Naikan is a Japanese practice of self-reflection and gratitude. Bring the benefits of to Naikan to your students using this activity guide.
Read more »
Humane Education Lesson Plans
Pretty Mindful: A Sustainable Clothing Workshop for Tween Girls
by Dixie Espinosa, M.Ed. Valparaiso University Institute for Humane Education June 2019 The purpose of this curriculum is to provide a series of humane education workshops to educate a new generation of conscientious consumers of sustainable fashion. By empowering young girls to be mindful consumers of fashion, they can determine best practices for sustainability that…
Read more »
Who Made My Clothes?
Students will investigate the “birth place” of their clothes, learn about how those clothes are connected to the oppression and exploitation of children and women, and consider positive solutions. Recommended for grades 6-12. Time: 2-3 60 minute classes, and longer for solutions projects
Read more »
Pillars of Humane Education
This brief activity is a great icebreaker for groups of humane educators or student (or adult) solutionaries to help them define their visions. Recommended for grades 8 and up. Time: 30-45 minutes
Read more »
Heroes and Enemies
We’re often told to look for heroes we can turn to for inspiration. How often do we seek out what we can learn from people we dislike, or those who’ve done evil? This activity explores what we can learn from both our heroes and enemies (what to do and what NOT to do). This activity…
Read more »
Where in the World?
Students “shop” for T-shirts to help them make the connection between what they wear and the conditions under which it’s made. Recommended for grades 9 and up. Time: At least two days Common Core Standards for this activity (pdf): Download Common Core for grades 9-12. Find out how some of our other activities…
Read more »
Who Am I?
Many people know that pigs root around in the ground, that cows have four stomachs, and that chickens have wings, but some of these beings also make friends, remember faces, can play video games, and other characteristics that people often attribute only to humans. This activity for grades 2-5 serves as a great introduction to…
Read more »
Whom Do You Pet & Whom Do You Eat?
What are our relationships with different kinds of animals, and why do those relationships exist? Lead students in an activity which explores why we treat different types of animals differently, and how we can learn to view them with different eyes. Recommended for grades 5 and up. Time: 60 minutes Common Core Standards for…
Read more »
Which Harms Less?
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 Common Core Standards for this activity (pdf): Download Common Core for grades 5-8. Download Common Core for grades 9-12….
Read more »
Whale’s Stomach
Students learn about the impact of our “throwaway society” by exploring all the different kinds of trash found in a whale’s stomach. Recommended for grades 3-8. Time: 15-45 minutes Common Core Standards for this activity (pdf): Download Common Core for grades 3-5. Download Common Core for grades 6-8. Find out how some of…
Read more »
