Characte rplus handbook

CHARACTERplus
Handbook
2006-2007
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CONNECTING THROUGH CHARACTER

Recognize It

Model It

Expect It

“The proper time to influence the character of a child
is about a hundred years before he’s born.”
-William R. Inge, American playwright (1913-1973)

We cannot go back in time in order to influence and make a difference
in the lives of our students. Therefore, we must work with them in the
present, doing everything possible to help them to continue to grow and learn
to become responsible, productive citizens. Research tells us that building
relationships and getting to personally know our students will ensure this goal,
as well as increase student achievement.
The Character Education theme for this school year is, “Connecting
through Character.” This booklet contains a collection of ideas, some old and
many new, to help you build relationships in your school. It is the hope of
Characterplus that this serves as a valuable resource as you work to build the
character of all students.

“Fame is vapor, popularity an accident, riches take
wing, and only character endures.”
Horace Greeley, American journalist and educator (1811-1872)

Page 1

Attitude Tools for A Successful School Year
Use these tools as needed and with care.
ATTITUDE TOOL #1
Misbehaving children are discouraged children.

ATTITUDE TOOL #2
Children do better when they feel better.

ATTITUDE TOOL #3
Mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn.

ATTITUDE TOOL #4
Use kindness and firmness at the same time.

ATTITUDE TOOL #5
Focus on winning children over instead of winning over children.

ATTITUDE TOOL #6
Focus on long-range results.

ATTITUDE TOOL #7
Look for solutions, not blame.

ATTITUDE TOOL #8
Understand the meaning of discipline.

ATTITUDE TOOL #9
Treat children with dignity and respect.

ATTITUDE TOOL #10
Children listen to you after they feel listened to.

ATTITUDE TOOL #11
Look for the hidden message behind misbehavior.

ATTITUDE TOOL #12
Give children the benefit of the doubt.

ATTITUDE TOOL #13
Laugh with your students.

Page 2

A 12-Point Comprehensive Approach
To Character Education
Classroom Strategies:
1.
The teacher as caregiver, model and ethical mentor: Treating
students with love and respect, encouraging right behavior, and correcting
wrongful actions.
2.
A caring classroom community: Teaching students to respect and
care about each other.
3.
Moral discipline: Using rules and consequences to develop moral
reasoning, self-control, and generalized respect for others.
4.
A democratic classroom environment: Using the class meeting to
engage students in shared decision making and in taking responsibility for
making the classroom the best it can be.
5.
Teaching values through the curriculum: Using the ethically rich
content of academic subjects as vehicles for values teaching.
6.
Cooperative learning: Fostering students’ ability to work with and
appreciate others.
7.
The “conscience of craft”: Developing students’ sense of academic
responsibility and the habit of doing their work well.
8.
Ethical reflection: Developing the cognitive side of character through
reading, research, writing and discussion.
9.
Conflict resolution: Teaching students how to solve conflicts fairly,
without intimidation or violence.

Strategies for the Whole School:
10. Caring beyond the classroom: Using role models to inspire altruistic
behavior and providing opportunities for school and community service.
11. Creating a positive moral culture in the school: Developing a caring
school community that promotes the core values.
12. Parents and community as parents: Helping parents and the whole
community join the school in a cooperative effort to build good character.
From T. Lickona’s Educating for Character, Bantam Books. 1991.
Page 3

Daily Greetings!
Start the Day off on the right foot!
Many Character Education experts recommend starting the day with
personal contact with each and every student. This means greeting
students coming off the bus, coming down the hall, at the classroom door,
or wherever your initial contact takes place. Student arrival is more times
than not a hectic time of the day, but the overall conclusion is that taking
time to make contact not only gives a positive message to your students,
but also energizes you as a teacher. You would greet a guest coming into
your home, why not a student coming into your classroom?
How it’s done
The first day you should greet all students with a handshake. You will
probably find that some of them are caught off guard. One of your opening
activities should be to teach students how to shake hands. Some of the
key concepts to cover are: eye contact, firm grip, and a verbal greeting
such as, “Good morning,______.” “_____, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“______, welcome to the class.” It’s important to use the student’s name
whenever possible. Everyone likes to hear their name.
Some students won’t be comfortable with a handshake. During your
first discussion of the greeting tell students they may choose from one of
the Three H’s for a greeting: Handshake, Hug, or High Five. Variations in
the greeting allow the students to express their personality at their own
comfort level.

Page 4

Class Meetings
A great way to build relationships!
Class Meetings have proven to be a very effective way to build strong
relationships among students. In a class meeting students sit in a circle so
everyone is visible and students take turns speaking and sharing.
Classmates are expected to be active listeners. Meetings can have a
variety of formats. Teachers use them to share news, to check homework,
to check the status of writing projects, for problem solving and/or review of
curriculum as well as discussions on behavior, life choices, and qualities of
good character.
During Class Meetings students learn appropriate social interactions,
manners, communication skills and leadership skills. Class meetings also
increase self-confidence and empathy for others. Class Meetings are a
great way to build community, set a positive tone, increase excitement
about learning, and improve academic and social skills. If you would like
more information about Class Meetings read The Morning Meeting Book,
by Roxann Kriete.

These four components should be a part of your opening routine:
1) Sharing good news-Ask the students, “What are we celebrating today?”
2) Express thanks instead of complaining
3) Share compliments to build others up
4) Humor

Page 5

The Morning Meeting Book
By: Roxann Kriete with contributions by Lynn
Bechtel
To begin, all classroom members gather in a circle, greet each other,
listen and respond to each others’ news. We discuss problems that
challenge our minds and look forward to the day’s events. The Morning
Meeting allows us to begin each day as a community of caring and
respectful learners.
Morning Meeting Format
The Morning Meeting is made up of four sequential components and lasts between 15
to 30 minutes.
1. Greeting: Children greet each other by name, often including handshaking,
clapping, singing, and other activities.
• Ensures that every child names and notices others at the beginning of the day
• Allows the teacher to observe and “take the pulse” of the group that day
• Provides practice in elements of greeting such as making eye contact and
shaking hands
• Requires students to extend the range of classmates they notice and greet
• Helps students to reach across gender, clique, and friendship lines that form
• Can employ strategies which challenge the intellect
• Encourages clear and audible speech
2. Sharing: Students share some news of interest to the class and respond to each
other, articulating their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a positive manner. (To cut down
on time you can pick a few students to share each day.)
• Provides an arena for students to share news
• Helps students develop the ability to gauge the appropriateness of sharing
various kinds of news
• Allows students to practice framing constructive, purposeful questions and/or
comments back to the speaker
• Helps students develop different types of responses to different kinds of news
• Develops good oral communication skills-both presentation and listening
• Lets students learn information about each other
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•
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•
•

Enhances vocabulary development and reading success
Offers practice in speaking to a group
Gives practice in considering others’ perspectives, developing empathy and
social consciousness
Empowers students by letting them run their sharing

3. Group Activity: The whole class does a short activity together, building classroom
community through active participation.
• Provides a way for all class members to learn a common set of songs, chants,
games, etc.
• Lets the group experience working together to produce an outcome
• Demands cooperation and encourages inclusion
• Fosters active and engaged participation
• Allows students to see each others’ differing strengths
• Provides experience in having fun together as a group
• Gives an opportunity to reinforce and extend social and academic skills
• Allows for the integration and practice of curriculum content
4. News and Announcements: Students develop language skills and learn about the
events in the day ahead by reading and discussing a daily message posted for them.
• Features a written message which welcomes and greets students as they enter
the room
• Gets children excited about what they’ll be learning that day
• Adds predictability and structure to entering the classroom
• Contributes to students’ sense of safety and being cared for by letting them know
the teacher had prepared the day and is ready for them
• Affords a fun and interactive way to teach written language, math, and other skills
• Conveys that reading is a valuable way to get information
• Builds community through shared and written information
• Provides a “warm-up” for the day’s activities
• Eases the transition from Morning Meeting to the rest of the day
Overview:
Morning Meeting creates opportunities for students to practice social skills and for
teachers to model these skills. It gives the students a sense of belonging and the skills
of attention, listening, expression, and cooperative interaction which is a foundation for
the rest of your day. Teachers and students crave a certain amount of predictability and
routine in the school day especially at the start. The format of morning meeting
provides this along with variation for change.
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Purposes of Morning Meeting:
1. Morning Meeting sets the tone for respectful learning and establishes a climate of
trust.
2. The tone and climate of Morning Meeting extends beyond the Meeting.
3. Morning Meeting motivates children by addressing two human needs: the need to
feel a sense of significance and belonging and the need to have fun.
4. The repetition of many ordinary moments of respectful interaction in Morning Meeting
enables extraordinary moments.
5. Morning Meeting merges social, emotional, and intellectual learning.
Getting Started:
Explain to students that you will begin each day with a Morning Meeting. You may want
to adjust the time depending on the age of your students and what fits your schedule.
When starting you should introduce each component one at a time and moving at a
pace that works best for your class. It is helpful to have a signal to start the morning
meeting and something that will signal whose turn it is to talk, such as a stress ball or
small stuffed animal. When starting Morning Meeting you will also want to create a set
of class rules together for how a meeting will look.
Teacher Responsibilities:
• To make sure that the space is adequate and appropriate for the meeting and its
•
•
•
•
•
•

activities
To act as a time keeper, keeping things moving
To facilitate the meeting, making sure that all children are greeted, that a variety
of children are responding to sharing, that the tone is respectful, etc.
To observe students’ skills-both social and academic
To notice behaviors and to reinforce, remind, and redirect using positive
language
To make sure that there is equal opportunity to participate
To make sure everyone in the classroom is included in the meeting

Student Responsibilities:
•
•
•

To get to the Meeting promptly and to form the circle safely and efficiently
To participate fully, contribute actively, listen, and respond appropriately
To move smoothly from the meeting to the next activity
Page 8

Questions and Answers
1. My students seem to be getting bored with our greetings.
It is important to provide variety in your greetings. You can introduce a
new one at any time during the year.
2. I know that the activities should be fun, but my class gets really silly and doesn’t take
it seriously. Any suggestions?
Don’t be afraid to stop an activity if it gets too silly. Monitor the group to
decide if it is a few students or the whole group. If it is a few students find out
why they are no wanting to join wholeheartedly, if it is the group you may want to
look at the activity
Also always refer to your rules you made as a class, and if necessary,
you can decide as a class to add a new rule.
3. My students really like reading the message chart, but I find it hard to keep thinking
of new things to write each day.
Look at your ongoing curriculum and knowledge of your students. It
may also be helpful to have a topic for each day of the week. For example,
Monday could be news about the upcoming week while Tuesday could be a math
question.
4. What is the difference between Class Meeting and Morning Meeting?
Class Meetings are held for the purpose of solving a problem or planning
for a project and Morning Meetings are held for the purposes named earlier.
*****As always as a teacher there is never enough time in the day to do all the things
that we find beneficial for students. I have found the Morning Meeting to be a great way
to build community in my class at the beginning of the year. However to suit my needs I
have now shortened my meeting by not doing all of the components each day and by
shortening the time I give to them. It has also helped to include things from my
curriculum to make them more beneficial. The book is a great tool and can be used in
any way that works best for you!
Example Week:
Monday: Greeting/A few students share/quick news for the day
Tuesday: Greeting/riddles or poems/quick news for the day
Wednesday: Greeting/minute math/quick news for the day
Thursday: Greeting/daily edits/quick news for the day
Friday: Greeting/share question of the week journal and give compliments to
others/quick news for the day
Page 9

Discussion Topics that could also be used during Morning Meeting:
Why is my education a gift?
Am I doing my best at school?
Who needs my kindness today?
When I need help whom do I ask?
How can I be more respectful of myself and others?
Do I treat others the way I want to be treated?
How will my education help me succeed?
Do I feel proud of my work this week?
How do I help others?
Who influences me, and whom do I influence?
How can I reach my goals?
Do I appreciate all that I have?
Do I have an attitude worth catching?
What am I grateful for today?
What do my friends help me see about myself?
Am I a giving person?
How can I turn a stumbling block into a steppingstone?
In what way do I need to persevere?
How do I deal with anger?
Am I doing my personal best?
How can I create more peace in the world?
How am I special in my own way?
How can I help make the world a kinder place?
Am I tolerant person?
Who wins when I choose to do the right thing?
How will the choices I make today affect tomorrow?
Am I choosing to be responsible?
What do I need to do to be more successful at school?
Am I a person of character?
What is the right thing to do?
What fear do I need to conquer?
How does being an honest person make my life richer?
What courtesy can I show someone today?
How can I put love into action in my world?
Am I educating my mind as well as my heart?
Will I rest or rust this summer?

Page 10

Topics/Activities for Beginning of the Year Class Meetings:

*Use quotes about character as discussion topics:
Examples:
“The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of
one hour.”
Abraham Lincoln said, “You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by
evading it today.”
Aristotle said, “No one who desires to become good will become good
unless he does good things.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual
and of nations alike." — Theodore Roosevelt, American adventurer and
26th president (1858-1919)
"Character, not circumstance, makes the person." — Booker T.
Washington, American educator and civil rights activist (1856-1915)

*Get Acquainted Activities:
*Fact or Fiction- Students tell three things about themselves. Two of them
are true and one is not. Go around the circle and have students tell which
one they think is not true.
*The Gesture Name Game- Each student says his/her name while making
a gesture. For example, Amy Jones might clap her name for Amy and
snap her name for Jones. The group repeats her gestures as they say her
name. Each student takes a turn.
*Student Interview- Students interview a classmate they may not know
very well. You may give them guiding questions if you want. Then
students take turns introducing his/her friend to the class.

Page 11

Circle of Power and Respect-Middle Schools
CPR is the middle school version of Morning Meeting. The components of
the meeting are:
• Greeting- brings students together
• Sharing- deepens the connection between students
• Group Activity- builds team spirit, energy, and sense of
community
• News and Announcements- quiets things down and
prepares students for the rest of the day.
“CPR offers middle school students stability and predictability during
a time in life that is marked by tumultuous emotional, physical, and
cognitive change. And it allows students this age to do what they
most want and need to do: interact with their peers. ‘CPR directly
meets these kids’ needs,’ says consulting teacher Anna Foot. Middle
school students long to be part of the group but they’re often not quite
sure how to join together in a way that isn’t mean and exclusive. The
four components of CPR allow students to make connections with
their peers in a safe, positive, and inclusive way.”
Roxann Kriete, The Morning Meeting Book
CPR offers an opportunity for middle school students to learn and practice
CARES social skills:
Cooperation…rather than competition
Assertion…rather than aggression
Responsibility…rather than apathy
Empathy…rather than self-absorption
Self-Control…rather than lack of control
• Plan to do CPR at least 3 times a week.
• Do a full CPR some days and an abbreviated version (such as News
and Announcements) on other days.
• After 6 weeks, groups of students can take responsibility for planning
and running a CPR.
• Another way is to have pairs of students plan and run one component
of CPR once or twice a week.

Page 12

Rules and Regulations
There are different views on setting rules for classrooms. Some
educators believe students should be involved in the process of
establishing the rules. Others feel the rules should be written down prior to
the beginning of the school year and the class should discuss them. Some
may not even have rules. Below are some things to keep in mind however
you choose to establish the rules for your room.
Rules should be stated in a positive way-”We will...” instead of “We won’t...”
If one of your rules is to be respectful, add clarification to it: “We will be
respectful by using appropriate words, treating others the way we want to
be treated, taking care of school property, etc.” “We will be responsible by
handing in our work on time, etc.”
Send a copy of the rules home so parents are aware of the expectations.
To create a positive classroom climate you could display on posters
the oaths, creeds, and/or laws at the back of this packet. Students are
asked to read them and come up with common themes of the documents.
Using the themes, the class wrote their class pledge. This pledge is recited
daily after the Pledge of Allegiance. The amount of guidance and
independent work for this project would have to be adjusted according to
the level of your students. This activity takes about two hours to complete.
You should also make plans to allow for reflection on the pledge a few
times during the year. The final product to be displayed in your classroom
could take the form of the Bill of Rights and/or the Learning Community
Constitution like the examples at the back of the packet. These documents
could easily be adapted to any classroom theme.
A popular character educator and well known author is Dr. Hal Urban.
He is a retired high school teacher from California who has written Life’s
Greatest Lessons: 20 Things I Want My Kids to Know. Dr. Urban strongly
believes that the first two weeks in your classroom will establish the
foundation and framework of your classroom climate. For this reason he
suggests spending this time getting to know your students and establishing
relationships. He highly recommends creating a Mission Statement for
Page 13

your classroom. The following is his way of doing it. The teacher reads
and displays to the class several mission statements from schools,
businesses and corporations. Students are put into small groups and
asked to come up with their own mission statements. The statements
cannot be longer than two sentences. All of the statements are then
displayed. The class either combines statements to make their own, or
votes on the best one. Hal Urban’s all time favorite mission statement is,
“Came to Learn.” Regardless of what the statement is, it is displayed and
referred to constantly throughout the year.
Hal Urban also uses keywords to serve as reminders in his room. As
he puts the words up he explains the meaning behind them:
Celebrate Life! Choices

Work

Opportunity

Attitude

Compliments spoken here!

Possibilities

Respect

No discounts-everybody counts!

You may want to use the following
oaths and pledges as models for your
classroom pledges.

The Boy Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake and morally straight.
Page 14

The Boy Scout Law
A Scout is Trustworthy
A Scout is Loyal
A Scout is Helpful
A Scout is Friendly
A Scout is Courteous
A Scout is Kind

A Scout is Obedient
A Scout is Cheerful
A Scout is Thrifty
A Scout is Brave
A Scout is Clean
A Scout is Reverent

The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
The Girl Scout Law
I will do my best:
*to be honest
*to be fair
*to help where I am needed
*to be cheerful
*to be friendly and considerate
*to respect authority
*to use resources wisely
*to protect and improve the world around me
*to show respect for myself and others through my words and
actions.
Page 15

The American’s Creed
(In 1917, William Tyler Page of Maryland won a nationwide contest for “the best summary of
American political faith.” The U.S. House of Representatives accepted the statement as the
American’s Creed on April 13, 1918.)
By William Tyler Page
Cited in The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett

I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by
the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent
of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many
sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon
those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which
American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is
my duty to my country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws;
to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.

The Athenian Oath
(This oath was taken by young men of ancient Athens when they reached the age of 17.)
Cited in The Book of Virtues by William Bennett

We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or
cowardice.
We will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the City both alone and with
many.
We will revere and obey the City’s laws, and will do our best to incite them
or set them at naught.
We will strive increasingly to quicken the public’s sense of civic duty.
Thus in all these ways we will transmit this City, not only not less, but
greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.

Page 16

Follow Up Assignment
Oaths, Creeds, Promises
Based on the oaths, creeds, and promises you read, create a class oath,
which explains the responsibilities the class and teacher must have to
create a positive learning environment and classroom community.

Sample Learning Community
Constitution
Every citizen of the community will have the right to learn in a friendly and
nurturing environment. Each and every citizen will take on the challenges
necessary to improve their academic and social skills. The citizens will
work together to ensure that every member of the community experiences
a comfortable learning environment. Every citizen will work together to
better understand their world and the factors that affect our communities.
Each citizen has the right to receive instruction that meets their individual
needs and interests. The leader of the community will work diligently to
provide each citizen with challenges that will help them develop both
academically and socially. It will be the responsibility of the leader to
provide meaningful instruction that prepares the citizens for the challenges
of middle school and other life experiences.
Citizens and their leaders will maintain an open line of communication in an
effort to learn about one another. Every citizen will maintain a positive
attitude, and share their knowledge and skills with their fellow citizens.
Each citizen will pledge themselves to work to their fullest potential. Every
citizen is expected to be fully devoted to their studies and to serving their
fellow citizens.

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Sample Bill of Rights
Amendment 1:
Amendment 2:
Amendment 3:
Amendment 4:
Amendment 5:
Amendment 6:
Amendment 7:
Amendment 8:
Amendment 9:
Amendment 10:
Amendment 11:
Amendment 12:
Amendment 13:

Citizens will respect the property of self and others.
Citizens will be ready to start the school day on time.
Citizens will refrain from using putdowns or other insulting
terms.
Citizens will complete their assignments on time.
Citizens will raise their hands to answer questions to
maintain order in the community.
Citizens will take care of their daily duties and
responsibilities.
Citizens will take pride in their work.
Citizens will maintain the organization of the community
and their desks.
Citizens will eat healthy and take care of personal
hygiene and their own belongings.
Citizens will be honest at all times.
Citizens will have fun!
Citizens will model appropriate behavior and serve as
leaders for other students.
Citizens will be helpful to others at all times.

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Examples of Activities that Build Relationships
Here are several activities that could be done the first week of school and
throughout the year. Feel free to adapt them to fit your teaching style, subject area,
and/or grade level.
Beach Ball Activity
Inflate a beach ball that you can purchase at Target or the Dollar Store. In
each color section, with a permanent marker, write a question or statement that has
to do with character education. Examples could be: “Tell the class about a time
you helped someone.” “Tell the class the name of your favorite character. How
does he/she show good character?” “What are you most proud of about yourself?”
“What are some goals you have for this year?” “What character traits do you look
for in a friend?”
The students can sit on the floor as a group or at their desks. Have them toss
the ball to someone in the class. When that person catches the ball he/she should
answer the question that is in the section where his/her right thumb lands.
This activity can last as long as the class is engaged and motivated to
continue.
Clock Activity
Give each student a paper plate and instruct them to make a clock with the
12 numbers. Tell the students to write their name on the back of the plate. Then
tell them to exchange plates with one other person. Each student should sign their
name to 3:00. Give them a minute to do this. They should give the plate back to
the owner. Have students exchange with someone else and sign on 9:00. Give
them a minute to do this. They should give the plate back to the owner. You can
do this a few more times. Make sure that students are signing on the right time.
For example, if David is signing Shannon’s clock at 3:00, Shannon should be
signing David’s clock at 3:00 as well.

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When students have signed in at least 4 times make sure they have their
original clocks. Tell them to find the person who signed at 3:00. Tell that person
about your family. Give them a few minutes to discuss. Now tell them to find the
person who signed at 9:00. Tell that person about a character in a book you have
read. Was this person of good character? Why or why not?
You can continue this as long as they are engaged and interested. You can
think of questions dealing with choices, character traits, etc.
M & M Activity
Pour a couple of big bags of M & M’s into small cups, one for each student.
Try to put between 10 and 20 in each. Students should then partner with another
student. It’s best if they are with someone they don’t know really well.
You will have them respond to statements according to the number of
colored M & M’s they have. You may read the statements one at a time, or display
them on the board. If you read the statements aloud it’s important to allow plenty
of time for each partner to respond. Here are some sample statements:
For every green candy you have tell your partner what you like about
yourself.
For every yellow candy tell your partner things you like to do or are
interested in.
For every red candy tell your partner about your family.
For every blue candy tell your partner what kind of job you would like to do
when you are older.
For every brown candy tell your partner a wish you have for the world.
For every orange candy tell your partner what you can do to make that wish
come true.
At the end the students can eat their M & M’s.

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Soda Activity
Give each student a can of soda to drink. (You can buy the cheap stuff, it
really tastes pretty good.) Instruct them to leave their cans alone when they are
empty. While they’re drinking give them time to talk and visit. When everyone is
finished tell the students that in the past and as you were walking around you heard
different comments made by different students. Tell them you are going to repeat
the statements. If one of the statements would hurt their feelings when it was said
to them they should crush their can a little. If the statement wouldn’t bother them
when it was said to them they should leave the can alone.
You can make up the statements according to your grade level. Come up
with about 7-10 statements that would be hurtful and about 5 that would be nice to
hear. Read the statements one at a time and give the class time to think about it
and crush their can if they need to.
When all the statements have been read, tell the students to look at their cans
and see what those hurtful words did to them. Now ask them to return the cans to
their original shape. They will tell you it can’t be done. Explain to them that this
is what happens when we say hurtful words to one another. We can never take
them back and most of the time the damage is permanent. Encourage them to
think about that the next time they want to say something negative to a classmate.
Puzzle Activity
Students use colorful markers to write their names in big letters on a sheet of
drawing paper. Under their names, they write several sentences describing
themselves, for example, favorite things, family info, hobbies, and pet info. Then
hand out blank puzzles (which can be found in craft stores--cheap!). Privately-perhaps behind a folder upright on their desks--students illustrate on the blank
puzzles the interests and information on their name sheets. They break up their
puzzles and place the pieces in a brown paper bag with a question mark on the
front. Post the large papers with the descriptive sentences on a bulletin board and,
beneath that display, line up all the paper bags full of puzzle pieces. Throughout
the week, during free time, students can choose a bag, put the puzzle together,
compare the puzzle with the posted sentences, and guess which classmate it may
be. At the end of the week look at the guesses, and find out which puzzle belongs
to which student.
Page 21

Citizenship Charades
Have participants act out names of people who have shown good citizenship. They
may need to be planned out ahead so participants have an opportunity to research
their character. (People could include historical figures, such as Abraham Lincoln,
or local people that participants are likely to know.) After the game is over,
discuss why each person is a good citizen and what contributions each student has
made to his/her country or community. Students could also be given a character
trait and act that out.
Squirms
Cut apart the following list of “squirm situations.” Divide the class into
small groups of 2 or 3 members, and have each group pick two situations. Ask
each group to act out their scenario and what would happen next.
• While waiting for the bus a boy who is not very popular comes and sits
beside you. You notice the other kids laughing when they see you both
talking.
• You spill grape juice on someone at a party.
• Your mom’s friend comes over to visit and brings her daughter. You don’t
enjoy spending time with this girl, but your mom asked you to play with her.
• You are playing with a baseball and accidentally throw it through a
neighbor’s window.
• You are brushing your teeth when your older sister says she’s late and needs
to use the bathroom right away to put on makeup.
• Your father says he’s expecting an important phone call. Five minutes later
the phone rings. It’s a friend of yours from school.
• You’re in front of a bank selling raffle tickets for your school club. A man
with crutches is struggling to open the door.
• Friends are playing basketball after school. A new student asks if he can
join in the game.
• You interrupted your brother while he was speaking.
• Friends are planning to spray paint the school doors. What do you do?
• A friend approaches you with uncomplimentary jokes about an ethnic group.
• Your older brother has asked you to stay out of his room. You really like his
stamp collection and you want to look at it.
• A classmate makes a major mistake in class.
Page 22

• You sit down on a bench with friends. You have a bag of chocolate chip
cookies. You really enjoy chocolate chip cookies.
• Your sister has a great collection of school supplies in her desk drawer. You
need some graph paper, and you’re sure she has some in her drawer.
After each role-play, have the group identify whether the way they acted out their
“squirm” was respectful or disrespectful. There are several ways to respond to any
situation. Some show respect and some don’t. Ask how they decided to carry out
their “squirm” and discuss their answers. What was difficult? What was easy?
Why is it important to show respect to others? What are situations where people
have acted disrespectfully? How could the players change their actions to show
more respect?
Coseeki/Follow the Leader
One player leaves the group and stands where s/he cannot see the group.
The group chooses a leader who does a movement, such a tapping his/her toe,
which the others follow. The leader changes the movement regularly and the
others follow the leader’s movement. The hidden player returns, stands in the
middle of the circle, watches the movements, and tries to guess who the leader is.
Category Snap
The group sits in a circle. The leader starts a rhythm using a sequence of
knee slap, hand clap, right-hand finger snap, left hand finger snap. The leader then
announces a category, such as fruits (or something you are studying in class) on the
right-hand finger snap and names an example with the left-hand finger snap. The
next person in the circle must be ready to name the leader’s fruit with the righthand finger snap and then a new example in that same category with the left-hand
finger snap: Knee slap, hand clap, “Apples, apricots.” The play continues around
the circle. Once an item has been named, it cannot be used again.

Page 23

A Variation on Twenty Questions
This activity is similar to twenty questions. The group sits in a circle. The
child who is “it” gets a card with a word written on it taped to his/her back. The
word names a person, place, or thing; the word can be related to subjects the class
is studying such as animals, geography, capitals, books. The child can ask the class
up to ten yes-or-no questions to try to determine what is written on his/her back.
To increase the difficulty, the group can agree ahead of time that certain questions
or types of questions are not allowed. Each time a question is asked, the class
responds with thumbs up to indicate “yes” or thumbs down to indicate “no.” The
child can make a guess at any time with a maximum of three guesses. After ten
questions, the child can ask for clues from the class before making a final guess.

Partner Interviews:
At the beginning of the year, students pair off with a partner that they may
not know very well and interview each other. It may help to write a few guiding
questions for them on the board. They then share their partner’s information with
the group.
***Many of the following activities have been selected from Field Day Survival
Guide.
Jump Rope Twins
Materials needed: 6 single jump ropes
Each pair of students is given one jump rope. The pair must work together so that
both partners are jumping in the rope at the same time.
Balloon Squeeze
Materials needed: blown-up balloons, extra balloons, one cone
Student partners face each other and place a blown-up balloon in between their
foreheads. Together they must walk around the cone and back without dropping
the balloon. If the balloon drops, they must replace it before making any forward
progress.
Page 24

Hula Hoop Pass
Materials needed: 16 hula hoops
Students stand side by side holding hands in a line. The student on the end picks
up a hula hoop passing it on to the next person. The idea is to pass all 16 hoops to
the other end as quickly as possible. Students may not let go of hands and must
climb through all of the hula hoops.
The Non-Stop Hoop Pass
Materials needed: 10 hula hoops per team
Students are divided into 2 teams. Each team must hold hands in a straight line
and cannot let go. A pile of ten hula hoops is placed at the feet of the first player in
each line. On the teacher’s signal, the first person will slip a hula hoop on his/her
arm, get it over his/her head, step in it with one leg, step out of it with the other leg,
and jiggle the hoop to the arm of the adjoining player. The task is to pass all 10
hula hoops through the line as quickly as possible. The relay is completed when
all ten hoops make it to the other end of the line. The first person may send
another hoop as soon as the previous hoop touches the ground on the other side. If
time permits, try passing the hoops in the opposite direction.
Tablespoon Relay
Materials needed: tablespoons (1 per team), paper cups, water buckets, cones, ruler
Divide the students into 4 or 5 groups and put them in lines. The first person in
each line runs with the spoon to the water buckets and gets a spoon full of water.
Then they carefully carry the spoon back to the line and spill it in the empty cup.
Pass the spoon to the next runner. Continue for 3-5 minutes and then measure the
water. The team with the most water is the winner.
Moon Ball
Materials needed: beach balls
Divide the students into 2 groups with 1 beach ball per group. The task is to see
how many consecutive hits the group can get before the ball hits the ground. Once
a student hits the ball, he cannot hit again until everyone has hit it. This is a group
problem-solving activity and the less adult intervention the better. Encourage
students to come up with ways to improve their score. For the last five minutes put
the whole class together and set a class record.

Page 25

Traveling Heavy
Materials needed: 6-8 sponge balls, 4 big cones
The team’s task is to travel together from the starting line to the finish line while
holding a sponge ball between the shoulders of team members. If a ball drops, the
team must start over. This is not a race. Also have them try this with the balls
between their hips and then their legs.
Cooperative Get Up
Materials needed: none
The goal of this game is to go from a sitting to a standing position using a partner’s
back for support. Players begin sitting down, back to back, with elbows
interlocked and legs out straight. On the signal to begin, the players have five
seconds to stand up without releasing their partners.
All Aboard
Materials needed: 1 hula hoop
The goal of this game is to get as many players as possible inside the hoop. To be
considered inside the hoop, the players must have at least one body part touching
inside the hoop.
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
Materials needed: 8 hula hoops, 4 beanbags, Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please
Go Now by Dr. Seuss, 4 clipboards, pencils and papers with “Go” printed over and
over on them
Divide the class into four groups. Each group lines up behind a hoop. The first
person sits in the hoop while all others sit behind the hoop. There is an empty
hoop in front of each team. (Distance depends on the size of the room. The first
person in line has a beanbag in his hand. As the adult reads the story slowly and
dramatically out loud, the children listen carefully for the word “Go”. As they hear
the word “go”, the first student in line runs to the hoop in front of them, then places
the beanbag inside the hoop and runs back to the end of the line. At the end of
each line there is a clipboard, paper, and pencil. Each student should cross out a
“Go” on the paper each time they go to the end. After the book has been finished,
one student from each team should count the number of crossed-out “Go’s” on
their paper. Then the class can look at the book with the reader and count the
number of times the word “Go” appears (38 times).

Page 26

A Mural of Hope
Materials needed: butcher paper, markers, crayons, paint, and paintbrushes
In the Wizard of Ox, Dorothy found hope “Somewhere over the rainbow.” What
hopes do you and your class have for the world or for the school year. On a large
piece of butcher paper have your students paint or draw a mural that shows their
hopes for a bright future.
Out of these World Greetings
Around the world people greet each other with a bow, a handshake, a curtsy, or a
“high five.” What would it be like if you were meeting someone from another
planet? What kind of greeting would they extend to you? Have your students find
a partner and invent a new greeting. Have them share that greeting with others.
Triptychs
Materials needed: drawing paper, crayons, pencils
A triptych is a set of three pictures side by side. Have students pick a partner and
together draw a triptych using one of these themes:
• Three things you and this person have in common
• Three things you might do together
• Three ways you are different
• Three things that really surprised you about your partner
• Three things you really like about this person
• Three things you both like about school
• Three hobbies you both like to do
New Kid at School
Materials needed: chart paper
Ask students what they would do if they were the new kid at school? What would
they like their new classmates to do to make them feel welcome? Make a list of
these ideas and remind your students of them when new students come to your
school.
What I Want my Teacher to Know
Materials needed: index cards for each student
Have your students write a list of three things they would like you to know about
them. Save these lists and use these items to generate conversations throughout the
year.

Page 27

Group Solving Problems
Write some or all of these problem situations on the board and/or feel free to add
specific ones that pertain to your class.
• Your best friend is becoming friends with someone else.
• You know your friend is cheating on his/her schoolwork.
• The other kids in class think you are the teacher’s pet.
• You want to be popular, but the popular kids don’t seem to like you or are
different from you.
• Your teacher calls on you when your hand isn’t raised.
Have your students form small groups. Have them choose one situation from the
board and work together to come up with ways to solve the problem. Have them
share the solutions with the class.
Who Am I?
Materials needed-small slips of paper
Give each child a small slip of paper. Have each student write facts or interesting
bits of information about themselves. What have they participated in? What is a
talent, hobby, or personality characteristic? Each student will write these clues on
their slip of paper. Mix up the slips of paper in a container and draw one out.
Read someone else’s clue. Students try to guess who it is.
Name Collage
Materials needed: drawing paper magazines, scissors, glue, and markers
Have your students cut pictures or words from magazines or draw a picture of their
name with images and letters. Have them illustrate their first name, last name, or
both. Encourage them to do their best to show how their name fits them. Display
the collages.
Food Like Me
Have students compare their personality to their favorite snack. Is their personality
like granola, a mixture of interesting and very different qualities? Are they bright,
crisp, and sweet like an apple? Do they bubble and fizz like soda? Have students
share and discuss in small groups.

Page 28

Who are You?
Have your students imagine they are about to be introduced to a great world leader
such as a president, king, queen, or prime minister. Have the students tell who
they are but they are allowed only one sentence. What will they say? Ask student
why is it important to know they are?
I’m the Best!
Tell the students someone at school is starting a new team or group. As the teacher
you know they would be perfect for this new group. To become a member the
students must convince the group leader they would be valuable members. Ask
students how they would show the best in themselves.
Build Me Up!
Materials needed: outline of boy/girl, crayons, and pencils
Hand out the outlines according to the students. Have the students color the outline
to make it look like that student. Make sure their names are on the outline. When
students are done coloring hang the outlines in the hall. Have all the students write
a positive comment about that student. It could be, “You are a good artist,” or
“You always do your homework.”

Page 29

Responsibility Word Search
Y
N
R
A
H
X
V
R
X
D
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D

E
T
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J
B
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U
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B
C
T
X
N
B
Q
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T
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ACCOUNTABILITY
CHARACTER
COMMITMENT
CONSEQUENCES
DILIGENCE
DUTY

U
U
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A
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G
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Q
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P
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S
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ETHICS
EXCELLENCE
PERSERVERANCE
PURSUIT
RECYCLING
RELIABILITY

L
O
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S
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J
J
G
G
N
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RESPONSIBILITY
SELF-CONTROL
SELF-RELIANCE
THRIFTNESS
Puzzles like this can be
made at
puzzlemaker.com

Page 30

Communication Arts Links:
Connections: Students can make connections from their lives to books about character
traits.
Theme: Students can find the author’s theme in stories about character traits.
Compare/Contrast: Students can compare and contrast different characters and their traits.
Cause/Effect: Students identify the consequences of a character’s actions and ask, “Did
he/she make a good decision?”
Personal Narratives: Students can write about how to show the different character traits or
about a time in his/her life when he/she had to demonstrate one of the character traits.
Concept Definition Maps: The character traits can be used as the concept.
Persuasion/Argumentation: Students can write about why you should show a certain trait.
Problem Solution: Students can write about how to solve a problem.
Prediction: Based on what is known about a character have students predict what that
character will be doing in ten years.
Notes and Ideas:

Page 31

Internet Sources for Character Education
CHARACTERplus of CSD
http://www.characterplus.org/
CHARACTERplus of CSD is St. Louis’ local character education support. You can find information
about workshops, programs, services, and additional character education resources.
Character Education Partnership
http://www.character.org
CEP is a leading national character education organization. National School of Character Award and
Best Practice applications available via this site.
National Character Education Center
http://www.ethicsusa.com/home.cfm
For Pre-School through High school educators. The National Character Education Center provides
educators with hundreds of solutions and practical strategies through the Free On Line NewsletterValues in Action.
The Character Education Network
http://www.charactered.net/
The Character Education Network is a place for students, teachers, schools and communities to
facilitate character education. This site is dedicated to providing quality online, ready-to-use
curriculum, activities and resources that integrate with and enhance the classroom experience. It allows
schools and students to network together by sharing ideas and experiences with others in their
community and nationwide.
Goodcharacter.com
http://www.goodcharacter.com
Character Education: Free Resources, Materials, and Lesson Plans
Josephson Institute of Ethics
http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/quotes/quotecharacter.htm
Quotes about Character
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
www.actsofkindness.org
This website is just packed with great stuff for propagating basic human kindness. Their own
description is way too modest, but here it is: "Want to encourage kindness on campus? Access our free
Teacher’s Guide, lesson plans, activity ideas, teachers’ experiences, and other materials to help you
successfully incorporate kindness into your school." A real gem.
The Laws of Life Essay Contest
http://www.lawsoflife.org
This project of the John Templeton Foundation offers young people the chance to reflect on and write
about what they stand for. Participants identify the laws of life that mean the most to them, and explain
their choices through the experiences they have had, the lessons they have learned, and the people who
have served as living examples. A truly great character education activity for any grade level. The
website gives detailed instructions and lots of examples. Highly recommended.
Page 32

Wise Skills Resources - Free Lessons
http://wiseskills.com/samples.html
These free sample lessons serve up a generous variety of interconnected activities and experiences to
help your students develop good character. Written by a former teacher.
Do Something
http://www.dosomething.org/
If you want your kids to be passive and docile, don't let them near this website. It'll fill their little heads
with ideas about making the world a better place, and empower them to do something about it.
Whatever you do, don't click on the "Action Guide."
The Ethics Connection at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/education/
Ethical dilemmas for young people written as dialogs. Lots to think about, talk about, write about.
Also, they have a very useful framework for ethical decision making, which is at:
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/
In fact, check out the whole website - it's loaded with goodies.
Kids Care Clubs
http://www.kidscare.org
Dedicated to developing compassion and the spirit of charity in children. This organization provides
children, families, schools, and religious groups with meaningful opportunities to help others in their
local and global communities. You can set up an affiliated club in your elementary school.
Teaching Tolerance (for teachers)
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/
A national education project dedicated to helping teachers foster equity, respect, and understanding in
the classroom and beyond. This website offers excellent classroom activities as well as tremendously
useful resources for teachers.
Guidelines for Challenging Racism and other forms of Oppression
http://www.esrnational.org/challenge.html
What to do both in and out of the classroom. Solid advice. Try it. Share it with your students. Use it as
a discussion starter.
Tips for Keeping the Peace
http://www.esrnational.org/keeppeace.html
Teach your students these practical tips for preventing fights.

Page 33

We hope this handbook is helpful in establishing a positive
classroom climate. Building relationships amongst the students and
teachers is one of the key elements in classroom management.
The best of luck to you and have a great year!
Your Pattonville CHARACTERplus Committee
Jennifer Dedert, Coordinator
Karen Hall, Administrative Liaison
Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Learning Center
Pat Libhart, Learning Center
Mike Halley, Briar Crest
Kristen Kuehn, Briar Crest
Melissa Murphy, Briar Crest
Tammy Overstreet, Briar Crest
DeAun Blumberg, Bridgeway
Nicole Rimell, Bridgeway
Carla Robertson, Drummond
Karen Vogel, Drummond
Kate Zust, Drummond
T’Neisha Harris, Parkwood/Remington
Sandy Weis, Parkwood
Allison Bacon, Remington
Carole Murphy, Remington
Teresa Gunter, Rose Acres
Tammy Lucas, Rose Acres
Amy Seward, Rose Acres
Karen Taylor, Rose Acres
Katie Eilermann, Willow Brook
Sarah Funderburk, Willow Brook
Lisa Perkins, Willow Brook
Julie Leighton, Heights
Erin Zoltanski, Heights
Pam Rasmussen, Holman
Amy Walker, Holman
Susan Phillips, High School
Anthony Robinson, High School
Amy Schwendeman, High School
2006-2007 Handbook

Page 37

NOTES

2006-2007 Handbook

Page 38

Characte rplus handbook

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