Curated OER
What is a Philanthropist?
What does a philanthropist do? Help your class explore philanthropy using character development and literacy ideas. Learners will define and give examples of philanthropy, listen to The Lion and the Mouse, discuss how the characters help...
Curated OER
Character Traits
Explore character traits using this resource. After reading the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, learners fill in a graph identifying character traits. Then, they write and put on a skit. This resource provides a motivating way to...
DePaul University
The Football Team
Playing team sports is about more than just scoring the most goals or winning the most games. Read this passage with your class and learn how athletes build character as members of a team. When finished, individuals identify the main...
Curated OER
Growing in Character
Middle schoolers explore how to build their character by respecting and appreciating various cultures. In this character education lesson, students read the book Seedfolks and answer questions based on the character's cultural...
Curated OER
Respect
Investigate "respect" with your class. They will participate in a think/share activity in which they complete sentence starters about their personal experience with "respect." Then they view a video clip in which Holocaust survivors...
Civil War Trust
Civil War Personalities Lesson Plan
Caring, trustworthiness, and responsibility—these are only a few character traits in focus of a lesson based on stories from the Civil War era. Class members explore several influential lives while reading biographies that highlight...
Curated OER
Teaching Justice: Schooling and the Four Waves of U.S. Immigration
U.S. immigration is the focus of a unit on social justice. Over the course of a school year, young historians read a variety of texts to learn about four waves of immigration that have occurred over time in the U.S. An emphasis on...
Curated OER
Word Search: Character Counts
In this character education word search activity, students identify words pertaining to positive character attributes such as respect, truthfulness, and fairness. Students locate 19 character traits on the puzzle.
Curated OER
Character... My Foundation
Students participate in a lesson examining the concept of character and how it is the foundation of lasting human relationships. They examine character traits that are considered positive and then define the differences between...
Peace Corps
Brief Encounters
How are Pandyas different than Chispas? Explore cultural norms and societal behaviors with an engaging role-play activity. Split into groups of two hypothetical cultural groups, the formal Pandyas and the sociable Chispas, and another...
Curated OER
Planting Seeds of Philanthropy
Middle schoolers explore the importance of maintaining a democracy through philanthropic actions. In this character education lesson, students discover what the Japanese internment camps were, and why they were an infringement on...
Peace Corps
Defining Culture
How has culture shaped you? Middle and high schoolers examine different aspects of one's culture, including religious beliefs, social customs, and family traditions, and discuss the ways that their personalities have been formed by these...
Curated OER
A Decision of Integrity
Students study a man's life. In this values instructional activity, students read about Frederik De Klerk and answer discussion questions. Students discuss his values, especially integrity, and how they made a difference.
Curated OER
Helping Others
Students explore community service. In this character development and community lesson, students sing a song based on the fable The Lion and the Mouse. Students participate in a discussion about kindness, and generate ideas for...
Curated OER
Kind Kids
Students decide what it means to be kind to others and draw pictures of ways they have been kind. They place kind kids pictures in a book for the classroom library. Students receive certificates for post lesson plan kind acts.
Curated OER
Role Playing for the Common Good
Students explore conflict resolution. In this character education lesson, students role play simple conflict resolution situations at school and present the skits to other classes.
US Institute of Peace
Maintaining Trusting Relationships
What role does trust play in diffusing a tense situation? Young social scientists explore trust on a personal and global level during a lesson plan on peace and conflict. After participating in a trust sit, participants work in groups to...
Curated OER
What is Honesty?
Students explore the concept of honesty. In this character lesson plan, students work in groups to brainstorm and discuss what it means to be honest. Each group shares their ideas with the class and they keep a list of keywords and...
Curated OER
A Straightforward Approach
Middle schoolers discuss the importance of honesty. For this character education lesson, students discuss being honest. Middle schoolers explore the question, "How is our community and world improved and strengthened when people are...
Curated OER
Sharing in the Classroom
Students explore the concept of sharing. In this character education lesson, students role play methods of sharing in the classroom and create a guidebook for sharing in the classroom.
Curated OER
Character Education: Responsibility
Students study Manuel de Zavala and his role in the history of Texas. In this character education lesson, students read about Manuel Lorenzo and underline the responsibilities he took on in his life. Students then answer questions about...
Advocates for Human Rights
All about Me!
Celebrate the uniqueness of your students with this character building lesson series. In order to learn about and appreciate diversity and individuality, children create All About Me books by cutting out and drawing pictures...
Center for History Education
To What Extent Were Women's Contributions to World War II Industries Valued?
Women rose to the challenge when the nation's war effort called them—but were sent home when the GIs came back from World War II. Young historians consider whether the United States valued women's contributions during the war using a...
Curated OER
Acting With Honesty
Students analyze stories to study the value of honesty. Songs and role playing are included in this lesson of character education. Activities include: brainstorming situations that would be easy to be dishonest, drawing pictures to...