by California Casualty | Educators |
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom
As we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we have the opportunity to teach students about Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights, and tolerance. We’ve curated a variety of videos, lesson plans, resources, and other activities to help you.
Videos
Martin Luther King, Jr. (BrainPop.com)
Martin Luther King Jr. – Pastor (History.com)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (History.com)
Montgomery Bus Boycott (History.com)
March from Selma to Montgomery (History.com)
Bloody Sunday (History.com)
King Leads the March on Washington (History.com)
Martin Luther King Jr. – House Bombing (History.com)
Separate But Not Equal (History.com)
Lesson Plans, Resources, and Activities
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Racial and Social Justice: A Curriculum for Empowerment provided by the National Park Service
A teacher’s resource guide that provides activities for students in kindergarten through eighth grade to explore the rich history of the civil rights movement and the persona of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This educational curriculum was developed by The Alonzo Crim Center for Excellence in Urban Education at Georgia State University. The curriculum focuses on building on students’ current civil rights knowledge and helping them to compare present-day realities to past struggles for justice in America and throughout the world.
The Spirit of Service by Scholastic
Curriculum-focused service lessons for grades 3–5 and 6–8. Teach your students about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and inspire them to “lead in deed.” Classroom-friendly resources, including videos, news articles, photographs, book lists, and lesson plans to support your Common Core work.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Standford University
The King Institute provides document-based lesson plans, online educational resources and professional development with emphasis on the modern African American Freedom Struggle. Our resources focus not only on King’s visionary ideas, but also the work of ordinary people who have made extraordinary contributions to liberation movements.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day classroom resources by PBS Newshour Extra
Examine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with lesson plans and videos. Use classroom resources to examine King’s impact on civil rights and his ongoing legacy with your students.
Observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by PBS LearningMedia
Join PBS LearningMedia in observing and celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with this special collection of resources related to Dr. King and his achievements.
Martin Luther King, Jr. lesson ideas by BrainPop
Teaching Tolerance by California Casualty
How do you observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the classroom? Drop us a comment!
by California Casualty | Educators |
Kelly is an NEA member and teaches highs school theater and drama. She strives every day to encourage her students to work hard and believe in themselves. Check out how she helped one student achieve his dream of a dance career.
by California Casualty | Firefighters |
Firefighters say that house fires increase in the winter months. Most the fire starters include food left on the stove, candles left near flammable items like decorations or curtains, or space heaters left unattended and close to flammable objects.
As firefighters respond to calls during cold weather conditions, it’s not just about fire and smoke in the structure, but staying attuned to what is happening as a result of snow, ice, freezing rain or wind. Maintaining situational awareness is essential.
• Pay attention to your surroundings at the scene, including your crew and the building structure.
• Proper ladder placement can be critical. With harsh weather conditions, be extra diligent.
The weather can also affect the drivers during the winter. 24% of vehicle crashes occur during rain, sleet, snow or fog, and slick pavement.
Keep this in mind when responding to accidents. The same conditions the accident occurred, weather-related, will also pertain to your experience. It’s essential to arrive at a scene quickly, but not worth risking your safety too.
Uneasiness increases when drivers hear sirens or see lights behind them. Their reactions are mostly stopping short in front of you or skidding into oncoming traffic, which may turn into another incident.
• Drive appropriately for the weather conditions.
• Remember that driving defensively doesn’t mean aggressively
• Always wear your seat belt.
Importantly, stay alert, drive smart, be safe and stay warm.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Teachers are some of the sickest people I know. And I don’t mean the modern slang definition of “sick” as in “super cool” (although teachers are really cool). Because of the nature of our jobs, we are prone to illness, both physically and mentally.
When we have a physical illness, like bronchitis or the stomach flu, we take sick days to recover. Mental health issues are no different. If we don’t take time to address our mental well-being, work performance suffers, and the unaddressed illness can worsen. Treat your mental well-being as you would your physical health.
When Should I Take A Mental Health Day?
According to Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and author of “How to Know When to Take a Mental Health Day” (Psychology Today, July 2017), there are a few instances when you should seriously consider taking a mental day:
- When you’re distracted by something you need to address
- When you’ve been neglecting yourself
- When you need to attend appointments to care for your mental health
What Do I Say To My Administrator?
Simple: “I don’t feel well enough to come to school.” No need to lie or make up an excuse. Just be honest.
What Do I Do On My Day Off?
Don’t sleep all day or spend hours watching TV, these can exacerbate any mental issues that may be going on. Instead, connect with friends or family, go for a walk, read a book, or take a short nap. If needed, take care of any pressing financial matters or accomplish important tasks you’ve been putting off.
Are Mental Health Days Considered Personal or Sick Time?
It depends on your employer. Ideally, mental health should be considered a health issue, just as a physical illness. However, many employers still don’t see it that way. Ask your administrator what your district or building policy is regarding taking mental health days as part of your sick leave. If you can’t take a sick day, consider taking personal time.
I am lucky to have an administrator who is empathetic and allows, and even encourages, teachers to use sick time to take mental health days. He understands his teachers need to be in their best health in order to do their best job.
Taking a day off for you mental well-being is essential to your overall health. So, allow yourself to take a day to recharge and regroup.
References
Morin, Amy. “How to Know When to Take a Mental Health Day.” July 12, 2017. Psychology Today,
by California Casualty | Educators |
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Teaching financial literacy doesn’t have to be complicated! We’ve got you covered with a breakdown of teaching financial literacy and helpful resources to get you started.
What is Financial Literacy?
Financial Literacy is the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions regarding financial resources. It includes long-term planning skills and everyday use of personal financial literacy knowledge.
Why Should We Teach It?
Many young people lack the most basic of personal finance skills. Students are entering “the real world” with little or no personal finance skills. It is the job of educators to teach students to manage their money effectively. In many states, personal financial literacy is a required standard. However, it should be taught to all students, regardless of state requirements. Students who are taught financial literacy skills are more likely to become financially responsible.
What Should I Teach?
Here are some topics to get you started: budgeting, saving, investing, credit cards, loans, interest, identity theft and safety. You can find basic lessons for even the youngest of students.
Videos
Secret Millionaires Club – Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club is an animated series that features Warren Buffett as a mentor to a group of entrepreneurial kids whose adventures lead them to encounter financial and business problems to solve. The program teaches the basics of good financial decision making and some of the basic lessons of starting a business.
I Rule Money – I Rule Money gives teens the answers to questions about money in a voice they understand: their own. I Rule Money digs into important financial topics without lectures, boring scripts or complicated explanations. Just real teens explaining money matters to other teens in terms they can all understand.
Lesson Plans
Money As You Learn – Money as You Learn provides teachers with Common Core aligned texts, lessons, and tasks that connect the Common Core to real life applications while also equipping students with the knowledge needed to make smart financial decisions.
Scholastic – Adventures in Math: Real-world math and money activities for grades K-8.
EconEdLink.org – CEE’s standards-aligned, active learning lessons provide step-by-step instructions and make your classes educational, engaging and fun.
Hands On Banking – The Hands on Banking courses include free instructor guides with classroom lessons and activities that will help you guide students through real-life scenarios and group discussions to teach valuable financial skills.
Money As You Grow – A resource for parents and teachers with activities and tips.
My Classroom Economy – My Classroom Economy is a program that enables any educator to teach children financial responsibility through fun, experiential learning. It’s a simple classroom economic system based on the idea that students need to earn school “dollars” so that they can rent their own desks. By bringing real-world scenarios into the classroom, students see the impact of their decisions to save, spend, and budget. Everything you need to build a classroom economy is available on this site—for free.
Games
Whats Up In Finance? – Games for grades 6-12.
EcondEdLink.org – Simulations, games, videos and other interactive resources make education fun and engaging for the 21st century learner.
Finance in the Classroom – Interactive games and activities for all grade levels.
Consumer Jungle – Learning about personal finance isn’t always a good time. Fear no more. With all of these games, learning about personal finance will be like taking a vacation to Disneyland. Alright, maybe not that exciting but they might be better than those lengthy lectures from Mom and Dad. The best part — you can search by topic or recently posted. Kinda cool, huh?
Practical Money Skills – Ready to get your game on? Test your money skills and give your brain a workout with these fun and educational games.
The Great Piggy Bank Adventure – The Great Piggy Bank Adventure® online is a virtual board game that educates kids and adults on the importance of wise financial planning. Kids will learn about important financial concepts and use these lessons to complete the game and achieve their dream goals. While The Great Piggy Bank Adventure® is designed for kids from ages 8 to 14, fun-loving adults are encouraged to play with their kids and get involved in their financial education.
Sand Dollar City – Sand Dollar City is an underwater adventure that teaches children ages 8 and up to sink or swim in this virtual world. The story unfolds with your child being given the family‘s candy store. The challenge? Get the store out of debt while turning a profit and beating the competition. It’s real life lessons of business while having fun learning!
The Fun Vault – Find educational money games that are fun and free to play. The Fun Vault introduces kids ages 5 and up to money basics.
We want to hear from you! In the comment section, let us know how you teach financial literacy in your classroom.
