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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In small groups and in a fishbowl discussion, students consider how race affected the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin.
This activity aims to facilitate classroom discussion of President Obama's remarks on July 19 about race and the Trayvon Martin case.
Some initial suggestions for educators regarding the Trayvon Martin case.
In this interactive lesson, students consider the issue of internet privacy, both in their own lives and in society, including government spying, parental monitoring, and corporate
Edward Snowden's leak of classified information about the NSA's surveillance of American citizens has touched off a debate about the need for government secrecy versus the public’s
Students reflect on the school year through a guided visualization, Circle, and community-building activity.
Students explore how the growing power of Latino voters improves chances for comprehensive immigration reform and consider some of the economic benefits of immigration.
Environmentalists passionately opposed to a giant pipeline that would transport crude oil from the tar sands of Canada to the Gulf coast are going head-to-head with proponents of
NBA player Jason Collins recently became the first openly gay athlete in a major American team sport. In this activity, students read some of Collins' coming out statement, discuss
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Students are often stumped when it comes to finding a resolution to a conflict beyond saying “I’m sorry.” To get over this hump, encourage students to take two additional steps
Students explore why it is important for people to be able to tell their own stories and relate that to Black History Month.
Collected lessons for teaching Black History Month, primarily for high school and middle school.
Students explore two forms of nonviolent protest, strikes and boycotts, using as case studies the strike by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and the #DeleteUber campaign, both in
Students learn about and discuss the U.S.'s existing policy for vetting refugees and what happened to refugees after President Trump signed an executive order temporarily
This lesson explores Trump's immigration ban and the protests and other actions that followed using photos, tweets, and headlines.