Archives: Life Skills/Pressing Issues

Abilities and Disabilities — More than six billion human beings - all unique - live on this planet. What makes us different from one another is what makes us special, unique, and individual. Students will gain a better awareness of those of us with disabilities and how to focus on abilities rather than disabilities. They'll also look at ways to celebrate what each of us can contribute to our schools, communities, and world.
Key Ideas: Disability awareness - Celebrating differences
Character Traits: Respect - Caring

Force for Good — When you hold onto a grudge, you are unwilling to forgive. Forgiveness does not mean that you forget what happened or deny the other person's responsibility in what happened. Students explore the notion that love and forgiveness can turn anger, bitterness, and resentment into a force for good, for themselves and for others.
Key Ideas: Turning an enemy into a friend - Holding onto grudges
Character Traits: Respect - Love - Forgiveness

Honorable Work * — Thomas Carlyle once said, "All work is honorable." Each day honorable people get up and go to work. It's easy to take for granted the benefits of that collective effort. These materials allow students to pause and reflect on all the hard work good people do each day from which they benefit.
Key Ideas: All honest work is honorable - Each of us benefits from the honorable work of others
Character Traits: Respect - Gratitude - Strong work ethic
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for for Labor Day.

I'm Listening! * — It's important that we learn to listen to one another in order to build successful relationships at school, at home, and in the community. Active listening is an acquired skill. When we listen deeply to one another, we convey respect and caring and make the world a better place to be.
Key Idea: Active listening
Character Traits: Respect - Civility - Caring
Note: This message and lesson plan work well for International Listening Awareness Month in March.

Johnny the Bagger — This plan introduces students to Johnny the Bagger, a real-life, everyday hero who has inspired millions of people around the world through one simple, but kind choice. It's a great reminder to students that every human encounter this school year is an opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.
Key Ideas: Making a difference at school - Johnny the Bagger - Power of the heart - People with disabilities
Character Traits: Kindness - Responsibility - Respect

Making Amends — We all make mistakes. Sometimes our mistakes hurt someone else or someone else's property. That's when an apology is required, and many times, that's when it's necessary to make amends as best we can. Students will explore the notion that making amends is not a sign of weakness, but of self-respect and strong character.
Key Ideas: Making amends requires both humility and strength of character - Learning from mistakes
Character Traits: Self-respect - Humility - Integrity - Reflection

Manners Matter — The word courtesy has its roots in the Latin word cor, which means of the heart. When we are polite and courteous to others, we are acting from the heart and being respectful of other people's feelings. Respectful, caring behavior is the cornerstone of any civil society.
Key Ideas: Polite behavior - Civil society
Character Traits: Respect - Civility - Caring - Courtesy

Mixing It Up * — Students consider stepping outside their comfort zones to meet someone new.
Key Ideas: Socializing with new people at school - Overcoming social fears to gain a new friend
Character Traits: Respect - Caring
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for Mix It Up at Lunch Day in November.

No More Whine * — It's so easy to whine and grumble when things aren't exactly the way we want them to be or when we are faced with a problem, but whining can make a situation much worse while making us and those around us unhappy.
Key Ideas: Whining and complaining
Character Traits: Gratitude - Positive attitude
Note: This message and lesson plan work well for National Whiners Day, December 26.

Real Friends - Real Success — Henry David Thoreau once wrote that "A friend is one who always pays us the compliment of expecting from us all the virtues." A real friend can play such an important role in helping us live a truly successful life, a life that is rich in love and caring, which is the kind of success that really matters.
Key Ideas: Friends are a token of success - Friendship is more valuable than possessions
Character Traits: Respect - Caring - Love

Sharing Our Lives Together * — Family narratives are important because they are personal and true. They can help bond families together, and help young people better understand themselves and the world around them. As we approach the holiday season, students may be spending more time with family, which is a great opportunity to recall and collect some real family treasures.
Key Ideas: Family history - Belonging - Heritage
Character Traits: Respect - Caring
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for Family Stories Month in November.

Town Mouse/Country Mouse * — In today’s world, too many of us spend far too much time worrying about how to get more and better things. Students stop to consider that it's easy to get stressed when we forget what's truly important — enjoying what we have with the people we love. Tips for dealing with stress.
Key Ideas: Dealing with stress - Materialism
Character Traits: Love - Caring - Gratitude
Note: This message and plan also work well during the winter holidays as a reminder of what’s truly important.

Two in One * — There are nearly 14 million people in the U.S. who speak both English and Spanish. Research shows that, among other things, people who speak two languages increase their thinking skills. Whether one's second language is Spanish, Arabic, or French, there are many benefits to being bilingual.
Key Ideas: Benefits of speaking two languages
Character Traits: Respect - Tolerance
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Want to Be Popular? — Julius Erving (Dr. J.) is one of the most popular and respected professional basketball players ever known. He once said, "I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity." Students examine the benefits of seeking respect from their peers in contrast to seeking popularity.
Key Ideas: Popularity - Earning self-respect and the respect of peers
Character Traits: Respect - Self-respect

What's in a Name? — Remembering someone's name may seem like a small gesture, but it can have a big impact. Calling others by their names is an important skill that can help students succeed both at school and in the workplace. These materials will help students understand that remembering the names of others is an act of courtesy that affirms that person's individual value.
Key Idea: The importance of remembering and calling others by their names
Character Traits: Respect - Courtesy

Why Be Jealous? — We all feel jealous at some point in our lives. Sometimes it's because we feel left out or we feel that we don't have the advantages that others seem to have. The good news is that it's possible to overcome jealousy by focusing on our own talents and goals. Students consider the personal costs of jealousy and how it can be overcome.
Key Ideas: Understanding and overcoming jealousy - Focusing on talents and goals

Wisdom from Our Elders * — One of our nation's greatest resources is the wisdom of those who have walked farther down the path of life, but sadly, we don't always foster relationships between our young people and the elderly. This message and corresponding lesson plan will help students better understand how they can benefit from the wisdom of those who have a link to the past.
Key Ideas: Honoring those who can teach us - Respecting elderly citizens
Character Traits: Respect - Caring
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for Grandparents' Day, the first Sunday after Labor Day.

The Words We Speak — Students stop to consider that the words we choose to speak are a reflection of who we are. Either words earn the respect of others, or they can cost us respect when others hear our bad language.
Key Ideas: Bad language - Cursing - Abusive language
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility - Civility