First Chapter Fridays
Read aloud a chapter of a book your students are interested in to build community around stories and storytelling.
![Person sitting on the floor while holding a book.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/personholdingbook_2017_FH2174436_teaser.jpeg?h=84071268&itok=8vuJsWXh)
Compass Points
Students get an opportunity to give feedback about the class and communicate their needs and worries.
![A person holds a compass in their hand with the ocean in the background.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/personholdingblackandwhitecompass_FH2174435_teaser.jpeg?h=5dfb68b6&itok=-Xaib-Ey)
Exit Cards
Students share how they are feeling, what their needs are, and what goals they’d like to set in an exit card.
![A person holds a glass door open with a backpack over one shoulder.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/manholdingglassdoor_2017_FH2174434.jpg?h=d8832164&itok=qp7RoHxk)
What’s In a Name?
Students explore the relationship between our names, identities, and the societies in which we live.
![A pile of "Hello my name is" nametags and sharpie markers sit on top of a desk.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/nametags_2018_FH2174433.jpg?h=881f65d3&itok=7hpJX7aW)
Frame a Special Item
Students identify an object that holds special meaning and learn about each other by sharing the stories of these special items.
![A person holding a rectangular white photo frame near a body of water.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/personholdingwhitephotoframe_FH2174431.jpg?h=85ee10f1&itok=FI7scKNp)
Envisioning Our Classroom Space
Students analyze a poem in order to determine the qualities of a classroom community where members are seen, valued, and heard.
![Two students look at each other in conversation. One student is also taking notes.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/ClassroomEvent_2018_%20FH287178.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=CX7H4ckw)
The Power of Representation: Patsy Takemoto Mink, Shirley Chisholm, and Kamala Harris
Use this mini-lesson to help students learn about the groundbreaking careers of Patsy Takemoto Mink and Shirley Chisholm and to consider the significance of Vice President Kamala Harris’s election.
![Kamala Harris being sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/USA-Biden%3AInauguration_2021_FH2143511.jpg.JPG?h=790be497&itok=4KIchZQ-)
Create a Toolbox for Care
This mini-lesson invites students to think about the “tools” they have access to during the coronavirus pandemic that can help them take care of themselves, others, and their wider community.
![Rock with the phrase "free like a bird" painted on it](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/Kindness_Rocks_Project_near_Bochum.jpeg?h=9debdb27&itok=IMHNDeTT)
Haitian Migrants at the US–Mexico Border
This mini-lesson uses images and firsthand accounts of Haitian migrants to humanize the events happening at the US–Mexico border and give shape and nuance to the news.
![A group of adult and children migrants from Haiti stand in line to regularize their migratory situation.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-06/HaitianMigrantsinTijuana_FH2178689.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=84nyyZXu)
What Is Our Obligation To Asylum Seekers?
Help students understand how the United States’ complex asylum process works. Invite them to consider the question, who has an obligation to asylum seekers?
![Image for What Is Our Obligation To Asylum Seekers?.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/AsylumSeekers_RTX71YVX_teaser_0.png?h=24afd704&itok=v1j7-Aw5)