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Topics might be tricky to discuss in schools or flat-out against the law. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, it's crucial to give children the skills they need to independently evaluate, discern, and think critically for themselves. Social and emotional skills are also key to integrating empathy and perspective-taking. So what are some ways to foster these skills no matter the mandates you may or may not agree with?

Critical Thinking
Give kids the skills to read, watch, and listen with an active and evaluative mind.

• Sometimes a gamified experience can be a great entry point for meaningful discussions, so try one of these games to get started.
• This free game is one way to get students thinking about ethics and how they make decisions. Of course, some kids will want to be as provocative as possible, but that's just another opportunity to talk through it.
• When it comes to history, try starting with inquiry using this free site to help children arrive at their own ideas.
• Use this free site that features primary sources to dig down into the hows and whys of the past.

News & Media Literacy
Of course, digital media is the primary way we get news now, so it's critical to build media literacy skills.

• This video and article outline five questions that kids can ask about media in order to think critically about what they consume.
• When it comes to the news, these apps and sites help kids find credible information, evaluate sources, and think critically about the news itself.
• Check out more about Digital Citizenship on the link on the left menu.

Social Emotional Development
Coming from a place of empathy, connection, and community helps kids approach all topics with compassion.

• Here's our center for many Social Emotional -related resources.
• Our movie guide for Encanto addresses community, perspective-taking, and more.
• You can also use our movie guide for Ralph Breaks the Internet, which not only digs into digital citizenship skills, but also helps kids reflect and navigate relationships.
  
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