Start Here
Choose by your role or by the topic that matters most right now.
I'm aβ¦
Parents & Caregivers
Start with a topic your child is already curious about. Each curriculum has short lessons (10β20 min) you can use one-on-one at home β no prep needed.
Compare curricula βTeachers & Classrooms
Ready-to-use, discussion-based lessons designed for group settings. Pick whichever topic complements your current unit or student interest.
Compare curricula βClubs, Homeschool & Libraries
Modular and flexible β use any topic, any lesson, in any order. Great for enrichment programs, co-ops, and reading groups.
Compare curricula βI'm interested inβ¦
How the Literacies Fit Together
Each curriculum covers one part of how the modern world works. Together, they help kids build a connected understanding of the systems they already interact with every day.
They reinforce each other
There is no required sequence. Start with whichever topic fits your learners, and add more over time. Each curriculum works on its own, and connections between them happen naturally.
Read the full frameworkShared Toolkits
Some skills support every curriculum. Shared toolkits are short, practical add-ons that work alongside any topic β at home, in a classroom, or in a club.
Decision-making, media use, social conflict, rules, money, health, and environmental worry all involve emotion β and all of them run on communication. The Coping Skills Toolkit gives kids everyday tools for noticing stress signals, pausing before reacting, and recovering after hard moments. The Communication Toolkit helps kids listen, ask, explain, disagree, get help, use feedback, and repair misunderstandings. Both support the work in every literacy: kids are learning how systems work, and their own stress response and the way they understand each other are two of the systems they use every day.
Coping Skills Toolkit
Short lessons that help kids notice stress signals, pause before reacting, calm their body, check their thoughts, ask for help, and recover after hard moments.
Pairs especially well with Emotional & Social, Decision, Health Systems, Media, Civic, and Legal Literacy.
Open the toolkit βCommunication Toolkit
Short lessons that help kids listen actively, ask clearer questions, explain their thinking, disagree respectfully, ask for help, use feedback, and repair misunderstandings.
Pairs especially well with Civic, Legal, Emotional & Social, Decision, Media, Computer, and Financial Literacy.
Open the toolkit βProblem Solving Toolkit
Short lessons that help kids define problems clearly, separate facts from guesses, break big problems into smaller parts, try one safe step, observe what happened, and adjust.
Pairs especially well with Computer, Decision, Environmental Systems, Civic, Health Systems, Emotional & Social, Legal, Media, and Financial Literacy.
Open the toolkit βCompare the Curricula
Pick whichever fits your learners β or use more than one over time.
Decision Literacy
Build the skills to think clearly, weigh options, and understand consequences.
Computer Literacy
Understand how computers and the internet work β and how to use technology responsibly.
Media Literacy
Learn how information spreads and how to evaluate what you see and read.
Financial Literacy
Learn how money works β earning, saving, spending, and understanding value.
Civic Literacy
Understand how communities organize, make rules, and share decisions.
Emotional & Social Literacy
Understand your own internal signals and learn to navigate human networks intentionally.
Legal Literacy
Understand how rules, contracts, and legal systems actually work β and how to use them.
Environmental Systems Literacy
Understand the Earth as a physical system β and where human infrastructure fits into it.
Health Systems Literacy
Understand your body as a biological system β and learn to maintain it intentionally.
What This Looks Like in Practice
These curricula are designed to fit into the time and settings you already have. Here are three common ways to get started.
A parent at home
Pick a topic your child is curious about β like how ads work or what happens to saved money. Use one lesson per week at the dinner table or before bed. Each takes 15β20 minutes and needs nothing beyond the lesson page. Start a conversation, not a lecture.
A teacher in the classroom
Choose one curriculum as a 3β6 week mini-unit alongside your existing subjects. Media Literacy pairs well with current events. Decision Literacy fits social-emotional learning. Run one lesson per session and let discussion carry the learning.
A club or library facilitator
Run a weekly discussion group around one curriculum. Kids read through a lesson together, then talk about it. Works for after-school programs, homeschool co-ops, and library groups. No special training needed β the lessons guide the conversation.
How the Lessons Are Built
The curricula share a set of design principles that keep them practical, approachable, and consistent across the project.
Each lesson takes 10β20 minutes and works independently. Use one lesson, a handful, or a full sequence β pick what fits your time.
Lessons are built around questions and conversation, not quizzes or recall. The goal is thinking, not test prep.
Every topic connects to things children interact with daily β screens, ads, money, rules, choices. Nothing abstract or theoretical.
Language, examples, and complexity are calibrated for upper-elementary learners. No oversimplification, no jargon.
Parents and educators do not need to be subject-matter experts. The lessons guide the conversation and provide the context you need.
Designed to work at home, in classrooms, in clubs, in libraries, and in homeschool β with no adaptation required.
Common Questions
Quick answers to the things people usually ask first.
Do I need to use all the curricula?
No. Each curriculum is independent. Start with whichever topic matters most for your learners and add more if you want to. There is no required sequence.
Where should I start?
Start with whatever your child or students are most curious about. If kids are asking about ads or online video, try Media Literacy. If they are starting to handle money, try Financial Literacy. The "Start Here" section at the top of this page can help you choose.
What age range are these designed for?
The curricula are designed for children ages 8β12 (roughly grades 3β6). The language and examples are age-appropriate, but the topics are relevant enough that older or younger learners can also benefit with light adjustment.
Do I need to be an expert to teach these?
No. The lessons provide the background you need and are designed around discussion, not lecture. Your job is to read the lesson, ask the questions, and listen. You do not need specialized training in any of the topics.
Can I adapt the lessons for my setting?
Yes β they are designed for it. You can rearrange lessons, skip ones that do not fit, add your own examples, or translate the materials. The curricula are a starting point you can make your own.
Are these really free?
Yes. Every curriculum is open source and available at no cost. No login, no paywall, no restrictions. You can also fork the materials on GitHub and build your own version.
Use, Adapt, or Contribute
These curricula are open source. That means you can use them for free, adjust them for your context, or help make them better.
Use as-is
Open any curriculum site and start using the lessons directly. No signup or download needed.
Adapt locally
Rearrange lessons, add your own examples, or adjust the pacing to fit your classroom, family, or group.
Fork and remix
Fork a curriculum repository on GitHub to create your own version β translated, restructured, or extended for a new context.
Contribute back
Spot a typo, have a better example, or want to improve a lesson? Open an issue or pull request on any curriculum repo.