Humane Lesson Plans for
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
WRITING – GRADES 6-12
The Common Core State Standards are the new K-12 student achievement guidelines, currently adopted by 45 states. The cited set of lesson plans are aligned to the Writing Standards (W.1 – W.10) using the Grade 11-12 goals, with W.1, W.2, W.3, and W.9 summarized.
Please refer to that web site for additional lesson plans at K-12 + college/adult levels.
Note: This list is prepared for the VWBPE.org conference, and is not affiliated with the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), other than through participation in IHE distance learning courses.
W.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/essay variations of these activities analyzing a subject text:
Participants learn and use the C.R.I.T.I.C. technique to enable them to bring critical thinking skills to any information they receive, whether from industry, non-profits, government or media.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Students learn to be ad-savvy by exploring the pervasiveness of ads in their lives and by analyzing what ads are trying to sell…and trying to hide.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Unveil the manipulation inherent in marketing and corporate branding and awaken the creativity of your students by having them explore commercials aimed at them and then empowering them to create new commercials with a positive message.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
This activity explores: How do ads influence us? What strategies do ad designers use to target different groups of people? How can we recognize those strategies and our own triggers?
Recommended for grades 8 and up
W.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/research paper variations these activities:
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.
What is compassion? Who and what are in our circles of compassion? This activity offers an exploration of compassion and uses "scenario" stations to inspire participants to think about who's in their circle of compassion and why, and what they can do to make a positive difference for those being oppressed.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.
This lesson plan helps high school students take a closer look at prejudices, the biases that media contain and perpetuate (such as in what they do and don't report on, or how particular genders or ethnicities are portrayed), and the ways we are influenced by those media biases.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
This activity increases student awareness about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and what it measures, introduces them to alternative indicators and encourages critical thinking about what factors contribute to a healthy, sustainable, stable economy.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
This activity familiarizes students with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and inspires them to think about the freedoms they enjoy that others cannot.
Recommended for grades 9 and up
W.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/narrative variations of:
What does a mountain wish for? A wolf? A cow? A river? Participants “become” a being or part of nature and share the lives, concerns, hopes and wisdoms of their being in a Council.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.
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.
Alien in an Ethical Universe http://humaneeducation.org/documents/view/7 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.
W.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/research paper variations of:
Executive Commission http://humaneeducation.org/documents/view/21 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.
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.
W.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/narrative variations, where student is asked to revise with feedback:
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.
W.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Individual written/research paper variations 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.
Our fossil fuels are gone! How will we survive and thrive without them? Students explore two scenarios and develop plans of action for living successfully and sustainably.
Recommended for grades 7 and up.
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.
W.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/research paper variations (What Price Our Foods? What Price Our Medicines? What Price Our Fill-In-The-Blank?):
This activity encourages students to explore and think critically about the impacts of the ingredients in the personal care products that they use on themselves, other people, animals and the environment, as well as how branding and marketing play into our choices.
Recommended for grades 8 and 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.
This lesson plan helps high school students take a closer look at prejudices, the biases that media contain and perpetuate (such as in what they do and don't report on, or how particular genders or ethnicities are portrayed), and the ways we are influenced by those media biases.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
W.8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/research paper variations of:
This activity encourages students to explore and think critically about the impacts of the ingredients in the personal care products that they use on themselves, other people, animals and the environment, as well as how branding and marketing play into our choices.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Everybody eats, but how often do we stop to think about how the food on our plates got there and about the impacts of that food on people, animals and the planet? How'd That Get on My Plate? encourages participants to explore how sample ingredients in our food might affect the environment, people, and animals, and what humane alternatives might exist.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Help participants become more conscious in their consuming by analyzing the “true price” of the products we use on themselves, other people, animals & the earth.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
W.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written/research paper variations of:
This activity encourages students to explore and think critically about the impacts of the ingredients in the personal care products that they use on themselves, other people, animals and the environment, as well as how branding and marketing play into our choices.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Help participants become more conscious in their consuming by analyzing the “true price” of the products we use on themselves, other people, animals & the earth.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
W.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
ACTIVITIES/LESSON PLANS - Written long-term assignments and research paper variations of:
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.
Students become castaways on a remote and pristine island and must determine how to live in a way that is sustainable for all.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Everyone has an ecological footprint. Participants use paper footprints to simulate the impact of their choices on the earth. Extension activities allow students to explore their ecological footprints and what choices can be made to reduce them.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
