the report and what kind of response it requires.
Young people are suing the U.S. government over climate change, and their case comes before federal court on October 29, 2018. In this lesson, students examine the suit, read the
This lesson considers various statements by President Trump about immigration, and invites students to examine the facts on both sides.
2018 is the 50th anniversary of a landmark protest at the Miss America beauty pageant. The protest was part of a new period of feminist activism—one with renewed significance in


