It’s no secret that some decisions are simple while others can be very difficult and wrong decisions can bring fateful consequences. In 9th grade language arts classes, students frequently explore decision making (a SEL competency) in their study of literature. In their unit on Romeo and Juliet, 9th graders picked which character they believed was most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, then wrote essays about their decision-making.

In 7th grade ELA classes, students read The Giver and discussed the protagonist’s (Jonas) internal conflict to keep or share the memories he receives, explored the idea of internal conflict, and imagined what they would do in a similar scenario, followed by a writing response and creative project. Check out their thoughtful analysis of being in Jonas’s position. #SELday Every Day!