As a homeschooling parent, humane education enthusiast, and former teacher/tutor in both public schools and college, I am always on the lookout for lessons that help teach social justice. The best way to teach such things, I believe, is through modeling, or setting an example. Children pick up on much more than what we say; it is our very actions that do much of our teaching without our own awareness.

That said, lesson plans that delve into social issues—particularly ones that seldom come up on a daily basis—are something that I collect and use, when appropriate. If there’s one thing that my heart aches for in public schools (okay, there are dozens, but it’s at least one of the top ten), it’s education about social justice and how we, as citizens of the earth, can make a more peaceful, equitable, and sustainable planet.

Humane Connection, one of my favorite humane education blogs, recently released a list of resources to help educators weave social justice lessons within the classroom. These lesson plans, websites, books, and other resources address social justice issues such as the environment, human rights, culture and consumerism, animal rights, and media. As resources, animal and plant species, and water supplies continue to dwindle, as wars continue to spread, as human trafficking remains an issue, and as so many other frightening things plague our world, it’s more important than ever to equip our children with the tools, awareness, and knowledge to take on the issues of their future.

The Institute for Humane Education is one of the best resources on the list. At the site, you can find a plethora of books, websites, lesson plans, and even distance classes that you can take to learn how to create a more just world. These classes—which I plan on taking myself, starting in January—are centered around creating a sustainable world, teaching sustainability, and even raising humane children as parents and teachers.

Other resources on the list include Rethinking Schools, a wonderful organization that questions the status quo of current teaching standards and presents alternatives and solutions; Teaching Tolerance, another one of my absolute favorite organizations, which houses plentiful lesson plans to combat bullying and violence in schools and in life in general; and Ed Change, a new site to me, that also serves as a hub for lesson plans, activities, and ideas to create social change. For more resources, be sure to visit Humane Connection—and to set up the blog (as well as those listed) in your RSS feed.