| Student
Learning Objectives |
| Lesson
1: Why Do You Act That Way? |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Examine the
internal and external factors that help to determine how a person acts and
the choices he or she makes. |
| - |
Define the terms
"value" and "character trait." |
| - |
Describe how
character traits impact behavior. |
| - |
Identify six
essential character traits needed for personal success and well being. |
| - |
Compare
the six essential character traits to the core democratic values. |
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| Lesson
2: Character Traits in Action – Part 1 |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Compose behavioral
examples of the essential character traits. |
| - |
Analyze short
stories to identify the character traits that are demonstrated by the
character in the story. |
| - |
Examine
the difference in the impact on others when the character traits are
demonstrated and when they are not. |
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| Lesson
3: Character Traits in Action – Part 2 |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Advocate for
behaviors that demonstrate the essential character traits. |
| - |
Demonstrate the
character traits when responding to hypothetical situations. |
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| Lesson
4: Standing Up for Yourself – Part 1 |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Communicate the
character traits they demonstrate frequently. |
| - |
Report ways they
demonstrate the character traits. |
| - |
Describe ways to
communicate the character traits without offending others. |
| - |
Distinguish
between passive, aggressive, and assertive communication. |
| - |
Practice
writing assertive statements using assertive communication skills. |
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| Lesson
5: Standing Up for Yourself – Part 2 |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Practice assertive
communication skills. |
| - |
Design a role-play
to demonstrate assertive communication related to the essential character
traits. |
| - |
Examine how being
assertive relates to the essential character traits. |
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| Lesson
6: Reaching Out to Others – Part 1 |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Summarize
ways to demonstrate the six essential character traits by helping others. |
| - |
Identify
criteria to determine when to tell an adult about situations. |
| - |
Analyze
situations that call for simple acts of caring and those that require
getting the help of caring adults. |
| - |
Recognize
the signs of danger that indicate adult help is needed. |
| - |
Discuss
asking for help as a sign of strength. |
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| Lesson
7: Reaching Out to Others – Part 2 |
| The
students will: |
| - |
Define the term
"stress." |
| - |
Identify sources of stress for
middle school youth. |
| - |
Examine signs and symptoms
that indicate a person is under stress. |
| - |
Create a menu of stress
management techniques. |
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|
Lesson
8: Reaching Out to Others – Part 3 |
|
The students will: |
| - |
Identify
signs and symptoms that indicate a high level of stress and the type of
help needed. |
| - |
Analyze
situations to determine the level of stress and type of help needed. |
| - |
Evaluate
when helping others demonstrates the essential character traits. |
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|
Lesson
9: Reaching Out to Others – Part 4 |
|
The students will: |
| - |
Review
the elements of empathic listening. |
| - |
Practice
empathic responses. |
| - |
Summarize
the benefits of showing empathy for others and the relationship to the six
essential character traits. |
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|
Lesson
10: For the Common Good |
|
The students will: |
| - |
Develop a variety of ways to
show empathy for others. |
| - |
Investigate the meaning of
fairness. |
| - |
Create a written or visual
product that communicates their interpretation of fairness. |
| - |
Formulate an expanded meaning
of fairness within the context of the common good. |
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|
Lesson
11: Becoming the Person You Want to Be |
|
The students will: |
| - |
Investigate
the meaning of citizenship within the context of the common good. |
| - |
Recognize
their contributions to the groups of which they are members and propose
new ways to practice good citizenship. |
| - |
Review
a decision-making model highlighting the role character traits play in the
decision-making process. |
| - |
Practice
using the decision making model with a hypothetical situation highlighting
the character traits that impact the decision. |
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|
Lesson
12: The Courage to Act |
|
The students will |
| - |
Assess
how well they think they demonstrate the essential character traits and
illustrate their self-assessment in a graph. |
| - |
Formulate
goals to maintain and/or improve their behavior based on the essential
character traits. |
| - |
Create
an action plan for achieving their goals. |
| - |
Evaluate
behaviors to determine if they are acts of courage. |
| - |
Analyze
what it takes to be courageous. |
| - |
Formulate
recommendations for acting courageously in ways that demonstrate the
essential character traits. |
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