CASEL competency

Responsible decision-making activities for high school classes

Making caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions, and weighing their effects. Here are 249 activities that build responsible decision-making inside the content you already teach.

Spanish

Spanish 1

• ¿Lo necesito o lo quiero? Responsible decision-makingStudents shop on a budget and sort needs from wants.
• Mi estilo, mi decisión Responsible decision-makingStudents describe clothing and talk about choosing for yourself, not for approval.
• ¿Quién hizo el trabajo? Responsible decision-makingStudents talk about technology and AI, and practice owning their own work.
• Pequeñas decisiones, gran impacto Responsible decision-makingStudents use "deber" to weigh small daily choices for the planet.
• ¿Es verdad? Responsible decision-makingStudents judge headlines and practice saying "creo que" before believing.

Spanish 2

• Las reglas que nos cuidan Responsible decision-makingStudents compare school rules in Mexico and California and decide which class agreements protect everyone fairly.
• ¿Qué compraste y por qué? Responsible decision-makingStudents narrate a past purchase in the preterite and reflect on whether a feeling or a need made the decision.
• ¡Ten cuidado! Responsible decision-makingStudents write irregular "tú" commands for walking and driving safety and decide which advice they would actually follow.
• Oí, leí, creí Responsible decision-makingStudents contrast "creí" and "leí" to separate what they believed from what they actually read in a news report.
• Al aire libre Responsible decision-makingStudents write "ustedes" commands for a Joshua Tree hike that keep the group safe and protect the desert.
• Por la comunidad Responsible decision-makingUsing "por" to explain reasons, students choose one action they will take "por la comunidad" and explain why it matters to them.
• Es importante que te cuides Responsible decision-makingStudents give advice for a trip to Oaxaca with "es importante que" and weigh which choices protect their wellbeing.

Spanish 3

• Comer bien en el desierto Responsible decision-makingComparing hydration and food tips for extreme heat, students decide which changes are realistic for a family, real or imagined.
• Mi voz en la clínica Responsible decision-makingStudents practice speaking up at a clinic in Spanish, asking clear questions so their family gets complete information.
• Lo tuyo y lo mío Responsible decision-makingStudents use possessive pronouns to settle a fair sharing dilemma and explain the reasoning behind their decision.
• Ya había decidido Responsible decision-makingStudents use the pluperfect to trace what they had already felt or believed before making an important choice.
• La tecnología del mañana Responsible decision-makingStudents predict how technology will change their lives and weigh one benefit and one risk for their wellbeing.
• ¿Qué harías tú? Responsible decision-makingStudents respond to everyday ethical dilemmas with the conditional and explain what they would do and why.
• Dudo que sea verdad Responsible decision-makingStudents use expressions of doubt to evaluate rumors and viral posts before believing or sharing them.

Spanish 4 and AP

• La identidad en línea Responsible decision-makingStudents judge which parts of their identity they choose to share online and defend that choice in an AP style persuasive paragraph.
• Los voluntarios del valle Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze a local need in Indio or Coachella and propose with the subjunctive how young people could respond.
• El servicio obligatorio Responsible decision-makingStudents write an AP style argumentative paragraph on required community service, citing two sources and representing both sides fairly.
• Los estándares de belleza Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze beauty ads from Spanish language media and argue how those messages affect self-image.
• La inteligencia artificial y la honestidad Responsible decision-makingStudents debate in Spanish when using AI is honest and decide what they would do "si un amigo" copiara.
• El agua en el desierto Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze Coachella Valley water data and argue what the region would have done differently to protect the future.
• Ensayo argumentativo: la tecnología Responsible decision-makingStudents write an AP style argumentative essay on whether technology brings people closer, citing sources honestly.
• Los derechos humanos Responsible decision-makingStudents propose a solution to a global challenge and defend it in a persuasive AP style presentation.

Heritage Spanish

• B o V, S, C o Z Responsible decision-makingStudents build strategies for common spelling choices and decide which tools help them most when they write.
• Dichos y refranes Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze family "dichos" and decide which advice still guides their choices today.
• La carta formal Responsible decision-makingStudents write a formal letter in Spanish to a local official about a community issue they care about.
• El ensayo de opinión Responsible decision-makingStudents write an opinion essay in academic Spanish and support each claim with reasons rather than emotion alone.
• Realismo mágico Responsible decision-makingReading a magical realist short story, students decide what the magical element symbolizes and connect it to a real problem.
• La voz de las mujeres Responsible decision-makingReading "Sor Juana" and Julia "de Burgos", students argue how women writers used language to claim their voice.
• Los medios en español Responsible decision-makingStudents compare Spanish language news coverage of a local story and detect bias or sensationalism.
• El Sello Estatal de Lectoescritura Bilingüe Responsible decision-makingStudents plan the steps toward the California State Seal of Biliteracy and decide how they will show their skills.

French

French 1

• J'aime, je n'aime pas Responsible decision-makingStudents share likes and dislikes with "er" verbs and use what they learn about themselves to choose one activity that energizes them this week.
• Je vais en ville Responsible decision-makingStudents use "aller" with places in town to plan a free afternoon and decide which choices truly recharge them.
• Pourquoi ? Parce que Responsible decision-makingStudents answer "pourquoi" questions with "parce que" to explain their choices and practice giving reasons instead of only opinions.
• Un conflit entre amis Responsible decision-makingStudents read a short conflict between friends, use negation to state what they will not do, "je ne vais pas crier", and choose a fair next step.
• Au magasin Responsible decision-makingStudents shop with a fixed budget in "euros" and decide between what they want and what they need.
• Mon quartier Responsible decision-makingStudents map their neighborhood in French, mark the places that make it feel welcoming, and propose one improvement for everyone.
• En Louisiane Responsible decision-makingStudents plan a "futur proche" trip to Cajun and Creole Louisiana and decide what they want to learn from the French speakers who live there.

French 2

• Je suis sorti, je suis resté Responsible decision-makingStudents recount where they went and where they stayed last weekend and notice how they chose between going out and resting.
• Hier matin Responsible decision-makingStudents narrate a rushed morning with reflexive verbs in the past and work out how to make tomorrow morning calmer.
• La ville d'autrefois Responsible decision-makingStudents compare old and current photos of Québec City using "il y avait" and reflect on how communities change while keeping their heart.
• Le meilleur, vraiment ? Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze ads from France and Switzerland that claim to be "le meilleur" and decide which superlatives are facts and which are pressure.
• Autant pour tous Responsible decision-makingStudents compare how chores at home or resources at school are shared with plus de and "autant de" and propose a fairer split.
• En ligne Responsible decision-makingStudents decide what to post and what to keep private using object pronouns, "je le partage" or "je ne le poste pas".
• Mon quartier change Responsible decision-makingStudents compare their neighborhood before and now and propose one change that would help everyone.
• Non, merci Responsible decision-makingStudents practice refusing peer pressure with negative commands and pronouns and choose a respectful way to say non, "merci".

French 3

• Le jour où j'ai choisi Responsible decision-makingStudents narrate a day when they made an important choice and evaluate what guided that decision.
• Les témoins Responsible decision-makingStudents compare two witness accounts of the same school incident and decide which details are facts and which are assumptions.
• Je serai, j'aurai, je ferai Responsible decision-makingStudents write "quand" clauses in the future, "quand j'aurai mon diplôme, je ferai", and plan realistic steps toward a goal.
• Si j'étais maire Responsible decision-makingStudents write "si j'étais maire" sentences and propose realistic changes that would make their community kinder.
• J'en ai besoin Responsible decision-makingStudents distinguish needs and wants with "en" ("j'en ai besoin" or "je n'en ai pas besoin"), and evaluate a recent purchase.
• Le bénévolat Responsible decision-makingStudents read about youth volunteers in Abidjan, "Côte d'Ivoire", and in Montréal and plan a small project, using y and en to describe their involvement.
• Protéger la planète Responsible decision-makingStudents read about rising seas in French Polynesia and youth recycling projects in Tunisia and propose actions with "il est important que".
• Je doute que ce soit vrai Responsible decision-makingStudents evaluate viral claims online and express certainty or doubt with the right mood, practicing healthy skepticism.

French 4 and AP

• Le pouvoir des associations Responsible decision-makingStudents read about youth associations in Dakar and Lyon and use the subjunctive to propose how teens in their own city could meet a local need.
• Le créole à l'école Responsible decision-makingStudents read about Kreyòl in schools in Haïti and Guadeloupe and argue whether students should learn in their home language, weighing evidence on both sides.
• Mon identité en ligne Responsible decision-makingStudents judge which parts of their identity they choose to share online and defend that choice in an AP style persuasive paragraph.
• La beauté, selon qui ? Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze beauty standards in French and West African advertising and argue, with "je ne crois pas que", how media could represent everyone with respect.
• L'intelligence artificielle à l'école Responsible decision-makingStudents write an AP style argumentative essay on AI in schools, citing sources honestly and representing both sides fairly.
• Inventions et éthique Responsible decision-makingStudents debate an invention's benefits and harms with "si on n'avait pas inventé" and reach a reasoned position.
• Travailler et étudier Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze a chart on teen work hours in France and Canada and use "si" clauses to decide how they would balance work, rest, and study.
• Le climat et nous Responsible decision-makingStudents read about the Great Green Wall in the Sahel and coastal land loss in Louisiana and propose realistic actions with "il est urgent que".

English

English 9

• Torn Between Two Choices Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze a character's internal conflict and how it advances the plot.
• Claim, Evidence, Reasoning Responsible decision-makingStudents introduce a precise claim and support it with relevant evidence and reasoning.
• Does the Evidence Hold Up? Responsible decision-makingStudents delineate and evaluate an argument, assessing whether reasoning is valid and evidence is sufficient.
• How Words Move Us Responsible decision-makingStudents determine an author's purpose and analyze how rhetoric advances it.
• Sources We Can Trust Responsible decision-makingStudents assess the usefulness and credibility of sources and cite them correctly.
• Credit Where It Is Due Responsible decision-makingStudents integrate information into their writing selectively, using quotation and paraphrase, and avoid plagiarism.
• One Event, Many Accounts Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze accounts of the same subject told in different mediums and determine which details are emphasized.
• Impulsive Choices on Stage Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze how a character's impulsive decisions drive the plot and create dramatic irony.

English 10

• Argument: Taking a Stand Responsible decision-makingWriting a claim about a global issue with honest evidence.
• Analyzing Speeches for Change Responsible decision-makingRhetoric in speeches by global leaders and activists.
• Media Literacy: Global News Responsible decision-makingComparing international coverage of one event.
• Synthesizing Sources Responsible decision-makingSynthesizing sources honestly and disclosing AI help.
• Tragedy and Choice Responsible decision-makingTragic flaws and the choices that lead to downfall.
• Satire and Its Targets Responsible decision-makingUnderstanding satire and when humor punches up or down.
• Dystopia and Hope Responsible decision-makingDystopian warnings and the hope in resistance.

English 11

• Rhetoric of Revolution Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing persuasive rhetoric in revolutionary era writing.
• The American Dream Debate Responsible decision-makingArguing whether the American Dream is still possible.
• Evaluating Seminal Arguments Responsible decision-makingEvaluating reasoning in landmark court cases and speeches.
• Rhetorical Analysis Essay Responsible decision-makingWriting a rhetorical analysis of a speech.
• Synthesis Across Sources Responsible decision-makingSynthesizing multiple sources with integrity.
• Mockingbird and Moral Courage Responsible decision-makingMoral courage and standing up when it costs something.
• Language of Advertising Responsible decision-makingHow ads use connotation and emotion.
• Debate Ethics Responsible decision-makingFormal debate with fairness and honest evidence.
• Satire in America Responsible decision-makingSatire, irony, and humor as social criticism.

English 12

• Shakespeare and Ambition Responsible decision-makingAmbition and its costs in Macbeth or another tragedy.
• Satire and Social Change Responsible decision-makingA Modest Proposal and satire as protest.
• Frankenstein and Responsibility Responsible decision-makingCreators' responsibility, from science to AI.
• Ethics of Technology Responsible decision-makingArguing a position on an AI or technology ethics question.
• Annotated Bibliography Responsible decision-makingEvaluating and citing sources with integrity.
• Writing a Literary Analysis Responsible decision-makingCollege level literary analysis with a complex claim.
• Dystopia and Freedom Responsible decision-making1984 or Brave New World and the cost of comfort.
• Surveillance and Privacy Responsible decision-makingPrivacy in the digital age across multiple sources.
• Financial Literacy Texts Responsible decision-makingReading contracts, leases, and loan terms carefully.

Math

Integrated Math I

• How Fast Does a Rumor Travel? Responsible decision-making
• What the Numbers Mean Responsible decision-making
• Is It Always True? Responsible decision-making
• Correlation Is Not Causation Responsible decision-making
• Enough Evidence Responsible decision-making

Integrated Math II

• Rational or Not? Responsible decision-makingStudents argue whether sums and products are rational, practicing evidence over gut feeling.
• The Quadratic Formula Responsible decision-makingChoosing the best solving method and explaining the decision.
• Comparing Growth Responsible decision-makingExponential eventually beats linear; comparing two savings plans.
• Conditional Thinking Responsible decision-makingGiven that changes probability; how context changes the meaning of a claim.
• Fair Games Responsible decision-makingStudents design games and test whether they are fair.
• Risk and Choices Responsible decision-makingUsing probability to analyze decisions like wearing a seatbelt or texting while driving.
• Proving Similarity Responsible decision-makingAA similarity and how much evidence a conclusion needs.
• The Pythagorean Identity Responsible decision-makingProving sin² + cos² = 1 and why some truths always hold.

Integrated Math III

• Is It Real or Random? Responsible decision-makingSimulation to test whether a result could be chance.
• Margin of Error Responsible decision-makingReading polls honestly, including uncertainty.
• Evaluating Reports Responsible decision-makingJudging data based claims in news and social media.
• Polynomial Identities Responsible decision-makingProving identities and finding patterns in Pythagorean triples.
• Extraneous Solutions Responsible decision-makingChecking solutions honestly; some answers only look right.
• Exponential Choices Responsible decision-makingCompound interest on savings and on credit card debt.
• Choosing a Model Responsible decision-makingChoosing linear, exponential, or other models for real data.
• Modeling Project: Present Responsible decision-makingTeams present findings honestly, including limitations.
• Budgeting My First Year Responsible decision-makingBuilding a realistic first year budget with constraints.

Calculus

• Continuity and the Intermediate Value Theorem Responsible decision-makingChecking continuity, fixing removable discontinuities, and deciding when the Intermediate Value Theorem applies.
• Inverse Functions and Their Derivatives Responsible decision-makingChoosing between the inverse derivative rule and inverse trig formulas, and explaining the choice.
• Choosing the Right Rule Responsible decision-makingReading how a function is built before choosing a derivative rule.
• Close Enough? Local Linear Approximation Responsible decision-makingUsing a tangent line to estimate and deciding whether to trust it.
• Finding Extreme Values Responsible decision-makingCritical points, sign charts, and choosing the right test to find local and absolute extreme values.
• Optimization Responsible decision-makingSetting up and solving optimization problems, and deciding as a group how to justify the answer.
• Choosing an Integration Strategy Responsible decision-makingChoosing an integration technique on purpose, by looking at structure before acting.
• Exponential Growth and Decay Responsible decision-makingWhen a quantity changes at a rate proportional to its size, dy/dt = ky leads to y = y0 e^(kt), and the given facts decide which model fits.

Science

Living Earth

• Counting Life Fairly Responsible decision-makingStudents compare biodiversity counts from two sampling methods and practice noticing when excitement or doubt shapes a conclusion.
• Energy Pyramids and Waste Responsible decision-makingCalculating energy loss up a food pyramid and weighing food choices with care rather than guilt.
• Natural Selection by the Numbers Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing trait frequency data across generations and separating evidence from assumption when making decisions.
• Sources of Variation Responsible decision-makingArguing whether meiosis, replication errors, or environmentally caused mutations best explain inherited variation, and pausing on strong feelings before choosing a claim.
• Genetics and Ethics Responsible decision-makingEvaluating news claims about gene editing and discussing who should decide how the technology is used.
• Healthy Choices, Healthy Systems Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing data on sleep and memory to make one evidence based health decision.
• Humans and Biodiversity Responsible decision-makingDesigning and evaluating a solution that reduces human impact on a desert habitat and advocating for it honestly.

Chemistry in the Earth System

• Comparing Fuels Responsible decision-makingCalculating the energy per gallon of different fuels and weighing tradeoffs in a decision without rushing.
• Energy Budgets Responsible decision-makingCalculating Earth's energy budget and balancing a personal energy budget of sleep, school, and work.
• Thermal Energy and Choices Responsible decision-makingDesigning a device that keeps a lunch cool and justifying design choices honestly, including weaknesses.
• Nuclear Changes Responsible decision-makingModeling fission, fusion, and decay and discussing how fear and facts both enter energy decisions.
• Rates of Reaction Responsible decision-makingArguing how temperature and concentration change reaction rates and noticing what speeds up or slows down our own reactions.
• Chemistry on the Farm Responsible decision-makingEvaluating solutions that reduce fertilizer and pesticide runoff and weighing the needs of farmworkers, growers, and neighbors.
• Reading the Climate Record Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing temperature and carbon dioxide data and separating trends from noise without letting worry distort the evidence.
• Water Quality in Our Valley Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing arsenic and nitrate data for local wells and drafting honest, respectful messages to community members.

Physics of the Universe

• Seatbelts and Choices Responsible decision-makingArguing from crash data about safety features and examining how peer pressure affects risky choices.
• Materials by Design Responsible decision-makingEvaluating claims about engineered materials and practicing honest reporting of a source's limits.
• Solar in the Desert Responsible decision-makingEvaluating cost and benefit evidence for desert solar farms and weighing habitat loss against clean energy.
• Dating the Earth Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing half life data to date rocks and meteorites while checking our reasoning for bias.
• Digital Signals Responsible decision-makingArguing the advantages of digital information and discussing honesty when sharing images and messages online.
• Screens and Sleep Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing data on screen light and sleep and deciding on one evidence based screen habit.
• Evidence for the Big Bang Responsible decision-makingConstructing an explanation from redshift and background radiation evidence and staying humble about the limits of what we know.

Earth and Environmental Science

• Cycling Matter Through Earth Responsible decision-makingModeling the carbon cycle across all of Earth's spheres and deciding which personal actions most affect it.
• Dust and Breath Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing air quality data near the exposed lakebed and evaluating fair solutions for communities with high asthma rates.
• Who Gets the Water Responsible decision-makingArguing about water allocation among farms, cities, tribes, and the Salton Sea while managing strong feelings in debate.
• Climate Models Responsible decision-makingComparing climate model projections and weighing uncertainty without sliding into denial or despair.
• Resource Costs and Benefits Responsible decision-makingEvaluating the costs and benefits of mining and energy strategies and making decisions with both head and heart.
• Wildfire at the Wildland Edge Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing sample acres burned data modeled on the San Jacinto Mountains and deciding which prevention steps the evidence supports.
• Designing for Sustainability Responsible decision-makingDefining a local environmental problem with criteria and constraints and choosing one that matters personally.
• Speaking Up for the Environment Responsible decision-makingWriting an evidence based letter to a local agency and advocating honestly without exaggerating.

History

World History

• Rule of Law, Not Rule of One Responsible decision-makingStudents compare Plato and Aristotle on why tyranny is illegitimate and practice pausing strong feelings before deciding what is fair.
• Why England First Responsible decision-makingStudents map the coal, rivers, capital, and labor that let England industrialize first and take stock of the resources they bring to solving their own problems.
• Children at Work Responsible decision-makingStudents evaluate testimony from child factory workers given to the British Parliament in the 1830s and practice weighing a source's purpose while staying attuned to the people behind it.
• Capitalism and Its Critics Responsible decision-makingStudents compare capitalism with the responses of utopians, social democrats, socialists, and communists and practice listening to an economic view they disagree with before responding.
• Promises and Power in Russia Responsible decision-makingStudents examine why Russians welcomed promises of peace, land, and bread and how Lenin used totalitarian means to keep control, then weigh promises against actions in their own decisions.
• Stalin and a Silenced Press Responsible decision-makingStudents learn how Stalin's control of the press hid the Terror Famine in Ukraine and practice checking whether information is honest before they share it.
• The Cost of Looking Away Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh the reasons leaders gave for appeasement and isolationism and practice making a hard choice when avoiding conflict feels easier.
• A Connected Planet Responsible decision-makingStudents trace how satellites, computers, and global trade connected the world and make a plan for using their own connections responsibly.

US History

• Freedom of Conscience Responsible decision-makingStudents examine the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses and the ongoing debate over church and state, weighing several perspectives before forming a view.
• Titans of Industry Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh whether leaders like Carnegie and Rockefeller were captains of industry or robber barons and practice judging evidence rather than labels.
• Becoming a World Power Responsible decision-makingStudents map the Spanish American War and expansion in the Pacific, including Filipino and Native Hawaiian perspectives, and weigh the costs of a choice for everyone it affects.
• New Deal Debates Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh arguments for and against New Deal programs, including the Central Valley Project that reshaped California water, and practice evaluating a policy by its intended and unintended effects.
• The Atomic Decision Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh the arguments made for and against dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and practice holding a difficult decision with care and humility.
• Every Vote Counts Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze how the Voting Rights Act and the Twenty Fourth Amendment opened access to the ballot and decide how they will take part in civic life.
• Protecting Land and Water Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh the views of conservation and property rights advocates on issues like the Salton Sea and Colorado River water and propose a fair solution for the Coachella Valley.

Government

• My Rights, Your Rights Responsible decision-makingExploring why enjoying one's own rights requires respecting the rights of others, then deciding how to act fairly when two people's freedoms collide.
• When Levels of Government Disagree Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing how conflicts between state and federal authority are resolved through courts and negotiation and practicing fair steps for resolving a conflict between classmates.
• Many Ways to Be Heard Responsible decision-makingExploring voting, petitioning, lobbying, and peaceful assembly as lawful paths to influence and choosing a respectful way to raise one's own voice.
• Direct Democracy in California Responsible decision-makingReading the official arguments for and against a past California ballot measure in a structured academic controversy, then practicing decisions that weigh evidence over first reactions.

Economics

• The Cost of Every Choice Responsible decision-makingCalculating opportunity cost and marginal benefit, then using the same reasoning to weigh one real decision about how to spend an afternoon.
• Markets and Freedom Responsible decision-makingReading Adam Smith alongside economists who stress the limits of markets and practicing how to summarize a view fairly before responding to it.
• When Prices Are Capped Responsible decision-makingExamining the intended and unintended effects of price controls such as rent control through the views of several economists, and pausing to separate feelings from evidence.
• What Government Does in Markets Responsible decision-makingWeighing arguments for and against government roles in markets from several economic perspectives and practicing a fair summary of a view one does not hold.

Geography

• Maps Tell Stories Responsible decision-makingComparing map projections and who made them, and noticing how choices about what a map shows can shape feelings and judgments.
• How Towns Grow Responsible decision-makingAnalyzing why settlements like Indio grew along water, rail lines, and highways and weighing growth decisions where neighbors want different things.
• Water in a Thirsty Land Responsible decision-makingExamining how wells, canals, and Colorado River water turned the desert into farmland and how different groups negotiate scarce water fairly.
• Planning the Valley's Future Responsible decision-makingUsing geography to propose a plan for a cooler, greener neighborhood and setting a hopeful goal students can work toward.

Ethnic Studies

• Mendez Before Brown Responsible decision-makingStudying how Mexican American families in Mendez v. Westminster used the courts in 1946 and 1947 to challenge school segregation in California, and identifying lawful, principled ways to address unfairness.
• Laws That Shaped Neighborhoods Responsible decision-makingExamining how practices like redlining and California's alien land laws shaped where families could live and own land, while comparing historians' interpretations of their lasting effects.
• Many Views on Fairness Responsible decision-makingReading thoughtful writers who disagree about how best to achieve fairness in schools and communities, and practicing summarizing each view so well that its holders would agree.
• Taking Action in Our Community Responsible decision-makingResearching a local issue from several community perspectives and planning a respectful, lawful action that invites people with different views to the table.

Fine Arts

Art 1

• Observing Desert Forms Responsible decision-makingSketching local plants and rocks from life, students choose a present day question about the desert to investigate through art.
• Studio Check In Responsible decision-makingStudents document their progress from week one sketches to now and set one realistic skill goal for the next unit.
• Appreciation or Appropriation Responsible decision-makingStudents compare examples of artists borrowing from other cultures and build criteria for when borrowing honors a culture and when it takes from it.
• Criteria for Strong Work Responsible decision-makingStudents cocreate criteria for a successful composition and practice separating personal taste from evidence.
• Art for a Cause Responsible decision-makingStudents design a poster about a school or community issue and check that their message persuades honestly.
• Safe Materials, Safe Planet Responsible decision-makingStudents compare traditional and recycled materials for their impact on health and the environment and choose responsibly for a final piece.
• Curating Our Best Work Responsible decision-makingStudents select pieces for a portfolio and explain their choices with criteria instead of feelings alone.

Art 2

• Choosing a Medium Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh traditional and contemporary materials for a planned work and notice how excitement and fear influence their choices.
• Images That Persuade Responsible decision-makingStudents evaluate how ads and social media images target specific audiences and notice how those images make them feel.
• Ethics of Making and Sharing Responsible decision-makingStudents examine copyright, fair use, and image borrowing and decide how to credit sources honestly in their own work.
• Borrowing With Respect Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze cases of cultural appropriation in art and fashion and write guidelines for honoring sources in their own work.
• Whose Criteria Responsible decision-makingStudents examine how critics, judges, and communities evaluate art and decide which criteria feel fair and relevant.
• Art and Contemporary Issues Responsible decision-makingStudents formulate a creative problem around an issue they care about and plan a work that informs without shaming.
• Water, Heat, and Design Responsible decision-makingStudents redesign an everyday object or place in response to desert heat and water scarcity and weigh the tradeoffs.
• Sustainable Studio Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh the ethical and environmental impact of how they make and distribute their work and commit to one sustainable studio practice.

Photography

• Golden Hour in the Desert Responsible decision-makingStudents plan a shoot around desert light and heat, deciding when and where they can photograph safely.
• Choosing the Best Frame Responsible decision-makingStudents evaluate a contact sheet against criteria and choose their strongest frame with reasons.
• Ethics of Photographing People Responsible decision-makingStudents examine consent, privacy, and dignity in street and news photography and write a personal code for photographing people.
• Editing Honestly Responsible decision-makingStudents decide which edits improve an image and which would mislead viewers, especially in news and documentary work.
• Before You Post Responsible decision-makingStudents compare ways to share photos online and weigh audience, privacy, and digital footprint before posting.
• Environment Through a Lens Responsible decision-makingStudents investigate an environmental issue such as the Salton Sea through photographs that inform and invite action.

Theatre 1

• Consent and Contact Responsible decision-makingStudents learn check in and opt out signals for physical scenes and practice asking before any contact.
• Making Choices as an Actor Responsible decision-makingUsing script analysis, students choose objectives and tactics for a character and justify their choices with evidence.
• Who Tells the Story Responsible decision-makingStudents compare productions that adapt stories across cultures and discuss when it is appreciation and when it is appropriation.
• Design Choices Responsible decision-makingStudents sketch a set or costume concept and explain how their design choices create a mood for the audience.
• Speaking Up With Integrity Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze a play that challenges its audience and decide how to stage a message that persuades without preaching.
• Critiquing a Performance Responsible decision-makingStudents watch a live or recorded performance and evaluate it with evidence and criteria rather than likes and dislikes alone.

Choir

• Choosing Repertoire Responsible decision-makingStudents explain criteria for selecting concert repertoire that balance skill level, audience, and personal meaning.
• Vocal Health Responsible decision-makingStudents learn habits that protect their voices and decide how to balance practice, rest, and hydration.
• Singing Another Culture's Music Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze a song from another culture and discuss how to perform it with accurate language, context, and credit rather than as a novelty.
• Evaluating Performances Responsible decision-makingStudents compare two recordings of the same piece and evaluate them with criteria instead of preference alone.
• Songs of Justice Responsible decision-makingStudents study songs from the civil rights and farmworker movements and discuss how music can influence change with integrity.
• Music With Purpose Responsible decision-makingStudents select music for a school event and support their choices with characteristics of the music and the needs of the audience.
• Program Notes Responsible decision-makingStudents research a piece and write short program notes that help an audience understand its context and meaning.

Dance 1

• Choreographic Choices Responsible decision-makingStudents use a stimulus such as a poem or photograph to source movement and choose devices that express an artistic intent.
• Injury, Rest, and Patience Responsible decision-makingStudents apply healthy practices to prevent injury and decide when to push and when to rest.
• Appreciation, Not Appropriation Responsible decision-makingStudents compare respectful learning of a cultural dance form with viral trends that strip dances of their origins and credit.
• Consent in Contact Responsible decision-makingStudents learn to ask before touch, offer alternatives, and respect a partner's no in contact work.
• Watching Dance Critically Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze the artistic expression of a professional dance using dance terminology and evidence rather than likes and dislikes.
• Dance With a Message Responsible decision-makingStudents develop movement around an issue they care about and decide how to express it powerfully and honestly.

Physical Education

PE Course 1

• Pressure on the Court Responsible decision-makingDuring a partner challenge, students rehearse short scripts for responding when peers push them to skip a safety step or mock a classmate.
• Exercise as Medicine Responsible decision-makingAfter a brisk 6 minute walk, students privately rate their mood before and after and connect regular activity to preventing disease over a lifetime.
• Practice Plans That Work Responsible decision-makingAfter a quick skill check in an individual activity, students write a short practice plan based on their own results and test it for one round.
• Fitness Myths and Smart Choices Responsible decision-makingBetween circuit stations, students examine sample fitness product ads, judge whether the claims are honest, and name the feelings the ads try to stir up.
• My One Month Plan Responsible decision-makingStudents sample three home friendly workouts and draft a private one month activity plan that fits their schedule, space, and interests.
• Moving for a Purpose Responsible decision-makingStudents try a mini circuit modeled on the physical tasks of local jobs like firefighting and farm work and reflect on how fitness supports the work people do.
• Water and Weather Safety Responsible decision-makingIn a dry land scenario circuit, students decide how to respond to risks in open water, extreme heat, and storms and journal one personal safety rule.
• Fitness Resources Near Me Responsible decision-makingAfter a walking warm up, students map nearby parks, trails, and early morning or indoor options in the valley and choose one to try.

PE Course 2

• Why I Choose This Workout Responsible decision-makingStudents try three workout styles and justify which one best fits a goal they care about.
• Self Officiating With Integrity Responsible decision-makingIn self-officiated ultimate, players make their own calls and resolve disagreements calmly, then journal about a call that tested their integrity.
• What Makes a Good Captain Responsible decision-makingStudents rotate as captains in a team game and then name the leadership skills that helped or hurt the group.
• Coaching a Younger Player Responsible decision-makingPairs plan a simple, modified activity they could teach to a younger child and practice explaining it with patience.
• Strength Without Harm Responsible decision-makingStudents practice self-defense escapes and discuss when physical skill should be used only to stay safe and never to harm.
• Smart Consumer, Strong Mind Responsible decision-makingBetween stations, students evaluate fitness products and programs using clear questions and notice how marketing targets emotions.
• Community Fitness Map Responsible decision-makingStudents rate the availability and quality of fitness resources in their part of the valley and propose one way to improve access.

Health

• Who's in My Corner? Responsible decision-makingStudents map the trusted adults and school resources around an imagined teen, decide when a situation calls for help, and script how to start the conversation.
• Fact or Fad? The Claim Detective Responsible decision-makingStudents use a simple claim checklist to test six imagined health and fitness ads and decide which claims are trustworthy, questionable, or myths.
• Behind the Flavor: Decoding Vape Marketing Responsible decision-makingStudents analyze imagined vape ads for the techniques used to target teens, connect them to financial and legal influences, and choose strategies to resist them.
• Upstander Decision Map Responsible decision-makingStudents walk imagined bystanders through a decision map for dangerous situations, weighing options and choosing safe ways to report to a trusted adult.

RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.