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Description: Common Sense Education is a hub of resources specially designed to support digital learning. The section on social/ cultural literacy connects educators to different resources for lessons, activities, books, and discussion boards.

Link: https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/social-and-cultural-literacy-resources-for-classrooms#Civic%20Engagement,%20Activism,%20and%20Social%20Justice

Lesson Idea:

At the beginning of the year, or when needed, teachers could use the resources from Common Sense Education to support a lesson focused on classroom culture and positive team building. In the opening of the lesson, a teacher could use a text from a list linked in the resource to introduce the idea of cultural differences while gathering information of students' background knowledge on the topic. Following the read aloud, the teacher could faciliate a discussion where students share some of the cultural traditions and beliefs. The class could propose questions to other students to learn more about a culture that is different from theirs. This lesson could stem off into several lessons and activities on cultures from around the world.

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Social and Cultural Literacy Resources for Classrooms | Common Sense Education

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A best-of-the-best collection of resources for social justice- and equity-focused educators.

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Description: Edutopia presents a helpful YouTube video to support teachers in building supportive learning experiences for their students. This video explains the importance of students creating connections with their peers in order to feel accepted and safe in their classroom.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6niuYToam4

Lesson Idea: After watching the linked video, teachers could faciliate more intentional community meetings or team building activities. In sharing about themselves and solving problems together, students can make connections with their peers. The stronger the connections are, the more comfortable students will be in their classroom and the more learning, academically and socially, they can do. Teachers can revisit the same activities over the course of a school year to show the students how the have strengthened their team work skills.

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Description: This video could be watched by both teachers and students. Young learners define culture in their own words.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-P3wm1Fvv4

Lesson Idea: This video could be used by teachers when planning a lesson to anticipate what prior knowledge students may have on the topic of culture. Teachers could ask students what culture is and have them discuss it with a partner. After hearing from multiple groups, the teacher could play this video and ask the students if they agree with what the students said. The class could then share any aspects that they know of their own cultures or any questions that they might have.

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What Is Culture, According to Kids?—Milton Hershey School

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This website provides four tips for cultivating civic engagement with students. The tips focus on helping students connect not only to their own community but to the world around them.

Link: https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-develop-students-civic-engagement-skills/

Lesson Idea: Teachers could read this article and find which of the four tips listed would best support their classroom in developing a sense of civic engagement. One of the tips discussed focusing on a school's own community. Students could take a walk in their community and identify a problem or just a change that they would like to make. Then students could conduct research on that problem/ change and see if it has been done in other places. Students can use that research to help create their own plan. In forging positive connections between students and their community, the quality of life in a given area could increase greatly.

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4 Ways to Develop Students’ Civic Engagement Skills

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When students study policy-making, they can have conversations about education policy and engage more deeply in their communities.

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Description: This website can help teachers make a large topic like civic engagement relatable and attainable to elementary aged students. It discusses the importnace of students being good citizen and how that idea can translate to civic engagament.

Link: https://youth.gov/youth-topics/civic-engagement-and-volunteering

Lesson Idea: During the holiday season, many classrooms/ school participate in food, toy, and jacket drives. Sometimes younger students do not understand why they are giving things away. It can be hard for them to wrap their minds around other kids not being able to have what they have. Using this resource, teachers can first introduce the idea of being a good citizen. The class can discuss their community, laws, and what it means to help others. Once students gain that understand, they can translate that idea to volunteering and giving back to their community. As students get older, they can address civic issues and become act participants in their community and potentially, the world.

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Civic engagement involves “working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.”…