Finding One's Voice
Through continued reflection on the short story “As You Were,” students consider the factors that impact power and agency in moments of decision-making and explore the possibilities and limitations of justice and reconciliation.
![Students engage in discussion in a San Francisco classroom.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/San_Francisco_Classroom_2017_FH152714.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=dM3u491J)
Brave Girl Rising: A Refugee Story
Created in partnership with Girl Rising, this lesson invites students to engage with the story of a young refugee and to consider the power of storytelling to spark empathy.
![Young woman in red in front of trees](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/shorthand_image140of143.jpeg?h=4dc35482&itok=7UScoCil)
Reflecting on the Danger of Silence
Students use Clint Smith’s talk “The Danger of Silence” to create “blackout poems” that express their ideas for how they can use their voices to empower themselves and others.
![Students engage in discussion in a San Francisco classroom.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/San_Francisco_Classroom_2017_FH152714.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=dM3u491J)
Summative Assessment: Agency and Action in the World Today
Create a culminating experience for your students where they identify and explain an example of individual or collective agency in the world today that inspires them.
![Two Black students write at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Memphis_Classroom_2018_FH288851.jpeg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=B45APPri)
Reimagining School after COVID
This mini-lesson asks students to reflect on how education has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and to propose changes they would like to see in schools when the pandemic ends.
![School hallway with lockers.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/iStock-1267107338_fullres_Medium_res.jpg?h=b5d63aee&itok=XtP85FT0)
Co-design Your Classroom with Your Students
This mini-lesson asks students to start the school year by designing their ideal learning space.
![Students move around the classroom in conversation with each other. One student looks directly into the camera with a smile on their face.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/ClassroomImage_LA_FH287162.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=ipY6dvE3)
Hardship and Hope: Teaching Amanda Gorman’s “New Day’s Lyric”
This mini-lesson invites students to analyze Amanda Gorman’s poem “New Day’s Lyric” and create a class poem about hope and collective action during challenging times.
![Amanda Gorman at the 2021 InStyle Awards At The Getty Center](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-08/GettyImages-1353568867_Medium_res.jpg?h=c9f93661&itok=kEYjOlqQ)
Use Poetry To Teach About Identity
Celebrate National Poetry Month with this mini-lesson that uses poetry to help students grapple with the complexities of identity and inspire them to tell their own stories.
![Zoomed in photo of student writing.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/118_Bully_Summit%2C_2012%2C_LA%2C_113_for_Web_or_Office_Use.jpg?h=7fb2964e&itok=xdupak2M)
Analyzing “Aha” Moments
Students identify pivotal moments when a central character learns something important about themselves, others, and their real or fictional world.
![Two students sitting at a table.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/SL_190523_0632.jpg?h=c11c9c1d&itok=qOwAMWt3)
Asking Compelling Questions
Students engage in meaningful discussions with their peers about a text while using text-based evidence to support their thinking and making real-life connections to what they're reading.
![Two students sitting in a classroom with one student talking and gesturing](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/Chicago_Classroom_2018_%20FH151349.jpg?h=c3635fa2&itok=DKqBQANg)
Create a Textual Lineage
Students consider the profound impact that the spoken and written word (as well as art and sound) can have on an individual’s identity and sense of self.
![A wide angle of a male student writing.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-07/facing-history-sf-drew-bird-a-056.jpg?h=f2fcf546&itok=cW2M4Jti)