American Red Cross Month - Cheap or Charitable? — Last fall, journalist John Stossel did a television report called "Are Americans Cheap or Charitable?" Students explore the great American tradition of giving to those in need, and consider ways they can carry on this tradition.
Key Ideas: Helping Others - Charitable Giving - The Privilege of Giving
Character Traits: Respect - Generosity - Caring

Brain Awareness Week - Brainy Stuff — Would you ever deliberately download a virus to your computer? Of course not. The human brain is more awesome than any computer man has made, yet we sometimes treat it with less respect than we do our PCs.
Key Idea: Taking care of and protecting the human brain
Character Traits: Self-Respect - Responsibility

Ethics Awareness Month - Ripple Effects — Every choice we make ripples out and impacts our world in ways we may never understand. Students consider their own personal code of conduct and the ripple effects of making unethical decisions.
Key Ideas: Consequences of Unethical Behaviors - Personal Code of Conduct
Character Traits: Respect - Integrity

International Listening Awareness Month - 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

National Women's History Month: Remodeling Society — Taking time to honor the vision, dedication, and hard work of the women in history who have impacted our current lives is extremely important. It helps us to understand the sacrifices of others and appreciate all of the freedom that American women enjoy today. Students will learn about the important role that women in American history have played in shaping our country.
Key Idea: Acknowledging women who have helped remodel society
Character Traits: Caring - Fairness - Respect - Citizenship

National Youth Art Month - Matters of the Art — An exciting part of the educational process can be discovering the artist inside. Making art can help students develop confidence, patience, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Key Ideas: Creativity - Critical Thinking - Understanding Self and Others
Character Traits: Self-Discipline - Confidence - Self-Awareness

Optimism Month - Expecting the Best — Research indicates that there is a strong connection between optimism, self-esteem, happiness, and health. Keeping a positive attitude is easier for some of us than others, but all of us can choose to express ourselves in a more positive way while doing our best to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Key Ideas: The Power of Positive Thinking - Consequences of Negative Thinking
Character Trait: Optimism

Read Across America Day: Books Take You Places (usually observed March 2nd or first Monday in March) — "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader" (Margaret Fuller). In today's world of video games and DVDs, it's easy for students to forget that reading is not only an important part of building a successful life, but it's a fun activity. Reading can open up new worlds and allow students to escape into the life of a hero. With this message and lesson plan, students explore the benefits of reading.
Key Ideas: Enriching one's life with recreational reading - Reading as a way to experience new places and people
Character Trait: Responsibility