CASEL competency

Social awareness activities for high school classes

Understanding the perspectives of others and showing empathy, including people from different backgrounds. Here are 239 activities that build social awareness inside the content you already teach.

Spanish

Spanish 1

• Mi familia, tu familia Social awarenessStudents describe family in ways that honor every kind of family.
• Más allá de las apariencias Social awarenessStudents describe people and practice going beyond looks to character.
• Recordar con cariño Social awarenessStudents learn the tradition and honor someone or something they are grateful for.
• La mesa de mi casa Social awarenessStudents compare family meals and practice curiosity about other tables.
• Tradiciones comparadas Social awarenessStudents compare holiday traditions with "más que" and "menos que".
• Mi comunidad me necesita Social awarenessStudents map community places and who they serve.
• Ver el mundo con otros ojos Social awarenessStudents plan a trip and imagine daily life through a local's eyes.

Spanish 2

• Este estilo es mío Social awarenessIn "a mercado" role play, students notice how clothing expresses identity and comment on each other's style with respect.
• ¿Cómo se va? Social awarenessGiving and following directions around Indio, students practice checking that the listener understood before moving on.
• Las historias de mis abuelos Social awarenessStudents imagine childhood in the old Coachella Valley from an elder's point of view and write interview questions with le for a grandparent.
• Celebramos juntos Social awarenessComparing "Las Posadas", "Día de los Reyes", and Coachella Valley celebrations, students learn how others make meaning of holidays.
• Un acto heroico Social awarenessStudents narrate a real or imagined rescue story and recognize that everyday heroes often feel afraid and act anyway.
• Me interesa, me molesta Social awarenessStudents share what interests and bothers them in movies and practice respecting opinions that differ from their own.
• Se prepara con cariño Social awarenessLearning how "dátiles", tamales, and mole "se preparan" in the valley and in Mexico, students honor the hands behind the food.

Spanish 3

• Mi valle, muchas historias Social awarenessReading about Cahuilla and farmworker histories of the valley, students narrate how other people experienced the same place.
• Los murales cuentan historias Social awarenessStudying Chicano murals in Coachella's "Pueblo Viejo", students infer the stories and struggles the artists wanted told.
• Te recomiendo que Social awarenessStudents give advice with the subjunctive only after listening fully to a peer's problem and reflecting it back.
• Las manos del valle Social awarenessLearning about Coachella Valley farmworkers and the UFW, students recognize the labor behind the food they eat.
• Servir a mi comunidad Social awarenessStudents identify a local need by listening to what neighbors say and plan a small service project in Spanish.
• El mar de Salton Social awarenessStudents consider how the Salton Sea affects families in Mecca and North Shore and propose what the community could do.
• Leyendas de América Latina Social awarenessReading "La Llorona" and a Cahuilla legend, students explore the fears and values each story teaches its listeners.

Spanish 4 and AP

• Las etiquetas Social awarenessStudents analyze labels like Latino, Hispano, and Chicano and practice asking people how they identify.
• Las familias de hoy Social awarenessStudents compare family structures in Mexico, Argentina, and the Coachella Valley and honor the many shapes a family takes.
• Si yo fuera un adulto que me cuida Social awarenessUsing "si" clauses, students imagine a day in a caring adult's shoes and write what they would feel and need.
• La educación en dos países Social awarenessComparing schools in Chile and California, students consider how students elsewhere experience pressure and support.
• Arte y protesta Social awarenessAnalyzing Guernica and Chicano poster art, students explain what artists wanted viewers to feel and to change.
• La salud mental en familia Social awarenessReading about mental health stigma, which is common in many families and communities, students practice compassionate language for hard conversations.
• La migración y la dignidad Social awarenessReading testimonies of migrant families, students listen for dignity and resilience in each story.

Heritage Spanish

• No hay español malo Social awarenessComparing words across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, students reject the idea of bad Spanish and respect every variety.
• Los cuentos de mi abuela Social awarenessStudents interview an elder in Spanish and capture a family story, honoring the voice of the storyteller.
• Mi vecindario habla Social awarenessStudents practice interviewing an imagined neighbor in Indio or Coachella with accented question words and listen for the stories behind the answers.
• Gloria Anzaldúa y la frontera Social awarenessReading excerpts from Borderlands, students reflect on living between languages and cultures and how others experience that space.
• La casa en Mango Street Social awarenessReading vignettes from "La casa en" Mango Street, students connect Esperanza's search for belonging with their own.
• Y no se lo tragó la tierra Social awarenessReading Tomás Rivera's stories of migrant farmworker families, students connect their resilience to farmworker history in their own valley.
• Historias de mi barrio Social awarenessStudents create a short story map of their neighborhood that honors local voices and what neighbors care about.

French

French 1

• Tu ou vous ? Social awarenessStudents compare "tu" and "vous" with English and Spanish and practice reading a situation to choose the respectful form for each person.
• Le monde francophone Social awarenessStudents meet teens from Sénégal, Québec, Haïti, and Belgique and use "être de" to discover that French belongs to people on five continents.
• Portraits de la classe Social awarenessStudents describe a classmate with agreeing adjectives that name character strengths so every portrait is kind and accurate.
• Le lycée ailleurs Social awarenessStudents read schedules from a "lycée" in Lyon and a "lycée" in Dakar and imagine how a student there feels on a long school day.
• Ma famille, mes familles Social awarenessStudents describe an imagined or chosen family, or the people who support them if they choose, and learn that families in the Francophone world and in California take many shapes.
• On fait la fête Social awarenessStudents explore Carnaval in Martinique and the "Fête nationale du Québec" and share a celebration that makes them feel they belong.
• Au marché Social awarenessStudents explore markets in Dakar, Marseille, and Montréal and thank the people whose work brings food to their own table.
• Le repas partagé Social awarenessStudents compare shared meals in Tunisie, Haïti, and France with meals at home and discuss what eating together says about connection.

French 2

• Arrivée à Montréal Social awarenessStudents read the story of a teen who arrived in Montréal from Haïti and imagine what helped her feel at home.
• Les histoires de nos aînés Social awarenessStudents read a Cajun elder's memories of life in Louisiana and write "imparfait" questions to ask an older person they know or imagine.
• Je la vois Social awarenessStudents describe a new classmate with direct object pronouns, "je la vois seule, je" l'invite, and practice noticing who might feel left out.
• Les fêtes d'ici et d'ailleurs Social awarenessStudents read how teens in Sénégal celebrated Tabaski and in Belgique celebrated Saint-Nicolas and narrate a celebration of their own or an imagined one.
• Recettes et histoires Social awarenessStudents follow recipe steps for Haitian "soupe" joumou and Moroccan harira and learn the stories of freedom and family behind each dish.
• Voyage à Tahiti Social awarenessStudents read a Tahitian teen's account of protecting the lagoon and the Tahitian language and reflect on what it means to care for a homeland.

French 3

• Il était une fois Social awarenessStudents retell a Leuk le lièvre tale from Sénégal with the right past tenses and discuss how the clever hare's choices affect others.
• L'odeur du café Social awarenessStudents read a childhood memory inspired by "Dany Laferrière's L'odeur du café", set with his grandmother in Haïti, and write a sensory memory of their own.
• À ta place Social awarenessStudents read advice column letters from Francophone teens and respond with "à ta" place, imagining the writer's feelings first.
• Les mots qui blessent Social awarenessStudents analyze online comments with "ce qui" and "ce que", "ce qui me blesse", "ce que je voudrais entendre", and rewrite them with respect.
• Les droits des jeunes Social awarenessStudents read articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and discuss what young people everywhere need "pour que" they can thrive.
• Vivre ensemble Social awarenessStudents compare how neighbors in Bruxelles, Genève, and Marseille build community and write "je souhaite que" wishes for their own school.

French 4 and AP

• Les familles d'aujourd'hui Social awarenessStudents compare family structures in France, Sénégal, and California and honor the many shapes a family takes.
• Les étiquettes Social awarenessStudents analyze labels like Québécois, Antillais, and Maghrébin and practice asking people how they identify themselves.
• Santé ! Social awarenessStudents analyze Stromae's song Santé, which toasts the workers who serve others, and write lyrics honoring an unseen worker in their community.
• Parler de santé mentale Social awarenessStudents read a Québec youth mental health campaign and write messages that encourage a friend to seek support when they need it.
• Grandir ici et ailleurs Social awarenessStudents compare milestones like the "bal des finissants" in Québec and Tabaski family gatherings in Sénégal with their own and reflect on what growing up means.
• L'accès à l'eau Social awarenessStudents interpret data on access to clean water in several Francophone countries, learn about local engineers leading solutions, and reflect on a resource they take for granted.
• Partir, arriver, appartenir Social awarenessStudents read first person accounts of people who moved between Algérie, Haïti, Québec, and France and discuss what helps a newcomer feel they belong.

English

English 9

• Reading Characters, Reading People Social awarenessStudents analyze how a complex character develops and what motivates their choices.
• Through Another's Eyes Social awarenessStudents analyze a point of view or cultural experience reflected in literature from outside the United States.
• The Other Side Social awarenessStudents develop claims and counterclaims fairly, pointing out strengths and limitations of both.
• Listening to Speeches Social awarenessStudents evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
• Rights and Responsibilities Social awarenessStudents analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance and how they address related themes.
• Whose Voice Is Missing? Social awarenessStudents analyze whose perspective a text includes and whose is missing, and how that shapes meaning.
• Questions That Matter Social awarenessStudents develop a focused research question and plan a short research project.
• Same Story, New Medium Social awarenessStudents analyze how a scene is represented in two different mediums and what each emphasizes or leaves out.
• Grief, Hope, and Literature Social awarenessStudents analyze how a theme about loss and hope develops and is refined by specific details.

English 10

• Voices from Around the World Social awarenessAnalyzing cultural experience in world literature and practicing curiosity over judgment.
• Reading Between Cultures Social awarenessInferring unstated cultural norms with evidence.
• Power and Who Holds It Social awarenessAnalyzing power dynamics between characters and fairness in groups.
• Narrative Point of View Shifts Social awarenessRetelling a scene from a minor character's point of view.
• Counterarguments with Respect Social awarenessSteelmanning the other side in a global debate.
• Human Rights Documents Social awarenessThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a related literary text.
• Research: A Global Issue Locally Social awarenessConnecting a global issue to the local community through research.
• Dialogue and Subtext Social awarenessReading what characters mean but do not say.
• Poetry Across Borders Social awarenessTranslated poetry and how meaning crosses languages.
• Film as Literature Social awarenessComparing a novel and film adaptation.

English 11

• Foundations of American Voice Social awarenessFounding documents and who they included and excluded.
• Voices of Resistance Social awarenessFrederick Douglass and other voices of resistance.
• Gatsby and Belonging Social awarenessCharacters reinventing themselves to belong.
• Immigration Narratives Social awarenessImmigrant experiences in American literature.
• Civil Rights Rhetoric Social awarenessLetter from Birmingham Jail and nonviolent persuasion.
• Multiple Interpretations Social awarenessComparing productions of an American play.
• Contemporary Voices Social awarenessContemporary American writers from many backgrounds.
• Native American Voices Social awarenessIndigenous perspectives and land, including local California tribes.
• Argument on a Local Issue Social awarenessWriting to a local official about an issue.
• Poetry of Witness Social awarenessPoems that bear witness to injustice and resilience.

English 12

• Literary Criticism Lenses Social awarenessReading one text through multiple critical lenses.
• Postcolonial Voices Social awarenessThings Fall Apart and stories told from the other side of empire.
• Poetry and Grief Social awarenessElegies and supporting others in grief.
• Civic Voice Social awarenessWriting to influence a local or state decision.

Math

Integrated Math I

• Fair Share Social awareness
• Seeing It Another Way Social awareness
• Kindness Spreads Social awareness
• What Is Typical? Social awareness
• Outliers Are People Too Social awareness
• Who Feels Connected? Social awareness
• Same Shape, New View Social awareness
• Mapping Our Community Social awareness

Integrated Math II

• Many Forms, One Function Social awarenessStandard, vertex, and factored forms show the same function; people show different sides too.
• Transforming Functions Social awarenessShifting and stretching graphs; how a change in situation shifts a person's experience.
• Probability of Belonging Social awarenessSample spaces and events using fictional school survey data about clubs and belonging.
• Two Way Tables Again Social awarenessConditional probability from two way tables on student well being.
• Similar, Not the Same Social awarenessDilations make similar figures; similar experiences are not identical ones.
• Equations of Circles Social awarenessCircle equations model service areas like a library's reach.
• Volume and Space Social awarenessDesigning water tanks or planters for a community garden.

Integrated Math III

• Samples and Stories Social awarenessHow sampling methods include or leave out voices.
• Surveys That Listen Social awarenessDesigning an unbiased survey about student needs.
• The Normal Curve Social awarenessNormal distributions; why being far from average is human.
• Tides and Timing Social awarenessModeling tides; reading patterns in people and nature.
• Modeling with Geometry Social awarenessDesigning an accessible ramp or shade structure.
• Density and Community Social awarenessPopulation density and access to parks or grocery stores.
• Cross Sections Social awareness2D slices of 3D shapes; seeing a person from different angles.

Calculus

• Squeeze and Infinity Social awarenessThe squeeze theorem, infinite limits, and limits at infinity, comparing a classmate's method with your own.
• Smooth or Sharp? Differentiability Social awarenessEstimating derivatives and seeing where a graph is smooth, cornered, or too steep, by looking from both sides.
• Motion: Position, Velocity, Acceleration Social awarenessReading the signs of velocity and acceleration to tell a motion story.
• Concavity and the Second Derivative Social awarenessConcavity, points of inflection, and seeing a classmate's method as another valid view.
• The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus Social awarenessThe Fundamental Theorem links derivatives and integrals; seeing a classmate's reasoning from their side.
• Separation of Variables Social awarenessSeparating variables to find particular solutions while noticing how a partner sees the same problem.
• Volumes: Cross Sections and Disks Social awarenessThe same base region can build different solids, and each classmate's picture of a slice helps everyone see how volume is a sum of cross sections.

Science

Living Earth

• Who Eats Whom in the Desert Social awarenessStudents model energy flow through a desert food web and reflect on who depends on them and whom they depend on.
• Partners in the Desert Social awarenessExplaining the partnership between the yucca and the yucca moth and noticing the quiet partnerships that hold a classroom together.
• Cycling Carbon Social awarenessModeling the carbon cycle through photosynthesis and respiration and tracing how one person's choices cycle through a community.
• Earth Shapes Life Social awarenessArguing how Earth's surface and life changed together over time and recognizing how surroundings shape people's stories.
• Traits and Family Stories Social awarenessAsking questions about chromosomes and inherited traits while using respectful norms for discussing family differences.
• Specialized for a Job Social awarenessExplaining how cell differentiation gives cells different jobs and recognizing the different strengths classmates bring.
• Valley Fever and the Body's Defense Social awarenessCommunicating how the immune system responds to soil fungi in desert dust and how to share health information with care.
• Stewards of the Valley Social awarenessGathering information on local conservation careers and considering the perspectives of farmers, tribes, and residents.

Chemistry in the Earth System

• Clean Air Questions Social awarenessEvaluating information about combustion pollution and considering how air quality affects families differently across the valley.
• Hot Springs of the Desert Social awarenessExplaining the geothermal heating of local hot springs and learning how the Agua Caliente people have valued them for generations.
• Attractions Between Particles Social awarenessInvestigating how intermolecular forces explain boiling points and how small signals shape relationships.
• Salt in the Sea Social awarenessExplaining why ionic salts concentrate as water evaporates from the Salton Sea and considering how nearby residents experience the change.
• Reactions All Around Us Social awarenessExplaining reaction patterns in everyday life and noticing how our own reactions affect others.
• Listening Across Viewpoints Social awarenessArguing about climate solutions while restating others' viewpoints before responding.
• Heat and Health Social awarenessCommunicating how extreme heat affects health and planning ways to check on vulnerable neighbors.

Physics of the Universe

• Momentum and Collisions Social awarenessCalculating momentum in collisions and reflecting on how our words and actions transfer impact to others.
• Gravity Holds Us Social awarenessUsing the law of gravitation to predict attraction and noticing the invisible pulls between people in a community.
• Fields We Cannot See Social awarenessModeling the fields between interacting objects and recognizing the unseen pressures classmates may be carrying.
• Geothermal Power Social awarenessModeling thermal energy at the particle scale in geothermal brine and considering how Imperial Valley communities experience new energy projects.
• Moving Plates Social awarenessArguing from rock age data for plate motion and recognizing how slow, steady change shapes people too.
• Light: Wave or Particle Social awarenessEvaluating evidence that light behaves as both wave and particle and holding two perspectives at once with respect.
• Stars Make Elements Social awarenessCommunicating how stars produce elements and recognizing how everyone is connected by the same star stuff.

Earth and Environmental Science

• Spheres That Interact Social awarenessAnalyzing data on feedbacks among Earth's spheres and seeing how one person's change ripples through a group.
• The Shrinking Salton Sea Social awarenessSimulating the Salton Sea water balance and listening to how shrinking shorelines affect nearby families and wildlife.
• Urban Heat Islands Social awarenessMeasuring surface temperatures around campus and considering who lives and works in the hottest places.
• Working in the Heat Social awarenessCommunicating the warning signs of heat illness for farmworkers and athletes and practicing noticing when someone needs help.
• Feeding the Nation from the Desert Social awarenessArguing how water and climate made the valley a winter vegetable center and honoring the farmworkers who make it happen.
• Monitoring the Planet Social awarenessInterpreting satellite images of the valley and practicing close observation of people as well as places.
• Hazards and Fairness Social awarenessArguing whether hazard risks fall equally on all communities and considering the perspectives of those most affected.

History

World History

• Rights on Paper Social awarenessStudents trace rights from the Magna Carta to the Bill of Rights and imagine how each document looked to people it included and people it left out.
• From Farm to Factory Town Social awarenessStudents study the move from villages to crowded industrial cities and consider what helps newcomers feel they belong in a new place.
• Two Sides of the Colonial Story Social awarenessStudents compare accounts of imperialism written by colonizers and by colonized people and practice seeing an event through the eyes of someone with less power.
• Letters From the Trenches Social awarenessStudents read letters from soldiers on many sides, including colonial troops, and practice attuning to the feelings beneath another person's words.
• Remembering the Armenian Genocide Social awarenessStudents learn about the Ottoman government's genocide against Armenian citizens through survivor testimony and practice bearing witness with respect for the people who suffered.
• Empires on the March Social awarenessStudents map the drives for empire by Germany, Italy, and Japan in the 1930s, including atrocities against civilians in Nanjing, and honor the dignity of those who suffered.
• Mexico in the Modern World Social awarenessStudents explore Mexico's recent history, resources, and ties to California and the Coachella Valley and describe cross border connections they notice in the community, such as food, music, work, or travel.

US History

• Unalienable Rights, Unfinished Promises Social awarenessStudents read the Declaration of Independence alongside the experiences of enslaved people, women, and Native nations and consider how promises look different from different places.
• The Jungle and the Factory Floor Social awarenessStudents read excerpts from Upton Sinclair's The Jungle about working conditions and food safety and practice imagining daily life from a worker's point of view.
• Cities Built by Newcomers Social awarenessStudents map how immigrants and migrants built growing industrial cities divided by race, ethnicity, and class and practice noticing who might feel left out in a group.
• Dust Bowl Migrants Come to California Social awarenessStudents study Dorothea Lange's photographs of Dust Bowl families arriving in California and consider how communities can welcome people in crisis.
• Braceros and the Valley Harvest Social awarenessStudents learn how the Bracero Program brought Mexican workers to California farms, including in the Coachella Valley, and express gratitude for the hands that feed the nation.
• Vietnam and a Divided Nation Social awarenessStudents hear perspectives from veterans, protesters, and Vietnamese refugees who later settled in California and practice listening across deep disagreement.
• New Neighbors After 1965 Social awarenessStudents learn how the Immigration Act of 1965 transformed communities across California and interview a partner about a journey from a source or an imagined family.

Government

• Ideas the Founders Borrowed Social awarenessTracing how Greek, Roman, English, and Enlightenment thinkers shaped the Constitution, then noticing which voices have shaped students' own beliefs.
• Landmark Cases, Changing Minds Social awarenessTracing the shift from Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education and reflecting on what helps a person or a nation change its mind.
• Government Close to Home Social awarenessMapping who provides water, schools, roads, and tribal services in the Coachella Valley, including the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and noticing the unseen people who keep a community running.
• A Free and Responsible Press Social awarenessDiscussing why a free press matters and comparing how two outlets cover the same event, practicing curiosity about why others trust different sources.

Economics

• Caring for What We Share Social awarenessExamining how property rights and stewardship shape the use of scarce desert water and considering how shared spaces are cared for when no one owns them.
• Taxes, Spending, and Choices Social awarenessExamining the aims of fiscal policy and modeling a budget in which different community members' needs compete for limited funds.
• Trade Across Borders Social awarenessComparing gains from trade with the concerns of workers, businesses, and farmers about free trade, and listening for the interests behind each view.

Geography

• Mental Maps of Home Social awarenessDrawing mental maps of the Coachella Valley and comparing them to see how different people experience the same place.
• People on the Move Social awarenessMapping the push and pull factors behind migration to California through published accounts and an imagined traveler, and listening with respect.
• Cultures Side by Side Social awarenessChoosing sources that reveal the languages, foods, and traditions of a cultural mosaic and practicing curious, respectful questions about traditions different from one's own.

Ethnic Studies

• The Meaning of a Name Social awarenessExploring how names carry family history and culture and practicing pronouncing and honoring classmates' names with care.
• First Peoples of the Desert Social awarenessLearning Cahuilla history and present day tribal sovereignty through sources created by Cahuilla people, and practicing listening to a community describe itself in its own words.
• Chinese Workers and Exclusion Social awarenessStudying Chinese workers who built the transcontinental railroad and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 through primary sources, and honoring the persistence of communities who challenged exclusion in court.
• Voices of the Bracero Program Social awarenessComparing government records with bracero oral histories from 1942 to 1964 and listening for experiences that official documents leave out.

Fine Arts

Art 1

• Seeing Through Someone Else's Eyes Social awarenessPairs describe the same image and compare what each noticed, then discuss how life experience shapes what we see.
• Space Between Us Social awarenessExploring positive and negative space, students connect the space around shapes to the personal space people need from one another.
• Art That Remembers Social awarenessStudents study how cultures use art to honor those who have died and listen respectfully to classmates' views of the traditions studied.
• Murals of the Coachella Valley Social awarenessStudents study murals in Coachella and other valley towns and discuss whose stories they tell and who is honored in public art.
• Artists Who Look Like Us Social awarenessStudents explore an exhibit of California artists from many backgrounds and describe how it shifts their beliefs about who becomes an artist.
• Planning the Exhibit Social awarenessStudents analyze how display choices shape a viewer's experience and plan a class exhibit that welcomes every visitor.

Art 2

• Empathy in Response Social awarenessStudents record personal and empathetic responses to a natural or built place in the valley and compare responses with a partner.
• Art Across Cultures Social awarenessStudents compare how art is used in different societies and connect those uses to art in their own community today.
• Día de los Muertos in Context Social awarenessStudents research the history and meaning of Día de los Muertos imagery and practice asking respectful questions about traditions that are not their own.
• Art and Social History Social awarenessStudents connect a work from the Chicano art movement to its social and political moment and explain how it still speaks to communities today.
• Peer Mentoring Social awarenessStudents teach a skill they have mastered to a partner and notice when the learner needs encouragement or space.
• Coachella Valley Muralists Social awarenessStudents study valley muralists and connect their public work to community identity and pride.

Photography

• Whose Point of View Social awarenessStudents compare photos of the same event by different photographers and discuss how personal and cultural context shapes meaning.
• Shooting in Pairs Social awarenessPartners alternate as photographer and assistant and practice reading each other's needs during a shoot.
• Día de los Muertos Photo Essay Social awarenessStudents learn how to photograph ofrendas and community celebrations respectfully by asking permission and centering the families' meanings.
• Photographs That Built Empathy Social awarenessStudents study photographers who documented farmworker life in California and consider how their images built empathy for social change.
• Documenting Our Community Social awarenessStudents plan a documentary series about a valley place or person and practice a listening interview before shooting.
• Local Lenses Social awarenessStudents study California and Coachella Valley photographers and describe how their images shape the way people understand the region.

Theatre 1

• Yes, And Social awarenessThrough short improv scenes, students practice accepting and building on a partner's offer.
• Walking in Someone Else's Shoes Social awarenessStudents shape a character from given circumstances and write a short diary entry from that character's point of view.
• Listening on Stage Social awarenessPartners perform an open scene twice and respond the second time only to what they truly hear.
• Stories From Our Families Social awarenessStudents gather a family, community, or imagined story and explore how personal beliefs shape the way it might be staged.
• Theatre and Social Change Social awarenessStudents research how El Teatro Campesino used theatre to give voice to California farmworkers and consider what stories need telling now.
• Character Relationships Social awarenessStudents map relationships between characters and connect what those characters need from each other to real relationships.
• Theatre for Our Community Social awarenessStudents adapt a short scene for a specific audience, such as younger students, and adjust their choices to meet that audience's needs.
• Valley Stories on Stage Social awarenessStudents use a sample interview, or interview a person they know or imagine, about life in the Coachella Valley and turn a moment into a short monologue.

Choir

• Listening for Blend Social awarenessSections listen for blend and balance and adjust their volume so no single voice sticks out.
• Tuning to Each Other Social awarenessStudents sing chords and adjust pitch by listening to their neighbors, connecting musical tuning to tuning in to people.
• Songs of Remembrance Social awarenessStudents explore songs that cultures use to remember loved ones and share respectful reflections on a remembrance tradition.
• Music for Día de los Muertos Social awarenessStudents learn the context of a traditional Mexican song connected to Día de los Muertos and perform it with understanding and respect.
• Stepping Up and Stepping Back Social awarenessStudents reflect on when to lead their section and when to support it, then practice both roles in rehearsal.
• Music in the Coachella Valley Social awarenessStudents explore the valley's musical traditions, from mariachi to church choirs to festival stages, and what they say about the community.
• Connecting With the Audience Social awarenessStudents practice facial expression and storytelling so the audience can feel the meaning of the music.

Dance 1

• Mirror Work Social awarenessPartners mirror each other's movement and practice reading subtle cues to stay in sync.
• Space and Respect Social awarenessDancing with spatial intention, students explore personal and shared space and how to respect the space of others.
• Dance and Remembrance Social awarenessStudents explore dances that honor ancestors in different cultures and connect them to traditions they know or admire.
• Dance at Día de los Muertos Social awarenessStudents analyze traditional dances seen at Día de los Muertos celebrations and discuss what they mean to the communities who perform them.
• Dance in the Coachella Valley Social awarenessStudents explore dance traditions in the valley, from folklórico groups to hip hop crews, and what they reveal about the people who dance them.
• Dancing for an Audience Social awarenessStudents perform and focus on projecting energy and intent so the audience can feel the dance.

Physical Education

PE Course 1

• Strengths in Every Partner Social awarenessTeams plan a relay by assigning legs based on each teammate's strengths, then journal about a strength they noticed in someone else.
• Heat Smart in the Valley Social awarenessDuring a shaded, low intensity circuit, students learn the warning signs of heat illness in the Coachella Valley and practice checking in on a partner and following the class heat plan.
• Finding the Beat Together Social awarenessIn a mirror dance, partners take turns leading and following an eight count pattern and journal what it took to stay in sync.
• Dances From Our Cultures Social awarenessStudents learn basic steps from cumbia and other cultural dances and journal about a family or community tradition that involves movement.
• Choosing Partners Fairly Social awarenessStudents try several fair partner selection methods in badminton and journal about how it feels to be chosen first, last, or at random.
• Adapting the Game for All Social awarenessGroups redesign a dual activity so that players of every ability can take part and then test their version together.
• Activity Across Generations Social awarenessStudents play a game that works for all ages and plan one way to be active with a family member or someone in their community.

PE Course 2

• Encouraging Every Level Social awarenessIn mixed ability stations, students practice specific encouragement for classmates at every level and journal about encouragement that helped them.
• Seeing the Whole Field Social awarenessIn small sided soccer, players freeze on a whistle and read teammates' positions and body language to choose the best next move.
• Leading the Warm Up Social awarenessSmall groups take turns leading a warm up and adjusting it to the group's energy and needs in the moment.
• Choosing Teams Fairly Social awarenessStudents compare ways of forming teams, test fair methods in a game, and journal about how team selection affects belonging.
• Games for All Abilities Social awarenessGroups modify a team game so that players with different abilities, including wheelchair users, can fully participate, then play the new version.
• Who Plays and Why Social awarenessAfter trying an unfamiliar game from another culture, students discuss how age, culture, and access shape who gets to play.
• Training Smart in Desert Heat Social awarenessStudents adapt a training session for Coachella Valley heat with shade, water breaks, and partner check ins and practice spotting signs of heat illness.
• Fitness for Someone I Love Social awarenessStudents try a low impact routine designed for an older adult and plan a simple activity program for a family or community member.

Health

• Green Flags, Red Flags Social awarenessStudents read short texts between imagined friends and family members, sort behaviors into green flags and red flags, and explain how each one feels from the other person's side.
• Blueprint for a Kinder Campus Social awarenessStudents walk an imagined school day through the eyes of different students, spot moments where someone could feel left out, and design small actions that build a respectful campus.
• Behind the Highlight Reel Social awarenessStudents compare an imagined influencer's polished posts with what likely happened off camera and discuss how feeds can shape how teens feel about themselves and others.
• Everybody's Doing It? Check the Data Social awarenessStudents guess what percent of high schoolers vape, compare their guess with national survey data, and discuss how believing everybody does it creates pressure.

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.