GAPS Libraries Resource Update
December 5, 2025
Crayola Creativity Week 2026: Color Inspires Creativity
Crayola Creativity Week January 26 - February 1, 2026 is a free program for schools, libraries, and homes, exploring every subject — literacy, STEAM, social-emotional learning, and more. Get access to 7 days of downloadable resources, celebrity activity videos, and giveaways! Creativity Week’s activities, resources, and themes are integrated into engaging, standards-aligned, hands-on creative experiences that empower kids to find their voice and express their originality. Find out more and register here.
Practical AI Strategies for Deeper Learning in Grades 8-12
Discover how secondary educators are bringing AI into their classrooms in meaningful ways using the Empowering Learners for the Age of AI: An AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education. This webinar will feature a guest speaker from Teach AI, alongside two practicing teachers who will share practical strategies for deeper learning in grades 8–12. Register for this webinar taking place on December 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM PT.
NEH Announces Grant Program to Support Projects Commemorating America’s 250th Anniversary
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced a special funding opportunity for projects that commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence and engage the public with American history. The agency has issued a call for proposals to recognize the nation’s semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026. NEH will award 250 challenge grants of up to $25,000 each for projects that focus on the founding of the American nation, key historical figures, and milestones that reflect the exceptional achievements of the United States. The agency aims to award grants in every U.S. state and jurisdiction. Successful applicants will be required to match every dollar of NEH Celebrate America! grant funding with a dollar of nonfederal funds. Read more here.
The Feed: A Game of Social Media Mischief
The Feed is a 30-minute competitive card game that models the tactics and incentives for sharing information on social media. Co-developed by a UW researcher and high-school teacher, the game models how content spreads across social media platforms and has players write their own story. Partnered with 5 lesson plans and based on research, the game asks players to play with a media environment to learn about it. It shows the system, letting players connect what happens in the game to their own lives. The Feed creates room to discuss the tactics of media manipulation, power of platforms, the actors on social media, the role of content, and the power of visibility.
Lizards and Lies: A Conspiracy Theory Boardgame
Lizards and Lies is a board game that lets players see how conspiracy theory on social media is influenced by a national event to gain ground, engage with algorithms, and spread lies. Lizards and Lies was designed to model and study the idea of a "disinformation war." Use it in classrooms, libraries, or just for fun.
Related Lesson: The Overpopulation Theory That Fell Flat
A new lesson combines the Population Policies interactive with the video “Population Bomb: The Overpopulation Theory That Fell Flat.” In 1968, the book The Population Bomb helped spread fears that our planet could not sustain itself and inspired the Zero Population Growth movement. Today, many countries now face the opposite challenge: aging populations and declining birth rates that strain economies and social systems.
- Subjects: middle and high school Geography, World History, Global Studies, Civics / Government, Economics, and interdisciplinary activities in Environmental Science classes.
- Grades: 6-12
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Mal-information
This lesson is the third in the Media Literacy for Critical Thinking and Democracy unit from Facing History and Ourselves. In this lesson, students learn about types of misleading or harmful information, including misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information. Students explore practices that spread misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information and consider what people can do to prevent their spread.
Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective
In today's diverse classrooms, educators must be equipped with the skills to support multilingual learners, especially during the critical early literacy years. Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective is designed to empower K-5 educators with the knowledge and tools to implement culturally responsive, multilingual literacy instruction. This course aligns with the Oregon Department of Education's Early Literacy Framework, ensuring your teaching strategies reflect current best practices for fostering literacy in diverse classrooms. Certificate of Completion or OSU graduate credit available -- more information and registration available here.
Engage your students in the next election!
The LWVOR Oregon Student Mock Election, endorsed by the Oregon Secretary of State, is an exciting experience-based educational program that involves participating students in the electoral process and demonstrates the importance of voting. Are you interested in receiving a mock ballot for the next election in your area? Contact us for personalized classroom support at mockelection@lwvor.org.
Teaching Fractions Toolkit
The Teaching Fractions Toolkit supports the implementation of evidence-based recommendations for increasing student understanding of fractions from the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide. The toolkit includes resources for administrators and leaders as they address fractions instruction in kindergarten through grade 8.
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