Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Lowell Milken Center discovers, develops and communicates the stories of Unsung Heroes who have made a profound and positive impact on the course of history. Click Programs on the top menu and select Unsung Hero Projects to learn about everyday people who became heroes by standing up to adversity in their lives. Each project features information about the hero and the storyteller. Some projects include links to student-created web pages and videos. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. Start your own Unsung Hero project using the ten steps provided to include inspiration from start to finish. This resource also includes Lesson Plans.

tag(s): charactered (87), heroes (22), Project Based Learning (30)

Sustainable Development Goal 16 focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies while ensuring access to justice for all. The Vision of Humanity website provides interactive maps, reports, and up-to-date data on global peace and security. Teachers and students can explore the Global Peace Index, which uses a range of qualitative and quantitative indicators to rank countries and track changes from 2008 to the present. Users can customize map views by selecting different indicators, comparing countries, and clicking "About the GPI" (or other indices) to learn how each is calculated. Additional tools, such as the Global Terrorism Index and the U.S. Peace Index, enable deeper analysis, including comparisons among U.S. states, with rankings visible when hovering over each state. New and featured topics appear on the homepage, while additional resources can be accessed through the site's top navigation bar.

tag(s): countries (67), maps (222), states (127), sustainability (56), terrorism (40)

Nobelprize.org is the official website of the Nobel Prize. Here you find information about Alfred Nobel, the prizewinners, interviews, and photos. Videos of interviews of Nobel peace prizewinners, speeches, ceremonies, interviews, banquets, lectures, announcements, award ceremonies, and documentaries fill the gamut of all of the prizewinners. The Nobel prizes awards are in literature, chemistry, medicine, peace, economics, and physics. Under the Education tab at the top find arieties of educational games/activities and lesson plans help explain many of the Nobel Award winners' work. This site clearly explains and illustrates the purpose of the awards, the award winners, and their ideas. Videos give an insider look at each of the winners.

tag(s): creativity (93), literature (214), medicine (52)

Inspire students to believe they can make a difference in the world. "Pennies for Peace" is an international service-learning project that does not ask families to contribute large sums of money. The author of Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, and his young daughter, Amira, believe that donating pennies can help support education in Afghanistan and Pakistan while promoting peace.

Register to receive a free, extensive toolkit that shows how to implement the campaign and includes background resources and curriculum materials. The toolkit is grouped by the grade levels, K-4, 4-8, and 9-12. The Pennies for Peace Curriculum directly links to grade-level standards in social studies, math, and literacy. To participate, schools must register online. A "kids" page provides facts about a typical village and school, plus background information about Pakistan and Afghanistan. The toolkit includes videos, photographs, and National Geographic maps available for free download. The videos walk participants through implementing the project, including interviews with Greg Mortenson, possible classroom applications, and short clips to support sections of their curriculum. Address core subjects such as social studies, math, history, geography, science, and language arts while enhancing cultural awareness in your students.

tag(s): critical thinking (188), cross cultural understanding (167), service projects (16)

This short unit examines America's only two father-and-son presidents - John Adams and John Quincy Adams, and George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. Students investigate the role and responsibilities of the presidency while comparing and contrasting each father-son pair. Includes suggested activities and links to online material about the presidents. The lesson plans are aligned to standards.

tag(s): presidents (153)