Multi-Issue Humane Education Activities
Multi-Issue Humane Education Activities feature lesson plans & activities that explore humane issues more comprehensively; they encompass more than one of our "general" issues (environmental preservation, animal protection, cultural issues and human rights issues).
Activities are organized by general grade categories. Some activities are in more than one issue category, as well as in more than one grade category.
To download an activity (in PDF format), click on the title of the activity. You'll need Adobe Acrobat to do so.
Hear the People
An excellent icebreaker using the sound of BBs to represent the enormous and rapid growth of the human population.
Recommended for All ages.
Time: 5 minutes
Lottery Ticket
Use this quick icebreaker to show participants that everyone can make a positive difference!
Recommended for All ages.
Time: 5 minutes
Alien in the Ethical Universe
Participants receive a visit from a traveling alien on a fact-finding mission to learn how beings treat other beings. The alien inspires students to consider the inconsistencies in how our society encourages us to treat others.
Recommended for grades 5 through 8.
Time: 20-45 minutes
Choices Cards
Bottled or tap water? Fair trade or conventional? Hunting or taking photos? Participants consider pairs of related behaviors and products and contemplate which choices do the most good and least harm.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 10-45 minutes
Free at Last?
Use visuals of everyday things around us to introduce and explore the concepts of freedom and oppression.
Recommended for grades 5 through 8.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Human Picture
This icebreaker encourages participants to consider the kind of world they want to live in by creating human statues that depict positive and negative emotions.
Recommended for grades 3 and up.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Lend a Hand
It comes naturally to most of us to help out when needed. This icebreaker sparks discussion about the importance of helping others, and how easy it can be to make helping part of our every day lives.
Recommended for grades 2 and up.
Time: 5-10 minutes
What Does a Humane World Look Like?
Have students create their vision of a humane world and compare it to the world we live in now. What are the differences, and how can we make the world “as it is” become the humane world envisioned?
Recommended for grades 2 through 6.
Time: 15-30 minutes
What Does It Take to Change the World?
Empower students by using stories and activities to show them that one person can make a positive difference.
Recommended for grades 5 through 12.
Time: 30-60 minutes
What is a Humane Life?
What’s a typical Saturday look like in the life of someone striving to live a more humane life? Participants follow a “humane presenter” or a “humane wannabe” through a reenactment of their day to learn about the whats and whys of making humane choices every day.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 90-120 minutes
What Makes a Humane Being?
What are the most desirable and undesirable qualities of humans? Use sample stories and pictures to help students identify our best (and worst) qualities and how we can encourage humane qualities in ourselves and others.
Recommended for grades 3 through 6.
Time: 30-60 minutes
What Will You Say?
At the end of your very long life, a child asks you what you did to help make the world so much better. Guide students through this visualization to help them get in touch with their power to make positive change.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 10-20 minutes
What Would You Do?
What would you do if….? Help students think deeply and critically about the quandaries between balancing personal desires with kindness toward others by engaging them in discussing personal and global scenarios.
Recommended for grades 3 through 8.
Time: 60 minutes
Which to Pick
Great for a larger assembly, this activity asks students to compare pairs of similar products to consider which of the two helps more and harms less.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Why Are We Here?
What is our purpose here on Earth? What can we do about the problems of the world? The activity uses two short films and discussion to help students explore these important issues.
Recommended for grades 4 through 10.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Word Power
Words have enormous power and often assign value. This activity explores sample words in context and what kinds of value those words imply.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Alien in the Ethical Universe
Participants receive a visit from a traveling alien on a fact-finding mission to learn how beings treat other beings. The alien inspires students to consider the inconsistencies in how our society encourages us to treat others.
Recommended for grades 5 through 8.
Time: 20-45 minutes
Behind the Scenes
How do ordinary products come into existence? Who/what has been helped or harmed in the creation and distribution of that product? Participants explore the hidden lives of their everyday stuff.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
Cast Your Vote
Students learn about the “hidden ingredients” in every day products and practice voting their values by “buying” different kinds of items.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 20-40 minutes
Choices Cards
Bottled or tap water? Fair trade or conventional? Hunting or taking photos? Participants consider pairs of related behaviors and products and contemplate which choices do the most good and least harm.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.Time: 10-45 minutes
Clothing Line Up
We make choices every day about what we wear, but how often do we pay attention to the impact of our clothing choices on others? Students explore more and less harmful clothing options from the perspectives of the animals, other people and the environment.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 60 minutes
Don’t Tread On Me: Exploring Oppression
What is oppression? Who gets oppressed? Why don’t we all agree about that? Participants explore their own beliefs about oppression and learn about others'.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 60-90 minutes
The Dreaded Comparison
Participants explore the connections between human and animal oppression and ways that we can choose not to oppress others.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Executive Commission
Students serve on a commission to advise the President/Prime Minister how to act on an important issue. Dividing into two groups, students explore the pros and cons of different viewpoints and then express their views to elected officials.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 40-60 minutes to a week
Free at Last?
Use visuals of everyday things around us to introduce and explore the concepts of freedom and oppression.
Recommended for grades 5 through 8.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Human Picture
This icebreaker encourages participants to consider the kind of world they want to live in by creating human statues that depict positive and negative emotions.
Recommended for grades 3 and up.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Lend a Hand
It comes naturally to most of us to help out when needed. This icebreaker sparks discussion about the importance of helping others, and how easy it can be to make helping part of our every day lives.
Recommended for grades 2 and up.Time: 5-10 minutes
Many Colors
Many people view the world through a lens of black and white, either/or. In this activity groups of students work together to explore a variety of possible solutions to a global issues conflict.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
A Moment in Your Shoes
How will students feel spending a moment in the shoes of a battery hen or a child slave? Use this lively and thought- provoking activity to introduce human and animal issues and the connections between them.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several days
Picturing Oppression
Use images from magazines and other sources to spark students to consider the ways oppression, exploitation and dominance of animals and other people are still prevalent.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time 60-90 minutes
Power Chat
What are the problems of the world? What tools and skills do I have to make a positive impact? This activity can serve as a good icebreaker to allow fellow advocates to know each other better and to focus on important issues, or it can serve as an introduction for exploring what each (and all) of us can do for positive social change.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time 30 minutes or more
True Price
Help participants become more conscious in their consuming by analyzing the “true price” of the products we use.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 20-60 minutes, or several days
What is a Humane Life?
What’s a typical Saturday look like in the life of someone striving to live a more humane life? Participants follow a “humane presenter” or a “humane wannabe” through a reenactment of their day to learn about the whats and whys of making humane choices every day.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 90-120 minutes
What Does a Humane World Look Like?
Have students create their vision of a humane world and compare it to the world we live in now. What are the differences, and how can we make the world “as it is” become the humane world envisioned?
Recommended for grades 2 through 6.
Time: 15-30 minutes
What Does It Take to Change the World?
Empower students by using stories and activities to show them that one person can make a positive difference.
Recommended for grades 5 through 12.
Time: 30-60 minutes
What Makes a Humane Being?
What are the most desirable and undesirable qualities of humans? Use sample stories and pictures to help students identify our best (and worst) qualities and how we can encourage humane qualities in ourselves and others.
Recommended for grades 3 through 6.
Time: 30-60 minutes
What Will You Say?
At the end of your very long life, a child asks you what you did to help make the world so much better. Guide students through this visualization to help them get in touch with their power to make positive change.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 10-20 minutes
What Would You Do?
What would you do if….? Help students think deeply and critically about the quandaries between balancing personal desires with kindness toward others by engaging them in discussing personal and global scenarios.
Recommended for grades 3 through 8.
Time: 60 minutes
Which to Pick
Great for a larger assembly, this activity asks students to compare pairs of similar products to consider which of the two helps more and harms less.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Why Are We Here?
What is our purpose here on Earth? What can we do about the problems of the world? The activity uses two short films and discussion to help students explore these important issues.
Recommended for grades 4 through 10.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Word Power
Words have enormous power and often assign value. This activity explores sample words in context and what kinds of value those words imply.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.Time: 15-30 minutes
Behind the Scenes
How do ordinary products come into existence? Who/what has been helped or harmed in the creation and distribution of that product? Participants explore the hidden lives of their everyday stuff.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
Cast Your Vote
Students learn about the “hidden ingredients” in every day products and practice voting their values by “buying” different kinds of items.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 20-40 minutes
Choices Cards
Bottled or tap water? Fair trade or conventional? Hunting or taking photos? Participants consider pairs of related behaviors and products and contemplate which choices do the most good and least harm.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 10-45 minutes
Clothing Line Up
We make choices every day about what we wear, but how often do we pay attention to the impact of our clothing choices on others? Students explore more and less harmful clothing options from the perspectives of the animals, other people and the environment.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 60 minutes
Don’t Tread On Me: Exploring Oppression
What is oppression? Who gets oppressed? Why don’t we all agree about that? Participants explore their own beliefs about oppression and learn about others'.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 60-90 minutes
The Dreaded Comparison
Participants explore the connections between human and animal oppression and ways that we can choose not to oppress others.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.Time: 45-60 minutes
Earth Court
The biggest issues and challenges of our time go on trial as students serve as prosecution, defense and jury, and then develop a solutions-based sentencing.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: Varies
Executive Commission
Students serve on a commission to advise the President/Prime Minister how to act on an important issue. Dividing into two groups, students explore the pros and cons of different viewpoints and then express their views to elected officials.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.Time: 40-60 minutes to a week
Greatest Impact
Groups of students analyze the impact of behaviors and product choices to determine which choices have the greatest impact on the environment, on human health and well-being, and on other species.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: Several weeks to a month
Human Picture
This icebreaker encourages participants to consider the kind of world they want to live in by creating human statues that depict positive and negative emotions.
Recommended for grades 3 and up.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Lend a Hand
It comes naturally to most of us to help out when needed. This icebreaker sparks discussion about the importance of helping others, and how easy it can be to make helping part of our every day lives.
Recommended for grades 2 and up.Time: 5-10 minutes
Many Colors
Many people view the world through a lens of black and white, either/or. In this activity groups of students work together to explore a variety of possible solutions to a global issues conflict.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
A Moment in Your Shoes
How will students feel spending a moment in the shoes of a battery hen or a child slave? Use this lively and thought- provoking activity to introduce human and animal issues and the connections between them.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several days
One Makes the Difference
Every person has the power to create positive change. Students explore the power of one and the values that help create a better world.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
Picturing Oppression
Use images from magazines and other sources to spark students to consider the ways oppression, exploitation and dominance of animals and other people are still prevalent.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time 60-90 minutes
Power Chat
What are the problems of the world? What tools and skills do I have to make a positive impact? This activity can serve as a good icebreaker to allow fellow advocates to know each other better and to focus on important issues, or it can serve as an introduction for exploring what each (and all) of us can do for positive social change.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time 30 minutes or more
True Price
Help participants become more conscious in their consuming by analyzing the “true price” of the products we use.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 20-60 minutes, or several days
What Do We Need?
What do humans need to be happy and fulfilled? What are our highest needs? What happens when our needs don’t get met? This activity uses Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a springboard for exploring needs.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
What Does It Take to Change the World?
Empower students by using stories and activities to show them that one person can make a positive difference.
Recommended for grades 5 through 12.
Time: 30-60 minutes
What is a Humane Life?
What’s a typical Saturday look like in the life of someone striving to live a more humane life? Participants follow a “humane presenter” or a “humane wannabe” through a reenactment of their day to learn about the whats and whys of making humane choices every day.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 90-120 minutes
What Will You Say?
At the end of your very long life, a child asks you what you did to help make the world so much better. Guide students through this visualization to help them get in touch with their power to make positive change.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Which to Pick
Great for a larger assembly, this activity asks students to compare pairs of similar products to consider which of the two helps more and harms less.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Why Are We Here?
What is our purpose here on Earth? What can we do about the problems of the world? The activity uses two short films and discussion to help students explore these important issues.
Recommended for grades 4 through 10.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Word Power
Words have enormous power and often assign value. This activity explores sample words in context and what kinds of value those words imply.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.Time: 15-30 minutes
Behind the Scenes
How do ordinary products come into existence? Who/what has been helped or harmed in the creation and distribution of that product? Participants explore the hidden lives of their everyday stuff.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
Cast Your Vote
Students learn about the “hidden ingredients” in every day products and practice voting their values by “buying” different kinds of items.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 20-40 minutes
Choices Cards
Bottled or tap water? Fair trade or conventional? Hunting or taking photos? Participants consider pairs of related behaviors and products and contemplate which choices do the most good and least harm.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.Time: 10-45 minutes
Clothing Line Up
We make choices every day about what we wear, but how often do we pay attention to the impact of our clothing choices on others? Students explore more and less harmful clothing options from the perspectives of the animals, other people and the environment.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 60 minutes
Don’t Tread On Me: Exploring Oppression
What is oppression? Who gets oppressed? Why don’t we all agree about that? Participants explore their own beliefs about oppression and learn about others'.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 60-90 minutes
The Dreaded Comparison
Participants explore the connections between human and animal oppression and ways that we can choose not to oppress others.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.Time: 45-60 minutes
Earth Court
The biggest issues and challenges of our time go on trial as students serve as prosecution, defense and jury, and then develop a solutions-based sentencing.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: Varies
Executive Commission
Students serve on a commission to advise the President/Prime Minister how to act on an important issue. Dividing into two groups, students explore the pros and cons of different viewpoints and then express their views to elected officials.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.Time: 40-60 minutes to a week
Greatest Impact
Groups of students analyze the impact of behaviors and product choices to determine which choices have the greatest impact on the environment, on human health and well-being, and on other species.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: Several weeks to a month
Human Picture
This icebreaker encourages participants to consider the kind of world they want to live in by creating human statues that depict positive and negative emotions.
Recommended for grades 3 and up.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Lend a Hand
It comes naturally to most of us to help out when needed. This icebreaker sparks discussion about the importance of helping others, and how easy it can be to make helping part of our every day lives.
Recommended for grades 2 and up.Time: 5-10 minutes
Many Colors
Many people view the world through a lens of black and white, either/or. In this activity groups of students work together to explore a variety of possible solutions to a global issues conflict.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
A Moment in Your Shoes
How will students feel spending a moment in the shoes of a battery hen or a child slave? Use this lively and thought- provoking activity to introduce human and animal issues and the connections between them.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several days
One Makes the Difference
Every person has the power to create positive change. Students explore the power of one and the values that help create a better world.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: 45 minutes to several weeks
Picturing Oppression
Use images from magazines and other sources to spark students to consider the ways oppression, exploitation and dominance of animals and other people are still prevalent.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
Time 60-90 minutes
Power Chat
What are the problems of the world? What tools and skills do I have to make a positive impact? This activity can serve as a good icebreaker to allow fellow advocates to know each other better and to focus on important issues, or it can serve as an introduction for exploring what each (and all) of us can do for positive social change.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time 30 minutes or more
True Price
Help participants become more conscious in their consuming by analyzing the “true price” of the products we use.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 20-60 minutes, or several days
What Do We Need?
What do humans need to be happy and fulfilled? What are our highest needs? What happens when our needs don’t get met? This activity uses Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a springboard for exploring needs.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
What is a Humane Life?
What’s a typical Saturday look like in the life of someone striving to live a more humane life? Participants follow a “humane presenter” or a “humane wannabe” through a reenactment of their day to learn about the whats and whys of making humane choices every day.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 90-120 minutes
What Will You Say?
At the end of your very long life, a child asks you what you did to help make the world so much better. Guide students through this visualization to help them get in touch with their power to make positive change.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Which to Pick
Great for a larger assembly, this activity asks students to compare pairs of similar products to consider which of the two helps more and harms less.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Word Power
Words have enormous power and often assign value. This activity explores sample words in context and what kinds of value those words imply.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.Time: 15-30 minutes
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MOGO Workshop - Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary (Woodstock, NY)
October 11, 2008 - 8:30 am to October 11, 2008 - 5:00 pm | Location: Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
Live your values. Change the world. Choose MOGO! Let your life reflect what truly matters to you. Discover ways to choose MOGO (the most good), act on what's most important to you, and build a better world. Come to our life-transforming weekend MOGO workshop, that offer...
Read More
October 11, 2008 - 8:30 am to October 11, 2008 - 5:00 pm | Location: Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
Live your values. Change the world. Choose MOGO! Let your life reflect what truly matters to you. Discover ways to choose MOGO (the most good), act on what's most important to you, and build a better world. Come to our life-transforming weekend MOGO workshop, that offer...
Read More