Take a look at some of our projects. If you work with or have young people in your life, feel free to download and use the resources with them. Don’t hesitate to share with others. We just ask that you credit Room 228. And none of our projects are for resale. Read away!
JONATHAN HAIDT’s blockbuster book The Anxious Generation has sparked a global conversation about the effects of smartphones and social media on young people’s development and has inspired millions of parents, teachers, and leaders to take action. Now, Haidt and CATHERINE PRICE, author of the bestselling How to Break Up with Your Phone, have joined forces to create a new book that speaks directly to kids and tweens. Their goal? To empower young people to stand up for themselves by choosing a life not dominated by screens. The accompanying educator guide includes letter-home templates to engage families in healthy screen use, technology audit surveys, and deep-dives into how technology affects our moods and how young people can use technology as a tool, not a temptation. Students will be analyzing and writing persuasive pieces to create change, all while building healthier relationships with screens and rediscovering real-life fun and independence!
Clues, codes, and connections! New York Times best selling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin’s The Bletchley Riddle is a wild ride that incorporates mystery and history in a way that speaks to young people. The educational materials can be integrated seamlessly into teachers’ existing units. The mini-unit encompasses four lesson plans—two geared toward 5th–6th grades and two for 7th–8th grades. But each lesson plan can easily be adapted in language, vocabulary, number/complexity of tasks, and objectives to match your grade level. The lessons are academic and inclusive and are constructed so students can read, write, draw, listen, move, speak, and of course, decode! Worksheets have students playing investigators and code breakers to help solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Jakob and Lizzie’s mother. The Bletchley Riddle is teeming with cross-disciplinary topics, themes, and skill-building. Like we said: clues, codes, and connections galore!
Deborah Heiligman is a National Book Award finalist, a YALSA Nonfiction Award winner, and a Printz Honor winner. In Loudmouth she tells the extraordinary true story of a woman who was a fearsome fighter for change in her complicated new country—and a complicated human being in her own right. This is an essential read for young people, or for anyone who wants to use their voice to make the world a better place. The accompanying educator guide explores contextual vocabulary and historical figures, has students creating interactive timelines, writing research-based letters and epistle poems surrounding topics from the book, and engages students through movement and role-playing.
This beautifully written, accessible story and accompanying guide, celebrate neurodiversity and teach us that ADHD is something to be proud of and to support through compassion. Weaving in social emotional awareness, empathy, self-control, confidence, and acceptance, this whimsical collaboration is ideal for classrooms, families, libraries, and medical settings for developmental ages Pre-K through 3rd grade. This delightful book and guide, that incorporates writing and art, are sure to help children, their caretakers, and friends see the many benefits of ADHD as they follow Sophie and her invisible friend, “Ady”, through a particularly challenging school day, that ultimately culminates in acceptance.
Sara Weiss’ middle grade biography The Totally Awesome World of Caitlin Clark dives deep into Clark’s basketball journey and the history of the WNBA with high-action photographs and historical and factual blurbs. Weis doesn’t shy away from sometimes overlooked topics, including the challenges in women’s sports and the role race plays in sports, the media, and society. Whether you’re a basketball fanatic or you’ve never set foot on a court, this book and educator guide offer something for all. Readers will be celebrating hard work and the magic of a childhood dream! The educator guide has young people exploring elements of nonfiction texts, setting goals, and connecting the exciting world of basketball to the wonderful world of math.