TeachersFirst's Resources Related to Difficult Conversations
As teachers, we frequently tackle uncomfortable subjects in the classroom, but polarizing public conversations or events in the news can sometimes make these subjects downright difficult to discuss with students. The resources in this collection will give you ideas on how to start and facilitate tough conversations about topics like inequality, injustice, and politics sensitively while still accomplishing learning goals. You’ll also find lessons and activities to encourage respectful conversation, inclusivity, empathy, and understanding.
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Twinkl
Grades
K to 5
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Twinkl, reviewed here is a website that provides educational resources for teachers and parents. They have partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment...more
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Twinkl, reviewed here is a website that provides educational resources for teachers and parents. They have partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment to create Spider-Man (C) activities that take children on a fun journey through the Spider-Verse as they learn and play alongside well-loved characters Spider-Man, (C) and Spider-Gwen, (C) A free membership is required to download these resources.
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tag(s): comics and cartoons (55), creative writing (124), game based learning (199), interactive stories (21), writing (324), writing prompts (61)
In the Classroom
Engage students by introducing your Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen tasks with the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse official trailer at the bottom of the page. Discover activities for learners aged 5-16 years. Fuel your student's interest with these entertaining, curriculum-aligned, Spider-Man activities! Use one of the writing prompts for a creative warm-up activity. Play interactive games on computers as a part of daily station rotations. Free downloadable activities include occupational therapy, fine motor skills, writing prompts, reading comprehension passages, interactive games, and math activities.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Your Roadmap for Teaching Controversial Issues - iCivics
Grades
K to 1
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iCivics, reviewed here, offers a series of five teaching guides, a PowerPoint presentation, and short videos sharing guidance and inspiration on addressing...more
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iCivics, reviewed here, offers a series of five teaching guides, a PowerPoint presentation, and short videos sharing guidance and inspiration on addressing controversial topics in any classroom. Create a free account to view and download the Teacher Guides. The videos are available without registration. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): difficult conversations (57), professional development (386)
In the Classroom
Use the materials provided by iCivics as part of your ongoing professional learning on discussing controversial topics in the classroom. Each teaching guide includes tips and information on choosing subjects, teaching strategies, and more. As you learn how to facilitate productive dialogue and gather additional resources, use Wakelet, reviewed here to curate and share resources. Find many additional resources on the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page - Resources Related to Difficult Conversations, located here.
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Project Ready - UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science
Grades
K to 12
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Project Ready provides twenty-seven teaching modules focused on improving relationships and instruction to multicultural youth. The curriculum focuses on educating youth services library...more
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Project Ready provides twenty-seven teaching modules focused on improving relationships and instruction to multicultural youth. The curriculum focuses on educating youth services library staff on how to amplify multicultural works. It provides strategies for improving library programs and services for urban youth, Indigenous youth, and children and teens of any color. Included in each module are videos and audio examples focused on the topic. Begin with the Curriculum Guide, from the right menu "Pages," to understand the organization of the modules and the thought process toward creating the cycle of instruction.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (172), difficult conversations (57), diversity (39), native americans (111), racism (79)
In the Classroom
Project Ready's modules are designed for use by individuals or small groups. Although this content is directed at library services, the information is invaluable for anyone who works with youth. Follow the curriculum for your personal growth or as a grade or content-level peer group. Completing all of the modules requires an extended time period; in fact, it might be helpful to use for professional development over two years instead of one school year. If you and your peers don't have time to complete all of the curricula, consider choosing individual modules based on your desired professional development goals and school needs to study as a group or for your own personal development.
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Critical Media Project - Alison Trope
Grades
3 to 12
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The Critical Media Project incorporates critical thinking skills and empathy into lessons for students aged eight through twenty-one, raising crucial awareness of social issues such...more
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The Critical Media Project incorporates critical thinking skills and empathy into lessons for students aged eight through twenty-one, raising crucial awareness of social issues such as race, ethnicity, and individual identity. Many exercises incorporate modern culture examples, including TV episodes and YouTube videos. Explore the available lessons by selecting particular topics or use the site's curated playlists to view media sequences covering many focused issues. Be sure to check out the DIY Activities area of the Critical Media Project that contains many different ideas for extending learning. Lessons are aligned to Common Core Standards.
tag(s): bullying (48), cultures (179), difficult conversations (57), disabilities (31), identity (29), racism (79)
In the Classroom
Discover the many ready-to-go, short, focused activities found on this site during any lessons on social issues and current events. Each lesson features discussion questions, after class discussions ask students to share their thoughts using an online blogging tool such as edublogs, reviewed here. Have students include information and links that reinforce their ideas. For older students, use Perusall, reviewed here, as a collaborative tool for sharing and discussing issues and ideas in online articles.
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Promoting A Sense Of Self: Experiences And Activities - Virtual Lab School
Grades
K to 1
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Learn how to support and encourage children by understanding anti-bias teaching methods that recognize and support individual student needs with this self-paced professional development...more
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Learn how to support and encourage children by understanding anti-bias teaching methods that recognize and support individual student needs with this self-paced professional development lesson. Learning activities include embracing diversity, multiple social identities, and embracing character through understanding the six pillars of character education. This lesson also includes strategies for strengthening family relationships and ideas for developing student interests through short and long-term projects.
tag(s): bias (27), bullying (48), character education (78), difficult conversations (57), diversity (39), identity (29), professional development (386)
In the Classroom
Share this lesson with your peers to use as a learning opportunity or review the included ideas to support students' identity and awareness of others' diversity. Consider sharing a link to this article with parents to help them develop skills for discussing character issues and diversity at home. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to share this article with parents and curate other information from a variety of resources to support and provide education with dealing with character education issues at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LGBTQ History and Why It Matters - FacingHistory.org
Grades
10 to 12
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Examine history through the lens of LGBTQ people and events with this lesson provided by FacingHistory.org. Challenging students to consider their current knowledge of history, students...more
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Examine history through the lens of LGBTQ people and events with this lesson provided by FacingHistory.org. Challenging students to consider their current knowledge of history, students participate in reflective and analytic activities that provide insight into experiences not included in typical historical narratives. This lesson includes printable exercises for students, along with suggestions for teaching strategies and extension activities.
tag(s): bias (27), civil rights (203), difficult conversations (57), sexuality (15)
In the Classroom
This lesson plan includes many excellent activities and resources that work well as a stand-alone lesson or to incorporate into your current history units as a supplement to provide a new perspective that highlights bias, gender, and civil rights issues. Discussing LBGTQ issues may lead to difficult conversations in the classroom; use this lesson to provide factual information within current history lessons. This site includes a variety of ideas and descriptions of teaching strategies that work well with any lesson. Be sure to bookmark this page to use as a reference for strategies to incorporate within many of your current units. One strategy mentioned is the use of exit cards as a reflective response or class discussion. Learn more about incorporating exit tickets as an authentic learning activity by viewing the archive of the July 2021 OK2Ask webinar, Measuring Authentic Learning Activities with Exit Slips, reviewed here. Consider sharing this lesson with your school's guidance counselor to use when counseling students who are dealing with identity or gender issues.
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'Interrupt The Systems': Robin DiAngelo On 'White Fragility' And Anti-Racism - Ari Shapiro/NPR
Grades
9 to 12
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NPR's Like Kit series shares this article and audio from a recent podcast featuring a discussion with author Robin DiAngelo. DiAngelo shares suggestions for white people with specific...more
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NPR's Like Kit series shares this article and audio from a recent podcast featuring a discussion with author Robin DiAngelo. DiAngelo shares suggestions for white people with specific ideas on how to reflect upon their racism. Other recommendations include tips on how to educate yourself by engaging in resources created by people of color. This article contains many links to supplemental information, including books and a 21-Day Habit Building Challenge.
tag(s): authors (106), bias (27), character education (78), civil rights (203), difficult conversations (57), racism (79)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other resources to discuss racism, bias, or when addressing difficult conversations in the classroom. Use a curation tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to share and discuss articles, videos, and online information. As students research and learn more from other authors, help them organize information using Webnote, reviewed here. Webnote is a virtual sticky note (think notecard) taking tool similar to the the physical sticky notes and can be used in place of 3X5 cards used for notetaking by hand. Use Webnote to keep a list of authors and articles, jot down big ideas, and compare suggestions for making positive changes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Whiteness Project: Millenials in Dallas, Texas - Whitney Dow
Grades
9 to 12
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The Whiteness Project features a series of interviews with millennials from Dallas, Texas. The short video interviews share their understanding of their whiteness. At the end of each...more
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The Whiteness Project features a series of interviews with millennials from Dallas, Texas. The short video interviews share their understanding of their whiteness. At the end of each interview, a statistic providing context is shared to encourage the viewing audience's self-reflection. View all of the statistics used on the site by selecting the data link at the top of the page.
tag(s): character education (78), civil rights (203), cross cultural understanding (172), cultures (179), difficult conversations (57), empathy (33), racism (79)
In the Classroom
The Whiteness Project provides a unique and interesting resource for introducing and discussing difficult topics in the classroom, including racism, prejudice, bias, and empathy. Share this site with students and provide them time to listen to some of the conversations and the provided statistics. Encourage students to choose one statistic as a starting point for additional research. For example, one piece of data shared is the number of adults who have two or more races in their background. This provides a starting point for researching race in your community, state, or in the country. As students complete research, ask them to share their findings in a multimedia presentation using a tool like Sway, reviewed here, to add graphs, charts, images, and video that support their findings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Code Switch - National Public Radio (NPR)
Grades
9 to 12
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Code Switch is an NPR podcast featuring conversations about race that air several times each month. The podcast includes a wide variety of topics ranging from politics to sports and...more
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Code Switch is an NPR podcast featuring conversations about race that air several times each month. The podcast includes a wide variety of topics ranging from politics to sports and much more. The podcast hosts include award-winning journalists from a variety of races to share their perspectives on current issues. Podcasts range in length from approximately 20 minutes to just under one hour. Each podcast link includes a transcript, download link, and embed code.
tag(s): black history (131), character education (78), difficult conversations (57), native americans (111), racism (79)
In the Classroom
Include this podcast as a resource for lessons on racism, bias, or when facing difficult conversations in the classroom. Be sure to sign up to listen to the newest podcasts on your favorite resource and scroll through the archives to find relevant recordings beginning in 2016. As students listen to podcasts, use Google Slides, reviewed here, to create a reflective document for students to share important information from the podcast along with any questions or information for further research. Use the podcasts as a model for students to create their own podcasts on any topic. Search ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, to find many tools to help students develop interesting podcasts including rubrics, podcast tutorials, and a lesson plan for teaching with podcasts. When students are ready to record and share their podcasts, Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is a free podcasting tool that provides options for scheduling broadcasts, adding chapters, and much more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SpeakUp! - Martie Gillin
Grades
5 to 12
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SpeakUp! is a non-profit organization that provides resources to support teens in their social emotional learning while developing positive relationships with adults. Their programs'...more
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SpeakUp! is a non-profit organization that provides resources to support teens in their social emotional learning while developing positive relationships with adults. Their programs' focus is on encouraging teens to have supportive conversations that help teens deal with any issues. Register for upcoming programs or learn how to become a SpeakUp! school. Be sure to check out the link to the site's resources that includes helpful guides with contact information for help with many different topics, including suicide, drug abuse, bullying, and more.
tag(s): bullying (48), cyberbullying (40), diseases (67), drugs and alcohol (28), eating disorders (6), sexuality (15), social and emotional learning (100), social media (48)
In the Classroom
Share the resource guides with parents and students on your class website to use when facing any of the covered topics. Use Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to curate and share helpful guides for parents and students within one collection. As you and your class discuss problems that face teens, ask students to use Canva Edu, reviewed here, to share what they learn. For example, have students create posters to display in the classroom that include the dangers of drug abuse and include tips for helping someone that displays signs of drug abuse. Ask other students to design and share infographics that include facts and figures discussing cyberbullying, along with suggestions on how to respond to bullies.
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Preparing Students for Difficult Conversations - FacingHistory.org
Grades
6 to 12
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This lesson provides a foundation for creating a safe and supportive classroom to discuss difficult issues. It is part of a larger unit based upon the shooting of Michael Brown ...more
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This lesson provides a foundation for creating a safe and supportive classroom to discuss difficult issues. It is part of a larger unit based upon the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the racial tension that followed the shooting. Although the focus is on Ferguson, easily use this example lesson with any other difficult topics. This lesson includes a video, student materials, and additional resources, including supplemental articles to use in discussions.
tag(s): civil rights (203), journalism (74), media literacy (108), racism (79), social media (48)
In the Classroom
As an introduction to the lesson, one of the activities is to ask students to brainstorm a list of teens' news resources and a list of news resources used by parents or older people. Use Microsoft Whiteboard, reviewed here, or IdeaBoardz, reviewed here to create and analyze your lists. Use the whiteboard tools to create lists, Venn Diagrams, and add notes to extend student reflections on different news sources. Turn the Know-Heard-Learned Chart included in the lesson into an editable worksheet to use as a collaborative document to record student understanding of any events' timeline.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Explaining the News to Our Kids - Caroline Knorr
Grades
K to 12
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This article uses age and developmental stages as guidelines for sharing ideas on approaching difficult topics with children. Without using specific issues, the author gives general...more
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This article uses age and developmental stages as guidelines for sharing ideas on approaching difficult topics with children. Without using specific issues, the author gives general guidelines for acknowledging children's feelings and methods for reassuring them that everything will be O.K. In addition to the general guidelines, this article also includes specific tips for addressing sexual harassment and social media for tweens and teens.
tag(s): emotions (49), parents (57), preK (269), social and emotional learning (100)
In the Classroom
Share this article with parents to use as a guide when talking to their child about any difficult topic. Consider creating a collection of articles using Wakelet, reviewed here, and share with parents to use at home. Be sure to keep the suggestions in mind for use in the classroom when addressing difficult subjects or as you address controversies that arise throughout the school year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Amaze - Ann-Kathrin Grebner, Michael Durgner, G Widschwendter, M Ardelt
Grades
5 to 7
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Amaze has animated videos providing factual and informative information about sexual development to adolescents aged 10-14. Their goal is to counter misinformation about puberty, sex,...more
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Amaze has animated videos providing factual and informative information about sexual development to adolescents aged 10-14. Their goal is to counter misinformation about puberty, sex, and sexuality while developing accurate representations of healthy body development and relationships. It is important to take note of ratings when viewing videos on Amaze. Green indicates videos appropriate for all young people and blue indicates videos suitable for those of the older range from 10 to 14 years old. Choose videos from the different categories or select favorite videos from the home page. Each video includes a "dig deeper" button with additional information for discussions. Be sure to check out the section for educators containing lesson plans for 5th and 6th grades, book suggestions, and other resources. Registration isn't necessary; however, it allows users to save favorites and create personalized video playlists. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): adolescence (12), difficult conversations (57), diseases (67), hiv/aids (15), sexuality (15)
In the Classroom
Be sure to follow suggestions for age appropriateness and have appropriate parental permission when using this site in the classroom. Share this site with school counselors and teachers of sex education. Use Amaze as a resource for discussions involving relationships, personal safety, and other teen and preteen issues. When appropriate, share a link to videos on your class webpage. Amaze is an excellent site to share with parents as they face difficult issues that arise during the teen years. Have students create personal blogs for their private reflection about these videos and discussions.Comments
I have used Amaze videos for 9th gradersLinda, IL, Grades: 9 - 12
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Coaching Boys Into Men - Futures Without Violence
Grades
4 to 12
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0 Comments
Coaching Boys Into Men is a prevention program for athletic coaches to teach young men healthy relationship skills and that violence doesn't equal strength. Tools include several downloads...more
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Coaching Boys Into Men is a prevention program for athletic coaches to teach young men healthy relationship skills and that violence doesn't equal strength. Tools include several downloads such as posters and step by step lessons to integrate into weekly training sessions. Be sure to click Tools on the top menu to find several "kits" for coaches.
tag(s): bullying (48), character education (78), difficult conversations (57), mental health (48), mentoring (6), school violence (10), social and emotional learning (100), social skills (22), sports (82)
In the Classroom
Share this program with your school's athletic coaches, physical education teachers, school counselors, and parents who coach athletic teams. Use the program locator to find nearby communities involved with the program. Invite a local coach to speak to young men in your school regarding healthy relationship skills. Extend technology use and student learning by having them create a newspaper featuring sports role models using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here.
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From Provocative to Productive - NewseumEd
Grades
4 to 12
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Turn uncomfortable, sensitive topic discussions in your classroom into a learning tool for developing critical thinking skills with NewseumEd's guidelines for helping you and your students...more
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Turn uncomfortable, sensitive topic discussions in your classroom into a learning tool for developing critical thinking skills with NewseumEd's guidelines for helping you and your students discuss issues respectfully. Topics like racial tensions, politics, and religion can become a classroom learning tool to teach the art of dialogue and to increase respectful public speaking, confidence, engagement, and listening skills. Read and use the four guidelines: confidence in your content, respectfulness of your participants, asking questions, and encouraging debate, and be the best the facilitator you can be. You must be a registered NewseumEd member to access this resource; however, membership is free.
tag(s): character education (78), debate (42), difficult conversations (57), listening (93), speaking (26)
In the Classroom
Have this lesson handy when a controversial or contentious subject emerges. You just never know when that will happen, but you can run with it if you prepare using these NewseumEd guidelines. Share them with students, so they will understand what they need to do to participate successfully in a discussion or debate. Are there no issues at hand? Try finding one using Code Switch, reviewed here. At Code Switch find award-winning journalists from a variety of races to share their perspectives on current issues. Try giving students a choice! Show them several subjects and use Dotstorming, reviewed here, to comment and vote on topics for the discussion. Use the opportunity to hone students information literacy skills by reviewing how to evaluate and cite sources. Once they have researched their topic, and are ready to discuss, use a tool such as Thinkalong, reviewed here, to practice their discussion and argument strategies. With older students, a next step might be to take the debate public using Virtual Debate, reviewed here, which has online examples and resources for conducting virtual debates.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Radio Rookies - WNYC Public Radio
Grades
8 to 12
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Radio Rookies offers programming created by teens for teens to help in coping with the challenges of teen life. Scroll down the home page to browse through recent episodes and ...more
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Radio Rookies offers programming created by teens for teens to help in coping with the challenges of teen life. Scroll down the home page to browse through recent episodes and articles featuring difficult topics such as abuse, dating, and dealing with peers. Become a part of Radio Rookies by downloading the DIY Radio Rookies Toolkit here, featuring ideas and information for sharing your own story. Be sure to check out the features of the toolkit for videos and tip sheets with ideas for using Radio Rookies as a teaching tool. Please note - many topics discussed on this site are sensitive, and not necessarily appropriate for your class. Be sure to preview any broadcast before sharing with the class.
tag(s): adolescence (12), behavior (45), difficult conversations (57), emotions (49), radio (20), social and emotional learning (100), social skills (22)
In the Classroom
Be sure to include this site on your class webpage for students to access both in and outside of class as a resource for hearing how peers handle difficult teenage issues. Share a link with parents as a resource for them to use with their teen. Remind parents to PREVIEW! Be sure to share with your school's counselor as an excellent tool for use when working with students. Listen to episodes together with your class, and then have cooperative learning groups create podcasts discussing specific issues found in your school or classroom. Use a tool such as podOmatic, reviewed here. Before beginning the podcast, have students create a storyboard using a tool like Notepad, reviewed here. They will also need to develop a script and practice. Try using Typewrite, reviewed here, for students to write the script collaboratively. This tool allows groups to write together. All the tools mentioned in this review will augment classroom technology use.
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Go Ask Alice! - Columbia Health
Grades
7 to 12
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Go Ask Alice! answers participant-submitted questions on topics like alcohol, emotions, nutrition, relationships, and sexuality. Browse the recent Q & A category to find information...more
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Go Ask Alice! answers participant-submitted questions on topics like alcohol, emotions, nutrition, relationships, and sexuality. Browse the recent Q & A category to find information on emotional and mental health, relationships, alcohol, and more. Choose Fun Stuff to take several quick quizzes on sleep, stress, and nutrition. Stay up to date with the latest health news with resources located in the Health Info & Resources tab. This site includes mature discussions of sexuality, alcohol, and drugs so it is important to preview all information before sharing with students.
tag(s): adolescence (12), difficult conversations (57), drugs and alcohol (28), mental health (48), sexuality (15)
In the Classroom
Use Go Ask Alice! as a resource for teen health classes. Share the link with parents as a valuable resource for answering difficult questions related to teen health. Share with your school's counselors for use as a tool when discussing health issues with students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Iris the Dragon - Gayle Grass
Grades
K to 6
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Iris the Dragon offers children's books to educate young children on mental health and wellness. The site has several FREE, downloadable e-books. There are other materials and offerings...more
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Iris the Dragon offers children's books to educate young children on mental health and wellness. The site has several FREE, downloadable e-books. There are other materials and offerings advertised on the site, but no purchase is needed to obtain the free e-Books. Topics include ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, School Anxiety, Anger, Worry, and more. Raise student awareness and empathy levels for differences in people inside and outside of class. A few e-books are also available in French. Fill in the simple form with your name, books desired, and how you plan to use the books. (No email address is necessary, but can be provided if you want email updates from the website.) There is no "wait" period. E-books are available for immediate use.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): adhd (28), aspergers (7), autism (15), difficult conversations (57), ebooks (43), empathy (33), french (75), mental health (48), social and emotional learning (100), Special Needs (53)
In the Classroom
Download books from Iris the Dragon for use in mental health lessons or to address specific classroom concerns. Use books as a read-aloud and display on your interactive whiteboard or projector during class meetings. Again, use the books to raise student awareness and empathy levels for differences in people inside and outside of class. Print and laminate books for use in guided reading lessons. Share this site on your class website for students (and parents) to read together at home. You may want to use the books in conjunction with the Empathy video series at Big Ideas Video Series, reviewed here.
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Daniel Tigers Neighborhood - The Fred Rogers Company
Grades
K to 1
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Join four year old Daniel Tiger, Mom Tiger, Dad Tiger, and Tigey in games, videos, and printables. Topics explore socio-emotional themes: sadness, anger, and bedtime anxieties. There...more
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Join four year old Daniel Tiger, Mom Tiger, Dad Tiger, and Tigey in games, videos, and printables. Topics explore socio-emotional themes: sadness, anger, and bedtime anxieties. There are also activities about doctor visits, music, exploring around the house, daily health routines, riding the trolley through the neighborhood and more. The collection of videos has many different segments from the television series. Don't miss the printables.
tag(s): dental health (14), difficult conversations (57), disabilities (31), emotions (49), preK (269), social and emotional learning (100)
In the Classroom
Use this at a center, or a way to start difficult conversations about feelings or situations. Share the interactives or videos on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Use the printables for students to create their own adventures for Daniel Tiger. Have your class create an adventure for Daniel Tiger. Put the stories into a class book. Take this idea to a new level, and create your own "neighborhood" in your class. Each student can add their own experiences with podcasts, videos, or writing. Have students create podcasts using a site such as Spreaker, reviewed here.
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Frank - FRANK
Grades
6 to 12
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Frank is about the facts and dangers of drugs use. This realistic view of drugs' effect on the body and on a person's life is a fresh (and "frank") approach ...more
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Frank is about the facts and dangers of drugs use. This realistic view of drugs' effect on the body and on a person's life is a fresh (and "frank") approach to the topic. Sections of the site include how to react to pressure to try drugs and what to do if you believe a friend is experimenting with drugs.
tag(s): difficult conversations (57), drugs and alcohol (28)
In the Classroom
Use this site as part of a science or health class on drug and health related topics. Share this site in a collection of links for students to reference when researching such topics. Have students role-play a video or create a talking avatar on how to resist peer pressure to try drugs. Use a tool such as Voki, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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