Familiarize your class with philanthropy and involve individuals in philanthropic activities. First, determine the traits of philanthropic people. Class members attach sticky notes with character traits written on them to each side of at...

Students examine and identify the different economic systems throughout the world. In groups, they develop their own economy basd on their own values and principles. They are given a problem scenerio to solve with the components of...

Students watch a video regarding persevering through difficult situations. In this character education lesson, students watch a video about perseverance and discuss the examples of perseverance.

Students demonstrate the meaning of self-esteem and individuality. In this character education activity, students discuss the meaning of self-esteem and self-image. Students are divided into small groups and are shown...

Students examine the art of Edward Ruscha and make a three-dimensional model of a single word. They explore shading and value, and create a drawing of the model. They render ribbon strip letters in varied values to show 3-D quality.

Students identify human rights and study the values of historical figures who fought for human rights. In this human rights lesson, students define the term human rights and research examples of human mistreatment in history. Students...

Students explore issues surrounding death penalty debate and participate in a values-clarification activity to help them form their opinions on this topic. They create a talk show to discuss issues involved with DNA testing and the death...

Students examine American identity through race, ethnicity, class, gender, regionalism, political values, and beliefs focusing on the Depression era.

Students read short stories that are related to adolescent issues and behaviors. In groups, they review the elements of a short story and vocabulary they might need while reading. To end the lesson plan, they read "Sir Tatton Sykes"...

Students examine a property inventory of a farm owner from 1785 in Sussex County. The inventory is part of a probate file used to settle the estate of the deceased person and includes the estimated value of each piece of property. ...

Students explore the character trait of being humble. They read the story of "The Hare and the Tortoise" and discuss the hare's character. Afterward, students read, "The Sailor Man." They compare and contrast "The Hare and The Tortoise"...

Eleventh graders examine Arthur Miller's play, "All My Sons" to discover major dramatic elements. After reading several war-themed poems, they connect the concepts presented in them back to a major character in Miller's play. ...

Students review the concept of opportunity cost. Using a clip from a money, they identify the people who made a choice and the value of the choice given up. They read various scenarios about opportunity costs and trade-offs and make...

Fourth graders review their knowledge of nutrition and the 5 food groups. Then they read a story which involves food from Ethiopia, India, and Mexico. They examine these foods and their nutrients, considering the health value of each.

Learners explore overcoming fear. As a class, students share experiences of being afraid. After learners read a story about being fearful, students compare events in their lives to the character in the story. They sing songs about not...

Learners discover why the human body needs food in order to survive. In groups, they analyze advertising for the foods they eat the most and try to identify the nutritional value of them as well. They complete a worksheet showing them...

Students engage in a study of the character trait of peace and how it is useful to becoming part of a lifestyle. The lesson asks students to read a story that illustrates the concept that is followed by targeted questions to be answered.

Pupils engage in a lesson to build the character trait of optimism. They use two quotations to begin the class discussion. Students brainstorm to come up with a definition of optimism. Then they read a story that is used as an...

Learners explore discrimination. In this character education lesson, students define discrimination and discuss instances of it. Learners brainstorm methods of encouraging diversity.

Seventh graders investigate the meaning of personal persistence. In this personal persistence lesson, 7th graders fill in a Frayer Method graphic organizer after participating in a discussion of the formation of the Grand Canyon. They...

To conclude their study of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, class members assume the voice of Amir and write a letter to Hassan, Amir's childhood companion.

Plan on using Gone with the Wind as a reading selection? Here's a packet of prompts for activities and assessments.

Students investigate the eight phrases that comprise the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution to determine its principles and purpose. Their own Constitutional Convention is convened to craft a preamble for their school's governance.

Students explore and study the celebration of Kwanzaa in which African-Americans remember their heritage and remind people of the importance of sharing with family and friends. They participate in a chant about the seven continents and...