recess or getting ready for school in the
Dear Juno morning.
Story: Soyung Pak
Illustration: Susan Kathleen
Hartung
ISBN-13: 978-0142300176
Comprehension: CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.L.K.3; CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.L.K.4
WORD WALL: MAIL
Card, communication, email, letter, mail,
message, note, parcel, package, post, postcard.
SYNOPSIS
Juno gets a card in the mail from his
grandmother who lives in Seoul. In the
envelope, there is also a dried flower from her
garden and a picture of her new cat. Juno
shows his class the cherished letter. He decides
he will write a letter back to her and in his
envelope, he includes drawings and a dried leaf
from the big tree in his backyard. Grandmother
is very happy when she receives the card. She
writes back to Juno and this time she sends a
box of colored pencils and a plane, signifying
that she will come to visit soon.
DISCUSSION
Say: Communicating with someone who lives far
away requires taking initiative—which means
showing that you want to get something done
and working hard to get it started. Juno misses
his grandmother and is very curious about how
she is doing. Once he receives her letter, he
realizes she would like a letter in return and he
works very hard to create drawings and climb
his tree to retrieve a dried leaf for her. His letter
shows that he cares for his grandmother and is
thinking of her. Ask: Can you think of a time
when you have taken initiative? Do you take
initiative in the classroom? At home? Students
might mention things like cleaning up before
© 2018 Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Visit us at www.scu.edu/character
GROUP ACTIVITY
Say: Having an idea and acting on it sometimes
requires making a plan. Today we will learn to
take the initiative by making a “party plan
board.” We are going to throw a pretend
welcome party for Juno’s grandmother. Record
the children’s answers on the board during the
conversation. Ask: What do you need to do
before you throw her a party? Children might
mention making a list of guests, buying food,
cooking, and creating a welcome banner. Ask:
What will you need to do during the party?
Responses may include making sure that
someone helps translate the conversation for
Juno’s grandmother and paying attention to the
guests. Ask: What do you need to do after the
party? Students may mention cleaning up and
sending thank you cards to those who attended
the party and brought gifts. Conclude: When
you take initiative, you demonstrate important
values including the courage needed to do
something challenging, the kindness needed to
make someone happy, and the responsibility
needed to implement a plan.
AT-HOME ACTIVITY
Say: When we put our ideas into action, we use
initiative. At home, offer to take on a new chore.
Ask for help learning how to carry out the chore
responsibly. Draw a picture about your new
chore, and think about how using your skills to
help made you feel.
RESOURCEFULNESS REQUIRES INITIATIVE
Being resourceful means applying my
knowledge and skills to solve problems
creatively and independently. It requires that I
keep trying even when solutions do not come
easily.