Character Counts Week Lessons

National Character Counts week is in October. After much research I have made a week long resource
of literature, media, and activities. Each day I will focus on a different pillar of character: Caring,
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility/Fairness, and Citizenship. We will have been discussing character and
these pillars since August so this wont be a new concept for my students. There will be a daily component of
literature and media to every lesson. I believe that the best way to make character come alive to students is
for them to see it being demonstrated in books and videos.










Caring Lesson
Day- Monday
Time- About 60 minutes
Grade- Third
Subject- Character Education
Objective- Students will have a better understanding about what it means to be a caring person.

On Monday we will talk about the Pillar of Caring. I will start the lesson by having a class discussion:
What does it mean to be a caring person?, What are some examples of ways that you can show you are a
caring person?, What are some actions of someone who is not a caring person? We will have this discussion
for 10-15 minutes. Once we have had a thorough discussion and everyone has a good grasp about caring, I will
then show them a short clip.
The first video that I will be showing them is about a girls softball team. It is a wonderful clip about
good sportsmanship, and athletes being compassionate to the opposing team. We will then have a short 5
minute discussion about the video. We will talk about what happened in the video and how they showed
compassion.
Next, I will read my students The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This is a wonderful book about caring
and the selfless acts that the tree did for the boy that he loved. After I have read the book we will have a class
discussion about it. How did the tree show compassion for the little boy? Did the boy show compassion
towards the tree? The trees actions showed what about her? The boys actions showed what about him?
Would you rather be like the tree or like the boy and why? This last question is going to lead into our activity.
I am going to explain to the students that this week they are going to keep a Giving Journal. The
boy in The Giving Tree accepts gifts from the tree his whole life, without giving it anything in return.
Students can begin to understand the importance of reciprocity and appreciation by starting a giving
journal. In their writing notebooks they are going to record everything that is given to them and that they give to
others on a daily basis. I will encourage my students to think of not only the tangible things but also
abstract things like respect, confidence and affection. On Friday I will have them get out their journals and
reflect on what they have given and been given. As a concluding journal entry they will write about the
importance of appreciation and giving and how it relates to the book. I will then give them a picture of a tree.
On the leaves they will write the things that they gave to others this week, as well as things that they would like to
give to others in the future. These trees will stay up throughout October, as well as November as a reminder about
the importance of selflessly giving to others.
To conclude Mondays lesson I will show them a short clip. This is a Pass It On clip about someone
showing caring by giving someone an umbrella in the rain. It is a nice quick way to end our lesson on
sharing. This lesson doesnt have any graded assessments because I dont think that character education
should have a grade attached to it. The goal is to get your students to want to be better people. Through
class discussions and their journal entries I will be able to monitor which students understand what it
means to be a caring person.
Last year I did have my 5
th
grade leadership students do a play on The Giving Tree. They created a
beautiful tree and students played the parts of the tree, and the boy at different stages of his life. This is
something that I will continue to do every year at our monthly Character Counts Caring assembly.






Trustworthiness Lesson
Day- Tuesday
Time- About 60 minutes
Grade- Third
Subject- Character Education
Objective- Students will have a better understanding about what it means to be a trustworthy person.

On Tuesday we will talk about the Pillar of Trustworthiness. I will start the lesson by having a class
discussion: What does it mean to be a trustworthy person?, What are some examples of ways that you can
show you are a trustworthy person?, What are some actions of someone who is not a trustworthy person? We
will have this discussion for 10-15 minutes. Once we have had a thorough discussion and everyone has a good
grasp about trustworthiness, I will then show them a short clip.
The first video that I will be showing them is showing Disney characters showing trustworthy actions
from Disney films. It also shows parts of Disney movies when they werent doing something trustworthy. I
think that the students will really like this short video, because they all like watching Disney movies. We will
talk about what the characters were doing in the clip.
Next, I will read my students The Berenstain Bears and the Truth by Stan & Jan Berenstain. In this book
Brother and Sister Bear break Mamas favorite lamp. They then cover up what they did with lie after lie.
Eventually, Papa Bear gets them to tell the truth. We would have a nice discussion about what happened in
the book. Should they have lied? How do people feel when you lie to them especially your parents or
teachers? Are people able to trust you again after they find out that you have lied to them? I would remind my
students that Trustworthiness is something that we all have to earn. We show others we are worthy of
trust by being honest even when it costs us more than we would like to pay and when were honest even
when it would be easy to lie or hide the truth. This discussion would lead right into our Are You Worthy of
Trust? activity.
In this activity I will give my students a sheet with different ethical scenarios on them. Under each
scenario will be space for them to write what they would do in each situation. I will give the students about
10-15 minutes to complete this activity. Once they have finished writing down what they would do I will have
them discuss their answers in the groups. While the students are discussing their answers I will be walking
around monitoring their conversations. After about 10-15 minutes I will then turn the group discussions into a
class discussion. I will call on students to share with the class about what they would do in each situation. This
will be a way for me to informally assess if my students have grasped what it means to be a true person of
character.
To conclude Tuesdays lesson I would show them a short clip. This is a Pass It On video that shows peer
pressure in a good way. There are kids in a music store and one kid had put CDs in his pocket. The other kids
told him that if he didnt do the right thing and put them back they wouldnt hang out with him. I think that
this is a wonder example of peer pressure working in a positive way! For homework that night I would have
my students share their answers with their parents and have a discussion about what they would do.









Name:________________________________________________________________
Date:_________________________________________________________________
What Would You Do?
Are You Worthy of Trust?

What would you do in each of these situations? Answer honestly.

1. Your teacher has miscalculated your test score, giving you a higher grade than
you deserve.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. You are grading your own paper in class. There are opportunities to change
minor, careless mistakes that you made.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Your teacher has praised you for homework well done. But your older sister had
really done most of it herself.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4. You see students having a food fight in the cafeteria. No one is hurt, but the
custodian will have to clean up a huge mess. A teacher takes you aside and asks
you what happened.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Youve said before that you think picking on other students is wrong. Youre
with some friends who are joking and laughing about a handicapped student at
your school.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. The teacher is in the hall and you need a pencil. There are pencils in the
teachers desk. You know that you arent supposed to go in her desk without
permission.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. You see your best friend steal something out of someones desk, but they beg
you not to tell.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Day- Wednesday
Time- About 60 minutes
Grade- Third
Subject- Character Education
Objective- Students will have a better understanding about what it means to be a respectful person and not
bully.

On Wednesday we will talk about the Pillar of Respect. I will start the lesson by having a class
discussion: What does it mean to be a respectful person?, What are some examples of ways that you can show
you are a respectful person?, What are some actions of someone who is not a respectful person? We will have
this discussion for 10-15 minutes. Once we have had a thorough discussion and everyone has a good grasp
about respect, I will then show them a short clip.
The first video that I will be showing them is about bullying. Its called What Bullying is. Its a video
that was made by students to describe what bullying is to them. Its from the website
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/ and they have a whole anti-bullying campaign the month of
October since its National Anti-Bullying month. They have a component for elementary students and teens.
After this video we will have a class discussion about bullying. What is a bully? What does it mean to be
teased? Is there a difference between bullying and teasing? What should you do if you see someone being
bullied? Have you ever been teased or bullied and why? How can we stop bullying from happening? I will then
pass around a large paper heart and have each student tear a little piece of the heart off. When it gets back to
me I will show the students what the heart now looks like. I will explain to them that this is what it feels like to
a person who is teased and bullied and made fun off on a regular basis. I will then collect the pieces back from
them and ask them if it would be easy to try and put the heart back together after it had been ripped up into
tiny pieces.

Next, I will read my students Don't Laugh at Me by Steve Seskin. This is a wonderful book to get the
message across about bullying. In this book it talks about being bullied because you are different, for example
if you wear classes or have braces. This book creates a wonderful teachable moment with your students. After
reading this book I would have a discussion about the different types of students that were bullied in this
book. I found the song to go along with the book on YouTube,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7Dej4Gfkmc. I really wanted to show this video, however; it says several
times how we are all the same in Gods eyes and I didnt want to get in trouble for showing it. It says the same
thing in the book, but I will skip over that part when I read it to my students.
I will then hand out Anti-Bullying Pledge Cards to my students. This pledge card came from
http://www.ptrpress.com/stop-bullying-pledge-card.html#. We will go over what it says and I will have them
sign it. To end the lesson I will show them a quick clip. This is a Pass It On clip about a student that gets all his
books knocked out of his hands while hes at his locker. An athlete sees this happen and goes over to help him
pick up his books and see if he is alright. For homework I will have the students take these pledge cards home
and discuss with their parents our anti-bullying lesson.


Responsibility Lesson
Day- Thursday
Time- About 60 minutes
Grade- Third
Subject- Character Education
Objective- Students will have a better understanding about what it means to be a responsible person.

On Thursday we will talk about the Pillar of Responsibility. I will start the lesson by having a class
discussion: What does it mean to be a responsible person?, What are some examples of ways that you can
show you are a responsible person?, What are some actions of someone who is not a responsible person? We
will have this discussion for 10-15 minutes. Once we have had a thorough discussion and everyone has a good
grasp about responsibility, I will then show them a short clip.
The Pass it On video is about a dad teaching his sons the value of hard work and finishing a job once
you have started it. He is having his sons build a call, and throughout the process of building this wall it is also
helping them to build character. After I have showed them this video we would have a short discussion about
it. What are the values that were demonstrated in this video? Why do you think the father had his sons build
the wall? What lesson do you think the sons learned?
Next, I will read my students The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble at School by Stan & Jan Berenstain.
In this story Brother Bear is out of school for a few days with a cold and he ignores his make-up work. When
he returns to class, he discovers the consequences of neglecting his responsibilities: he fails his division test.
Grizzly Gramps helps Brother Bear learn that it's never too late to correct a mistake. After I read my students
this story we would talk about what went on in the story. Should Brother Bear of done his make-up work?
Why do you think he didnt do it? Have you ever not done your class work or homework when you know you
should of? What happens when you dont do the things that you are supposed to do?

After we have discussed the book we will do an activity about responsibility. I will give my students a
sheet with different scenarios on them about being responsible. Part of the questions are multiple-choice and
the other part is fill in. I will give the students about 10 minutes to complete this activity. Once they have
finished writing down what they think the responsible thing to do is I will have them discuss their answers in
their groups. While the students are discussing their answers I will be walking around monitoring their
conversations. After about 10-15 minutes I will then turn the group discussions into a class discussion. I will
call on students to share with the class about what they thought should be done in each situation. This will be
a way for me to informally assess if my students have grasped what it means to be a true person of character.















Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Date:________________________________________________________________________

What do you think the responsible thing to do is?
1. Elana was supposed to take out the garbage every night after dinner. One night her friends called
and wanted her to go with them to a basketball game. She was in a hurry and wanted to get going.
She could.
a. Take the garbage out when she gets home.
b. Ask her brother to take the garbage out for her.
c. Ask her mother if she could take it out later.
d. Have her friends wait while she takes out the garbage.

2. Jeffery has a big math test coming up on Monday. His teacher told him to take his practice sheets
home and study them over the weekend. He could..
a. Put his sheets in a folder to take home.
b. Take his math book home in case he has time to open it.
c. Get to school early on Monday to study.
d. Call a friend to come over to do homework together is theres time.

3. Denise has piano lessons every Thursday at 5 oclock, but to get there on time she needs to leave
by 4:30. It always takes her awhile to find her music, get the one money to pay the teacher, and
walk three blocks to the lesson. She knows she will be busy after school this Thursday. She could
a. Call her father at the office to give her a ride so she wont be late.
b. Make sure she has her piano materials packed and ready the night before.
c. Run the three blocks as fast as we can.
d. Call the piano teacher and ask if she can switch lessons with someone else.

4. Claire got some new pajamas from her Aunt Carol for her birthday. Her mother told her to be sure
and send her a thank-you card. Carol could..
a. Write her aunts address on a piece of paper.
b. Plan to tell her aunt thank you when she sees her in 4 months.
c. Get a cute card and write something in it for her aunt.
d. Wait until she gets a Christmas present from her aunt and send her a thank you card
thanking her for both gifts.


5. Ted is supposed to take his cough medicine every morning and every night. He remembered in the
morning, but at night he was sleepy and went to bed without taking it.
Did he understand his job?___________________________________________________________
Did he do his job?__________________________________________________________________
What was the problem?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

6. Tina was supposed to pass out one ice cream bar to every student in the cafeteria as they went
past the lunch ticket desk. She saw a friend of hers come up to talk to her and ask if she could have
an extra one. Tina thought there would be enough left over, so she gave her friend two of them.
Did Tine understand her job?_________________________________________________________
Did she do her job?_________________________________________________________________
What should she do if she runs out of ice cream?_________________________________________
What was the problem?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

7. Barbara was babysitting for her neighbors twin boys. The mother asked if Barbara would make
sure the toys were cleaned up before they came home. After Barbara put the boys to bed, she
started watching TV and realized that there was a really good movie on. She quickly put the toys
away and sat down to watch the movie.
Did Barbara understand her job?______________________________________________________
Did she do her job?_________________________________________________________________
What might have happened if she started watching the movie and didnt put the toys away?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

8. Mrs. Thompsons class was doing a poetry show in front of the whole school. Robert had a long
poem to memorize. Every night he practiced saying his lines to his parents, to his grandmother, and
to his stuffed animals. When it was time for the show, he said his poem without a mistake.
Did Robert understand his job?_______________________________________________________
Did he do his job?__________________________________________________________________
What helped him get the job done?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________






Fairness Lesson
Day- Thursday
Time- About 60 minutes
Grade- Third
Subject- Character Education
Objective- Students will have a better understanding about what it means to be a fair person.

On Thursday we will talk about the Pillar of Fairness. I will start the lesson by having a class discussion:
What does it mean to be a fair person?, What are some examples of ways that you can show you are a fair
person?, What are some actions of someone who is not a fair person? We will have this discussion for 10-15
minutes. Once we have had a thorough discussion and everyone has a good grasp about fairness, I will then
show them a short clip.
The Pass it On video is about a basketball game. A player touched the basketball before it went out,
but the referee didnt see it and called it out on the other team. The player felt guilty and wanted to tell the
umpire because it wasnt fair that the other team was unnecessarily called out. However, his teammates
didnt want him to say anything. His coach was proud of him for wanting to do the right thing. In the end the
player went and told the referee what really happened. After I show this clip I will have a discussion about
what went on. This is a great opening to talk about sportsmanship. What values was the player showing?
What about his other team mates? What would you do if you were playing a sport and this happened to you?
How kind of character traits should athletes possess? How can athletes promote fairness?
Next, I will read my students The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game by Stan & Jan Berenstain. In this
story Coach Papa Bear wants his team to play fair, but the other coach just wants to win. This book shows how
players and coaches should have good sportsmanship. After I read this story we would talk about what went
on in the story. How should both coaches of acted? Have you ever been a team where another player would
cheat to win? What would you do if you had the opportunity to win a game by cheating, but you wouldnt get
caught? Do you think that athletes on sports teams behave fairly with their own teammates?
After we have had our discussion about good sportsmanship I will tell the class how we are like a team.
We all work together and depend on one another. There is no I in TEAM! I will tell each group that they are
going to come up with a team name that promotes fairness and then design a logo for their team. I am going
to give each group a large white sheet of construction paper and they can design their poster however they
want. It has to at least include their team name, logo, and words or pictures that promotes fairness and good
sportsmanship. If they want they can even decide what sport their team would be. I will give the groups about
20 minutes to work on their posters and then they will share it with the class. They will talk about how they
came up with the name and logo. As well as describing what else they have on their poster and why they
picked those things to represent fairness and good sportsmanship.












Citizenship Lesson
Day- Friday
Time- About 60 minutes
Grade- Third
Subject- Character Education
Objective- Students will have a better understanding about what it means to be a good citizen.

On Friday we will talk about the Pillar of Citizenship. I will start the lesson by having a class discussion:
What does it mean to be a good citizen?, What are some examples of ways that you can show you are a good
citizen?, What are some actions of someone who is not a good citizen? We will have this discussion for 10-15
minutes. Once we have had a thorough discussion and everyone has a good grasp about citizenship, I will then
show them a short clip.
I will show them a Pass It On clip about an old lady in a grocery store who is trying to reach something
on a top shelf, but she is too short to reach it. A man sees that she is struggling and comes up behind her to
help her get it down. After I have showed this clip we will talk about what went on. Who was being a good
citizen and why? Did the man have to help her? What would have happened if he didnt? Have you ever
helped someone who needed help? What did you do? What are some things that you can do to be a good
citizen?
Next, I will read my students The Berenstain Bears Get Involved by Mike & Jan Berenstain. In this book
a storm hits Bear Country, and Bear Country might flood! Its up to the Bear family and the rest of the rescue
team to come together and save their community. After reading the story we would discuss what happened in
the book. I would also discuss with them what a natural disaster is. How did they come together to save the
community? What character traits did they show? Has something major every happened in your community
where people had to come together? What natural disasters could happen in your community? If something
major happened in your community what could you do to help?


After we have had our discussion I will show them another video. This video shows kids talking about
what it means to be a good school citizen. After I have showed them the video we will review the Five Pillars
of Being a Good School Citizen from the video. They were:
1. Show respect for all members of the school community and their personal property.
2. Show respect for school property.
3. Follow the rules.
4. Show good character by being honest, responsible, and dependable, having courage, and
listening to others.
5. Give back to the community.
We would then talk about what the kids said in the video. Do you agree with what they said makes a student a
good school citizen? Is there anything that you would add? Do you think that you are a good school citizen?
What are some things that you can do here at school to show that you are a good school citizen? What are
some things that you can do outside of school to show that you are a good citizen.
Next, I will ask the kids why do we have class rules? (Possible responses may include: to keep kids safe
so everyone can learn, to make things fair so everyone gets a turn, to help everyone get along so everyone
gets respect, and so the teacher doesnt always have to tell you what to do.) Why do we have school rules?
(Possible responses may be the same as for class rules as well as so all the classes in the school have the same
rules so everyone knows what is expected, and so the principal doesnt always have to tell everyone what to
do.) I will then explain how rules help people be good citizens in their community. What are some things you
have seen your classmates do that show good character? What are some things our class can do to give back
to the school community? What are some reasons why a student might not act like a good citizen at school?
How can you help someone in your community be a better citizen?

After this discussion I would tell my students the following scenario:
During snack, Jeremy accidentally spilled a bottle of juice on the floor. Kelly slipped and
bumped her elbow on a desk, and now she is crying. James is angry because the juice spilled on his
brand new sneakers . The teacher has just stepped out to get the nurse from his office next door. What
could you do to be a good citizen to your classmates? After they have talked about how they could be
a good citizen to their classmates I would tell them that we are going to think about how our class can
be a good citizens in our school or in the community. In their groups I will give them about 10 minutes
to talk about community service projects that they could do on our campus or in the community to
help others. When they time is up I will call on the groups to tell me what they came up with. I will
start a list on the board with their ideas and add a few of my own. Once we have agreed as a class on
what community service project we want to do we will start talking about a step-by-step plan to make
our idea become a reality. This is a nice way to wrap up our character counts week!