Establishing Opening and Closing Routines
These opening and closing classroom routines will set a welcoming tone, allow students to connect with one another, and encourage goal setting.
![Two students in conversation while looking down at a laptop computer.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/NewEngland_ClassroomImage_2017_FH256365.png?h=2992ba0a&itok=w8q-uOp9)
Activities for the First Days of School
These first-week-of-school activities create welcoming learning environments that prioritize care, relationships, and community.
![Students sit around a table working on a big paper activity while receiving feedback from an educator.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-06/ClassroomImage_StudentDiscussion_FH287359.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=jnyJGnz9)
Back to School: Building Community for Connection and Learning
These back-to-school activities and teacher resources will help you lay a foundation for a reflective and caring community at the start of the school year.
![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/LA_ClassroomImage_2018_FH287148.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=lbbZPe6H)
Power, Agency, and Voice
Designed for students in grades 11-12, this text set includes lesson plans and multi-genre texts for a 1–2 week unit exploring the essential question, "How do I empower myself to speak up and take action on behalf of myself and others?”
![Four students at their desks, working in a group.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Chicago_Classroom_2019_FH2101383.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=spLBW7yj)
Recommended Resources for Holocaust and Human Behavior
Find videos, lessons, and additional resources that build on the themes explored in Holocaust and Human Behavior.
![Picture of student talking to teacher.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-09/facing-history-sf-drew-bird-a-148_for_Web_or_Office_Use.jpg?h=c9f93661&itok=-q1XhJhT)
Current Events in the Classroom
Explore classroom resources for making connections between current events and your curriculum, including activities and discussion strategies for high school and middle school students.
![A student speaks while another listens attentively.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-09/2019_classroomimage_nametagsremoved_FH2109026.jpeg?h=06ac0d8c&itok=xuOv2CjU)
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)
Exploring Identity in Literature and Life
Students explore the complexity and fluidity of identity, both in the world of the text and in their own lives.
![Two female students engage in classroom discussion.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-10/San_Francisco_California_Classroom_2017_%20FH152796.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=hd8COz_6)
Exploring the Moral Universe of Setting
Students explore the concept of "moral universe" and consider how time and place influence our identities, sense of belonging, and moral decision-making processes.
![Black male teacher assists student in classroom.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2022-10/Somerville_Classroom_2017_%20FH256547.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=I2Ope0Bp)
Making Contemporary Connections to Literature
Students draw connections between social issues that the author explores in the text and their impact on our world today.
![Two female students work together at their desks.](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-07/Somerville_Massachusetts_Classroom_2017_%20FH256803.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=74WEpHMh)