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Monthly Activities for Grades 6-8

April 2023

April is National Poetry and Arab American History Month. Poetry has been around since the dawn of written and spoken languages. We’ve curated resources to use in your classroom related to this observance and more. Explore these PBS LearningMedia resources on these topics to incorporate into your classroom or home:

A picture of the inside of a Syrian church.

Arts: Saving Syrian Culture Under Siege

Learn about efforts to protect Syria’s cultural heritage with this video and educational resources from PBS NewsHour from May 19, 2015.

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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An image of three teens standing together.

English Language Arts: Get Lit and the Power of Poetry

Arts education can truly be a transformative journey. Get Lit, an education non-profit dedicated to increasing teen literacy through the power of spoken word, is proud to collaborate with PBS SoCal | KCET in order to inspire creative expression, provide culturally relevant narratives, and grow social-emotional intelligence. Through the unique stories of five Get Lit […]

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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A graphic if a brain with an arrow pointing to a scale of neurodivergent to neurotypical.

Health & PE: How Can the Social Model of Disability Change How Society Views Autism?

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. So, it’s no surprise that everyone’s brain develops in a unique way. Unfortunately, neurodivergent people, including those with autism spectrum disorder, have historically been viewed through the lens of the medical model. In this view, autism is something that needs to be fixed or […]

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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A man in scrubs in front of a hospital room.

Math: Real-Life Math – Nurse

In this video, learn how mathematics—specifically, proportion, ratio, rate, and conversions—are used in the professional responsibilities of a registered nurse working on the surgical trauma floor. In the accompanying classroom activity, students take on the role of nursing teams, measuring vital signs, analyzing ratios, and calculating metric conversions.

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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An image of two trees against the night sky.

Science: Dark Sky Sanctuaries

Learn about the world’s largest network of Dark Sky Sanctuaries (as recognized by the International Dark Sky Association) that exist along the Minnesota-Ontario Border. Learn how the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Voyageurs National Park, and Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park maintain their Dark Sky status and how they share the dark sky experience with visitors.

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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A man in a white shirt walking in a park.

Social Studies: Arab Indianapolis: A Hidden History

Learn about the origins of the Arab American community and its contributions to U.S. society and culture. Uncovering the “hidden history” of Arabs in one city, students utilize video and supporting materials to understand the overall impact of Arab Americans on U.S. civil society, the military, politics, and food from 1880 until present.

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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A man with a guitar sits in front of a fireplace.

World Languages: Folk Music of Hispanic New Mexico

John Donald Robb carefully recorded and transcribed over 3000 Hispano folk songs all over New Mexico and the Southwest between 1945 and 1972, the largest collection of its time. Like romantic and modernist composers before him, he looked to the songs of everyday folk to inspire and inform his own compositions. He also wanted to […]

Suggested for Grades 9 to 12

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