The key to cultural competence is learning about cultures around the world. The book Children Like Me sparks curiosity about different cultures. Youth make a simple keychain to represent the different cultures they can learn about with the key that helps them open doors.  

We define culture and explore the cultural traits of individuals and the group collectively.

What does it mean to live philanthropically with our “treasure”?  In what ways do we impact nature through purchasing decisions? Participants will develop their understanding of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility.  Through researching the ways companies engage in corporate social responsibility, participants explore the impact of individuals making purchasing choices based on environmental sustainability and ethics.

This secondary lesson explains what the U.S. Census is and why it is important for everyone. Every ten years, we count everyone who is living in the U.S., from babies to the oldest people. This gives our government a clear idea of who is using services and where we have growth or decrease in population. If we know who lives where, we can make sure to provide services, such as education, health care, public services, and food/housing in the needed places. 

This lesson explains what the Census is and why it is important for everyone. Every ten years, we count everyone who is living in the U.S., from babies to the oldest people. This gives our government a clear idea of who lives where and regions where we have growth or decrease in population. If we know who lives where, we can make sure to provide services, such as education, health care, public services, and food/housing in the needed places. 

Students learn how and challenge others to reduce waste based on observing habits in the lunchroom or in the classroom trash can.

Adapt this one-period lesson plan for your grade level and follow it with a simple and powerful service project for Earth Day. The reflection brings learning and service impact together. 

In response to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s challenge, we explore what it means to be the best with the talents you have. The learners practice listening and responding with respect. Everyone has something to give, and this lesson helps us respect and celebrate the contributions we all can make to peaceful and inclusive communities. Students internalize "I matter in my communities." 

Students gain empathy and use language to describe the mixed feelings that come with being new to a community. They watch and discuss video clips and compare character traits. Then they read a book and discuss how the book guides them to welcome new students to the classroom as the year progresses. As a service, they create coupon books for new students to use to get to know classroom routines and people.

At the beginning of the year we get to create our classroom community. We get to decide how we will learn and grow and play with each other for the rest of the year. This is a new beginning for all. As we start to decide what kind of classroom community we are going to be, we begin by thinking about the importance of the words we use with each other.