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Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions         October 2010  “I am because you are.” —Translation of Ubuntu, a traditional African philosophy that recognizes how we are inextricably bound in each other’s humanity. Image from The People’s Grocery, a film by Brahm Ahmadi for the Global Oneness Project Dear Educators, I hope your school year is off to a terrific start! With looming cuts to education, many of you may have made changes in your classroom and at home. Similarly, people across the country are making adjustments to protect themselves from potential crises—in this case, water, oil, food—and, simply, to live better. YES! Magazine’s resilient community issue, Ready for Anything, shares stories of people who are getting back to basics, learning new skills, and turning to their neighbors for support. We are delighted to feature lesson plans, film shorts, and discussion and activity guides from the Global Oneness Project. You can use these resources to inspire your students to build their own and their community’s resilience. Best, SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS Jing Fong Education Outreach Manager, YES! Magazine P.S. Forward this link for our free one-year subscription to your colleagues, school librarian, or a new teacher.   Your Stories   Powerful Learning Grows in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the failure of levees and government support remain bluntly visible. Despite the surrounding ruins, David Ferris and his colleagues, whose classroom is an old grocery store and urban farm, help students not only to be the change they want to see in their community, but also in themselves. This is David’s story. MORE OF YOUR STORIES: Teens Care for River, Their Way. ¡Hola! The Future is Now. Race Has Everything To Do With It. Growing Good People. Beauty of Teenagers. Free to Be Me. Chicken Soup for the Soul. SEND US your own story to share with our growing network of YES! educators.   YES! Recommends   In these uncertain times, building individual resilience is crucial. But individuals need others for, in the end, we are all interconnected. The Global Oneness Project has gathered and filmed stories of innovative and brave people from around the world who believe we are responsible for each other and our shared global community. Its “Living Oneness” lessons for high school through university explore topics including sustainability, conflict resolution, spirituality, and economics. You’ll find its extensive video library brings these stories to life—and they are all downloadable for free.   YES! Classroom Tools   How Resilient Are You? Have your students take this test to find out how resilient they are in today’s world. Are they comfortable asking neighbors for help? Do they buy local? Know how to repair a roof? After they find out their scores, you can show them tips on how they can boost their resiliency. Just the Facts We can no longer rely on our investments, cheap energy, or a stable climate. These “Tell it like it is” graphs show why we need to build resilience now. The Page that Counts Which has more employees worldwide—the renewable energy industry or Wal-Mart? What produced more military hospitalizations—battle wounds or mental health issues? The Page That Counts is your source for “you don’t say” statistics! Can You DIY? Learn how to do what your grandparents knew—darn a sock, refrigerate without electricity, sweeten with honey. Ask your students what survival skills they know that their grandma or granddad might not.   YES! Exemplary Essay Project   The YES! Exemplary Essay Project demonstrates how teachers can use YES! stories as the basis for thought-provoking writing. It also gives students an opportunity to voice their opinions and show off their stellar writing. Read the featured essay Could You Go Green? by Ragan Foley, one of our latest classroom participants who responded to YES! article Christmas With No Presents? by “No Impact Man” Colin Beavan. Want an opportunity for your students to step up their writing and write for a real audience? Learn how to join the YES! Exemplary Essay Project here.   Curriculum and Resources   What makes teenage brains unique? What would happen if we didn’t have oil? Here are two classroom resources that will inspire your students to explore individual and community resilience. Inside the Teenage Brain Mood swings? Risky behavior? Sleeping until noon? Frontline offers new discoveries on the teenage brain that can help us understand, even change how we treat, teenagers. NY Times lesson plans have students conduct a symposium to reconsider rules on teen freedom and accountability given what brain imaging research reveals. World Without Oil Lesson Plans World Without Oil is a reality game that simulates the first 32 weeks of a global oil shortage. Through a set of 11 stand-alone, interdisciplinary and engaging lesson plans, your students will understand the role oil currently plays in our economy and culture, and how to assess its impact on our future. For grades 6-12   Words That Inspire   Northwest Territories, 2009 Photo by Hideyuki Kamon Stories that Light Up the Dark Family story of Victoria Hykes Steere, Iñupiat Tribe. “We do not control the environment, but we do control how we respond. My grandmother said that when you lose hope, you lose everything. My grandfather used to tell me I could keep certain sunrise moments alive in my memory … When things get really bad, I go into those moments …. and I’m okay.” Stories can help us become resilient people, helping us through tough times. Elders in the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope in Alaska have kept alive an oral history of seven ice ages (nearly 350,000 years). Their stories have been sources of inspiration during troubling conditions. To read the complete story passage and how you might guide your students to look back to moments of goodness or stories of family strength, click here.   INDEX: in this issue  YOUR STORIES YES! RECOMMENDS CLASSROOM TOOLS CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES YES! EXEMPLARY ESSAY WORDS THAT INSPIRE   How to Get More YES!   YES! POSTERS Our most popular graphic magazine spreads are available as full color 11x17" posters. RENEW: SPECIAL OFFER Renew your teacher subscription today at special discount rates. YES! KLEAN KANTEEN® Instant Inspiration* (*Just Add Water) Support our work and support the planet too.   Are You a Teacher?   Get a FREE Year of YES! Apply for a free one-year introductory subscription to YES! Magazine.   Featured Article   Share Your Stuff From socks to bikes to skills, sharing and swapping lightens our carbon footprint and builds ties with other people. Besides, scientific evidence suggests sharing—not hoarding—helps people survive catastrophes.   YES! Web Picks   VIDEO Bring on the Learning Revolution! In this humorous follow-up to his talk on creativity, Sir Ken Robinson pleads for a shift from standardized schools to “gourmet” learning centers where kids’ talents are nourished. The Story of Cosmetics Story of Stuff creator Annie Leonard investigates the toxins we rub into our skin on a daily basis, and what we can do about it. How to Be Alone This quirky video uses music, poetry, art, and down-to-earth filming (think hip, home movies) to show how to overcome one of our greatest fears—being alone.   Visual Learning   Cone in the Cob Use this photo to ask your students what they notice and are wondering. Then share the surprising facts behind the image to connect to greater understanding and discovery. DOWNLOAD :: Visual Learning Lesson Plan YES! is published by the nonprofit Positive Futures Network   ::  www.yesmagazine.org 284 Madrona Way NE, Suite 116, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110-2870, USA  ::  Phone: 206-842-0216

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