Curated OER
Catching the Beat: Exploring the Function of Verse in Othello
Students examine meter and how Shakespeare uses it in dialogue to show character emotion.
Curated OER
Acting it Out
Students explore responsible behavior. In this character education lesson, students work in groups to act out scenarios using or disregarding responsible behavior. Students discuss personal feelings and consequences of each situation.
Curated OER
Assuming Responsibility
Sixth graders explore the concept of responsibility. In this character education lesson, 6th graders discuss the various types of responsibilities they have. Students create their own definition of responsibility based on the list they...
Curated OER
Long-Term Goals
Students set long-term and short-term goals. In this character education instructional activity, students determine whether goals that they write for themselves are long-term or short-term.
Curated OER
My Personal Best
Students persevere to build character. In this philanthropy lesson, students consider how to put forth their personal best in all areas of their lives as they participate in a physical activity.
Curated OER
One Small Act
Pupils explore the trait of caring. In this character education instructional activity, students discuss acts of kindness and collaborate to promote a kindness campaign.
Curated OER
The Rewards of Caring
Students explore the concept of democracy. In this character education lesson, students discover enlightened self-interest and discuss a quote from Alexis de Tocqueville.
Curated OER
A Loyal Friend
Students examine the attributes of trust. In this character education lesson, students read the Irish folktale "Beth Gellert". Students discuss the folktale and how they can earn the trust of others.
Curated OER
Defining Trustworthiness
Middle schoolers explore the trait of trustworthiness. In this character education lesson, students discuss the attributes of people they trust. Middle schoolers create a group definition of trustworthiness.
Curated OER
Valuing the World Around You
Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this character education lesson, students examine a quote from John Muir regarding the value of nature.
Curated OER
Everyday Courage
Sixth graders compare scenarios about courage. In this character education lesson, 6th graders discover what it means to be brave. Students analyze scenarios and determine if courage was necessary.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Crow Boy
There is a difference between actions, motives, and the appearance of a character in a narrative text. Fourth graders explore character analysis through the dramatic arts. They create a series of movements, tableaus, and pantomimes to...
Ken Taylor
The Stones: Guilty or Not Guilty?
Young drama pupils will perform a number of expressive speaking exercises as they consider the themes of responsibility, consequences, and justice in the very modern Australian play The Stones. With a lot of role playing and...
Curated OER
Writing in First and Third Person
Explore narrative writing by participating in a role-playing activity. In this perspective lesson, learners define first and third person in writing and discuss how it changes the mood of the reader. The first activity has pupils write...
Curated OER
Poetic Elements
Poetry is all about sound and rhythm. The sound of the words, the rhythm of the lines, and the emotional atmosphere created by these elements and the literary devices poets use, compress whole stories into a few stanzas. The specialized...
Curated OER
Using Wordless Comics To Help Create Meaning in Reading
Use picture cues as a tool in order to create meaning along with text. With a wordless comic, young illustrators discuss the main idea and character traits, and independently write a summary for a page of a wordless comic. This strategy...
EngageNY
Close Reading of Nasreen's Secret School: How Do People Access Books in Afghanistan?
Third graders continue to practice the close reading skills of capturing the gist and reading again for important details in the sixth lesson in a larger unit. This is a great beginning-of-the-year unit for establishing visible thinking...
Planet e-Book
David Copperfield
Don't let the length scare you away. An eBook version of David Copperfield contains all 1,307 pages of the story. This digital version of the classic coming-of-age novel follows the title character from childhood into adulthood,...
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast with Pink and Say
Sixth graders complete a shared reading of the book Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco and character analysis Venn diagram. In this character analysis lesson, 6th graders read the book and work in groups to compare and contrast the two...
Curated OER
Friendship Masks
Students investigate the concept of friendship and how it is developed and based upon some different emotions. They examine samples of masks that display emotional responses. Then students have class discussion about emotions and the...
Curated OER
The Book Boy by Joanna Trollope
Learners read, analyze and critique the novel, "The Book Boy," by Joanna Trollope. They brainstorm if you can tell a book by its cover, construct a character map, explore cultural differences and investigate how a family hides a family...
Curated OER
Self-Control Starts With You
Young scholars develop a definition for self-control and explore how practicing self-control can lead to other positive character traits. They read and discuss examples of student behaviors that exhibit self-control and those that don't.
Curated OER
Living Integrity
Students analyze scenarios regarding integrity. In this character education lesson, students participate in group discussions. Students analyze various scenarios regarding integrity and construct a written response in their character...
Curated OER
A Straightforward Approach
Middle schoolers explore the concept of philanthropy. In this character education lesson, students discuss the value of honesty and consider honesty towards self, family, friends, and the community as they write a reflection.