Social Studies Toolbox

Who uses TED Talks in the classroom? I've been a fan for a loooooooong time. I've incorporated TED Talks into my History, Geography, Civics, Psychology, Life Skills, and English classes.  Chimamanda Adichie's  powerful talk about stereotypes is about to make its annual appearance in my Geography and World Cultures class next week! It's one of my favorites and my students enjoy it as well. This talk always elicits a lot of conversation about stereotyping in general and stereotypes about the continent of Africa in particular. If you haven't had a chance to view this TED Talk, I encourage you to do so. Please share your thoughts in the comments. Interesting in my Danger of a Single Story lesson? Click here to learn more. 

How do you promote mental health awareness in your school? Is it purely the domain of school counselors and nurses or do classroom teachers play a role?  If you've thought about incorporating the topic of mental health into your classroom but aren't sure how to do it, I have a few simple suggestions. Everyone is aware of TED Talks. Did you know there are many middle and high-school-appropriate TED Talks about mental health?  The Ted Talk I most often share with  my high school students related to the topic of mental health is Shane Koyczan's talk, "To This Day." It is incredibly powerful. (I built an entire lesson around this talk which I used with my juniors and seniors several years ago.) If you plan to share this talk with your students, preview it. It may not be appropriate for your students. I also encourage you to engage in a conversation about the talk when you are finished viewing. If you aren't sure where to begin, check out the lesson I created for...