TeachableMoment Lessons

SEL & RP

SEL & RP

Activities to support students' social and emotional learning and restorative practices

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Current Issues

Current Issues

Classroom activities to engage students in learning about and discussing issues in the news

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Tips & Ideas

Tips & Ideas

Guidance and inspiration to help build skills and community in your classroom and school

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SEL & RP
Social & Emotional Learning & Restorative Practices
Current Issues
Current Issues
Tips and Ideas
Tips & Ideas

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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.

Students interview and learn about one another.

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.

A critique of the PBS miniseries on nuclear weapons.

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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?  

Consider giving students a few moments of silence and calm by asking them to focus on an object. If students respond positively to the experience, repeat it.