"Ernest from Earth" is a middle grade to young adult novel. It's a story about empathy. It's a story about social issues and growing up. 

Ernest is a twelve-year-old boy growing up on Earth in the Twenty-Second Century, an Earth that exists free of poverty, bigotry, famine, or war. The citizens of Earth live in peace, traveling the cosmos as readily as they once navigated country highways; but Ernest is separated from his family on one such trip and finds himself on a planet eerily similar to Earth’s past, with the exception of its red- and blue-skinned inhabitants. Ernest befriends a red boy named Dat, and he is forced to live in a world of racial tension and division the likes of which he has never known. Ernest operates as both an observer and a participant in the struggles around him, all while facing the challenges of growing up. Ernest and his friend Dat face bullies and a sense of isolation. They learn of tragedy and friendship, and they are thrown into a powerful legal battle that continues to shape their understanding of existence and their places in it. Ernest’s experiences leave him torn between his desire to return to his family and his idyllic life and the kinship he has formed with his adopted family, especially as they struggle through a glaringly unjust world. Ultimately, Ernest begins to question what is really right, and if his own world is as perfect as it seems.

This is an audio and video series covering the book and the companion curriculum guide that addresses social-emotional and literacy standards. 

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Erenest From Earth / Chapter 10

Responsible Decision-Making
Analyzing Situations and Solving Problems
Generate multiple solutions for solving problems in a variety of situations. 
Consider the well-being of self and others when making decisions. 

Family Time 130: Brainstorming
Discuss Blue Sky and other brainstorming strategies. 
Identify a problem or issue.
Brainstorm a variety of solutions to this problem.
How do we consider the perspectives and well-being of others when problem-solving?

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Family Time 130: Brainstorming (1.22.23)

Self-Management
Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation
Model the ability to adapt and overcome obstacles. 

Family Time 131: Adaptation
Discuss adaptation.
Describe some ways you’ve had to adapt to situations. 

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Family Time 131: Adaptation

Social Awareness
Perspective-Taking and Empathy
Demonstrate awareness of different cultures and a respect for human dignity.
Appreciating Diversity and Respect for Others
Articulate contributions of various social and cultural groups. 

Family Time 132: Dignity & Respect
Identify positive contributions of multiple social and/or cultural groups, and/or identify ways people from different backgrounds have positively impacted your life. 
Identify a person you respect. Why do you respect that person?
Discuss dignity and respect.
What is human dignity?
How can we treat others with dignity?
How can we disagree with others and still treat them with dignity?

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Family Time 132: Dignity & Respect (2.5.23)

Responsible Decision-Making
Evaluating and Reflecting
Reflect on the positive and negative consequences of decisions for oneself and others. 
Reflect on past decisions and apply learning to new situations. 
Demonstrate consideration of the impact of traditions, experiences, and cultures of others in their decisions and outcomes.

Family Time 134: Reflection
Reflect on a situation or period from your life. 
How have some of your past decisions positively and/or negatively impacted your life?
How have you learned from those outcomes and changed your decision-making?
How does your background impact your decision-making?
Consider traditions, family, culture, etc. 

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Family Time 134: Reflection (2.19.23)

Self-Management
Organizational Skills
Select the appropriate supplies and tools needed for completion of tasks and/or projects. 
Manage materials, space, time and responsibilities effectively.

Family Time 135: Organization & Scheduling
Examine your goals from the beginning of the year. 
Identify a specific short-term goal. (The last quarter of the school year.)
Identify the time, materials, skills, and other resources necessary to complete the task. 
Set up a process or schedule to help manage and monitor your time and progress. 

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 135: Organization & Scheduling (2.26.23)

Social Awareness
Civic Engagement
Demonstrate advocacy skills. 
Model active engagement in family, school, and community projects and events.

Family Time 136: Civic Engagement
In what ways are you engaged with your school, community, and extracurricular activities?
Why might it be important to support and advocate for school, community, and social groups?
How might you want to practice civic engagement in the future?

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Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 136: Civic Engagement (3.5.23)

Relationship Skills
Social Engagement
Initiate and engage in social interactions with peers and adults. 
Analyze social situations and environments, including social media, and respond in ways that build/sustain healthy relationships. 

FAMILY TIME 137: Social Engagement
Identify different types of positive relationships in your life. 
Consider different environments and situations. 
What makes those relationships healthy?
What are some things you can do to help elevate your meaningful relationships?


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Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 137: Social Engagement (3.19.23)

Responsible Decision-Making
Ethical Responsibility
Demonstrate awareness of equity, justice, fairness, and respect that positively impacts school and community. 

Family Time 138: Ethical Constructs
Discuss equity, fairness, justice, and respect.
Give an example of each. 
Discuss other constructs and theories of ethics. 
How do those constructs impact our schools and our communities? 
Discuss Ends-Based, Rule-Based, and Care-Based approaches to solving ethical dilemmas. 
Which approach to ethical decision-making do you think you most often implement? 



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Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 138: Ethical Constructs (3.26.23)

Self-Management
Self-Discipline and Self-Motivation
Demonstrate the ability to take initiative. 
Demonstrate the ability to work independently.

Family Time 139: Intrinsic Motivation
Discuss intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. 
Consider the risks and benefits of each. 
Discuss Theory X and Theory Y. 
Do you agree with one or the other? 
Describe a time you had to take initiative and work independently.


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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 139: Intrinsic Motivation (4.2.23)

Relationship Skills
Communication
Demonstrate ability to adapt to various forms of communication in formal and informal contexts. 
Demonstrate cooperative behaviors in a group (e.g., encourage, acknowledge other perspectives and opinions, compromise, reach consensus). 
Recognize that the same norms and behaviors for face-to-face interactions apply to interactions through social media. 
Demonstrate consideration for social norms of other cultures and traditions.

Family Time 140: Communication and Situation
Consider different social situations. 
Do your communication styles and strategies change based on the setting and the people involved?
In what ways does it change?\
How do you adapt your communication to different environments and still stay true to who you are? 


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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 140: Communication and Situation (4.9.23)

Responsible Decision-Making
Identifying Problems
Define characteristics of safe and unsafe situations, including online safety.

Family Time 141: Safety
What makes a situation dangerous or unhealthy?
Give examples of potentially dangerous or unhealthy situations, both in the physical world and online.
How do you avoid dangerous or unhealthy situations?
How do you manage dangerous or unhealthy situations? 
What defines a “safe place” for you? 


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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 141: Safety (4.16.23)

Self-Management
Goal Setting
Reflect on the process and outcome of goal setting.

Family Time 142: Goal Reflection
Reflect on your goals from the beginning of the year. 
Have you accomplished your goals?
If not, are you closer to your goal than you were at the beginning of this year? 
Have your goals changed?
If so, how and why have your goals changed? 
What things have gone well?
What have been your challenges?


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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 142: Goal Reflection (4.23.23)

Week 35 (May 1-5)
Relationship Skills
Relationship Building
Express interest and appreciation for others. 
Create and maintain positive and supportive relationships with adults and students of diverse backgrounds and cultures. 

Family Time 143: Appreciation
Discuss a meaningful relationship you’ve had this year, 
Share some appreciation with someone who has positively impacted you this year.

lukenielsen.com
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
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Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 143: Appreciation (4.30.23)

Self-Awareness
Accurate Self-Perception
Identify personal qualities and interests. 
Accurate Self-Perception
Differentiate how personal identity influences choices and outcomes.

Family Time 146: Core Values and Your Why
We are not clothes or labels or socio-economic status. We are our values.
Know your values. Know your purpose. That’s who you are. 

Core Values
Identify 3 to 5 Core Values
Why are these your core values?
Write them down. 
Your Why
What is your purpose? About what are you most passionate?



lukenielsen.com
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Family Time 146: Core Values & Your Why (8.20.23)

Self-Awareness
Accurate Self-Perception
Identify personal qualities and interests. 
Accurate Self-Perception
Differentiate how personal identity influences choices and outcomes.
Self-Confidence
Examine conditions that influence identity and self-efficacy.

Family Time 147: Two-Minute Biography
We all have a story. We all face challenges. We all have fears. We all have dreams. When we understand our stories, we can write the next chapters. 
Be the hero of your story. 

List biographical information about your life. 
Identify around five significant moments or eras of your life. 
Put that information together to create a brief biography of you. 
Consider how the major events of your life have influenced who you are. 

lukenielsen.com
instagram.com/lukenielsenmedia
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfY...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/490xCoj...
Luke Nielsen Media on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services.

Luke Nielsen Media

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