Introduction to Character
(Script to Go with PowerPoint)
(Show slide #1: TRUSTWORTHINESS)
"What are some talents you have, or things you'd really like to be good
at?" (Call on students that raise their hands. Maybe some want to be good
at baseball, another football, another at reading, another at making
money, another at swimming.)
You reply, "That's neat. We all want to do well at something.
But to become successful, we need to know more than reading, writing and
Math. We need character. Character is how we behave and how we treat
others.
If you can hit a baseball every time (use a skill they mentioned, if
nobody mentions baseball), but you can't get along with your teammates and
you don't act nice to your coach, you may never make it as a baseball
player.
When I was young, I wanted to be good at _____. But I discovered that to
be successful at this, I needed more than skill. I needed character.
So this year we'll try to help you build character, so that you can
succeed.
First, we'll talk about trustworthiness. How many of
you have a dog? What kind of dog is this? Do any of you have a Golden
Retriever? Trustworthiness means that people can depend on you. How are
some dogs trustworthy? To be successful playing a sport or learning to
read, you must show up and faithfully do what your coaches and teachers
tell you to do.(Show slide #2: TRUSTWORTHINESS TRAITS)
This is what trustworthiness look like. (Read the traits from the slide.)Isn’t this the kind of person you want for a friend? Then a trick to getting more friends is to be trustworthy.
(Show slide #3: RESPECT)
Who is this? (Policeman)
Why should we respect him? (Because he wants to keep us safe.)
Show Slide #4: RESPECT TRAITS
Here’s what respect looks like. (Read the traits from the slide.)
Show Slide #5: RESPONSIBILITY
Who is this? (A fireman)
Why is it important for a fireman to be responsible?
Why is it important for us to be responsible?
Show Slide #6: RESPONSIBILITY TRAITS
Here’s what responsibility looks like. (Read traits.)
Show Slide #7: FAIRNESS
Who is this? (A judge)
Why is it important for a judge to be fair?
Why is important for us to be fair?
Show Slide #8: FAIRNESS TRAITS
Here’s what fairness looks like. (Read traits)
Show Slide #9: CARING
Who do you see in this slide? (doctors and nurses)
Why is important for doctors and nurses to care?
Why is it important for us to care?
Show Slide #10: CARING TRAITS
Here’s what caring looks like. (Read traits)
Show Slide #11: CITIZENSHIP
What’s wrong in this picture? (Somebody has dumped trash beside a road.)
Was this person a good citizen?
What would a good citizen do? (Pick up the trash)
Show Slide #12: CITIZENSHIP TRAITS
Here’s what good citizenship looks like. (Read traits)
Concluding Thought
Earlier, some of you told me some things you’d like to be good at, like baseball or soccer or reading. I think you can see that to be a success, you’ve got to have more than talent. You’ve got to have character. So this year listen careful when we talk about caring, trustworthiness, fairness and other character traits. We all need them if we want to be successful.
Fun Ideas!
#1 – Monkey Video from U-Tube
The above presentation is interesting and interactive, but you might want to throw in a little fun. So there’s a 25-second clip on U-Tube. (Make sure to try it first to see if it will project well enough for your students to see.)
It's a video of a monkey pestering a lion - swinging through the trees and occasionally swinging down to pop the lion on the head or pull his tail.
Following the clip you could ask, "Ever have people who treat you that way? Isn't it annoying? Well, today we're beginning to talk about character, which hopefully will motivate us to be nicer than that annoying monkey."
All this could just take a minute max, but could really get them laughing and involved. Just go to
www.youtube.com and search "Monkey Fighting Lion." Or, you might be able to hit it directly by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZDgQRZwkY8#2 – Activity
If your group is smaller, or if there’s room to spread out, you may wish to do some type of activity, such as "The Untangle Game."
Divide into groups of 6 or 8 (must be an even number). Stand facing one another in a circle. Instruct each student to grab the right hand of a student across from (not next to) him or her. Next, join left hands with a different person. Then, try to untangle without anyone letting go.
Debriefing: