2025 Common Sense Education Resources
April 2025
Resources for Teachers
Articles
- Copyright, Creative Commons, and Fair Use in the Classroom: Make sure both you and your students are following best practices—and the law—around using other people’s content.
- Help Students Fact-Check the Web Like Pros: Give students the media literacy skills to think critically about the information they see online.
- Virtual Field Trips Full of Learning Potential: No budget for in-person trips? Use these (mostly) free virtual field trips with a printable to capture student learning.
Lesson
- My Values and Tech: Encourage kids to start with their own values and then determine how these align with their media and tech use.
Professional Development
- Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight: The Common Sense Census Report: Get our latest research and find out how these stats might affect the kids in your classroom.
March 2025
Resources for Teachers
Articles
- Free Activities for Earth Day and Learning About the Environment: Use these activities for all ages to inspire curiosity about climate and agency to take action.
- Teachers’ Essential Guide to Viral Online Challenges: Get informed about these often risky online challenges, and get tips on discussing them with students.
- Getting Started with Minecraft in the Classroom: Use this always-popular platform for project-based learning of all kinds.
Lesson
- AI Chatbots & Friendship: As “companion” bots become more popular, it’s important to help kids understand what they are, how they work—and that they’re no replacement for real friendships.
Professional Development
- Teaching How AI Works to K–8 Students: Get some tips about teaching AI literacy to elementary and middle school students.
February 2025
Resources for Teachers
Articles
- Social and Cultural Literacy Resources for Classrooms: Use this carefully curated list of sites, activities, and more to make sure all students feel represented and respected while at school.
- Decrease Digital Distractions and Elevate Attention Spans: Digital citizenship requires these off-screen skills to help kids build their self-regulation.
- Learning from Conflict: Discussing Controversial Issues in the Classroom: Instead of eliminating tough conversations, help students navigate them.
Lesson
- Content Moderation and Misinformation: Help students understand the impacts of social media content moderation and how to identify misinformation.
Professional Development
- ChatGPT Foundations for K–12 Educators: Offer this free course to educators who are curious about the OpenAI tool.
January 2025
Resources for Teachers
Articles
- Inside Out 2 and SEL: A Movie Guide and Lesson Plan for Your Classroom: Use this sequel to explore kids’ evolving emotions, anxiety, and sense of self.
- Free Learning Resources for Black History Month (and Beyond): Help learners celebrate Black history with these videos, lessons, podcasts, and more.
- Talking with Students About Shocking or Disturbing News: Try these tips as you address kids’ concerns about current events.
Reviews
- Inner Explorer: Accessible mindfulness exercises can calm and increase well-being.
- Eduaide.AI: This no-frills generative AI tool can simplify teacher tasks.
Curated List of Tools
- Top Interactive Whiteboard Apps: Thinking and presentation tools that make sharing and collaborating easy.
Lesson
- Caring for Our Devices: Set expectations around taking care of classroom technology.
Professional Development
- Engaging Gen Alpha and Gen Z: Strategies That Slay!: Get some ideas for resources, tools, and strategies to engage these digital-forward students