All in Good Order — Some people are naturally more organized than others, but anyone can learn organizational skills. Becoming and staying organized can help students perform better at school while reducing stress. This is a great opportunity for students to think about the benefits of becoming and staying organized as they begin the new school year.
Key Ideas: Benefits of Staying Organized - Organizational Skills - Reducing Stress
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

At the Core — Roy Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, once said that "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." Students explore the notion that deciding which core values will guide them through life is one of the most important decisions they will ever make.
Key Ideas: Making choices is easier when you know what your values are - Determining one's core ethical values
Character Traits: Integrity - Respect - Responsibility - Caring

Choices: The Road Ahead — Every day we make choices, and every choice comes with a consequence. A wise person strives to make good decisions, decisions that will reap the best outcomes. A stubborn or unaware person will continually make unwise choices, and in the process, he or she will live a life less fortunate than that of the wiser one.
Key Ideas: Choices - Consequences
Character Traits: Responsibility - Wisdom - Self-Discipline

Choices: You're Not the Boss of Me! — One of the hardest things about being a kid is having to bite your tongue when you want to say, "Hey, you're not the boss of me!" But the truth is, until you learn how to "boss yourself," somebody has to do the job or you might be making some truly unwise decisions.
Key Ideas: Choices - Independence - Self-Management
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

Did You Do That On Purpose?: National Be On Purpose Month * — Life can be so random at times. It can be confusing and challenging. For life to make sense, it has to have meaning. It has to have purpose, and having purpose in our lives is something we choose because when we do anything on purpose, we do it deliberately. Students explore the importance of choosing a worthy purpose in their lives.
Key Ideas: Making Good Choices - Goal Setting
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

Directing Your Own Life — Every time students act responsibly, they earn more trust. With that trust usually comes more freedom to choose. Being trustworthy can mean making some tough short-term choices, but long-term, it can mean having greater control over one's future. Students explore the idea that the benefits of making responsible decisions far outweigh the costs.
Key Ideas: Taking responsibility for one's choices and actions - Directing one's life story - Goalsetting
Character Traits: Responsibility - Respect - Self-Management

Don't Be Late — For the most part, whether we ourselves are punctual or not, we expect others to be punctual. We expect movies to begin at showtime, and ambulances to arrive promptly. Students explore the notion that being tardy or late not only is discourteous but can have serious consequences for ourselves and others.
Key Ideas: Punctuality - Tardiness
Character Traits: Responsibility - Punctuality - Courtesy - Respect

Do the Right Thing — Dr. King faced many difficult decisions in his life. With these materials, students have an opportunity to reflect on the fact that each of us faces many decisions each day. Some may be very difficult, but whatever the situation, we can learn from Dr. King's example by using these opportunities to do the right thing.
Key Ideas: The time is always right to do what is right.
Character Traits: Moral Courage - Integrity - Honesty - Fairness - Tolerance
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for Dr. King's birthday or for Black History Month.

Here Comes Tomorrow — Students are often tempted to put things off until tomorrow, but moving their responsibilities forward does not make them go away. In fact, it can make them seem bigger and more stressful. In this plan, students consider the negative consequences of procrastination and explore tools and strategies for staying on top of things.
Key Ideas: Procrastination - Tools for Overcoming Procrastination
Character Traits: Self-Management - Responsibility - Self-Esteem

It's Magic! (Integrity) — Each time students are faced with a choice between doing what they know is right and doing what is wrong, they have the opportunity to choose a life of integrity and to enjoy the riches that come with such a life.
Key Idea: Being brave enough to say no to what is wrong
Character Traits: Integrity - Honesty - Moral Courage

Look At Me! — Most people like positive attention. When young people treat themselves and others with respect, they earn the kind of attention they can be proud of. Students consider the difference between getting positive and negative attention and how being a respectful person will help them get the positive attention they seek.
Key Ideas: Seeking negative attention - Choosing positive behaviors
Character Trait: Respect

Look Who's Watching — We may get by with some poor choices when we think nobody's looking, but there's one very important person who is always watching - ourself, and our opinion of ourself matters. Students explore the importance of self-awareness, realizing that they are always watching their own behavior and the choices they make.
Key Ideas: Character is who you are when no one's looking - Right choices build self-esteem
Character Traits: Self-Respect - Self-Awareness - Integrity

Rich Man - Poor Man — It's been said that the best things in life aren't things at all. Students explore the concept that money and possessions do not buy happiness and that success cannot be measured by the things we own.
Key Ideas: Quality of Life - Materialism - Priorities - Successful Living
Character Traits: Self-Respect - Love - Kindness

Rivers Run Through It — Like many things in nature, a river can teach us a great lesson. It triumphs every time. It just keeps going despite the challenges, obstacles, and barriers. There will always be barriers in life, stumbling blocks along the way. How we deal with those challenges can greatly determine our success or failure in life.
Key Ideas: Overcoming Obstacles - Encouragement
Character Traits: Perseverance - Commitment - Determination

Underneath the Anger — Sometimes, getting angry is the right thing to do, like when we get angry at some terrible wrong that has been committed. But most of the time when we get angry, it's because we are hurt or afraid. Students examine some of the underlying emotions that can create anger, their responsibility for addressing those root causes, and ways to deal appropriately with those feelings.
Key Ideas: Dealing with Anger - Underlying Causes of Anger
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility