Responsibility Artwork (Grades 6-12)

Overview: Students will create responsibility artwork with a quote.

Character Education Objectives:

Students will:

  • research quotes or proverbs about responsibility.
  • share their favorite quote on responsibility.
  • create a drawing featuring their quote.

Materials:

  • Paper
  • Markers
  • Colored pencils
  • Access to the Internet to research quotes about responsibility 

Opening Reflection: 

  • Find a quote about responsibility that speaks to you.

Independent Creative Time

  • Create responsibility artwork of your favorite responsibility quote. 
  • Examples:

Group

  • Share your drawing. Why you chose this quote about responsibility?
  • What does this quote look like in your life?

More Resources:

  • Responsibility is one of the Six Pillars of Character. Click here to learn more about the Six Pillars.
  • See more posts about responsibility by using the filter on our blog.
  • Quotes about responsibility:
    • “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
    • “Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.” – James Michener
    • “If you think you are too small to make a difference you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.” – African proverb
    • “If you think you are too small to make a difference you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama XIV
    • “When we tackle obstacles, we find hidden reserves of courage and resilience we did not know we had.” -A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
    • “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
    • “Life isn’t perfect, any failures you have are actually learning moments. They teach us how to grow and evolve.” – Phillipa Soo



Working with a Team (Grades K-5)

Overview: This lesson highlights the importance of bringing our best selves when working with a team.

Character Education Objectives:

Students will:

  • determine roles for each team member
  • practice bringing their best self to a group task through their defined role
  • reflect on the effects of roles and responsibilities in a group

Materials needed:

  • A deck of cards for each group

Directions:

  1. Put students in groups of 2-4. Each group needs to have at least one builder and one supervisor. If you have more than two students in the group, allow the students to decide how many builders and supervisors they want within their group, as long as there is one of each.
  2. Give each group a deck of cards.
  3. Instruct the group that their task is to build the highest tower of cards they can.
  4. Only builders may touch the cards, but cannot talk. Only supervisors may talk, but cannot touch the cards.
  5. The team must start over each time the tower falls.
  6. Set a time limit. At the end of the time limit, allow students to negotiate more time. For example, let students continue if they can negotiate a trade (if don’t use their dominant hand, don’t talk etc., then they get one more minute to work).
  7. At the end of the time limit, see who has the tallest tower—then let them blow it down!

Discussion Prompts:

  • It is possible that they won’t be very successful at this activity. If they aren’t, ask them what they could have done better or differently.
  • Was it hard to only be a builder or only be a supervisor? Why?
  • Why does brining your best self and all of your talents important when you are on a team?



Energy and Effort into What Matters

By Jeff Kluever, Director of Programs

We fill our lives by putting energy and effort into what matters. There’s a popular demonstration called “Jar of Life” in which a jar is filled with big rocks (important things like family, health, work), little rocks (less important things like sports or hobbies), and sand (unimportant things like watching television or social media). When you fill the jar with the big rocks first, then the little rocks, and finally the sand, everything fits in the jar. If you reverse the process and start with sand, then little rocks, then big rocks, not everything fits in the jar.

The point of the demonstration is that when we fill our time with the most important things first, the little rocks and sand can be worked in, but when our time is consumed by unimportant things, we run out of space for what really matters.

When I perform the demonstration, however, I exchange the big rocks for balloons and pose the question – instead of trying to cram more unimportant things into our jar, what if we decided to put more air into our balloons? In other words, what if we put more time, energy, and effort into the big things that really matter, instead of jamming more unimportant sand into our life? What will be more fulfilling – putting more into the important aspects of your life or spending more time on social media?

There’s nothing wrong with having some little rocks and sand in your jar. We need variety in our lives. We need opportunities to rest and rejuvenate so that when the time comes we can be fully engaged with our balloons. But, when you feel like you’re falling short, when there’s just not enough time in the day, don’t cram in more sand. Put air in your balloons.

60-Second Character Challenge
  • What are the critically important “big rocks” or “balloons” in your life?
  • What could you do to invest more time and energy into your “balloons?”
  • What unimportant sand could you remove from your life in order to invest more energy into your “balloons?



Resilience(Grades 6-12)

Overview:
 Students need opportunities to see success and triumph in the midst of struggle. This lesson provides a video that discusses resilience from a young man who faced a lot of trials in his life. The discussion will provide an opportunity for the classroom to share ideas about trust, growth, and overcoming obstacles. 

Character Education Objectives:
Students will:

  • watch a video about why adversity can build resilience.
  • discuss resilience and trust through the lens of overcoming obstacles.
  • hare ideas for building resilience. 

Materials

  • Markers 
  • Post-it pads (large stick posters or paper) 
  • Access to stream YouTube video 

Lesson Plan Day 1

Journal: (5 mins)

  • What is something that has been challenging in your life to overcome?
  • Who have you trusted in your life to help you overcome challenges?

Whole Group (35 mins)

  • Watch the video: (15 mins)
  • Discussion (20 mins)
    • What does this quote mean to you? “The worst of life could not take out the best of me.”
    • Why do people still succeed and flourish despite pain and trauma?
    • What is resilience?
    • Why does change cause adversity?
    • How do your belief systems impact whether you succumb or surmount challenges? 
    • How is your mind the most crucial resource to building resilience?
    • What does trauma teach us about resilience?
      • Tell your mind what to think- how do we do this?
      • Life is easier when you are prepared – how do you prepare for the unknown?
      • Perspective requires partnership
        • Why do we need others to help us overcome adversity?
  • Exit Ticket: (5 mins) 
    • Who can you trust to help you overcome adversity when you need it?

Lesson Plan Day 2

Journal (5 mins) 

  • What is important about learning to trust yourself in tough situations?

Whole Group Discussion (5 mins)

  • What did you learn about building trust and resilience yesterday?

Small Group Discussion (10 mins)

  • Everything happens for a reason- How can you use your trauma/struggle for a purpose?
  • Who can you trust to support you amid trauma or challenges?
  • What does it mean to trust resiliency to help you overcome adversity? 

 Productive Group Work (10 mins)

  • On poster paper: What are some ways you can build resilience?
    • Have students use a Post It Poster page to record ideas.

Gallery Walk: (10 mins) 

  • What are some ways you can build resilience?
    • Put a star next to an idea you want to remember.
    • Put a tally mark next to an idea you have used in the past to help you overcome an obstacle. 

Exit Ticket (5 mins)

  • What is the most important thing you learned in this lesson?

References
Hunt, C. (2020). What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience | Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte. Retrieved 1 April 2020, from https://youtu.be/3qELiw_1Ddg




Leading a significant life

From guest contributor Michael Josephson, founder of CHARACTER COUNTS!

Martin Luther King Jr., said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” In a world increasingly dominated by unapologetic selfishness, this idea may seem quaint and outdated. Yet, for those who have a grand vision of their purpose and value, striving to be of service is not only a noble thing to do, it’s the best way to lead a truly fulfilling and significant life.

Poet William Allen Dromgoole put it this way:

An old man going a lone highway
Came at the evening, cold and grey,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a swollen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim.
That swollen stream held no fears for him,
But he paused when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You’re wasting strength with building here.
Your journey ends with the ending day.
You never again must pass this way.
You’ve crossed this chasm deep and wide.
Why build this bridge at the even’ tide?”

The builder lifted his old grey head,
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followeth after me today
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.

“This swollen stream that was naught for me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He too must cross in the twilight dim.
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”




Resilience and Overcoming Obstacles (Grades 6-12)

character education resilience lesson

Overview:
Students need to embrace resilience as they care for one another during conflict. This lesson focuses on the caring Pillar while supplying a resource to problem-solve and build resilience.

Character education objectives:

  • Students will discuss problems and solutions 
  • Students will brainstorm solutions to a problem
  • Students will use the Problem Solving Essentials tool and compose a caring response /solution for a problem

 Materials:

Duration: 2 days

Lesson Plan Day 1 

Journal: (5 mins)

  • What is a problem you have had to solve at home or school?
  • What was challenging about solving it?

Whole Group Instruction: (10 mins)

  • You are going to compose an advice column to help people solve problems in their lives. 
  • You will work in groups of 4-5 to problem solve solutions to real-life issues.
  • You will compose a caring response to help the sender tackle their problem.
  • I want you to utilize the Problem Solving Essentials  tool.
  • For each problem scenario you will…
    • Define the problem and solution goals  
    • Brainstorm all possible solutions
      • Write down everyone’s suggestions 
      • Encourage everyone to participate and give ideas 
      • No idea is a bad idea they can all lead to great ideas 
    • Adapt, expand, innovate, and eliminate possibilities
      • Determine the best route with the list of ideas you came up with during the brainstorming
    • Test solution and revise as needed 
      • Compose a response and edit / wordsmith until you feel it is ready to submit 
      • Share with the classroom

Whole Group Model with the classroom the following scenario: (15 mins)
DEAR ABBY: I’m a freshman in high school, and it’s great. I’ve made a lot of new friends, but most of them are guys. For some reason, they think I’m this girly-girl type who doesn’t like to get my hands dirty. When it’s time to do something that involves lifting, they think they have to take over. If they ever saw me at home, they’d think I was a whole different person. How can I show them I’m not a girly-girl while still being friends with them? — NO GIRLY-GIRL-14

Small Group Discussion: (10 mins)

  • How does our response show we care? 
  • Review what resilience means
  • How do you build resilience?
  • Why is it important to seek advice from people who care about you?
  • How does seeking advice from someone you care about help build resilience?

Lesson Plan Day 2: 

Journal: (5 minutes)

  • Write a Dear Abby Response to the problem you listed in your journal (see lesson plan day one)

Small Group Productive Group work: (25 mins)

  • Students can use the Problem-Solving Handout to gather their thoughts 
  • Students will go through the scenarios listed on the Scenario Handout (Allow them to choose one they would like to work on together)
  • Students will use the Problem Solving Essentials tool and compose a solution for the problem 

Whole Group: (10 mins) 

  • Share aloud the advice your group offered for the teen 

Exit Ticket: (5 mins) 

  • How does advice from someone who cares about you help build resilience?

References 

If students are unfamiliar with advice columns you can send them to the sites below to review and read some of the responses from Abby.

Dear Abby. 2020. Uexpress. [online] Available at: <https://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/2020/2/9/2/teen-resents-being-treated-like-a> [Accessed 30 March 2020].

Dr. M., 2020. Ask Dr. M — Advice For Teens Advice Column. Advice For Teens, Advice For Kids, Advice For Children, Advice For Young Adults, Advice For Parents, Advice For Parents Of Kids, Advice For Parents Of Teens, Advice For Parents Of Young Adults. [online] Askdrm.org. Available at: <http://www.askdrm.org/col_teens.html> [Accessed 30 March 2020].




Goal Setting (Grades 6-12)

Character education - goal setting

Overview: Goal setting is an important skill every student needs to develop to become a more productive citizen. However, students do not always understand the difference between goal setting and goal achievement, nor do they grasp the steps it requires to achieve their goals. So, this lesson will walk students through the steps and supports needed to set and attain their goals.

Character Education Objectives:

Students will:

  • discuss the difference in goal setting and achievement. 
  • share a desired goal they have to become a more productive member of society.
  • create a map to help them navigate the journey to reach their objective. 

Duration:

  • Creating the map may take more than one day depending on students. 

Materials:

Lesson Plan

Journal (5 mins) 

  • What is an objective you aspire to attain in 5 years?
  • What is a goal you have for the remainder of this school year?

Small Group (10 mins) 

  • What is the difference between goal setting and goal achievement?
  • How does a citizen who strives to achive their goals support our society?

Whole Group Discussion (10 mins)

  • Why is it important to have goals? 
  • What is challenging about achieving your goals?
  • How do citizens who strive to achieve their goals support society? 
  • Today you are going to create a map to help you achieve the objective you stated in your journal you have for the remainder of the school year. 

Individual (15 mins)

  • Suggestion: go through each step with the students 
    • Start at Desired Goal
      • Example: I want to run a 5K (2.
    • Then write where you are right now (Starting Point)
      • Example: I can run a mile without stopping
    • What are the steps in between the goal achievement (end goal) and the goal setting (baseline)?
      • Example: Increase to 1.5 miles a week (2 weeks)
      • Example: Increase to 2 miles a week (2 weeks)
      • Example: Increase to 2.5 miles a week (2 weeks)
      • Example: Increase to 3 miles a week (2 weeks)
      • Example: Increase to 3.5 miles a week (1 week)
    • Who will you have to hold you accountable?
      • Example: My running partners
    • Why is an accountability partner so important?
    • What are the measurements or times when you will assess how you are doing?
      • Example:
        • Each day we will graph our time and distance 
        • Once a week we will test ourselves on how long it takes to run/walk 3.5 miles and chart it

Exit Ticket: (5 mins)

  • Share this plan with your accountability partner 
    • Snap or scan a picture of the completed map and send it via text or email. 

Learn more about character education.




Seven ways to build strong character and integrity in children

From guest contributor Dr. Michele Borba

Wondering what can you do to help your kids counter negative influences and stand up for what they know is right? The answer is to nurture a solid moral core that will guide them to stand up for their beliefs and act right without us. And the best news is that we can teach kids the core virtues and skills of strong character and moral courage and can begin when they are toddlers.

Here are seven parenting tips from my book, Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing, you can use to help your kids stand up for their beliefs, buck negative peer pressure, and live their lives guided by integrity. Just remember: it’s never too late—or early—to start.

1. Know What You Stand for So Your Kid Knows
Parents with clearly identified moral convictions are more likely to raise good kids. Because their kids know what their parents stand for and why they do, their kids are more likely to adopt their parents’ beliefs. So begin by asking yourself what virtues and moral beliefs matter most to you. Make a list, then narrow them to your top three. These will become your personal moral code and guide you in how you will raise your child. It’s also the best way to help your child develop his own moral beliefs. Here are five quick questions to gauge how well you’re parenting solid moral beliefs in your child:

  • You can quickly name the 3-5 virtues you want most for your child to acquire.
  • Your child could name the virtues you believe in most without prompting.
  • You reinforce your child whenever he shows your selected virtues in his behavior.
  • Your child can clearly see your chosen virtues in your daily behavior.
  • You use those virtues as your day to day code of ethical behavior and family living.

2. Walk Your Talk
One great question to ask yourself each day is: “If I were the only example my child had to learn moral habits, what did she learn today from watching me?” The answer can be quite revealing. By watching your choices and hearing your casual comments, kids learn our moral standards. Make sure the moral behaviors your kids are picking up on are ones that you want your kids to copy. How many of these messages apply to you? Do you…

  • Eat a “sample” from a store’s candy bin in front of your child without paying?
  • Buy a ticket for a “child under twelve” even though your child is older?
  • Drive faster than the speed limit with your child as a passenger?
  • Tell your child to say you’re not there when your boss calls?
  • Do the majority of your child’s work on a school project, but have him sign his name?

3. Share Your Moral Beliefs and Take Stands
Speaking frequently to your child about values  is called direct moral teaching. Parents who raise ethical kids do it a lot. So look for moral issues and talk about them as they come up: from TV shows and news events to situations at home, school, and friends. Tell your kids how you feel about the issue and why.

Share examples of morally courageous heroes such as Rosa Parks, Pee Wee Reece, Harriet Tubman, Abe Lincoln. There are wonderful books and videos in your local library that you can share with your child.

Most important: Stand up for your own beliefs whenever you feel a major value is jeopardized. Your kid needs to see and hear about moral courage so he has an example to copy.

4. Ask Moral Questions to Stretch Moral Development
Questioning is an important parenting tool for enhancing children’s consciences and strengthening moral beliefs. The right kind of questions can help kids expand their ability to take another perspective and ask themselves: “Is this the right thing to do?” Both are critical precursors to taking any moral stand. Here are a few questions parents can ask that stretch your kid’s moral thinking:

“How would you feel if someone treated you that way?” “If you don’t follow through on your word, what do you think would happen?” “If everybody acted that way (i.e. cheated, shoplifted) what would happen?”

5. Boost Empathy
Kids who stick up for others are kids who feel for others. Empathy is what motivates that feeling, halts cruel behavior and urges kids to take a stand. Here are two powerful ways to nurture empathy:

  • Ask: How would you feel? Ask kids to ponder how another person feels using situations in books, TV, and movies as well as real life. It forces them to think about other peoples’ concerns.
  • Use role playing. It helps kids imagine others’ feelings so ask your child to think how the other person would feel if roles were reversed. “Switch sides: what would the other person say and do?” Young kids can use puppets or toy figures to act out the problem from both sides.

6. Reinforce Assertiveness Not Compliance
If you want to raise a child who can stand up for his beliefs, then reinforce assertiveness—not compliance. Encourage him to share his opinions and stand up for what is right. And do so from early age so he can weather the storm of negative peer influence. Parents who raise morally courageous kids expect their kids to act morally—even demand that they do.

7. Teach Assertive Skills
The truth is that it takes real moral strength to go against peer pressure and to stick up for your beliefs. So teach your child assertive skills so he can take the right kind of stand whenever he’s confronted with a moral dilemma. Here are three ways to boost moral courage:

  • Teach assertive posture. Teach your kid to stand up for his beliefs by using confident, assertive posture: stand tall with feet slightly apart, head held high, and look the person straight in the eye.
  • Say no firmly. Stress that he must say his beliefs using a friendly, but determined voice. Then don’t give in. His job is not to try changing the other person’s mind, but to follow his beliefs.
  • Tell reasons why. Ask your child to give the person the reason for his stand. It helps strengthen his conviction: “Stop bullying him; it’s cruel.” Or “No, it’s illegal and wrong.” Repeating the belief several times boosts assertiveness and helps your child not back down from his stand.

 Keep in mind that your child’s moral growth is an ongoing process that will span the course of her lifetime. The moral knowledge, beliefs, and habits you instill in her now will become the foundation she’ll use forever.

Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned consultant, educational psychologist and recipient of the National Educator Award who has presented workshops to over a million participants worldwide. She is a recognized expert in parenting, bullying, youth violence, and character development and author of 22 books including UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About Me World, The 6Rs of Bullying Prevention: Best Proven Practices to Combat Cruelty and Build Respect,The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, and Building Moral Intelligence. She has appeared over 130 times on the TODAY show and is a frequent expert on national media including Dateline, The View, Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, CNN, Dr. Drew, and Dr. Phil. To book her for speaking or media even refer to her website: www.micheleborba.com. Follow her on twitter @MicheleBorba.

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Six Pillar Coloring Pages

Download these PDFs and get started coloring!

Trustworthiness

Respect

Responsibility

Fairness

Caring

Citizenship




When the Six Pillars Conflict

Six Pillars of Character

At CHARACTER COUNTS!, we often refer to the Six Pillars of Character as universal values. In other words, they are values that transcend race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and even time. Put another way, nearly everyone can agree that more trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship would be good and even necessary for our individual, community, and societal growth.

Though the Six Pillars are universal, they are not absolutes. Like anything else in society, what the Pillars look like, sound like, and feel like can change due to context or circumstance. What is considered perfectly respectful behavior at a football game would not be considered respectful in a boardroom, for example. How we define what each pillar looks like and sounds like in unique circumstances is particularly important when Pillars appear to be in conflict. One definition of citizenship may include following the rules, respecting the law, and so on. And yet, Rosa Parks is often highlighted as an example of fairness, for her protest on the bus in which she technically broke the law – an unjust, unfair, and racist law, but a law nonetheless. Does that mean she’s a bad citizen? Or, a student may argue that she was showing caring by letting her friend copy homework so her friend wouldn’t get in trouble, while a teacher might argue that the student was being irresponsible and untrustworthy by letting her friend cheat.

The tendency in these moments is to ask, “which Pillar is more important?” but that’s the wrong question. The right question is, “in this time, given these circumstances, what does it mean to put the Six Pillars into action?” When one asks this question, Rosa Park’s action is not only a demonstration of fighting for fairness, but citizenship, as she tries to make her community a better place for everyone, regardless of race.

Of course, some may view the constant need to negotiate what the Six Pillars look like in different circumstances as soft or unprincipled, but maybe it’s the opposite. The intentional, deliberate conversation about what the Six Pillars look like for us, in this situation, is exactly the kind of conversation, sometimes hard conversation, we must have if we’re going to work together successfully. Yes, the Pillars are universal, but what we want them to look like for our students, school, community, family, and society is ultimately up to us.

Learn more about character education.