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Visual Arts Activities For 3rd-5th Grade at Home

Arts in Action, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

13 Activities

Visual Arts Activities For 3rd-5th Grade at Home

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

13 Hours 30 Minutes

This Playlist provides younger students a variety of visual arts activities that encourages creative thinking at home.

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Understanding Climate Change

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

7 Activities

Understanding Climate Change

The Nature Conservancy

9 - 12

6 Hours

Students will explore the relationship between weather and climate and nature's role in creating resilience.

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Real World Arts & Design

Arts in Action, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

6 Activities

Real World Arts & Design

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

4 Hours 40 Minutes

Students go through a variety of fun arts and design activities that have real world applications.

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Animal Migrations

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

4 Activities

Animal Migrations

National Wildlife Federation

K - 8

Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one habitat to another as they search for food or living conditions. In this playlist we'll connect to nature and learn a little about the migrations of the monarch butterfly, bats, and raptors.

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Making Comics

Arts in Action, Digital Voices

7 Activities

Making Comics

OregonASK

3 - 12

7 Hours

Enter the creative world of storytelling through comics!

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Opening and Closing Activities for K-2

Belonging and Community, Stories and Perspectives

10 Activities

Opening and Closing Activities for K-2

kid-grit

K - 2

2 Hours

This playlist of opening and closing activities encourages youth to explore their big and small emotions while sharing positive thoughts about themselves and their friends. The opening activities offer simple strategies to help them feel calm and prepared for the day, gently setting the stage for a strong and centered start. Closing activities invite students to reflect on moments of kindness, connection, and courage through song, movement, gratitude, and reflection. Whether mimicking animals, writing thank-you notes, or sharing songs from home, they’ll consider what made them feel seen, strong, or calm. Each experience helps them carry something positive forward until they gather again next time!

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Back to School: Community Building Activities

Belonging and Community, Leadership and Teamwork

10 Activities

Back to School: Community Building Activities

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 12

Build community at the start of any program with this collection of activities that give children and youth fun ways to get to know each other!

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How to Look: Art Exploration for Teens

Arts in Action, Digital Voices

2 Activities

How to Look: Art Exploration for Teens

ArtsConnection

9 - 12

4 Hours 30 Minutes

You don't need to be an expert to look at, discuss and respond to art. Use the activities, tools and resources in the How to Look: Exploring Art for Teens collection to help students explore, discuss and write about visual arts, monuments and dance. Guide teens through observing, analyzing, sharing ideas and opinions about the art they encounter and the world around them.

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Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Belonging and Community, Whole Body, Whole Self

12 Activities

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 12

Like learning algebra or how to ride a bike, social and emotional learning (SEL) calls for patience, compassion, and everyday practice. That’s what brain science and experience say, and it’s at the core of this playlist. Through activities that teach mindfulness meditation, how to identify your strengths and talents, and cultivating compassion through service, you’ll find practical experiences, resources, and tips for empowering youth while helping them navigate stress and build healthy relationships.

“I often wonder how much different my life would look if I was offered support earlier. Before I was struggling, before I withdrew, before I exhibited all sorts of behavioral health issues. The power of prevention is something we can’t waste. We need to use our own hindsight into what would have helped us when we were young to set this next generation up for the success we never had.” — Johnny Crowder

Johnny Crowder is a suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to youth and adults in nearly 100 countries around the world.

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Building a NewsHour: Part 5

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

5 Activities

Building a NewsHour: Part 5

PBS

3 - 5

2 Hours

Welcome to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL)’s Module, Building a NewsHour: Part 5

This Module from SRL takes youth through the all elements of building their own news hour. A follow-up to the From Concept to Screen Module, this six part Collection takes youth through the all the steps in creating a news hour to tell their stories.

This is Module 5 of 6 in the Building a NewsHour Collection series.

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The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

Belonging and Community, Whole Body, Whole Self

6 Activities

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

kid-grit

3 - 12

6 Hours 15 Minutes

Welcome to kid-grit's SEL activities! Based on our partners’ request we have created a soulful guide filled with lessons, reflections, questions, and extended activities in response to the pandemic crisis that is happening around the world. We developed these activities in hope that its content will provide relief and support for our students and their families, educators, staff, and administrators.

All the activities have been designed to engage students in areas of personal development, social-emotional learning, character education, 21st-century skill-based inquiry, and global consciousness. These activities are built to have students think critically and share perspectives — focusing on topics such as tolerance, personal development, crisis situations, building positive communities, self-regulation, empathy, using breathing as a form of stress release. Students will be challenged to think outside the box and drive their own learning — they will learn by doing. Students will take on new ways of problem-solving and, in the process, create their own prescription for healthier mindsets, building resilience and grit.

You can use these activities in any order that works for your program or school environment. However, we recommend beginning with the activity, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind,” as a starter activity to set the stage for the activities to follow.

Lastly, the following three activities are relevant for any crisis, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind, Stop the Madness! and Fight or Flight.” Feel free to utilize them anytime and replace any COVID-19 reference to the existing event in your community, or national news or global occurrence.

NOTE: If your students are enjoying a lesson and you want to extend the time, please feel free, dive into deeper learning and enjoy!


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Pollinators

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

4 Activities

Pollinators

National Wildlife Federation

K - 8

Pollinators are critical to the very fabric of existence. In this module youth will learn what a pollinator is and why they are important. Then they'll look at pollinators and flower preference. Last they'll design a pollinator garden.

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Farm to Table Prototype

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

6 Activities

Farm to Table Prototype

OregonASK

6 - 8

2 Hours

Take youth through a journey of innovation and invention with this step-by-step guide to creating their very own prototype! Focusing on improving food production or consumption, youth work through the process of prototyping, starting with a creative brainstorming session, using their construction skills to build a prototype, and presenting their final prototype.

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American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)

Stories and Perspectives, We The People, Leadership and Teamwork

13 Activities

American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 12

9 Hours 10 Minutes

The American History: Elevating Black Voices Collection is a weekly, inquiry-driven playlist that invites learners to examine how storytelling, innovation, creativity, and leadership shape American history and civic life. Through complex texts, Innovator Trading Cards, and theme-based activities across literacy, STEM, the arts, and collaborative problem-solving, students engage with lesser-known Black Americans—whose contributions have influenced systems, culture, and community change. Each week introduces a thematic lens that builds historical analysis, critical reading, argumentation, and interdisciplinary thinking, culminating in a challenge-based game that requires evidence, reasoning, and collaboration. Designed to support meaningful discussion and application, this Collection highlights innovation as a collective process and underscores the power of amplifying voices that shape our shared history.

This collection is designed to have learners apply ideas from the weekly themes introduced through the Innovator Playing Cards with additional related activities; it is recommended to follow this sequence to maintain consistency:

Week 1: Storytelling and Voice

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

What Makes a Good Story?

One Minute Speeches

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

Week 2: Inventing and Problem Solving

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

Cell City

Catapult (Team Building) Game

Build an Extension Arm

Week 3: Creativity and Expression

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

Create a Cardboard Self-Portrait

Improv: Say the Line

How to Look at Dance

Week 4: Leadership and Change

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

Playing Innovator Trading Cards

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

Dream Team

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Pitch Challenge Tools

Future Ready: Learning and Earning, Leadership and Teamwork

4 Activities

Pitch Challenge Tools

Young Entrepreneur Institute

3 - 12

This series of pitch practice activities builds and reinforces presentation skills and provides a vehicle for establishing a safe space. The activities stand alone or can be used as a series, offering progressively more opportunity for critical thinking and skill development. These activities can also be used to help students prepare for a contest or presentation. Visit www.yepitch.org to learn about virtual contest opportunities and access a full pitch contest curriculum and toolkit.

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Clay Projects Inspired by Mesoamerican Culture

Arts in Action, We The People

7 Activities

Clay Projects Inspired by Mesoamerican Culture

OregonASK

3 - 8

7 Hours

This module includes fun, hands-on clay projects using air-dry clay that focus on simple techniques like coil, slab, and pinch construction of vessels, animals, and human forms inspired by Mesoamerican Culture and history.

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Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

Belonging and Community, Stories and Perspectives

10 Activities

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

kid-grit

3 - 5

2 Hours

This collection of opening and closing activities encourages students to explore their thoughts, feelings, and choices while building habits that support reflection and growth. Opening activities use emojis, discussion prompts, and movement to help students connect with their emotions and set a tone of respect, curiosity, and readiness for learning. Closing activities invite students to slow down, look inward, and practice calming techniques as they reflect on their experiences and explore ways to shift habits and mindsets. Together, these moments bookend the day with purpose and self-awareness!

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Outdoor Activities for Middle School at Home

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

11 Activities

Outdoor Activities for Middle School at Home

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

9 Hours 45 Minutes

This Playlist is all about getting outside and trying some STEM outdoors or in for Middle-School aged kids, and has been mixed especially for having fun at home or in small groups!

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Garden Lesson Plan: Food and Carbon

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

4 Activities

Garden Lesson Plan: Food and Carbon

The Nature Conservancy

6 - 8

4 Hours

Empower youth to explore the fascinating world of food, sustainability, and environmental impact. Through hands-on activities, creative expression, and insightful discussions, youth identify their favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables, delve into the carbon cycle and its significance, design a vibrant didactic art piece, and master the art of garden planning, all while gaining a deeper understanding of how our choices shape the world around us.

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Make It Move Invention Camp

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, Arts in Action

15 Activities

Make It Move Invention Camp

OregonASK

6 - 8

15 Hours 45 Minutes

The Make it Move Invention Camp curriculum explores transportation, vehicles, and mechanical things that move! These activities explore engineering and invention with hands-on, fun activities that end with the creation of an invention that improves quality of life.

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Amazing Bodies Invention Camp

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

14 Activities

Amazing Bodies Invention Camp

OregonASK

6 - 8

15 Hours

The Amazing Bodies Invention Camp Curriculum explores the human body and the creative ways that we can invent to improve quality of life. This module includes hands on exploration leading up to the six activity invention process, where invention prototypes are created and shared.

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Fascinating Rhythm

Arts in Action, Digital Voices

15 Activities

Fascinating Rhythm

Jazz at Lincoln Center

3 - 8

10 Hours

The JALC-AC’s second module, Module 2: Fascinating Rhythm encourages students to explore the rhythms, or patterns of their lives. Students learn how to represent rhythmic patterns through symbols – both random and those used by musicians and musical educators – arranging and rearranging the symbols to create sound and movement.

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Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 3-5

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

8 Activities

Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 3-5

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

6 Hours

The playlist has been curated to support reading and literacy enrichment through fun and innovative learning experiences. This playlist supports grades 3-5 and can be implemented in a various out-of-school settings.

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S.INQ Invisible Forces

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

8 Activities

S.INQ Invisible Forces

OregonASK

K - 5

10 Hours

S.INQ Invisible Forces explores state, magnetic, and other invisible forces that youth can engage with simple materials. This curriculum offers activities that guide youth through STEM concepts using the engineering design process. Every lesson includes time for brainstorming and reflection and allows ample opportunity for hands-on exploration.

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The 1619 Project for Grades 2–6: Exploring Enslavement and Resistance

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

10 Activities

The 1619 Project for Grades 2–6: Exploring Enslavement and Resistance

Pulitzer Center

K - 8

This collection offers students an engaging, affirming introduction to the concepts of history, culture, and resistance to injustice, all while centering the experiences of Black Americans. Activities guide students in multimedia explorations, personal reflections, and group discussions before culminating in a range of hands-on projects, including research, art, creative writing, and presentations. Students are consistently encouraged to reflect on how they can honor the contributions of Black Americans and build a more just world for all people.

Using elementary-friendly text and multimedia resources, students will learn about the history, culture, and resistance of early African civilizations; enslaved Black Americans; and contemporary Black American communities. At the core of these resources is The 1619 Project, an award-winning collection of journalism and history resources about the legacy of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans in moving the country towards its stated ideals.

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Reading and Literacy Activities for K-5th Grade at Home

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

10 Activities

Reading and Literacy Activities for K-5th Grade at Home

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 5

7 Hours 30 Minutes

This Playlist is all about reading, letters, and games for Kids K-5, and has been mixed especially for having fun at home or in small groups!

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How to Grow Dahlias

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

5 Activities

How to Grow Dahlias

Farm to Table Kids

3 - 8

6 Hours 50 Minutes

“How to Grow Dahlias: A Full-Season Garden Guide”


Once your learners know “Things to Know Before You Grow,” it’s time to dig into the garden and get their hands dirty with one of the most beloved and magical plants of all—dahlias! In this joyful, in-depth module, youth follow the full life cycle of a dahlia, from inspecting tubers in spring to harvesting show-stopping blooms, and finally saving those tubers for next season’s magic. Along the way, they’ll learn how to identify healthy tubers, prep and plant with confidence, care for their plants organically, and participate in the fall tradition of cutting back, dividing, and overwintering their garden’s gold.


The “How to Grow Dahlias” collection includes five hands-on lessons and a library of interactive worksheets, journal pages, and planting-day checklists—plus several engaging “how-to” videos from Farmer Steph herself. Whether you’re growing dahlias in a schoolyard bed or in containers on a sunny windowsill, this module turns your classroom into a bloom-filled lab where kids learn to nurture life, track seasonal change, and celebrate every stage of the growing cycle.


By the end of this series, students won’t just grow flowers—they’ll grow confidence, observation skills, and a lifelong appreciation for the natural beauty they helped bring to life.

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Student Reporting Labs

Digital Voices

16 Activities

Student Reporting Labs

PBS

6 - 12

14 Hours 10 Minutes

Student Reporting Labs connect students to innovative journalism curriculum to develop digital media, critical thinking and communication skills while producing original reports.

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Indicator Species

The Natural World, Belonging and Community, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

3 Activities

Indicator Species

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Indicator species are integral to evaluating the health of ecosystems. They are early indicators of changing environmental conditions that may prove detrimental to other species in the same region. Insects, including dragonflies, are climate sensitive species since much of their growth and development depends on temperature.

In this lesson, students will learn about dragonflies as indicators of climate change. They will become familiar with the life cycle of a dragonfly, learn to identify different species of dragonflies, and assess dragonfly biodiversity. At each of these learning milestones, students will engage in a discussion about how rapid changes in climate conditions can be detrimental not only to dragonflies but to the success and survival of wildlife around the world.

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The Big Easy

Arts in Action, Stories and Perspectives

15 Activities

The Big Easy

Jazz at Lincoln Center

3 - 8

20 Hours

Step into the vibrant world of Jazz at Lincoln Center's "The Big Easy" module, where students embark on an exhilarating journey of creativity and discovery. Jazz at Lincoln Center has made identifying and decoding symbols in art a fun and easy process. Throughout the module, students learn to "read" a provided comic book by researching the history of New Orleans and learning the tools artists use to symbolize their experiences, emotions, etc., in their work. Students studying the fundamentals of music, dance, and illustration, throughut this immersive experience, unleash their imagination, celebrate diversity, and ignite their passion for lifelong learning.

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American History: Elevating Black Voices (K-2)

We The People, Stories and Perspectives, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, Arts in Action, Leadership and Teamwork

13 Activities

American History: Elevating Black Voices (K-2)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

9 Hours 10 Minutes

The American History: Elevating Black Voices Collection is a weekly, hands-on playlist that helps young learners explore how stories, creativity, problem-solving, and leadership shape communities and American history. Through engaging texts, Innovator Trading Cards, and theme-based activities in literacy, STEM, the arts, and teamwork, students discover lesser-known Black Americans whose voices and ideas have made a lasting impact. Each week introduces a new theme that strengthens early reading skills, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, while giving learners multiple opportunities to apply their understanding through play and exploration. Designed for easy facilitation and joyful learning, this playlist shows that innovation takes many forms—and that every voice matters.

For a consistent learning experience, it is recommended that this collection be completed in the sequence outlined below. This allows learners to apply the weekly themes from the Innovator Playing Cards through supplementary activities.

Week 1: Storytelling and Voice

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

New End to the Story

Round Robin Storytelling

Animal Interviews

Week 2: Inventing and Problem Solving

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

Balanced Mobile

Sound on a String

Mechanical Engineering Tops

Week 3: Creativity and Expression

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

Masquerade Masks

Music and Rhythm (Grades k-2)

Creative Play Design Challenges

Week 4: Leadership and Change

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

Playing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

People Bingo

What is a Quality

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Urban Runoff: Solving the Issue of Impact

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

5 Activities

Urban Runoff: Solving the Issue of Impact

The Nature Conservancy

9 - 12

6 Hours

Youth evaluate the design of outside spaces to determine whether the space is set to contribute or minimize runoff – a climate issue, especially in urban areas. They design a solution to uncover design flaws with green infrastructure.

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Setting Up Science Notebooks

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

4 Activities

Setting Up Science Notebooks

California Academy of Sciences

K - 12

3 Hours 30 Minutes

This collection of activities helps students set up science notebooks for the beginning of your science lessons for the year, semester, term, or week. By learning to establish systems, organize information, and sketch like a scientist, students learn and practice processes of analysis, note-taking, and scientific inquiry.

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From Concept to Screen: Building Your Own News Show

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

21 Activities

From Concept to Screen: Building Your Own News Show

PBS

3 - 5

10 Hours 30 Minutes

Welcome to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL)’s Module, From Concept to Screen: Building Your News Hour.

The module is broken into three sections. The first, "Beyond the Headline" and "A News Show Structure" contain lessons that can be completed as standalone activities or as part of a series. All three sections converge to provide a powerful and fun introduction to producing and hosting news shows.

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Learning Scientific Sketching

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

4 Activities

Learning Scientific Sketching

California Academy of Sciences

3 - 12

4 Hours

This collection of activities teaches students how to sketch like scientists. Students learn techniques for observation, data collection, and analysis. After learning and practicing these introductory sketching techniques, they will then be able to confidently use their skills for scientific inquiry.

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S.INQ Mechanical Engineering

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

6 Activities

S.INQ Mechanical Engineering

OregonASK

K - 5

4 Hours

This set of lessons will prepare teachers to explore mechanical engineering with their students using Engineering Design Grids. Simple materials like cardboard and rubber bands provide the power to build and test tops, vehicles, catapults, and safety devices in the classroom. Students will be exposed to mechanical engineering, and how they brainstorm, build, test, and modify devices with moving parts.

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Caring for Urban Forests

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, Belonging and Community

3 Activities

Caring for Urban Forests

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Our local ecosystems provide many ecosystem services that endow us with resources, opportunities for recreation and cultural expression, and support the safety quality of life for all living things, including humans. Street trees perform a number of ecosystem services for both humans and wildlife. They filter our air, provide passive cooling and heating, capture carbon, take up storm water (a vital aspect in cities prone to flooding due to climate change— see our Sustainable Cities module for more information on this topic), reduce noise, provide food, shelter, and provide abundant beauty.

In this module, students will learn about each type of ecosystem service: Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting, and research the ways they are being threatened in their local communities. They will also participate in air temperature to better understand the ecosystem services trees provide which are especially important in urban environments. This research will conclude with a service learning opportunity in which students will restore tree beds.

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Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 9-12

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

7 Activities

Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 9-12

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

5 Hours 15 Minutes

The playlist has been curated to support reading and literacy enrichment through fun and innovative learning experiences. This playlist supports grades 9-12 and can be implemented in a various out-of-school settings.

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The News and You: Journalism and Media Literacy for Grades 2-6

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

7 Activities

The News and You: Journalism and Media Literacy for Grades 2-6

Pulitzer Center

K - 8

9 Hours

This module supports students in developing a healthy relationship to the news rooted in curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and empowerment.

Students will learn what the news is and reflect on how they can use it in their lives. They will examine the idea of bias and learn how to challenge it, using some of the same skills journalists use. They will consider why some stories get more attention than others, and explore the importance of seeking out underreported stories in order to see a fuller picture of people, places, and issues. Finally, students will move from analyzing news stories to sharing their learning. In their final projects, students will use creative expression and journalistic information to draw attention to the issues that matter to them.

Throughout this module, facilitators have access to the option of requesting a free virtual visit with a Pulitzer Center journalist who can support students in digging deeper into any of these topics, getting their questions answered, and exploring careers in the journalism field.

Are you looking for media literacy activities for upper middle and high school learners? Check out The News and You: Journalism and Media Literacy for Grades 7-12, also on Mizzen.

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Visual Arts Activities For 3rd-5th Grade at Home

Arts in Action, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

13 Activities

Visual Arts Activities For 3rd-5th Grade at Home

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

13 Hours 30 Minutes

This Playlist provides younger students a variety of visual arts activities that encourages creative thinking at home.

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Understanding Climate Change

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

7 Activities

Understanding Climate Change

The Nature Conservancy

9 - 12

6 Hours

Students will explore the relationship between weather and climate and nature's role in creating resilience.

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Real World Arts & Design

Arts in Action, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

6 Activities

Real World Arts & Design

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

4 Hours 40 Minutes

Students go through a variety of fun arts and design activities that have real world applications.

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Animal Migrations

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

4 Activities

Animal Migrations

National Wildlife Federation

K - 8

Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one habitat to another as they search for food or living conditions. In this playlist we'll connect to nature and learn a little about the migrations of the monarch butterfly, bats, and raptors.

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Making Comics

Arts in Action, Digital Voices

7 Activities

Making Comics

OregonASK

3 - 12

7 Hours

Enter the creative world of storytelling through comics!

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Opening and Closing Activities for K-2

Belonging and Community, Stories and Perspectives

10 Activities

Opening and Closing Activities for K-2

kid-grit

K - 2

2 Hours

This playlist of opening and closing activities encourages youth to explore their big and small emotions while sharing positive thoughts about themselves and their friends. The opening activities offer simple strategies to help them feel calm and prepared for the day, gently setting the stage for a strong and centered start. Closing activities invite students to reflect on moments of kindness, connection, and courage through song, movement, gratitude, and reflection. Whether mimicking animals, writing thank-you notes, or sharing songs from home, they’ll consider what made them feel seen, strong, or calm. Each experience helps them carry something positive forward until they gather again next time!

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Back to School: Community Building Activities

Belonging and Community, Leadership and Teamwork

10 Activities

Back to School: Community Building Activities

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 12

Build community at the start of any program with this collection of activities that give children and youth fun ways to get to know each other!

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How to Look: Art Exploration for Teens

Arts in Action, Digital Voices

2 Activities

How to Look: Art Exploration for Teens

ArtsConnection

9 - 12

4 Hours 30 Minutes

You don't need to be an expert to look at, discuss and respond to art. Use the activities, tools and resources in the How to Look: Exploring Art for Teens collection to help students explore, discuss and write about visual arts, monuments and dance. Guide teens through observing, analyzing, sharing ideas and opinions about the art they encounter and the world around them.

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Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Belonging and Community, Whole Body, Whole Self

12 Activities

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 12

Like learning algebra or how to ride a bike, social and emotional learning (SEL) calls for patience, compassion, and everyday practice. That’s what brain science and experience say, and it’s at the core of this playlist. Through activities that teach mindfulness meditation, how to identify your strengths and talents, and cultivating compassion through service, you’ll find practical experiences, resources, and tips for empowering youth while helping them navigate stress and build healthy relationships.

“I often wonder how much different my life would look if I was offered support earlier. Before I was struggling, before I withdrew, before I exhibited all sorts of behavioral health issues. The power of prevention is something we can’t waste. We need to use our own hindsight into what would have helped us when we were young to set this next generation up for the success we never had.” — Johnny Crowder

Johnny Crowder is a suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to youth and adults in nearly 100 countries around the world.

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Building a NewsHour: Part 5

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

5 Activities

Building a NewsHour: Part 5

PBS

3 - 5

2 Hours

Welcome to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL)’s Module, Building a NewsHour: Part 5

This Module from SRL takes youth through the all elements of building their own news hour. A follow-up to the From Concept to Screen Module, this six part Collection takes youth through the all the steps in creating a news hour to tell their stories.

This is Module 5 of 6 in the Building a NewsHour Collection series.

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The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

Belonging and Community, Whole Body, Whole Self

6 Activities

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

kid-grit

3 - 12

6 Hours 15 Minutes

Welcome to kid-grit's SEL activities! Based on our partners’ request we have created a soulful guide filled with lessons, reflections, questions, and extended activities in response to the pandemic crisis that is happening around the world. We developed these activities in hope that its content will provide relief and support for our students and their families, educators, staff, and administrators.

All the activities have been designed to engage students in areas of personal development, social-emotional learning, character education, 21st-century skill-based inquiry, and global consciousness. These activities are built to have students think critically and share perspectives — focusing on topics such as tolerance, personal development, crisis situations, building positive communities, self-regulation, empathy, using breathing as a form of stress release. Students will be challenged to think outside the box and drive their own learning — they will learn by doing. Students will take on new ways of problem-solving and, in the process, create their own prescription for healthier mindsets, building resilience and grit.

You can use these activities in any order that works for your program or school environment. However, we recommend beginning with the activity, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind,” as a starter activity to set the stage for the activities to follow.

Lastly, the following three activities are relevant for any crisis, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind, Stop the Madness! and Fight or Flight.” Feel free to utilize them anytime and replace any COVID-19 reference to the existing event in your community, or national news or global occurrence.

NOTE: If your students are enjoying a lesson and you want to extend the time, please feel free, dive into deeper learning and enjoy!


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Pollinators

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

4 Activities

Pollinators

National Wildlife Federation

K - 8

Pollinators are critical to the very fabric of existence. In this module youth will learn what a pollinator is and why they are important. Then they'll look at pollinators and flower preference. Last they'll design a pollinator garden.

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Farm to Table Prototype

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

6 Activities

Farm to Table Prototype

OregonASK

6 - 8

2 Hours

Take youth through a journey of innovation and invention with this step-by-step guide to creating their very own prototype! Focusing on improving food production or consumption, youth work through the process of prototyping, starting with a creative brainstorming session, using their construction skills to build a prototype, and presenting their final prototype.

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American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)

Stories and Perspectives, We The People, Leadership and Teamwork

13 Activities

American History: Elevating Black Voices (6-12)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 12

9 Hours 10 Minutes

The American History: Elevating Black Voices Collection is a weekly, inquiry-driven playlist that invites learners to examine how storytelling, innovation, creativity, and leadership shape American history and civic life. Through complex texts, Innovator Trading Cards, and theme-based activities across literacy, STEM, the arts, and collaborative problem-solving, students engage with lesser-known Black Americans—whose contributions have influenced systems, culture, and community change. Each week introduces a thematic lens that builds historical analysis, critical reading, argumentation, and interdisciplinary thinking, culminating in a challenge-based game that requires evidence, reasoning, and collaboration. Designed to support meaningful discussion and application, this Collection highlights innovation as a collective process and underscores the power of amplifying voices that shape our shared history.

This collection is designed to have learners apply ideas from the weekly themes introduced through the Innovator Playing Cards with additional related activities; it is recommended to follow this sequence to maintain consistency:

Week 1: Storytelling and Voice

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

What Makes a Good Story?

One Minute Speeches

Erasure Poetry as Resistance

Week 2: Inventing and Problem Solving

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

Cell City

Catapult (Team Building) Game

Build an Extension Arm

Week 3: Creativity and Expression

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

Create a Cardboard Self-Portrait

Improv: Say the Line

How to Look at Dance

Week 4: Leadership and Change

Designing Innovator Trading Cards

Playing Innovator Trading Cards

Analyzing and Constructing Timelines of Racial (In)justice

Dream Team

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Pitch Challenge Tools

Future Ready: Learning and Earning, Leadership and Teamwork

4 Activities

Pitch Challenge Tools

Young Entrepreneur Institute

3 - 12

This series of pitch practice activities builds and reinforces presentation skills and provides a vehicle for establishing a safe space. The activities stand alone or can be used as a series, offering progressively more opportunity for critical thinking and skill development. These activities can also be used to help students prepare for a contest or presentation. Visit www.yepitch.org to learn about virtual contest opportunities and access a full pitch contest curriculum and toolkit.

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Clay Projects Inspired by Mesoamerican Culture

Arts in Action, We The People

7 Activities

Clay Projects Inspired by Mesoamerican Culture

OregonASK

3 - 8

7 Hours

This module includes fun, hands-on clay projects using air-dry clay that focus on simple techniques like coil, slab, and pinch construction of vessels, animals, and human forms inspired by Mesoamerican Culture and history.

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Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

Belonging and Community, Stories and Perspectives

10 Activities

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

kid-grit

3 - 5

2 Hours

This collection of opening and closing activities encourages students to explore their thoughts, feelings, and choices while building habits that support reflection and growth. Opening activities use emojis, discussion prompts, and movement to help students connect with their emotions and set a tone of respect, curiosity, and readiness for learning. Closing activities invite students to slow down, look inward, and practice calming techniques as they reflect on their experiences and explore ways to shift habits and mindsets. Together, these moments bookend the day with purpose and self-awareness!

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Outdoor Activities for Middle School at Home

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

11 Activities

Outdoor Activities for Middle School at Home

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

9 Hours 45 Minutes

This Playlist is all about getting outside and trying some STEM outdoors or in for Middle-School aged kids, and has been mixed especially for having fun at home or in small groups!

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Garden Lesson Plan: Food and Carbon

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

4 Activities

Garden Lesson Plan: Food and Carbon

The Nature Conservancy

6 - 8

4 Hours

Empower youth to explore the fascinating world of food, sustainability, and environmental impact. Through hands-on activities, creative expression, and insightful discussions, youth identify their favorite seasonal fruits and vegetables, delve into the carbon cycle and its significance, design a vibrant didactic art piece, and master the art of garden planning, all while gaining a deeper understanding of how our choices shape the world around us.

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Make It Move Invention Camp

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, Arts in Action

15 Activities

Make It Move Invention Camp

OregonASK

6 - 8

15 Hours 45 Minutes

The Make it Move Invention Camp curriculum explores transportation, vehicles, and mechanical things that move! These activities explore engineering and invention with hands-on, fun activities that end with the creation of an invention that improves quality of life.

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Amazing Bodies Invention Camp

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

14 Activities

Amazing Bodies Invention Camp

OregonASK

6 - 8

15 Hours

The Amazing Bodies Invention Camp Curriculum explores the human body and the creative ways that we can invent to improve quality of life. This module includes hands on exploration leading up to the six activity invention process, where invention prototypes are created and shared.

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Fascinating Rhythm

Arts in Action, Digital Voices

15 Activities

Fascinating Rhythm

Jazz at Lincoln Center

3 - 8

10 Hours

The JALC-AC’s second module, Module 2: Fascinating Rhythm encourages students to explore the rhythms, or patterns of their lives. Students learn how to represent rhythmic patterns through symbols – both random and those used by musicians and musical educators – arranging and rearranging the symbols to create sound and movement.

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Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 3-5

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

8 Activities

Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 3-5

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

6 Hours

The playlist has been curated to support reading and literacy enrichment through fun and innovative learning experiences. This playlist supports grades 3-5 and can be implemented in a various out-of-school settings.

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S.INQ Invisible Forces

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

8 Activities

S.INQ Invisible Forces

OregonASK

K - 5

10 Hours

S.INQ Invisible Forces explores state, magnetic, and other invisible forces that youth can engage with simple materials. This curriculum offers activities that guide youth through STEM concepts using the engineering design process. Every lesson includes time for brainstorming and reflection and allows ample opportunity for hands-on exploration.

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The 1619 Project for Grades 2–6: Exploring Enslavement and Resistance

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

10 Activities

The 1619 Project for Grades 2–6: Exploring Enslavement and Resistance

Pulitzer Center

K - 8

This collection offers students an engaging, affirming introduction to the concepts of history, culture, and resistance to injustice, all while centering the experiences of Black Americans. Activities guide students in multimedia explorations, personal reflections, and group discussions before culminating in a range of hands-on projects, including research, art, creative writing, and presentations. Students are consistently encouraged to reflect on how they can honor the contributions of Black Americans and build a more just world for all people.

Using elementary-friendly text and multimedia resources, students will learn about the history, culture, and resistance of early African civilizations; enslaved Black Americans; and contemporary Black American communities. At the core of these resources is The 1619 Project, an award-winning collection of journalism and history resources about the legacy of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans in moving the country towards its stated ideals.

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Reading and Literacy Activities for K-5th Grade at Home

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

10 Activities

Reading and Literacy Activities for K-5th Grade at Home

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 5

7 Hours 30 Minutes

This Playlist is all about reading, letters, and games for Kids K-5, and has been mixed especially for having fun at home or in small groups!

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How to Grow Dahlias

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

5 Activities

How to Grow Dahlias

Farm to Table Kids

3 - 8

6 Hours 50 Minutes

“How to Grow Dahlias: A Full-Season Garden Guide”


Once your learners know “Things to Know Before You Grow,” it’s time to dig into the garden and get their hands dirty with one of the most beloved and magical plants of all—dahlias! In this joyful, in-depth module, youth follow the full life cycle of a dahlia, from inspecting tubers in spring to harvesting show-stopping blooms, and finally saving those tubers for next season’s magic. Along the way, they’ll learn how to identify healthy tubers, prep and plant with confidence, care for their plants organically, and participate in the fall tradition of cutting back, dividing, and overwintering their garden’s gold.


The “How to Grow Dahlias” collection includes five hands-on lessons and a library of interactive worksheets, journal pages, and planting-day checklists—plus several engaging “how-to” videos from Farmer Steph herself. Whether you’re growing dahlias in a schoolyard bed or in containers on a sunny windowsill, this module turns your classroom into a bloom-filled lab where kids learn to nurture life, track seasonal change, and celebrate every stage of the growing cycle.


By the end of this series, students won’t just grow flowers—they’ll grow confidence, observation skills, and a lifelong appreciation for the natural beauty they helped bring to life.

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Student Reporting Labs

Digital Voices

16 Activities

Student Reporting Labs

PBS

6 - 12

14 Hours 10 Minutes

Student Reporting Labs connect students to innovative journalism curriculum to develop digital media, critical thinking and communication skills while producing original reports.

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Indicator Species

The Natural World, Belonging and Community, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore

3 Activities

Indicator Species

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Indicator species are integral to evaluating the health of ecosystems. They are early indicators of changing environmental conditions that may prove detrimental to other species in the same region. Insects, including dragonflies, are climate sensitive species since much of their growth and development depends on temperature.

In this lesson, students will learn about dragonflies as indicators of climate change. They will become familiar with the life cycle of a dragonfly, learn to identify different species of dragonflies, and assess dragonfly biodiversity. At each of these learning milestones, students will engage in a discussion about how rapid changes in climate conditions can be detrimental not only to dragonflies but to the success and survival of wildlife around the world.

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The Big Easy

Arts in Action, Stories and Perspectives

15 Activities

The Big Easy

Jazz at Lincoln Center

3 - 8

20 Hours

Step into the vibrant world of Jazz at Lincoln Center's "The Big Easy" module, where students embark on an exhilarating journey of creativity and discovery. Jazz at Lincoln Center has made identifying and decoding symbols in art a fun and easy process. Throughout the module, students learn to "read" a provided comic book by researching the history of New Orleans and learning the tools artists use to symbolize their experiences, emotions, etc., in their work. Students studying the fundamentals of music, dance, and illustration, throughut this immersive experience, unleash their imagination, celebrate diversity, and ignite their passion for lifelong learning.

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American History: Elevating Black Voices (K-2)

We The People, Stories and Perspectives, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, Arts in Action, Leadership and Teamwork

13 Activities

American History: Elevating Black Voices (K-2)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

9 Hours 10 Minutes

The American History: Elevating Black Voices Collection is a weekly, hands-on playlist that helps young learners explore how stories, creativity, problem-solving, and leadership shape communities and American history. Through engaging texts, Innovator Trading Cards, and theme-based activities in literacy, STEM, the arts, and teamwork, students discover lesser-known Black Americans whose voices and ideas have made a lasting impact. Each week introduces a new theme that strengthens early reading skills, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, while giving learners multiple opportunities to apply their understanding through play and exploration. Designed for easy facilitation and joyful learning, this playlist shows that innovation takes many forms—and that every voice matters.

For a consistent learning experience, it is recommended that this collection be completed in the sequence outlined below. This allows learners to apply the weekly themes from the Innovator Playing Cards through supplementary activities.

Week 1: Storytelling and Voice

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

New End to the Story

Round Robin Storytelling

Animal Interviews

Week 2: Inventing and Problem Solving

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

Balanced Mobile

Sound on a String

Mechanical Engineering Tops

Week 3: Creativity and Expression

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

Masquerade Masks

Music and Rhythm (Grades k-2)

Creative Play Design Challenges

Week 4: Leadership and Change

Designing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

Playing Innovator Trading Cards (K-2)

People Bingo

What is a Quality

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Urban Runoff: Solving the Issue of Impact

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

5 Activities

Urban Runoff: Solving the Issue of Impact

The Nature Conservancy

9 - 12

6 Hours

Youth evaluate the design of outside spaces to determine whether the space is set to contribute or minimize runoff – a climate issue, especially in urban areas. They design a solution to uncover design flaws with green infrastructure.

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Setting Up Science Notebooks

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

4 Activities

Setting Up Science Notebooks

California Academy of Sciences

K - 12

3 Hours 30 Minutes

This collection of activities helps students set up science notebooks for the beginning of your science lessons for the year, semester, term, or week. By learning to establish systems, organize information, and sketch like a scientist, students learn and practice processes of analysis, note-taking, and scientific inquiry.

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From Concept to Screen: Building Your Own News Show

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

21 Activities

From Concept to Screen: Building Your Own News Show

PBS

3 - 5

10 Hours 30 Minutes

Welcome to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL)’s Module, From Concept to Screen: Building Your News Hour.

The module is broken into three sections. The first, "Beyond the Headline" and "A News Show Structure" contain lessons that can be completed as standalone activities or as part of a series. All three sections converge to provide a powerful and fun introduction to producing and hosting news shows.

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Learning Scientific Sketching

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

4 Activities

Learning Scientific Sketching

California Academy of Sciences

3 - 12

4 Hours

This collection of activities teaches students how to sketch like scientists. Students learn techniques for observation, data collection, and analysis. After learning and practicing these introductory sketching techniques, they will then be able to confidently use their skills for scientific inquiry.

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S.INQ Mechanical Engineering

STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, The Natural World

6 Activities

S.INQ Mechanical Engineering

OregonASK

K - 5

4 Hours

This set of lessons will prepare teachers to explore mechanical engineering with their students using Engineering Design Grids. Simple materials like cardboard and rubber bands provide the power to build and test tops, vehicles, catapults, and safety devices in the classroom. Students will be exposed to mechanical engineering, and how they brainstorm, build, test, and modify devices with moving parts.

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Caring for Urban Forests

The Natural World, STEM Lab: Build, Tinker, Explore, Belonging and Community

3 Activities

Caring for Urban Forests

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Our local ecosystems provide many ecosystem services that endow us with resources, opportunities for recreation and cultural expression, and support the safety quality of life for all living things, including humans. Street trees perform a number of ecosystem services for both humans and wildlife. They filter our air, provide passive cooling and heating, capture carbon, take up storm water (a vital aspect in cities prone to flooding due to climate change— see our Sustainable Cities module for more information on this topic), reduce noise, provide food, shelter, and provide abundant beauty.

In this module, students will learn about each type of ecosystem service: Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting, and research the ways they are being threatened in their local communities. They will also participate in air temperature to better understand the ecosystem services trees provide which are especially important in urban environments. This research will conclude with a service learning opportunity in which students will restore tree beds.

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Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 9-12

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

7 Activities

Reading and Literacy Enrichment, Grades 9-12

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

5 Hours 15 Minutes

The playlist has been curated to support reading and literacy enrichment through fun and innovative learning experiences. This playlist supports grades 9-12 and can be implemented in a various out-of-school settings.

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The News and You: Journalism and Media Literacy for Grades 2-6

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

7 Activities

The News and You: Journalism and Media Literacy for Grades 2-6

Pulitzer Center

K - 8

9 Hours

This module supports students in developing a healthy relationship to the news rooted in curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and empowerment.

Students will learn what the news is and reflect on how they can use it in their lives. They will examine the idea of bias and learn how to challenge it, using some of the same skills journalists use. They will consider why some stories get more attention than others, and explore the importance of seeking out underreported stories in order to see a fuller picture of people, places, and issues. Finally, students will move from analyzing news stories to sharing their learning. In their final projects, students will use creative expression and journalistic information to draw attention to the issues that matter to them.

Throughout this module, facilitators have access to the option of requesting a free virtual visit with a Pulitzer Center journalist who can support students in digging deeper into any of these topics, getting their questions answered, and exploring careers in the journalism field.

Are you looking for media literacy activities for upper middle and high school learners? Check out The News and You: Journalism and Media Literacy for Grades 7-12, also on Mizzen.

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Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.

Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.