Young scholars explore and analyze how the trials of life can develop one's character and values of respect, responsibility and compassion. Then, while reading and evaluating The Odyssey, they reflect on their own hero journey and write...

Familiar puppets set the stage for a thoughtful discussion about friendship. To show what they know, scholars role-play scenarios. Peers offer a thumbs up when they view positive character traits exhibit good friend behavior.  

Two puppets showcase social skills while scholars decide whether their actions are positive or negative. Learners take turns with the puppets, acting out scenarios with a peer while the rest of the class decide if they're being a good...

Putting yourself in someone else's shoes is a common phrase we hear from time to time, but do children really understand? Explore empathy with elementary schoolers using these activities. Focusing on feelings and emotions,...

Use this multidisciplinary lesson to delve into these subjects: English language arts, math, science, drama, and character education. After reading, discussing, and making interpretations about Go To Sleep, Gecko!: A Balinese...

Read the story The Great Smelly, Slobbery, Small-Tooth Dog: A Folktale from Great Britain by Margaret Read MacDonald and choose from multiple activities to learn about the tale's theme—kindness. With so many options, your kind kids will...

Learners on the autism spectrum can have difficulty expressing care or providing emotional support for others. Support them with this series of presentation slides that break down the steps to showing others you care, from appropriate...

What does empathy look like? Encourage your pupils to put themselves in another person's shoes with several writing and discussion activities that relate to a featured short film. Over the course of the activity, individuals collaborate...

High-interest content captures your most reluctant readers and class participants. Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, in collaboration with Harvard University, seeks to nurture a culture of kindness and reduce bullying. Excerpts from...

Students identify missing characters from a text, particularly a school text. They increase critical thinking by supplying missing perspectives in a text an build empathy through surveying different points of view. They reflect on the...

Students recognize the value of multiple perspectives and differences of opinion. They build empathy and open-mindedness for other points of view. They study the complexity of social and cultural issues such as violence in media.

Make a study of good and evil by examining a short legend. After reading, learners compose their own stories and participate in a class discussion about the text, the characters, and the message of the reading.

Students discuss the roles people have and how the people they know act after watching a puppet show. Puppets and teacher lead discussion with class and ask them to provide examples of being responsible , cooperative, respectful, and...

Welcome your class back to school! They will participate in a character education lesson in order to build community at the school. First they identify needs of new learners by putting themselves in their shoes and create welcome packs...

Second graders interact with the story of Alexander's horrible day by connecting it to their lives. They practice predicting, writing paragraphs, reading aloud, discussing his problems, making a card to cheer him up, and designing a pair...

Students create a caring classroom environment, where they respect and care about each other, and the people and pets in their lives. They explore the importance of respect and kindness. Students are asked "What does it mean to respect...

Young scholars discover the inequality of food distribution.  In the hunger lesson, students discuss how some places and people do not get the food they need to survive. Young scholars role play distributing pretend meals to people...

Ask your students to name "caring acts" for their parents and make coupons for their parents to use. They will think of caring acts their parents would appreciate and create original coupons of those acts to present their parents on a...

Eighth graders define caring. In this character education lesson, 8th graders examine the attributes of compassion as they discuss altruism, empathy, and selflessness.

Students examine their personal feelings regarding exclusive groups. In this character education lesson, students conduct mini-debates as they discuss how they relate to one another regarding exclusive social groups.

High schoolers analyze strong female characters infive different European folktales. In this European folktales lesson, students identify the setting and culture described in each folktale to gain understanding of the...

Students consider their citizenship responsibilities in the world. In this philanthropy lesson, students define civic virtues as they consider how to be fair, just, and tolerant to promote human rights. Students complete a graphic...

In this personal health empathy worksheet, students read 3 scenarios and examine what is happening in each of them. Students role play the situations using strategies that show empathy toward one another.

Students develop critical thinking skills about personal situations depicted in a video about cliques. Issues about identity, self-esteem, and stereotypes are explored.