Classroom Resources on Grief and Loss

As students head back to school for a new semester, life and learning are still anything but normal. In addition to helping students readjust to the classroom, schools are supporting teens through the difficult process of navigating grief and expressing emotions. 

Want support in integrating conversations about grief into your art or writing curriculum? The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has lesson plans, publications, and video resources to help open up this discussion with students by engaging their curiosity and creativity. 

Reentering the Classroom: Grief, Trauma, and Covid-19 Educator’s Guide 

Download a copy of the guide. 

This short activity highlights a piece of student artwork about grief from the 2021 National Exhibition. Students can respond to the work based on their experiences during the pandemic. Both art and writing exercises are included.

Healing Through Creativity: An Art and Writing Anthology and Discussion Guide

This Anthology and Discussion Guide features 17 works of art and writing that explore grief, loss, and healing through the perspectives of young people. The curated collection of works reflects a wide range of experiences and forms of expression, and we honor the vulnerability of our contributors and their effort to bring this conversation to light. 

Healing Through Creativity: Educator Guides for Art and Writing 

Download a copy of the Writing Educators’ Guide or the Visual Art Educators’ Guide

These guides for writing and visual art educators offer lesson plans for reflecting on grief and loss through creativity. 

The lesson plans use peer texts and artworks included in the Healing Through Creativity anthology and are suited for in-person or distance learning. The guides were created in collaboration with the National Writing Project and the National Art Education Association, and are aligned with Common Core Standards. 

Get classroom tips from the authors of these guides by watching a recorded webinar on the Writing Educators Guide or by signing up for a live Zoom webinar for the Art Educators Guide on October 12

Grief and Growth during Covid-19: Art and Writing Exercises for Teens

This self-guided video workshop for teens explores how grief and loss can be expressed through creativity. Students can follow along as Art Educator Rachel Alban shares work by artists for inspiration, then guides them through creative writing and art exercises that they can do at home. Educators can use excerpts from this video to guide a classroom conversation or assign students these exercises as homework. 

On Isolation: A Series of Poetry Prompts and Exercises on Growth, Healing, and Crisis

Explore poetry with prompts from recent National Student Poets with the PDF workbook, On Isolation. This guide was created by alumni of the National Student Poets Program in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Encourage Students to Share Their Work with the World 

For young people who are figuring out their larger place in the world, having a safe place to express their emotions can be particularly hard. The process of creating, however, can provide an outlet for self-expression and an opportunity to be heard by others. 

Do you know a creative teen in grades 7–12 who has experienced grief or loss? Encourage them to apply for the New York Life Award, which offers $1,000 scholarships to six students whose works explore personal grief and loss. State scholarships of $500 are available to two students from each of the following states: Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, and Tennessee. All students in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) are eligible to participate and should apply through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Regional deadlines are as early as December 1, 2021. Visit artandwriting.org/nylife to find out regional deadlines and how to apply. 

About Our Partner

The New York Life Foundation supports programs that benefit young people, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and childhood bereavement, and runs the Volunteers for Good program for New York Life employees, agents, and retirees. 

Image Credits

Yuejun Wang, Hanging on by a Thread, Mixed Media. Grade 12, Liberty High School, Powell, OH. Gold Medal, New York Life Award 2021

Ilhana Kisija, Past Ways Say Stay, Drawing & Illustration. Grade 12, Niles North High School, Skokie, IL. Gold Medal, New York Life Award 2021