Introduction and Acknowledgments

Welcome to the SEE Learning curriculum for middle school grades. This curriculum is designed to be
used with the Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning program (SEE Learn ing), which was developed
by the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University in
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Apart from developmental considerations, the middle school curriculum has many similarities to the
elementary school curricula, and follows the same scope and sequence. This is because each version
of the curriculum is designed to be the first engagement that students will have with SEE Learning.
This means students do not need to have progressed through either elementary curriculum before
beginning this one. If you have students who have already completed the elementary curriculum,
you may wish to adapt the learning experiences you use from this curriculum so as to build on prior
knowledge and avoid repetition of scenarios. A middle school curriculum for students who have
already completed the elementary curriculum is planned as a future development.

Before implementing the SEE Learning curriculum, it is highly recommended that schools and
educators first register with Emory University or one of its affiliates, and participate in the online
”SEE 101: Orientation ” course or the in-person version. Also, as you work your way through this
curriculum, you are encouraged to participate in the worldwide SEE Learning comm unity using the
online SEE Learn ing Portal to share your experiences, learn from others, and engage in the ongoing
professional development opportunities designed to help both you and your students.

In addition, educators are encouraged to read the SEE Learning Companion, which explains the
overarching objectives, rationale, and framework of the program, and particularly the chapter on
implementation, which has useful practical information on how best to use this curriculum. The
curriculum is based directly on the SEE Learning framework found in that volume, which was largely
inspired by the work of the Dalai Lama, as well as other thought leaders and education specialists. It
provides a comprehensive approach for complementing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) with
the cultivation of basic human values, systems thinking, attention and resilience skills, and other
important educational practices.

Over six hundred educators have participated in the SEE Learning program from 2016-2019. They
have attended foundational workshops, engaged their classes in the SEE curriculum learning
experiences, been visited and observed by members of the core SEE Learning team, and
contributed their feedback and suggestions.

Middle School Introduction