3 - Junior Kindergarten - Character Education - July 2019

Maple Bear Global Schools
Character Education Junior Kindergarten

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Pages

Maple Bear Character Education 2
September Respect and Responsibility 3
October Thankfulness 12
November Courage 18
December Generosity 24
January Respect and Responsibility 32
February Love 39
March Empathy 45
April Helpfulness 51
May Self-Discipline 58
June Respect and Humility 65

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Maple Bear Character Education

Within this program you will use your morning message, sharing circle, and
discussion starters to initiate conversation with students. Make use of your word
wall by adding to it monthly and by talking about it often. Put character education
vocabulary, (responsibility, courage, generosity, love, respect, empathy, helpfulness)
on the word wall, along with high frequency words that students may need, (mom,
dad, me, and, the) and also include the names of students in your class. If your
classroom doesn’t have a word wall, make a character education board, where you
can post character education vocabulary, high frequency words, pictures, and
student writing, for each month.

Every child should be given a Character Education Journal in which he/she can
express his/her understanding of the character trait being studied each month. It is
recommended that students draw/write in their journal every day or every week.
Be certain to initiate writing by allowing students to talk about what they will write
before they begin journaling. After journaling it is also important for students to
share what they have written in their journal, therefore, it is important to allow time
for journal sharing.

Character Education is a way of living and is not just a program that you do once a
week or once a month. It is important to talk to children daily about the character
traits they are learning, and reinforce that attaining character education values is a
way to live positively in our world.

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September - Respect and Responsibility

This month teaches two very important character traits; Respect and Responsibility.
Both character traits should be a part of your classroom culture throughout the
entire school year. The character trait of respect is so important that it is revisited in
January and June and should be mentioned often in your daily routine. There are
many opportunities to talk about respect; such as in the classroom, in the hallways
and when students are playing outside. The character trait of responsibility is also
revisited in January and it should be emphasized that students are responsible for
their learning and behavior, even when no one is watching.

What is Respect?
Respect is showing consideration to others and yourself and to school materials that
you are working with. When you are respectful, you place value in others and show
that you care about their feelings and their well-being. Being respectful means that
you treat others the way you would like to be treated; this is known as the Golden
Rule. When you have respect for someone, you listen to them when they are
speaking, talk to them politely and if you have borrowed something, you use it with
care and return it in good condition. When you are respectful, you appreciate and
accept differences in others and resolve problems peacefully; this involves talking
them out, until a solution is found. Respect can always be practiced at home, at
school, on the bus, at the store, on the playground and when you play at a friend’s
house. Everyone has the right to live with respect and dignity, regardless of race,
ability, or social status. It is important to be respectful everywhere you go, even
when no one is watching!

What is Responsibility?
Responsibility is doing what you say you will do, without being reminded and within
the time you agree to do it. If you are a responsible person, you work hard to
complete a task to the best of your ability, even when you don’t want to. As a
responsible person, others trust you and can count on you to do what you say you
will do.
Some responsibilities that you may have at school or at home, are:
feeding a pet,
doing your homework,
sweeping the floor or cleaning your room.

It is important to practice responsibilities to prepare for later life when there will be
greater responsibilities at home, in school and in your community.

When you are responsible you:
Use things in the proper way
Put things where they belong
Follow rules and try your best, even when no one is watching.
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Vocabulary
Chores, duty, task, excuse me, job, manners, please, difference, respect, respectful,
responsible, responsibility, sorry, thank you, the golden rule.

Discussion Starters
What is respect?
How can we show respect to others?
What is responsibility?
Do you have any responsibilities at home or at school? What are they?

Sentence Starters
I show respect by…
I show respect for _____ by…
I show respect to ______ by …
I am responsible for…
I show responsibility by…

Classroom Activities
Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about respect and responsibility. You
can do this by printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a
person being respectful or responsible.
Some examples are:
-Bob hit Tom.
-Ann put the toys away.
When you print the morning message, be sure to draw a picture above the words,
whenever possible, to assist your students in reading and understanding the
message. Also, try to include the names of students in your classroom, so that
students learn to recognize and read the names of their friends. Practice reading the
message with your students several times and discuss how the message describes
respectful or responsible behavior.

Pictures and Picture Books
Reading a picture book from the classroom library is another way to engage students
in a discussion on respect and responsibility. This can be done by stopping on every
page, and studying and reading the pictures, throughout the story. This will help
students understand what is happening in the story and will initiate a discussion on
the character trait you are teaching.
Pictures from magazines, pictures in books from your classroom library, or pictures
taken with the classroom camera, are other ways to show students examples of
respect and responsibility. A picture of a child listening to another person speak, is
an example of respect and a picture of a child feeding a pet is an example of
responsibility.
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Sharing Circle
An ideal time to talk to students and teach them about respect and responsibility is
at the beginning of the school year, when you are establishing rules and routines for
the sharing circle. To teach these, create an anchor chart with words and pictures
that show: sitting cross legged, using listening ears, having quiet hands, a hand in
the air for asking questions and a hand holding a sharing stick to indicate speaking.
These behaviors can be learned by referring to the anchor chart often, modelling the
behaviors, having students practice them and by playing teaching games, such as:
Follow the Leader and Simon Says. Other ways to teach and engage students in
learning about respect and responsibility may be through chants, rhymes, action
songs and role-play.

Character Education Journals
Using Character Education Journals with Junior Kindergarten students provides a
way for them to communicate their ideas and their understanding of the character
trait you are teaching. It is essential, however, that before expecting students to
“write”, they must first be given the opportunity to speak and put words together
orally, to form a sentence they can later write. You will find that some Junior
Kindergarten students have excellent language skills and will be able to express their
ideas in sentences easily, while others will not, and will need practice putting
together a few words, to make a simple sentence. It is therefore, very important, that
these students practice speaking in the sharing circle, before they are expected to
write in their journal. Once students have shared, they are better prepared to draw
a picture or write a sentence in their journal, that is related to the character trait
they are learning. Make sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or
whiteboard for students to refer to when they are writing. Students can also be
assisted and supported in their writing by giving them a sentence starter, such as:
I show respect by____________________.
I am responsible for_________________.
This can be printed in the journal or glued into the journal when it is printed on a
sentence strip. This support enables students to draw a picture or print one or two
words, to complete the sentence with their idea.

Printing Skills
In a Junior Kindergarten class, there will also be a wide range of abilities in printing
skills. Some students will be learning to hold pencils, crayons, and markers properly,
others will be able to draw simple or detailed pictures, some students will be able to
copy words from the word wall or from classroom charts, and others will be able to
print random alphabet letters, or string letters together to form words. It is critical
that each student be encouraged to write at their developmental level and that
writing be modeled for them on a one to one basis, in small groups or in a large
group during Shared Writing.

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Journal Sharing
Just as it is important for students to talk about what they will write in their
character journal, prior to writing, it is equally important to take time for students to
share what they have written in their journal after writing. Different ways that
students can share are by:
• having each student take a turn to read their response to the class
• choosing a few students to share each day
• photocopying their journal writing to display on the character education
board
• including their journal writing in the monthly school newsletter.

Chants, Songs, Rhythm and Rhymes
Children develop early literacy skills by listening and speaking before reading and
writing. Singing, rhyming, chanting and telling stories are oral activities that help
students develop listening skills, language skills, reading skills and comprehension
skills. These activities are interactive and engaging, and students learn to hear and
produce the sounds of letters and words in a fun and enjoyable way. Through
practice and repetition, students are able to memorize and recite entire songs,
poems, chants and stories, so it is very important to try to integrate and teach
character education values in this way, whenever possible. The importance of
rhyming text must be recognized as having a great impact on early literacy and
learning.

Word Work Centre
Use magnetic letters, cut out letters, stamp letters or play dough letters and provide
students with the letters for respect and responsibility. Allow students plenty of
time to explore these letters and work with them to make random combinations of
letters and/or words. Make paper available for students to record their words, if
they choose to.

Respect
Classroom Rules
At the beginning of the year, talk to your students about school wide rules and
classroom rules and try to base your classroom rules on respect and responsibility.
Make a T-chart or a table of respectful and disrespectful actions.

Respectful School Rules Disrespectful Behaviours
Wait your turn to speak Blurting
Keep hands and feet to yourself Hitting, kicking, pushing
Walk in the classroom and hallway Running in the classroom or hallway

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Post the rules in your classroom and have each student trace, cut out, and cooler
their handprint, to glue around the chart of Classroom Rules.
Respect Tour
Take your students on a tour of each centre in your classroom, these might include:
the Art Centre, Block Centre, Water Centre, Dramatic Play, and Listening Centre.
Discuss what respect and responsibility look like and sound like at each centre and
post picture symbols of the steps students should follow, when they are working at
each centre.

The Block Centre - Ask 3 or 4 students to model how to follow the steps to play with
the blocks in a responsible and respectful manner.
These steps could include:
-Taking blocks out of the container,
-Building roads, structures, patterns, towers,
-Putting blocks back into the container at clean up time.
Then explain to students that you will show them disrespectful and irresponsible
behaviors at the block centre, and ask them to show a Thumbs Down, for each
inappropriate behavior you demonstrate.

Model disrespectful and irresponsible behaviors by:
-Throwing blocks,
-Knocking over someone else’s blocks,
-Taking blocks away from someone who is playing with them,
-Leaving the blocks all over the floor at clean up time.

Art Centre - Ask 3 or 4 students to model how to follow the steps to paint
responsibly and respectfully.
These steps could include:
ü Taking a painting apron from the art counter and putting it on,
ü Taking a piece of paper and clipping it to a paint easel,
ü Selecting paint colors, a water holder, a brush,
ü Painting a picture or design on the paper,
ü Putting the apron, paints, water, and paintbrush, back on the art counter,
ü Placing the painting on the art counter to dry.
.
Model disrespectful and irresponsible behaviors by:
§ Not putting on the painting apron,
§ Putting the painting paper on the counter and painting there,
§ Going over to another easel and painting on someone else’s paper,
§ Leaving paper, paint and paintbrushes at the easel, when it is clean up
time.
Continue each day to tour another centre in the classroom and follow the procedure
above, to teach students the steps to follow to work respectfully and responsibly at
each centre.
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Goldie Locks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs
Read a simple version of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs
using different voices and simple actions throughout each fairy tale. As students
become familiar with the story of Goldilocks, ask them to join in crying with you,
when baby bear sees that his porridge has been eaten, his chair has been broken, and
Goldie Locks is sleeping in his bed.
As students become familiar with the story of the Three Pigs, ask them to join in
huffing and puffing with you when the wolf huffs and puffs and blows down the
straw house and the stick house. Also encourage them to repeat the rhyme that the
pigs say to the Big, Bad Wolf: “not by the hair on my chinny chin chin”. As you read
each fairy tale, stop throughout, and ask students to identify the characters that are
being disrespectful and the behaviors that are disrespectful.
Make a T Chart to record students’ answers and be sure to include pictures with the
print, whenever possible, to assist student’s reading skills.
Characters Disrespectful Behaviors

Goldie Locks • Eating the Bear’s porridge
• Sitting on the chairs and breaking
Baby Bear’s chair
• Sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed
The Big Bad Wolf • Chasing the three, little, Pigs,
Huffing and Puffing and blowing
down their houses
• Threatening to eat the three Pigs
if he catches them.
Reader’s Theatre
Collect puppets, props and costumes for each fairy tale so that students can act out
the different characters, and the different part, in each fairy tale. The props might
include: 3 bowls of different sizes, 3 chairs of different sizes and 3 beds (use
blankets) of different sizes. Also, build 3 simple walls for each pig’s house, using
pillows for the straw house, chairs for the stick house and blocks for the brick house.
After students are familiar with each fairy tale, as you read each one, call on them to
act out the parts in Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears, and the parts in the 3 Little Pigs
and the Big, Bad, Wolf.
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Respectful Behavior? Disrespectful Behavior?

Give each student two signs made out of paper plates, that have a popsicle stick
attached to each one to serve as a handle. Provide students with markers and/or
crayons and ask them to draw a happy face on one of the paper plates and an
unhappy face on the other. Explain that you will read them different short stories
where people behave respectfully and disrespectfully. As you read each story, tell
students to hold up the happy face if they think a behavior is respectful or hold up
the sad face if they think a behavior is disrespectful. Be sure that each “story” you
read is short and at the appropriate level for Junior Kindergarten students. You may
need to read each story a couple of times so that students are able to identify the
different behaviors.
The following is a list of possible scenarios:

-You are in line at the water fountain and someone pushes you out of line.
-You are playing with the blocks at a centre and another student politely asks if he
can play with the blocks too.
-Your teacher is reading a story and some students are talking so you can’t hear the
story.
-At snack time, a student grabs one of your cookies, without asking.
-A student asks if you would like to use her markers when you can’t find yours.
-One of the students starts talking, when you are holding the sharing stick.
-When your teacher asks a question, the student next to you puts up his hand to
answer.
-A student returns the glue he borrowed from you, and says, “thank you” for lending
it to him.
-You accidentally run into a student during gym class and you say sorry.
- A student in the lunchroom says that your lunch is stinky.
My Responsibilities at School
Gather students together and have a discussion about the responsibilities they have
at school. Talk about the different classroom centres and how they are responsible
for using materials at the centres the proper way, and for putting materials away
when they are finished with them.
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Next, talk to students about the reasons they come to school: to play, make friends,
and to learn. Explain to students that at school, it is their responsibility to learn. Ask:
Do you know what you must do in school to learn?
Create an Anchor Chart for Learning:

Look with your Eyes
Listen with your Ears
Closed Lips
Quiet hands and feet
When you make your anchor chart, be sure to use picture symbols beside the words
and refer to the chart every time your students gather to learn. As a follow up
reinforcing activity after reading the anchor chart, sing songs and poems about
looking, listening and learning.
Listening and Learning (Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Eyes are watching
Ears are listening,
Lips are closed,
Hands are still,
Feet are very quiet,
We all really like it,
Listening, Listening
A Learning Song (Sung to the tune; Frere Jacques)

Are you criss cross,
Are you criss cross,
Eyes on me, Ears listening,
Hands are in your lap,
Feet you must not tap,
We’re listening,
We’re learning.
Responsible Community Helpers

Gather students together and review with students what responsibility means. Read
a book to your students about community helpers and follow this by brainstorming:
-the community helpers in their community
-the jobs the community helpers do
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-what would happen if community helpers didn’t do their jobs?

The community helpers should include: firemen, policemen, soldiers, doctors,
nurses, teachers, construction workers, garbage men and others that are applicable
to the communities. As each community helper is discussed, record students’
answers on chart paper as:
Community Helper Their Job What If They Don’t Do Their Job?
Community Helper Collage

As a follow up activity, break students into groups of 3, and assign a community
helper to each group, for students to make a collage of. Instruct students to cut
pictures and words from magazines, of anything related to the community helper’s
job. Once each group has finished their collage, organize them so that they can
present their collage to the class. Display the collages with the title, Responsible
Community Helpers.

What Will Show Growth
Students will keep hands and feet to themselves.
Students will use materials properly.
Students will put materials where they belong after use.
Students will use kind words and actions.
Books/Resources

Author/Publisher Title
Raz Kids Clean, Not Clean
Nice, Not Nice
Quiet or Loud
We Make Good Choices
Cheri J Meiners Respect and Take Care of Things
Cheri J Meiners Accept and Value Each Person
Jan & Mike Berenstain Show Some Respect
Laurie Keller Do Unto Otters
Regina Burch Think Before You Act

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October – Thankfulness

Thankfulness is being grateful and recognizing the good things you have in life and
the good things that others have done for you. It is expressing gratitude for the
people in your life, the places where you have been and the things that you have. You
can be thankful and appreciate your family, your home, being able to go to school,
people helping you, your teacher, your clothing, the food you eat, and living in a safe
and free country.

When you are thankful, you feel fortunate to have the things that you have and you
appreciate and cherish them. When you are thankful, you are happy and content
with the gifts you have in life and you are able to express thankfulness through your
words and your actions. When you are thankful, you are able to focus on the positive
aspects of life rather than the negative and you find good in whatever happens.

You can show thankfulness in small ways such as: saying thank you, smiling, giving a
hug, writing a note or doing something kind for some one. You can be thankful for
the things you have, the things others do for you, and for personal characteristics or
qualities in others and ourselves. We can also be thankful for the natural world and
non-material things, such as love, health, and friendship.

Vocabulary
Appreciate, cherish, family, friend, fortunate, grateful, happy, help, hugs, parents,
recognize, sharing.

Discussion Starters
What are you thankful for?
Who are you thankful for?
How do you show thankfulness?

Sentence Starters
I am thankful for…
I show thankfulness when…

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with your students about thankfulness. You can do
this by printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person
being thankful. Some examples are:
-Bob said thank you when he got a cookie from his mom.
-Tom said thank you for his birthday present.

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When you print the message on the board, draw a picture above the words
whenever possible, to assist your students in reading and understanding the
message. Also, try to include the names of students in your classroom, so that
students learn to recognize and read the names of their friends.
Practice reading the message with your students several times, and discuss how the
message describes thankful behavior.

in a discussion on thankfulness. This can be done by stopping on every page and
studying and reading the pictures throughout the story. This will help students
understand what is happening in the story and will initiate a discussion on the
character trait you are teaching.
taken with the classroom camera, are other ways to show students examples of
thankfulness. A picture of a person receiving a gift will start a conversation on what
thankfulness looks like.

Sharing Circle
In your sharing circle each morning, take turns to name a person you are thankful
for, a place you are thankful for, a food you are thankful for, or a thing you are
thankful for.
Other ways to teach and engage students in learning about thankfulness is through
chants, rhymes, action songs and role-play.

trait you are teaching. It is essential, however, that before expecting Junior
Kindergarten students to “write”, they must first be given the opportunity to speak
and put words together orally, to form a sentence they can later write. You will find
that some Junior Kindergarten students have excellent language skills and will be
able to express their ideas in sentences easily, while others will not, and will need
practice putting together a few words to make a simple sentence. It is, therefore,
very important that these students practice speaking in the sharing circle before
they are expected to write in their journal. Once students have shared, they are
better prepared to draw a picture or write a sentence in their journal that is related
to the character trait they are learning. Make sure key vocabulary words are on the
word wall or whiteboard for students to refer to when they are writing. Students
can be assisted and supported in their writing by giving them a sentence starter,
such as:
I am thankful for_________________________.
I show thankfulness by _________________.
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This can be printed in the journal or glued into the journal if it is printed on a
words to finish the sentence with their idea.

Explain to students that for the month of October, their character education journal
will become a thankfulness journal. Encourage students to print or draw one thing
for which they are thankful, each day. Extend the activity for those who are ready, to
explain why they are thankful for a person or a thing.

Printing Skills
In a Junior Kindergarten class, there will be a wide range of abilities in printing skills.
Some students will be learning to hold pencils, crayons, and markers properly,
copy words from the word wall or from classroom charts and others will be able to
print random alphabet letters, or string letters together to form words.
It is critical that each student be encouraged to write at his/her developmental level
and that writing be modeled for them on a one to one basis, in small groups or in a
large group during Shared Writing.

Journal Sharing
share what they have written in their journal, after writing. Different ways that
• having each student take a turn to read their response to the class by
choosing a few students to share each day
• photocopying their journal writing to display on the character
education board
• -including their journal writing in the monthly school newsletter.

poems, chants and stories, therefore, it is very important to try to integrate and
teach character education values in this way, whenever possible. The importance of
learning.

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Word Work Centre

Use magnetic letters, cut out letters, stamp letters and play dough letters, and
provide students with the letters for thankfulness. Allow students plenty of time to
explore these letters and work with them to make random combinations of letters
and/or words. Make paper available for students to record their words, if they
choose to.

Chain of Thankfulness
Students can help create a paper chain of Thankfulness for the classroom.
Brainstorm with students about someone or something for whom and for what they
are thankful. Print each student’s answer on chart paper with a corresponding
picture next to it for students to read and later draw or print onto a chain link. Give
each student a piece of construction paper in the shape of a chain link. Ask students
to look at the chart and find one word that says what they are thankful for. Tell your
students to either draw what they are thankful for on the chain link, print the word
on it, or do both. Each link can then be attached to another, so that it forms one long
chain of thankfulness to hang in the classroom.

The Thankful Book by: Todd Parr

Introduce the Lesson: Tell students that they will be learning about thankfulness.
Ask students: What things are you thankful for?

Activate Learning: Read the title, The Thankful Book by: Todd Parr
Show students the cover of the book and Ask: What do you see on the cover of this
book? What do you think this story is about?

Summarize the Story:
This story talks about all the different things children can be thankful for, such as
everyday activities like reading, bath time and kisses, to big family meals together
and special time with mom and dad.

Read the Story: While reading the book, stop on each page to read the pictures with
your students. Ask students to tell you what they are seeing, and what the pictures
make them think about. Discuss the different things for which the children in the
book are thankful.

After Reading: Ask students: Do you know the name of a holiday that we celebrate
to show thankfulness? Take answers from your students and write the word
Thanksgiving on chart paper. Help students say the word by slowly working
through the letters and sounds. Then ask your students: Can you think of something
for which you are thankful?

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Record each student’s answer on chart paper and beside each answer, place a
picture that corresponds to the word to assist students’ reading development.
Then ask students: Are there any animals you think about when we celebrate
Thanksgiving? (Students should say Turkey). Record the word Turkey onto the chart
paper and again help students say the word by slowly working through the letters
and sounds.

Thanksgiving Turkeys
As a follow up activity, tell students that they will be making their own turkey to
show what they are thankful for. Hand each student a piece of colored paper. Ask if
anyone knows how to trace his or her hand. Have a student demonstrate this by
spreading his/her fingers and tracing around the fingers, thumb and hand.
Demonstrate this again, by tracing your thumb, fingers and hand and leave the
examples on the board for students to refer to.
Explain that the thumb is the turkey’s head and the fingers are the feathers. Show
students how to draw turkey feet under the body and then instruct them to color
their turkey.
Be aware that you may need to assist students with both tracing and cutting,
depending on their fine motor/ scissor skills.
After the turkeys have been colored and cut out, give each student two or three pre-
cut turkey feathers made from construction paper, with the sentence starter:
I am thankful for _______________, printed onto it.

Refer students to the chart paper where they earlier provided answers about what
they were thankful for and explain that they should pick one word/picture to finish
their sentence. Remind them to use the pictures on the chart to help them find the
word they want to write on their feathers. Some students will be able to find their
word on the chart and copy it, others will sound out the letters for their word and
some students will draw a picture. Once the printing has been completed, allow each
student to select and read one turkey feather to the class and explain that they will
use this feather to play: Pin the Feather on the Turkey.

Pin the Feather on the Turkey
Put a large picture of a turkey on the board at the front of your class. Call each
student to the front of the room to pin their feather, but before allowing this, they
must again read their feather to the class. The game is modified so that instead of
students being blindfolded, they are spun around three times and then sent to pin
their feather in the right spot. Once the game has been played, students can reclaim
their feather and glue it, along with their other two feathers, onto the thanksgiving
turkey that they made using their hand.

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What will show growth?

Students will tell the things and people they are thankful for.
Students will say “thank you” when they receive something from another person.
Students will be able to explain what Thanksgiving is.

Books/Resources

Raz Kids I Am Thankful
Thank you, Everyone
Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree
Todd Parr The Thankful Book

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November - Courage

Courage is being brave and having the strength to face and overcome fears. It takes
courage to try new things, to finish difficult tasks, and to try something on your own
for the very first time.
Courage helps you stand up for what is right, even though it is difficult and even
when those around you are not doing the right thing.
Courage helps you tell the truth and admit when you have made mistakes, regardless
of the consequences.
Courage is following your conscience instead of the crowd and it is being able to
apologize to others when you have done something wrong.
Courage can be many different things to many different people:
-a fireman saving someone from a fire
-a person standing up to a bully
-a person playing an instrument at a music recital.

Vocabulary
Apologize, brave, courage, fear, scared, strength, community helpers, difficult,
consequence, mistake, and apologize.

Discussion Starters
What is courage?
Can you think of some community helpers who have courage?
What things are you afraid of?
How do you show courage?

Sentence Starters
I show courage when I _______________.
__________ is courageous because _____.
It takes courage to ____________________.

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with your students about courage. You can do this by
printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person
showing courage.
Some examples are:
-Tom went to bed in the dark.
-Ann told a bully to stop hurting her.
When you print the message, draw a picture above the words, whenever possible, to
assist your students in reading and understanding the message. Also, try to include
the names of students in your classroom, so that students learn to recognize and
read the names of their friends. Practice reading the message with your students
several times, and discuss how the message describes courageous behavior.
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in a discussion about courage. This can be done by stopping on every page and
taken with the classroom camera, that demonstrate courage, are other ways to show
students examples of it. A picture of a person at the start line of a race, or a picture of
a fireman, putting out a fire, will initiate a conversation about courage.

Sharing Circle
In your sharing circle each morning, take turns to name a person who is courageous
and have students say how that person demonstrates courage. This could be a
community helper, a person standing up to a bully, going into the ocean for the first
time or going to bed without a night light. At this young age, it takes courage for
some students to simply ask a question or offer an answer when asked a question.
Challenge your students to answer a question that you ask, ask for help with
something they are struggling with or share a special talent in front of the class, such
as: singing, playing a song with an instrument, doing a dance, or reading a poem.
Other ways to teach and engage students in learning about courage is through

Using Character Education Journals with Junior Kindergarten students, provides a
able to express their ideas in sentences easily, while others will not, and will need
very important, that these students practice speaking in the sharing circle before
to the character trait they are learning.
Make sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard for students to
refer to when they are writing. Students can be assisted and supported in their
writing by giving them a sentence starter, such as:
I show courage by _________________.
It takes courage to_________________.
19


Explain to students that for the month of November, their character education
journal will become a journal about courage. Encourage students to print or draw a
picture of someone demonstrating courage. Extend the activity for those who are
ready by asking them to write about how a person shows courage.

Printing Skills
others will be able to draw simple or detailed pictures, there will be some students
able to copy words from the word wall or from classroom charts and others will be
able to print random alphabet letters, or string letters together to form words. It is
critical that each student be encouraged to write at his/her developmental level and
that writing be modeled for them on a one to one basis, in small groups or in a large

Journal Sharing
share what they have written in their journal, after writing. Different ways that
• having each student take a turn to read their response to the class
by choosing a few students to share each day
• photocopying journal writing to display on the character education board
• including journal writing in the monthly school newsletter.

skills. These activities are interactive and engaging and students learn to hear and
learning.

20

Word Work Centre

Use magnetic letters, cut out letters, stamp letters and play dough letters and
provide students with the letters for courage. Allow students plenty of time to
choose to.

Courage by: Bernard Waber

Introduce the lesson: Tell students that today they will be learning about courage
from a book that you are going to read.

Activate Learning: Read the title, Courage by: Bernard Waber
Show students the cover of the book and ask: What do you see on the cover? What
do you think this story is about?

Summarize the Story: This story is about different kinds of courage. It takes a lot
of courage for a fireman to rescue someone trapped in a burning building, but there
are many other kinds of courage as well. People show courage every day, “like going
to bed without a night light”, “being the first one to make up after an argument” or
going into the water at the beach, for the very first time.

Read the Story: While reading, stop on every page to read the pictures with your
students. Ask students what they are seeing and what the pictures say. Discuss the
different kinds of courage as you read the book; these could include: the courage it
takes to do new activities such as swimming or skating, the courage it takes to stand
up for a friend who is teased, the courage to tell the truth even when it might get you
in trouble, the courage it takes to try something new, the courage it takes to be a
firefighter or a police officer.

After Reading: Ask students: Can you think of a time when you were afraid and
showed courage? What did you do? Record each student’s answer on chart paper
and beside each idea, place a picture, so that students can read the words and
pictures together.

Many kinds of Courage
Explain to your students that they will be making a class book called, “Many Kinds of
Courage”. Provide each student with a piece of card stock with a sentence strip
glued onto it that says, “There are many kinds of courage. Awesome kinds. And
everyday kinds. Still, courage is courage — Whatever kind.” I showed
courage when I ___________________.
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Assist students in completing their sentence, as some will be able to copy a word(s),
and some will need help to sound out a word and some will simply draw a picture.
After students have finished their sentence, ask them to draw and color a picture to
accompany their kind of courage. Bind together each page and title the book, “Many
Kinds of Courage”.

Badge of Courage
Read several books to students about people who show courage. Ask students to
think of someone at home or in school, who has shown courage. This could be a
mom or a dad, a brother or sister, a relative or friend, a teacher, a coach, a school
counselor or an administrator. Explain that each student will make a courage badge
to present to the person they have chosen. As a class, create a symbol that
represents courage; this could include: a star, a bear, an eagle, a blazing fire, a shield,
a sword, a heart, or a space rocket.
Provide each student with a badge of courage made from poster paper, with the
symbol that was chosen and designed by the class, drawn in the middle of it. Provide
students with markers and crayons to color the badge of courage, as well as a safety
pin, to pin the badge to the chest of the courageous person, they have chosen to
honor. Have students deliver the badges or create a special ceremony with a song
and/or music, at which to present the badges.

Perform A Poem About Courage
Teach students a poem about courage and explain that they will perform this poem
at an assembly or a concert. Discuss with students how they feel about reciting a
new poem in front of people they do not know. Do they feel afraid or scared? Do
they need courage? Practice the poem with your students many times, in order to
build their confidence and their courage; as it is important that this is a positive
experience. Arrange for your students to perform this poem at a school assembly or
a school event. After the performance, talk with students about how it felt to be
performing in front of others, for the first time. Ask: Do you think you will feel the
same way, the next time you perform before an audience?

Courage Poem
Courage can mean many things,
Like being brave and facing fears,
With courage you stand up for what is right,
Like stopping a bully, from hurting a peer,
Courage helps you tell the truth,
To admit when you make a mistake,
With courage you face difficult tasks,
And with courage you’ll always fight hate.
HAVE COURAGE!
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Courage Board
Read GO AWAY BIG GREEN MONSTER by: Ed Emberley
After reading the book, create a courage board by asking students to share with the
group, the things that they are afraid of and that scare or worry them (storms,
snakes, etc.). Record students’ answers on poster board using pictures and words
whenever possible, to assist reading skills.
What will Show Growth

Students will choose to follow classroom rules, even if others do not.
Students will own up to their mistakes and accept the consequences for their
behavior.
Confidence will build in students and they will have the courage to try something
new.
Books/Resources
My First Class Play
Bernard Waber Courage
Kathryn Otoshi One
Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees Giraffes Can’t Dance
Audrey Penn Chester the Brave
23

December Generosity

Generosity is an attitude of sharing, caring and giving. It is freely sharing what you
have with others and giving to others because you want to, not because you have to,
or because you expect something in return. Generosity is giving away something
that you value for the joy of giving.

Sharing and giving is also a way to show friendship and love. When you are
generous, you put the needs of others before your own and find ways to share what
you have. Generous people are often willing to give their time, attention, and
kindness to the people they care about and will try to think of different ways to make
the people they care about, happy. Generosity is a positive action and can inspire the
people around you to be generous, as well.

Vocabulary
Family, friends, generous, generosity, give, share, cost, gift, inspiring, joy, pleasure.

Discussion Starters
What is something you could share with a friend/ sibling/ parent/ grandparent?
Sometimes being generous means taking time to do something for someone. What is
an example of a time that you were generous with your time?
How does being generous make you feel?
How do you think it makes others feel?
Do all gifts have to cost money? Give an example of a gift that costs nothing?

Sentence Starters
I can share…
I show generosity by…
I am generous because I share...
I am generous when I give…

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with your students about generosity. You can do this
by printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person
showing generosity.
Some examples are:
-Jane gave Tom her cookie.
-Ann gave Sue her mittens.
several times and discuss how the message describes generous behavior.
24


in a discussion about generosity. This can be done by stopping on every page and
taken with the classroom camera that demonstrate generosity are other ways to
show students examples of it. A picture of a person handing out food to others or
giving money to a charity will initiate a conversation about generosity.

Sharing Circle
In your sharing circle each morning, take turns to name a person who is generous
and how that person demonstrates generosity. Ask students to tell of a time they
gave something away to someone or shared something with another person.
Examples of this could be a parent bringing a treat for the entire class, a student
giving her classmates stickers she brought from home or a friend breaking her only
cookie in half in order to share it. Other ways to teach and engage students in
learning about generosity are through chants, rhymes, action songs and role-play.

able to express their ideas in sentences easily, while others will not and will need
practice putting together a few words to make a simple sentence. It is therefore,
very important that these students practice speaking in the Sharing Circle before
they are expected to write in their journal.
Once students have shared, they are better prepared to draw a picture or write a
sentence in their journal that is related to the character trait they are learning. Make
sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard to which students
may refer when they are writing. Students can be assisted and supported in their
I show generosity by___________.
I am generous when____________.
25

Explain to students that for the month of December, their character education
journal will become a journal about generosity. Encourage students to print or draw
a picture a few times a week that shows how they have been generous.

Printing Skills
copy words from the Word Wall or from classroom charts and others will be able to
that each student be encouraged to write at his/her own developmental level and
that writing be modeled for them on a one to one basis, in small groups or in a large

Journal Sharing
share what they have written in their journal, after writing. Different ways students
can share are by:
• by photocopying their journal writing to display on the character education
board
• by including their journal writing in the monthly school newsletter.

poems, chants and stories, therefore it is very important to try to integrate and teach
character education values in this way, whenever possible. The importance of
learning.

Word Work Centre
provide students with the letters for generosity. Allow students plenty of time to
choose to.

26

Centres and Play Time

Whenever it is playtime or center time, or when students are playing as a group,
remind them to share materials with everyone in the group. Circulate through the
centers to encourage generosity and “fair” sharing.
Just Because - A Story of Generosity by: Amber Housey
Introduce the Lesson: Tell your students that they will be learning about
generosity. Explain that another word for generosity is, giving to others. Ask
students: Can anyone tell us what it means to be generous? How can you show
generosity?
Activate Learning: Show students the cover of the book and read its title, Just
Because by: Amber Housey. Ask students: What do you think this story will be
about? What are the pictures telling you could happen in this story? Do you think
the people in the story will be generous and giving?
Summarize the Story: This is a story about two different families and both families
are generous and give to those in need. Each story teaches us that no matter how
young a person is or even if you do not have a lot of money or possessions, you can
make a difference by giving to some one in need.
Read the Story: While reading, stop on every page to read the pictures with your
students. Ask students what they are seeing in the pictures and what is happening in
the story. Discuss the different ways that the children and parents demonstrate
generosity and what they give to those in need.
Questions you may want to ask your students:

1. In the first story, what do the mom and dad want to do? (Give away clothes and
toys they no longer need.)
2. What is it called when you share like that? (Being generous, showing generosity.)
3. How did the kids feel about giving away their things at first? (They didn’t want
to.)
4. When the children went back to their room, what did they realize? (They had
enough stuff, so decided to give some of it to others in need.)
5. In the flipside story what was different? (This family was poor, they had even
less to give away, but still managed to find things to give away.)
6. What was their purpose? (To give to others “just because”.)
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After Reading: Ask students: Can you think of three things you would be willing to
share? Can you think of ways you can show your generosity at school, or at home?
Conclude the lesson with the understanding that one way to show generosity is by
sharing what you have with others and that being generous makes a difference in the
lives of those who are in need.
Collecting Coins at Christmas

As the Christmas holidays approach, non-profit groups often ask for gifts to give to
underprivileged children. Ask students: Would you like to collect change so that we
can buy some toys for children who won’t have any presents under their Christmas
tree? Explain to students that some families don’t have enough money to buy
presents at Christmas, but if all the children in class collect and save coins to put in a
classroom piggy bank, they will be able to give a gift to a child who would not
otherwise get one.

Make a class piggy bank out of a large clear plastic bottle so that students can see
their money as they put it in and can watch it grow. A large pop bottle works well if
you lay it on its side and cut a slit large enough to fit different sized coins. Keep the
lid on the bottle to act as a snout and decorate the bottle to look like a pink pig; you
can use pink ribbon or material to wrap around the bottle for its body. Make ears
and a curly tail and attach these. Be sure to send a letter home to parents explaining
the project and asking to send their children to school with a few coins. Allow time
every day for students to add their money to the piggy bank.
Piggy Face
To keep students engaged in giving, they will each make a piggy face. To do this,
collect plastic lids from coffee cans and give each student a lid to use as a base for
their piggy face. Also, give students a pattern of a pig’s face, scissors, crayons, glue,
two googly eyes and a curled pipe cleaner for the pig’s tail.

Demonstrate for students how to color the different parts of the pig’s face and then
cut them out and glue the nose, eyes and ears onto the main face piece. Put your
example on the board for students to refer to as they make their face. As students
are working, circulate, and assist those who need help with cutting and gluing. Once
the pieces of the pig face have dried, students can glue on googly eyes and then glue
the entire pig face onto the coffee lid. To finish the pig, assist students in taping or
stapling the curly tail onto the back of the lid.
Display the pigs on a bulletin board titled: Collecting Coins at Christmas with
Little Piggy’s!
28

29

Puppets and Role Play

Start a discussion with your students about generosity by reading the following
scenarios:
1. It is snack time and a classmate is crying because he can’t find his snack, what
could you do to help that would show your generosity? Some suggestions are:
*share part of your snack
*help look for the missing snack
2. Your teacher gives the class a picture to colour but your friend can’t find her
crayons or markers, what could you do to help that would show your generosity?
Some suggestions are:
*Share your crayons and markers
*Help look for her crayons and markers
3. Everyone is given a poppy for Remembrance Day but your friend is crying because
he lost his, what could you do to help that would show your generosity?
Some suggestions are:
*Help your friend look for his poppy
*Give your friend your poppy
Discuss each scenario and use puppets to act them out. Two puppets per scenario
will be needed. Once you have modeled each scenario, call upon two students at a
time to use the puppets to act out the scenes as you read them. Provide guidance as
needed.
Classroom Sharing
Decide on an object to distribute to the class, such as beads, stickers, or seashells.
Have students sit in a circle or at their desks and instruct them to keep their eyes
closed as you pass out the material. When you distribute the beads, stickers or shells,
do this unevenly by giving some students 1, or 2 items and other students 3, 4, or
more items. Have your students open their eyes and their hands to observe how
much material each of them received. Arrange students into pairs and instruct them
to share the material they have with each other so that they both have the same
amount and it has been fairly shared. You may need to assist students in counting
and sharing the material so that everyone receives their fair share.
After the activity it is important to talk as a class by asking the following questions:
• How did it feel not to receive anything?
• How did it feel to receive a lot?
30

• Do you think it is fair that some students received nothing and others
received a lot?
• How did it feel to share with someone or have someone share with you?

Students will show a willingness to help and share with others without complaining
or being reminded to do so.
There will be a classroom culture of helping and sharing.
Students will share materials, space and time in the classroom, school and on the
playground.

Books/ Resources
Amber Housey Just Because
Raz Kids The Drum
Marcus Pfister The Rainbow Fish
Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree

31

January - Respect and Responsibility

This month respect and responsibility are being revisited with a focus on identifying
respectful and responsible behavior.

What is Respect?
Respect is showing consideration to others and yourself and to school materials that
you are working with. When you are respectful, you place value in others and show
that you care about their feelings and their well-being. Being respectful means that
you treat others the way you would like to be treated; this is known as the Golden
Rule. When you have respect for someone, you listen to them when they are
speaking, talk to them politely and if you have borrowed something, you use it with
care and return it in good condition. When you are respectful, you appreciate and
accept differences in others and resolve problems peacefully, talking them out until a
solution is found. Some places where you can practice respect, are at home, at school,
on the bus, at the store, on the playground and when you play at a friend’s house.
Everyone has the right to live with respect and dignity regardless of race, ability or
social status. It is important to be respectful everywhere you go, even when no one
is watching!

What is Responsibility?
Responsibility is carrying out a task, duty or an obligation when you say you will do
it. If you are a responsible person, you do not quit, which means that you complete
the jobs you set out to do and work hard to finish them, even if you don’t want to.
When you are responsible, you do your job to the best of your ability and work until
the task is completed and you have achieved your goal. If you are a responsible
person, others can trust you and can count on you to do what you say you will do.
Some responsibilities that you may have at school or at home are feeding a pet, doing
your homework or cleaning your room. It is important to practice responsibilities in
preparation for later life when you will assume more responsibilities at home, in
school and in the community.

When you are responsible you:
-Use things in the proper way
-Put things where they belong
-Follow rules and try your best, even when no one is watching.

Vocabulary
Chores, duty, task, excuse me, job, manners, please, difference, respect, respectful,
responsible, responsibility, sorry, thank you, the golden rule.

Discussion Starters
What is respect?
32

Why is it important to be responsible and respectful?

Sentence Starters
I show respect by…
I show respect for _____ by…
I am responsible for…
I show responsibility by…

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about respect and responsibility. You
person being respectful or responsible. Some examples are:
-Anne shared the toys with Sue.
-Nancy put the books away.
several times, and discuss how the message describes respectful or responsible
behavior.

in a discussion on respect and responsibility. This can be done by stopping on every
page and studying and reading the pictures throughout the story. This will help
students understand what is happening in the story and initiate a discussion on the
taken with the classroom camera are other ways to show students examples of
respect and responsibility. A picture of a child listening to another person speak is
an example of respect and a picture of a child feeding a pet is an example of
responsibility.

Sharing Circle
Review the rules and routines for the Sharing Circle by reading the anchor chart and
discussing how respect for each other must be demonstrated when a person is
sharing. This means that students will listen and look when another student is
speaking, have quiet hands and feet, and will wait to hold the sharing stick before
speaking.

33

In your sharing circle each morning, take turns to talk about a responsibility at home
or at school or talk about one way to show respect to another person. Other ways to
teach and engage students in learning about respect and responsibility are through

trait you are teaching. It is essential however, that before expecting Junior
Kindergarten students to “write”, they first must be given the opportunity to speak
and put words together orally, to form a sentence they can later write in their
Journal. You will find that some students have excellent language skills and will be
able to express their ideas in sentences easily, while others will not and will need
very important that these students practice speaking in the sharing circle before
to the character trait they are learning. Make sure key vocabulary words are on the
word wall or whiteboard to which students may refer when they are writing.
Students can be assisted and supported in their writing by giving them a sentence
starter, such as:
I show respect by________________.
I am responsible when__________.

Printing Skills
others will be able to draw simple or detailed pictures; some students will be able to
copy words from the Word Wall or from classroom charts and others will be able to
that each student be encouraged to write at his/her developmental level and that

Journal Sharing
share what they have written in their journal, after writing.

34

Different ways that students can share are by:

• having each student take a turn to read his/her response to the class
board

teach character education values in this way whenever possible. The importance of
learning.

Word Work Centre
provide students the letters for respect and responsibility. Allow students plenty of
letters and/or words. Make paper available for students to record their words, if
they choose to.

Vocabulary
Chores, duty, task, excuse me, job, manners, please, respect, respectful, responsible,
responsibility, sorry, thank you, unique, friend, writing, friendship, self-esteem,
appreciation, differences, and unique.

Discussion Starters
What is respect?
Why is it important to be respectful?
.
What Would You Do?
Give each student two signs made from a small paper plate with a craft stick glued to
each one. One sign should have the word “Yes” printed on it and the other sign
should have the word “No”. Tell students to lay their signs down on the floor in front
of them and to listen carefully as you read some stories about being responsible and
irresponsible. Tell students that after every story they must decide if the person
acted responsibly or irresponsibly.
35

If the person showed responsibility, they should pick up the yes sign and if the
person was irresponsible, they should pick up the no sign.

1. Tommy is playing at the block centre. At clean up time he goes to his table for
snack and leaves all the blocks on the floor. Is Tommy following rules and being
responsible? Yes or no?

2. Your teacher tells Lisa that she must be responsible for learning and must finish
her printing before she goes to centres. Lisa hands her paper in but has not finished
her printing. Is Lisa being responsible for her learning? Yes or no?

3. It is snack time and Johnny sits down and starts eating before washing his hands.
Is Johnny being responsible and following the rule to wash hands before eating. Yes
or no?

4. Every morning the teacher asks everyone to get their reading book out of their
backpack and put it into the teacher’s basket. Mary doesn’t get her book from her
backpack. Is she being responsible? Yes or no?

If students experience difficulty understanding these scenarios, they can act them
out with puppets.

It's Okay to be Different

Introduce the Lesson: Tell students that they will be learning that people are
different from each other in some ways and are the same as each other in some
ways, but everyone deserves respect.

Activate Learning:
Show students the cover of the book and read its title:
It’s Okay to be Different by: Todd Parr.
Ask students: what does “the same" and "different" mean? Call on several students
who are wearing the same colour, to come and stand at the front of the room.
Ask: What is "the same" about these students? Ask: What is "different" about these
students? Record students’ answers on a T chart:

We Are The Same We Are Different
Same coloured t-shirt Different coloured hair
Same eye colour Different heights - short and tall
Ask students: What do you think this story will be about? Do you think the people in
the story will be the same or different?
36

Summarize the Story: This story tells us that it’s okay to be different from each
other. It's okay to need help, it's okay to have different skin colour, it's okay to talk
about your feelings. Everyone is different and that is okay.

Read the Story: As you read, stop on every page to read the pictures with your
students. Ask students what they are seeing and what the pictures are telling about
the story. As you read, stop and discuss the ways that people are the same and the
ways they are different.
We’re All Good Eggs

As a follow up activity, present the class with a brown egg in a bowl and a white egg
in a bowl. Allow plenty of time for students to explore the two eggs and touch them,
hold them, feel the weight of them and the texture of the eggs. Ask: What do the
eggs feel like? Are they the same weight? The same size? Do they smell the same?
Record students’ answers on the T chart used earlier but with the title, How the Eggs
are the Same … How the Eggs are Different.
Next, ask students: What will the eggs look like on the inside, once they are cracked
open? Crack the eggs, the brown egg in one bowl, and the white egg in the other,
and explain that even though the eggs look different on the outside, they are the
same on the inside. Ask students: Are the inside of the eggs the same colour? Are
the yolks the same colour? Are they the same size? Do both eggs have a clear, slimy
part to them? Fill in the T Chart with students’ answers.
Explain to students that we are like the eggs, even though we look different on the
outside, we are the same on the inside; we all have feelings; mad, sad and glad, we all
need to eat and drink, we all like to play, we all go to school.
Making Masks
Tell your students that they will be making a mask of their face. Provide each
student with a paper plate, yarn of different colors, paper eyes to color and different
colored paints for skin color. Demonstrate how they should look at their skin colour
and pick a paint colour that matches it. Once they have selected a colour, do not let
them start painting until you have checked their selection. Assist students who have
chosen the wrong skin colour. Explain to students that they will use yarn for their
hair and that they should choose the yarn that is the same colour as their hair. Also
explain that people have different eye colour, and that people’s eyes can be brown,
green, hazel or blue. Instruct them to colour their paper eyes the same colour as
their own eyes. Provide little mirrors if possible or circulate and assist as necessary.
When the class is finished making their masks, display them on a bulletin board with
the title: We Are the Same and Different
37


Students will demonstrate respect for themselves by washing their hands before
eating.
Students will willingly apologize when they make a mistake.
Students will speak politely to each other.
Students will put materials away after using them.
Books/Resources
Raz Kids Clean, Not Clean
Nice, Not Nice
Quiet or Loud
We Make Good Choices
Julia Cook My Mouth is a Volcano
Cheryl J.Meiners Respect and Take Care of Things
Todd Parr It’s Okay to be Different
38

February Love
Love is an emotion and a feeling that fills your heart. Love is being thoughtful and
generous to others and is using caring words and actions to help others. Love is
treating people and things with special care because they are of great value to you.
Love and kindness are wonderful gifts to give to others and can be shown in a smile,
kind words, doing something thoughtful or giving someone a hug. Being loving is
choosing to care for others; it is giving from the heart, it touches the hearts of others,
and leaves a good feeling inside your heart.
Vocabulary
Feeling, family, friend, happy, heart, love, giving, thoughtful, kindness, emotion, and
care.

Discussion Starters
Who do you love? Why do you love that person?
How can you show love?
Who loves you?
How do you know when someone loves you?

Sentence Starters
I love…
I love ____ because…
I show love by …

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about love. You can do this by printing a
short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person being loving and
kind. Some examples are:
-Tom’s mom gave him a big hug.
-Matt held Susie’s hand.
several times, and discuss how the message describes love and kindness.

Reading a picture book about love, kindness and caring, from the classroom library,
is another way to engage students in a discussion about love. This can be done by
stopping on every page and studying and reading the pictures throughout the story.
This will help students understand what is happening in the story and will initiate a
discussion on the character trait you are teaching.
39

kindness and love. A picture of a child hugging another person or a mother rocking a
baby are examples of love.

Sharing Circle
In your sharing circle each morning, take turns to name a person you love, a place
you love to visit, a food you love or a friend with whom you love to play. Other ways
to teach and engage students in learning about caring for others and love are
through chants, rhymes, action songs and role-play.

ideas in sentences easily, while others will not and will need practice putting
together a few words to make a simple sentence. It is, therefore, very important, that
these students practice speaking in the Sharing Circle before they are expected to
a picture or write a sentence in their journal that is related to the character trait they
are learning. Make sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard to
which students may refer when they are writing. Students can be assisted and
supported in their writing by giving them a sentence starter, such as:
I love_________________.
I show love by_______.

Printing Skills
others will be able to draw simple or detailed pictures; some will be able to copy
words from the word wall or from classroom charts and others will be able to print
random alphabet letters or string letters together to form words. It is critical that
each student be encouraged to write at his/her developmental level and that writing
be modeled for them on a one to one basis, in small groups or in a large group during
Shared Writing.

40

Journal Sharing
character journal prior to writing, it is equally important to take time for students to
• having each student take a turn to read their response to the class, choosing a
few students to share each day
• photocopying journal writing to display on the character education board

poems, chants and stories, therefore, it is important to try to integrate and teach
character education values in this way, whenever possible.
The importance of rhyming text must be recognized as having a great impact on
early literacy and learning.

Word Work Centre
provide students with the letters for love, caring, and kindness. Allow students
plenty of time to explore these letters and work with them to make random
combinations of letters and/or words. Make paper available for students to record
their words, if they choose to.
Loving Heart Collage

Have a discussion with students and explain that the shape of a heart is used to
represent love. Post a large red heart on the board at the front of the class. Tell
students that they will make a class collage, by cutting a picture out of a magazine
that shows loving behavior and then gluing it onto the classroom heart. After
students have cut out a picture, gather them together to share their picture and then
instruct them to glue their picture onto the heart, to create a class collage of love.
The Big Book of Love by: Trace Moroney
Introduce the Lesson: Explain to students that they will be learning about different
kinds of love and different ways of showing love.
Activate Learning: Show students the cover of the book and read its title, The Big
Book of Love by: Trace Moroney
41

Ask students: What do you think this story will be about? Tell students that as you
read the book you want them to think of the people they love, the things they love,
and how they show love.
Write these categories on chart paper:
How I Show Love In
People I Love People I Love Things I Love Things I Love
Words Actions Words Actions
Summarize the Story: This is a story about a little bunny who loves different
people and different things. The story tells us how the bunny shows his love in
different ways.
Read the Story: As you read, stop on every page to read the pictures with your
students. Ask students to look carefully at the pictures so they can get all the details
of the story.
Caring Words and Caring Actions

After reading, discuss what happened in the story and brainstorm with your
students about the people they love, the ways they show love in words and actions,
and the things they love. Record students’ answers on the chart under each
category. Help students think of loving words to write, such as: sweetheart, honey,
dear, or phrases such as: I love you, I care for you, you are the best, you are special
and help students think of loving actions, such as: making cards, giving hugs, smiling
and greeting others, making gifts, helping someone who is upset, saying kind words,
making a special treat or gift for someone.
Help students learn to use kind words by using them yourself, by practicing them
with your students and by reading the words on the chart.
42

Loving actions can be taught by modeling them for your students and by using
puppets or stuffed toys to act out and demonstrate loving behaviors.
Heart Shape Bird Feeder

Tell students that the class will show love towards the earth by making a birdseed
feeder. Give each student a heart shaped piece of cardboard and punch a hole into
the top of it. Provide students with a paintbrush and a small container of corn syrup
and peanut butter mixed together. Instruct students to paint their heart with this
mixture, covering the whole surface of the heart. Next, give each student a container
of birdseed and tell him or her to sprinkle it, over the heart. Collect the birdseed
hearts and allow to dry. Give each student a red ribbon and demonstrate how to
thread it through the hole at the top of the heart. Students may need help with this,
as well as needing help to make a bow. Now the bird feeder is ready to hang in a
tree.

Students will talk kindly to one another.
Students will choose to write about loving behavior in their journals.
Students will make small gifts at the craft center to give to people they care about.
43

Books/Resources
Trace Moroney The Book of Love
Raz Kids Books:

Cinderella- Fairy Tale
Dad and I For Mom
Moms Do So Much
My Little Brother
Show Some Love
Taking Care of Chase
Robert Munsch Love You Forever
Audrey Penn The Kissing hand
Audrey Penn Pocket Full of Kisses
Monica Sheehan Love You & Me
44

March Empathy
Empathy is being able to understand another person's thoughts, feelings, and actions
from their point of view, not from your own. Empathy is being able to see and feel
things as others see and feel them and being able to put yourself in someone else’s
shoes. When we are able to do this, we develop empathy and have a better
understanding of other people. With empathy we are able to accept them, respect
them, and have compassion for them.
You can develop empathy for others by being aware of your own feelings and being
able to describe them, name them, and express them. This awareness makes it
possible to read and recognize the emotions of other people. When you practice
naming and describing your own emotions, you will be more likely to talk about
them and recognize how others feel. It is important to remember that all feelings are
valid and it is the way we manage them that can affect those around us.
When something happens to someone, it is important to put yourself in his/her

shoes and think about the way you would feel in his/her situation. Remember the
golden rule; treat others the way you want to be treated. Showing empathy can be
as simple as listening to another person or offering to help them. Showing empathy
makes others feel safe and cared for.

Vocabulary
Care, empathy, feel, happy, help, sad, sympathy, validate, body language, and facial
expression.

Discussion Starters
What makes you feel happy, sad, lonely, nervous, angry, frustrated?
How do you act or look when you feel this way?
How do you know how others are feeling?
How can you show you are listening?

Sentence Starters
I can show empathy by …
Empathy is …

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about empathy. You can do this by
printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person being
empathetic.
45

-I was sad so Sam sat beside me.

-I looked at Sue and she smiled so I smiled too.
assist your students in reading and understanding the message.
Also, try to include the names of students in your classroom, so that students learn to
recognize and read the names of their friends. Practice reading the message with
your students several times, and discuss how the message describes love and
kindness.

Reading a picture book about having different feelings, from your classroom library,
is another way to engage students in a discussion about empathy. This can be done
by stopping on every page and studying and reading the pictures throughout the
story. This will help students understand what is happening in the story and will
initiate a discussion on the character trait you are teaching.
having empathy. A picture of a mom hugging her crying child, is an example of
empathy.

Sharing Circle
In your sharing circle each morning, take turns and allow time for everyone to share
how they are feeling that day. Validate their feelings, by repeating back what they
said, and include the feelings they expressed. If a student says he is sad because his
dog is sick, validate the feeling by saying, “It sounds like Tom is sad today because
his dog is sick”. By modelling this behavior, eventually you will be able to ask your
students to validate the feelings of their classmates by labeling the feeling that was
expressed. Other ways to teach and engage students in learning empathy is through

together a few words to make a simple sentence. It is, therefore, very important, that
these students practice speaking in the sharing circle before they are expected to
are learning.
46

Make sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard for students to
refer to when they are writing. Students can be assisted and supported in their
I show empathy when I _______.
Empathy is _____________________.

Printing Skills
others will be able to draw simple or detailed pictures, some will be able to copy
random alphabet letters, or string letters together to form words. It is critical that
Shared Writing.

Journal Sharing
board

learning.

47

Word Work Centre

provide students with the letters for feelings; sad, happy, and mad. Allow students
their words, if they choose to.

Identifying Emotions
Gather students together and put a large poster on the chalkboard that shows many
different facial expressions of many different feelings. This poster should include
happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, fear, frustration, surprise and boredom.
Review with the class, all the feelings shown on the poster, by pointing to each face
and naming the feeling that it shows. Once this has been done, randomly point to
one of the faces, and ask a student to name the feeling that the face shows. Continue
with this until each student has had a turn to name different emotions. Do this
activity in reverse by naming an emotion and asking a student to walk up to the
poster and point to the face that shows the feeling.

Mirror Feelings Game
Organize students to work with a partner and assign one partner to be the leader
and the other partner to be the follower. Tell students that you will be naming
different feelings and explain that the leader in the pair must show the feeling in his
face and the follower must then copy the leader, like a mirror image. Be sure to have
a poster at the front of the room to practice different emotions with students before
the activity begins. Also, focus initially on key emotions that students are familiar
with, such as: happiness, sadness, anger, fear and excitement. When students are
first practicing, it would be helpful to have small mirrors available, so they can see
their face as they express the emotions. Be sure to switch roles, so each student can
be follower and the leader.
In closing this activity, ask all students who want to demonstrate an emotion, to put
their hand up. Call them, one at a time to the front of the class, to show a feeling. To
make it more fun and engaging, for your students watching, have the try to guess the
emotion/feeling they are seeing in those demonstrating.
48

How Would You Feel?
Describe to your student’s different scenarios that are designed to bring about
different feelings. After reading each scenario, ask your students to make a face to
show how they would look if the same thing happened to them.

-You reached out to hug someone and they didn’t hug you back.
-Your goldfish died.
-You were first in a race and won a prize.
-Your puppy ran away from home.
-You were invited to a birthday party.
-A bully keeps hitting you when no one is watching.
-Your mom bought your favorite toy.
-One of the students in class pushes you out of line.
Simon Says
Play Simon Says as it is usually played but only play the game using feelings, so that
when they are told to show a feeling, they must make the correct facial expression.
For example, Simon Says …. Show that you’re mad, Simon Says …. Show that you’re
happy. Simon Says …. Show that you’re bored.
Feeling Collage
Provide students with many magazines or pictures of real people or groups of people
and instruct students to make a collage of as many different feelings as they can. This
could include: happy, sad, angry, bored, scared or excited. Use one piece of
construction paper for each feeling they are working on and when finished, display
them on the character education board, labelling each collage.
Songs and Poems
Emotions (Sung to: Frere Jacques)
I feel happy, I feel happy,
I feel sad, I feel mad,
These are the emotions, these are the emotions,
That I have, that I have.
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Feelings (Sung to: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Happy, angry, frightened, sad
These are feelings I have had,
Excited, delighted, curious, too
Sometimes silly, sometimes blue,
Feelings are a part of me
Sing this song of feelings, please!
What will show growth
Students will show care and understanding for others.
Students will ask their classmates how they are feeling and whether they need help.
Students will use good listening skills when they try to help others.
Students will validate each other’s’ feelings.

Books/Resources
Raz Kids The Spelling Bee
Are You Okay?
Marion Dane Bauer How Do I Love You?
Felicia Bond The Day It Rained Hearts
Jeanne Willis Never Too Little To Love
Michael Hall My Heart is Like A Zoo

50

April Helpfulness

Helping other people is one of the best ways we can show we care for one another.
When we are helpful, we look for ways to help others without being asked. We do
things for others because we care and not because we expect something in return or
because we have to help. When we are helpful, we notice what needs to be done and
we do it. We can be helpful when something needs to be done quickly or when
someone is unable to help them. If you want to help others but you don’t know what
to do, you can simply ask, “How can I help you? Helpfulness can be comforting
someone, being a good listener or doing extra chores. When we are helpful, we bring
happiness to others and make ourselves feel happy too. Helpfulness helps us grow
into better people and creates happiness and love.

Vocabulary
Help, helpfulness, kindness, enormous, turnip, encourage.

Discussion Starters
What is helpfulness?
How do you help at home/school?
How do you know when someone needs help?
What is something you need help with?

Sentence Starters
I can help my _____ by…
I can be helpful by…
I can help…
At school I can help…
At home I can help…

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about helpfulness. You can do this by
printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person being
helpful.
-Sam helped Mary pick up her crayons.
-Sue helped her mom make lunch.
several times, and discuss how the message describes helpfulness.

51


Reading a picture book about having different feelings, from your classroom library,
is another way to engage students in a discussion about helpfulness. This can be
done by stopping on every page and studying and reading the pictures throughout
the story. This will help students understand what is happening in the story and will
initiate a discussion for the character trait you are teaching.
helpfulness. A picture of a lady holding open a door for someone, is an example of
helpfulness or a picture of a man helping an old person walk across the street, is an
example of helpfulness.

Sharing Circle
a way they helped someone at home or at school. This could be their mom, dad,
sister, grandma, friend, or teacher. Students can also share how they were helpful to
someone in the morning before coming to school. To initiate sharing, ask: Did you
pack your lunch? Did you find your brother’s shoes? Did you pick up toys?
Other ways to teach and engage students in learning about helpfulness is through

orally, to form a sentence that they can later write. You will find that some Junior
together a few words to make a simple sentence. It is therefore, very important, that
these students practice speaking in the sharing circle before they are expected to
are learning. Make sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard
for students to refer to when they are writing. Students can be assisted and
supported in their writing by giving them a sentence starter, such as:
I help by __________________________.
I need help with__________________.

52

Printing Skills
Shared Writing.

Journal Sharing
• having each student take a turn to read their response to the class, choosing a
few students to share each day
board

learning.

Word Work Centre
provide students with the letters for helpfulness. Allow students plenty of time to
choose to.

53

The Enormous Turnip

Introduce the Lesson To begin the lesson, tell students that they will be learning
about helpfulness. Ask students: Are you a helpful person? What are some ways
you can help others? Can you think of a time when someone helped you?
Activate Learning: Show students the cover of the book and read its title, The
Enormous Turnip by: Kathy Parkinson
Ask students: What do you think this story is about? What do you think is going to
happen in the story?
This story is about a grandfather who has planted a turnip and encourages it to
grow. The turnip grows to be so large, that when grandfather wants to take it out of
the ground, he isn't able to. He calls his wife and then his grandson and
granddaughter, as well as all the animals on the farm. Finally, when the mouse
comes to help, they are able to pull the turnip out of the ground. This tale teaches a
lesson that when everyone helps and works as a team, it is possible to do very
difficult things.
Read the Story: As you read the story, stop on every page to read the pictures with
your students. Ask them what they see and what is happening on each page. At the
end of the story, ask students: Were the people and animals helping each other?
How?
After Reading: Have a discussion with students as to whether the people and
animals in the story were helping each other. Ask students: How do you think the
people and animals felt when they were finally able to pull the turnip out of the
ground? Conclude the lesson by emphasizing that when people help each other and
work together, it is possible to do all the things you want to do.
Follow Up Activity – Reader’s Theatre

This story works well for reader’s theatre, because the characters in the story are
added one at a time; this means that when you call your students to act out their
part, they will easily be able to find their place on the stage and hold the person in
front of them, one student after the other.

To act out the story, students should be broken into groups of 7 and if acting as the
people in the story, they should be given simple clothing, such as an apron, plaid
shirts, and hats. Students playing animals can be given a nose and ears made out of
craft paper attached with elastic bands or be given a toque with ears attached to it
and have their noses painted, with face paint. For the animals’ paws or hooves, they
can be given socks to wear on their hands.

54

Read the story to the class, calling upon each student to come and help when it is
their turn. Be sure to tell your students that when the turnip finally comes out of the
ground, they should stop pulling, and collapse on the floor.

Helping Hands
Brainstorm with your students’ different ways they can be helpful in the classroom
and helpful at home. Record their answers on chart paper:

How I Help in the How I Help at Home How I Help in the
Classroom Community

When recording their answers, be sure to have a corresponding picture symbol next
to the words to assist students’ in developing reading skills.

Next, provide each student with a piece of construction paper, a collection of
magazines, and scissors and glue. Explain to students that they should look for three
pictures that show people helping each other; at home, at school and in the
community. Explain that the pictures could include nurses, doctors, firemen,
policemen, soldiers, teachers, mom, dad, grandparents, brothers, sisters or friends.
Tell students that when they find a picture, they must cut it out and glue it onto their
construction paper. Demonstrate this procedure and display your example on the
board. Once your students have finished cutting and gluing, ask them to take turns
sharing their pictures.
Label each picture with a few words, to explain the helpful behavior that is being
displayed. Hang the pictures on a bulletin board with the title: Helping Hands

55

Teaching Children to Be Helpful

Every day read a different scenario for students to role-play.
Tell students that they are going to pretend they are handy helpers.
Make sure to have a collection of props ready to use.

§ Tell students to pretend that people in a house need help with: ---
-Washing dishes
- Putting away clothes
- Making a bed
Call upon several students to role-play these activities in front of the class.

§ Tell students that the next-door neighbor has a broken leg and needs help:
-Carrying groceries into the house
-Raking leaves in the yard
Call upon several students to role play these activities in front of the class.

§ Tell students that people walking with their hands full need help with:
-Picking up items they have dropped
-Having a door held open for them
Call upon several students to role play these activities in front of the class.

We Help Each Other
Tell students that today they are going to learn about helping each other get
something done. Dump a pile of blocks onto the floor and ask one student to put
them back into the container. Use a timer to see how long it takes and record this on
chart paper. Dump the blocks out again and ask three children to help put them
away. Time students again and record this number, as well. Have a discussion,
emphasizing how it is easier and faster, to get a job done when people work together
and help one another.

You will see students helping one another without being asked.
Students will have a positive attitude when asked to help others.
Students will clean up after center time without being asked.
Students will help another student who is having difficulty with a task.

56

Books/Resources

Raz Kids Books I Can Help
I Set the Table
I Won’t

Karma Wilson Bear Feels Sick
Variety of editions The Little Red Hen
Jerry Pinkney The Lion and the Mouse
Kathy Parkinson The Enormous Turnip

57

May Self-Discipline

Self-Discipline is having the ability to face and push through a challenge or a difficult
situation when you are feeling discouraged and want to give up. Self-Discipline is
having the courage to try and try again when you face interference and opposition.
Self-Discipline is being in control of your words and actions when you are hurt and
angry, and restraining yourself from inappropriate behaviors. Self-Discipline is
having the strength to stay on task and achieve a goal, even when you make mistakes
or think the task is too difficult and you want to give up. Self-discipline helps you
control your emotions and behavior so that you do the right thing, even when no one
is watching.

When you have self-discipline, you are able to stop an activity that you really enjoy,
such as playing computer games or playing with your favorite toy, and move on to a
different activity when asked to. When you are self-disciplined you are able to
improve your skills because you continue to work on a task until you are satisfied
with the way you are doing it. Being self-disciplined, allows you to take charge of
your emotions so that you are able to stop and think of how to solve a problem,
rather than reacting to how you feel.

Vocabulary
Challenge, chores, hard, self-control, self-discipline, discouraged, improve,
interference, satisfied, and react.

Discussion Starters
What is self-discipline?
Why is self-discipline important?
How can you become self-disciplined?

Sentence Starters
I use self-discipline to…
I can show self-discipline by…
Self-discipline is important because…

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about self-control/ self-discipline. You
person being in control of him/herself. Some examples are:
-I will print my letters even when it is hard.
-I will keep my hands to myself even when I am pushed.
assist your students in reading and understanding the message.
58

Also, try to include the names of students in your classroom, so that students learn to
recognize and read the names of their friends. Practice reading the message with
your students several times and discuss how the message describes self-
discipline/self-control.

Reading a picture book about having self-discipline/self-control, from your
classroom library is another way to engage students in a discussion about self-
control. This can be done by stopping on every page and studying and reading the
pictures throughout the story. This will help students understand what is happening
in the story and will initiate a discussion on the character trait you are teaching.
having self-control. A picture of a person walking away from a fight, is an example of
self-discipline.

Sharing Circle
something that is hard for them to do or a time when they wanted to keep playing,
but stopped when they were asked to.
Other ways to teach and engage students in learning about self-discipline, is through
chants, rhymes, action songs and role play.

trait you are teaching. It is essential that before expecting students to “write”, they
must first be given the opportunity to speak and put words together orally, to form a
sentence that they can write. You will find that some Junior Kindergarten students
have excellent language skills and will be able to express their ideas in sentences
easily, while others will not, and will need practice putting together a few words to
make a simple sentence. It is, therefore, very important, that these students practice
speaking in the sharing circle before they are expected to write in their journal.
Once students have shared, they are better prepared to draw a picture or write a
sentence in their journal that is related to the character trait they are learning. Make
sure key vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard for students to refer
to when they are writing. Students can be assisted and supported in their writing by
giving them a sentence starter, such as:
I show self-discipline when ____________________.
I show self-control when I feel _________________.

59


Printing Skills
Shared Writing.

Journal Sharing
• having each student take a turn and read their response to the class, choosing
a few students to share each day
board

poems, chants and stories, therefore, it is important to try to integrate and teach
character education values in this way, whenever possible.
The importance of rhyming text must be recognized as having a great impact on
early literacy and learning.

Word Work Centre
provide students with the letters for self-discipline and self-control. Allow students
their words if they choose to.

60


Clark the Shark by: Bruce Hale

Introduce the Lesson: To begin the lesson, tell students they will be learning about
self-discipline/self-control. Ask students: Are you able to control yourself? Do you
know some ways to calm yourself and cool down to be in control of your behavior?
Activate Learning: Show students the cover of the book and read its title, Clark the
Shark by: Bruce Hale
Ask students: What do you think this story is about? What do you think is going to
happen in the story? Will Clark the Shark show self-control?
This story is about a shark with zing, bang, and BOOM. Clark zooms into school,
crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess. He pushes the swing with too
much zing and laughs too loudly at a good book. Clark loves life—but when his
enthusiasm is too much for his friends, Clark's teacher, Mrs. Inkydink, helps him
figure out a way to tone it down and calm down.
Read the Story: As you read the story, stop on every page to read the pictures with
your students. Ask them what they see and what is happening on each page. Ask
them to make predictions about what is going to happen next.
After Reading: Have a discussion and ask students: Why do you think Clark’s
friends stopped playing with him at recess, lunch and circle time? Can you think of a
time when you were too wild and too loud for your friends and your family? What
helped Clark stay cool? At the end of the story, was Clark able to control himself?

Follow up Activity
Tell students that they will be learning the rhyme that helped Clark stay cool and
that if they ever have trouble staying cool, they can think of the rhyme that helped
Clark. To help students develop reading skills, make sure to use picture cues with
the words and repeat the rhyme with your students, several times.

Cool Rules
When teacher’s talking,
Don’t go walking,
Only munch,
Your own lunch,
Easy does it, that’s the way,
Then my friends will let me play.

61


Games

Shark Attack Game
To play this game, choose one student to be the shark(s) and everyone else will be a
minnow. The shark stands in the middle of the play area and says, “Fishy, fishy come
out and play”. The minnows slowly walk towards the sharks.
At any time, the shark yells, “Shark Attack!” When this happens, the minnows must
run to the back wall without being tagged. If a minnow is tagged, s/he also becomes
a shark.

Simon Says
The leader gives a command to the players by saying: “Simon says touch your toes”
“Simon says jump up and down” “Simon says clap your hands”. Every time Simon
Says something, the players must follow the command but if the leader just says
“turn around” or “touch your nose” or “stand on one foot” the players must not
follow the command because Simon didn’t say it. If students follow the actions that
Simon didn’t say, they are out.

Red Light, Green Light
The object of the game is for players to try to walk as fast as they can from the back
of the room to the front of the room, but they must follow the leader’s traffic lights.
To begin the game, players stand at the back of the room with the leader at the front
of the room. When the leader says “Green light” the players try to walk as fast as
they can, to get to the front of the room. When the leader says “Red light”, players
must stop. If the leader catches anyone still walking forward after saying “Red light”
they are out. The first person to get to the front of the room becomes the new leader.

Ready, Set, Go
The object of the game is to be the first player to reach the front of the room. Players
start the game at the back of the room, with the leader at the front. When the words,
“Ready, Set, Go” are said, the players must walk as fast as they can towards the front
of the room. If the leader says any word other than go, such as “Ready, Set, Gorilla, or
Ready, Set Goose”, the players must stay in their spot. Any players who are caught
walking when given the wrong command, are out of the game. The first player to
reach the front of the room becomes the new leader.

Before playing these games, emphasize to students that in order to win, they have to
listen carefully to the commands and control their bodies. Help students transfer
how they control their body when they play these games to other situations, such as
putting a hand up to speak, instead of blurting. A Traffic Light with Red, Yellow,
Green and the corresponding words, Stop, Slow Down, Go, can be made and referred
to when students need reminders to control their behavior.
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Conducting an Orchestra
Give each student a musical instrument such as a bell, maracas or tapping sticks and
whenever you wave your baton, students must follow you. If you increase your
tempo and move the baton quickly, students must play their instruments quickly, if
you reduce your tempo and move your baton slowly, students must play their
instruments slowly.
Note: All games teach self-control as students learn to patiently wait their turn, use
muscle control, be a gracious loser, and learn not to cheat.

Clark the Shark Puppet
Make a Clark the Shark puppet and act out all the ways Clark shows his excitement!
Also, include the ways Clark stays cool, by having him read the rhyme and encourage
your students to join in and read it with him. The puppet and the rhyme can later be
used at a learning centre.
Cool Rules
When teacher’s talking,
Don’t go walking,
Only munch,
Your own lunch,
Easy does it, that’s the way,
Then my friends will let me play.

To make a puppet of Clark, take an oven mitt, a potholder, googly eyes, craft foam,
red paint and a hot glue gun.
Paint the inside of the oven mitt (the thumb and fingers) red to make the mouth.
Allow the paint to dry. Cut two strips of teeth from craft foam by cutting it into the
shape of triangles, and attach this to the oven mitt, using hot glue. Cut the potholder
in half diagonally, to create the shark fin. Use a liberal line of hot glue in the top seam
of the oven mitt to attach the fin. Pinch the seam (from the inside) while the hot glue
cools.
Glue eyes onto the front sides of the oven mitt and glue other craft materials to add
details to Clark’s body.

Show Them the Wrong Way
Write on sentence strips, different situations that can be frustrating for students.
Fold the sentence strips and put them into a big bag. To play the game ask a student
to pull out a sentence strip, place it on the board and as a class, read it together. The
sentence strips could include:
Someone took your toy.
You can’t get your shoe on your foot.
You can’t cut your picture with your scissors.
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Your teacher calls you over to her, but you are busy playing.
It is clean up time but you don’t want to clean up.
One of your classmates is poking you, and you don’t like it.

After reading the sentence together, act it out for them, the Wrong Way. This could
include behaviors such as: crying, stomping feet, grabbing back the toy, crumpling up
the paper, throwing the shoe, pouting, whining, pushing, shouting. Your students
will likely laugh when they see how silly you look. Ask: Did I handle that situation in
the right way? Should I Cry? Should I push? What should I do? Discuss different
ways, the problem could be solved such as: asking your teacher or a friend for help,
talking out the problem, self talk and deep breathing, and remembering the
classroom rules.
Finally, act it out the Right Way and then call upon students to act it out the right
way, as well.

Students will be able to self regulate and stay on task longer.
There will be less conflicts during transition time and unstructured play.
Students will complete their work on time.
Students will demonstrate better listening skills during instruction.

Books/Resources

Raz Kids Books Karate- Grade 1
Calming Down Grade 1

Stan Berenstain The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk
Food
Brian Hale Clark the Shark

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June – Respect and Humility

This month we are revisiting respect with a focus on practicing respect for property.
Respect is showing consideration and care for other people and for yourself. When
you are respectful, you place value in others and show them that you care about
their feelings and their well-being. Being respectful means that you treat others the
way you would like to be treated, known as the Golden Rule. When you have respect
for someone, you listen to them when they are talking, speak to them politely and
return their personal belongings if you borrow them. When you are respectful you
appreciate and accept differences in others and resolve problems by talking them
out peacefully, until you reach a solution. Some places where you can practice
respect are at home, at school, on the bus, at the store, on the playground and when
you are at a friend’s house. Everyone has the right to live with respect regardless of
how they look, what race they are or what their ability or social status is. It is
important to be respectful everywhere you go, even when no one is watching!

Humility and respect are being aware of your strengths and weaknesses and being
able to recognize when you need help from others and when others need help from
you. Being respectful and humble means that you do not believe you are better than
others, but that everyone has knowledge and experience, and we can all learn from
each other. Being humble is respecting others and working together for the good of
all, rather than just for yourself. Being humble and respectful, means that you are
able to ask for help when you need it, admit when you are wrong and apologize for
mistakes. A humble, respectful person puts relationships with other people before
their own need to be the best. When you are humble, you are confident in your own
abilities but you are also able to celebrate the accomplishments of others. When you
are humble you focus on work that has been accomplished as a team, rather than on
individual accomplishments and you acknowledge the work of others, rather than
emphasizing your own.

Vocabulary
Brag, boast, earth, environment, garbage, humility, playground, respect, and
respectful.

Discussion Starters
What is respect?
How can we show respect for our environment?
How can we show respect for our community?
What is humility? What does it mean to be humble?
Why is it important to be humble?

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Sentence Starters
I show respect to property by …
Respect is important because…
Being humble is important because…
I show humility by…

Morning Message
Start your morning by talking with students about respect and humility. You can do
this by printing a short, simple sentence on the board that clearly describes a person
being respectful and humble. Some examples are:
-Bob was upset because Tom bragged, he was the best in the class.
-Ann listened when her teacher was talking.
several times, and discuss how the message describes respectful or humble
behavior.

in a discussion on respect and humility. This can be done by stopping on every page
and studying and reading the pictures throughout the story. This will help students
Pictures from magazines, pictures in books from your classroom library or pictures
respect and humility. A picture of a child holding the door open for an elderly
person is an example of respect and a group of children celebrating after winning a
sports game together, is an example of humility.

Sharing Circle
Review the rules and routines for the sharing circle by reading the anchor chart and
discussing how respect for each other and humility must be demonstrated. This
means that students will listen and look when another student is speaking have
quiet hands and feet and will wait to hold the sharing stick before speaking. In your
sharing circle each morning, take turns to talk about one way to show respect to
another person.
Other ways to teach and engage students in learning about respect and humility, is
by playing teaching games such as, Follow the Leader, Simon Says, and through
chants, rhymes, action songs and role plays

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trait you are teaching.
It is essential, however, that before expecting students to “write”, they first must be
given the opportunity to speak and put words together orally, to form a sentence
that they can write later. You will find that some Junior Kindergarten students have
excellent language skills and will be able to express their ideas in sentences easily,
while others will not, and will need practice putting together a few words, to make a
simple sentence. It is, therefore, very important, that these students practise
speaking in the sharing circle before they are expected to write in their journal. Once
students have shared, they are better prepared to draw a picture or write a sentence
in their journal that is related to the character trait they are learning. Make sure key
vocabulary words are on the word wall or whiteboard for students to refer to when
they are writing. Students can also be assisted and supported in their writing by
giving them a sentence starter, such as:
I show respect by____________________.
I am humble because ________________.
sentence strip. This support enables them to draw a picture or print one or two

Printing Skills
copy words from the word wall or from classroom charts and others will be able to
that each student be encouraged to write at his/her developmental level and that

Journal Sharing
• having each student take a turn to read their response to the class, by
board

67


skills.
These activities are interactive and engaging, and students learn to hear and produce
the sounds of letters and words in a fun and enjoyable way. Through practice and
repetition, students are able to memorize and recite entire songs, poems, chants and
stories, therefore, it is very important to try to integrate and teach character
education values in this way, whenever possible. The importance of rhyming text
must be recognized as having a great impact on early literacy and learning.

Word Work Centre
provide students with the letters for respect and humility. Allow students plenty of
letters and/or words. Make paper available for students to record their words if they
choose to.
What Can We Learn from A Box of Crayons?

To teach students to respect differences in others, give a blank piece of drawing
paper to each student and instruct them to choose only one crayon color from a box
that you will be holding. Be sure that students do not use their own crayons for this
activity. Ask students to draw a picture of anything they like or you may specify
what you want them to draw. After about 3 to 5 minutes of drawing, collect the
crayons used by the students and provide them with another piece of drawing paper.
Instruct them to now use their own crayons and use as many colors as they like.
After students have again finished drawing, ask them the following questions:
1. Which drawings do you like the best? Why?
2. Which picture would you like to put on the character education board? Why?
Most often, students prefer the pictures they have drawn using many
different crayon colors, as opposed to using only one. Discuss with students
how it might be boring to use only one crayon instead of using many different
colours, which can make a picture more interesting. Follow up this activity by
having a discussion about some of the differences between students in the
classroom. This could include: hair color, skin color, eye color and clothing.
Explain that just as the pictures using many colours are more interesting, it is
also a more interesting world when there are many different looking people.
End the lesson by reading the book, The Crayon Box that Talked, by Shane Derolf
and Michael Letzig.
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After reading the story, you may want to ask your students the following questions:
1. Was it okay for the crayons not to like each other just because they were different
colors? Why not?
2. What did the crayons learn about each other?
3. Is it okay not to like people just because they are different from us in their skin
color or eye color? Why not?
Conclude the lesson by telling students that if the crayons of different colours can
live together happily in one box then we can live together happily in our classroom
and in our community.
We Use Polite Words:

Tell students that they will learn to use polite words like please, thank you, excuse
me and sorry. Tell students that when you speak politely to people, you are showing
humility and respect for their feelings.
Ask your students: What do you already know about using polite words? Have your
mom and dad taught you polite words? What are they?
Write students’ answers on chart paper with picture symbols to correspond with the
words. Be sure to include all polite words, such as:
“Thank you” when someone does something for you.
“Thank you” when someone gives you a gift or a compliment.
“Excuse me” if you burp or if you interrupt someone.
“Please” when you ask someone to give you something.
“Please” when you ask someone to do something for you.
“Sorry” when you make a mistake or hurt someone.

Practice reading the chart regularly with your students and emphasize that having
good manners means that they must think about other people, and not just about
themselves. Also explain that people will feel happy to be around them, if they are
polite, humble, and respectful.

Respecting Property
Tell students that today they will be learning about respecting property. Explain that
the word property is another way of talking about the things and materials that
people have and use in the classroom and at home. This includes: toys, books,
crayons, papers, clothing, etc.

Remind students of the ways to show respect to others by reading over the chart of
good manners, and explain that, just as we should use good manners to respect
people, we should also use good manners and show respect in the way we treat
property.
69

Ask students: Is it respectful to break, bang or misuse the toys and materials at the
centers? Is it respectful to leave the things you play with on the floor? Is it
respectful to walk on top of books or papers that are on the floor? Is it respectful to
scribble on the tables or on someone else’s paper?

Respect Walk
Tell your students that you will be taking them outside for a walk around the school,
to look for signs of disrespect on the school grounds or on playground equipment
and buildings. This could include: garbage on the ground, graffiti on the buildings,
swings twisted around the poles; playground structures damaged or broken, flowers
and small bushes, trampled. Point out and discuss the signs of disrespect and how
the students are not able to play on some of the playground structures, because
someone disrespected them.

A Vandalized Classroom
While you are out on your walk, ask another teacher or a parent volunteer, to go into
the classroom and make a mess by scattering toys around the room, spilling sand
from the sand table onto the floor, scattering paperwork and books all over the floor,
and messing up the block and house centre.

When you arrive back at the classroom, act very shocked at what has happened.
Gather students together to notice the mess that has been created and talk about
how the person who did this was disrespectful to the classroom and the things inside
it.
Ask students: What are the areas and centres in the classroom that have been
messed up? Ask students: What property in the classroom has been disrespected?
Ask the class: What do we do now? Discuss with the class how the person who
vandalized the classroom, and disrespected the property has also disrespected the
students who learn in it. Ask: How does it make you feel to be disrespected?
Emphasize that when people are disrespectful of property, it causes a problem for
the people who use it and need it.
Finally, ask students to clean up the room, by picking things up and putting them
where they belong. Once the room has been cleaned and put back in order, reward
your class by playing a special game with them and handing out a special treat for
their hard work.

Students will respect their environment by putting garbage in the garbage can and
recycling in the recycling bin.
Students will show respect and humility by using good manners and saying please
and thank you.
Students will demonstrate respectful behavior to others, by keeping their hands and
feet to themselves.
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Books/Resources

Raz Kids Book Clean, Not Clean
Nice, Not Nice

Cheri J Meiners Respect and Take Care of Things
Shane Derolf &Michael Letzig. The Crayon Box That Talked

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Maple Bear Global Schools

Character Education Junior Kindergarten

Maple Bear Character Education

September - Respect and Responsibility

Characters Disrespectful Behaviors

Respectful Behavior? Disrespectful Behavior?

The following is a list of possible scenarios:

- A student in the lunchroom says that your lunch is stinky.

Create an Anchor Chart for Learning:

Listening and Learning (Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

A Learning Song (Sung to the tune; Frere Jacques)

Responsible Community Helpers

-what would happen if community helpers didn’t do their jobs?

Community Helper Their Job What If They Don’t Do Their Job?

Community Helper Collage

Word Work Centre

What will show growth?

Word Work Centre

What will Show Growth

My First Class Play

Bernard Waber Courage

Kathryn Otoshi One

Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees Giraffes Can’t Dance

Audrey Penn Chester the Brave

Centres and Play Time

Just Because - A Story of Generosity by: Amber Housey

Questions you may want to ask your students:

6. What was their purpose? (To give to others “just because”.)

Collecting Coins at Christmas

Puppets and Role Play

• How did it feel not to receive anything?

• How did it feel to receive a lot?

January - Respect and Responsibility

Different ways that students can share are by:

We’re All Good Eggs

What Will Show Growth

Raz Kids Clean, Not Clean

Nice, Not Nice

We Make Good Choices

Julia Cook My Mouth is a Volcano

Cheryl J.Meiners Respect and Take Care of Things

Todd Parr It’s Okay to be Different

Loving Heart Collage

The Big Book of Love by: Trace Moroney

How I Show Love In

People I Love People I Love Things I Love Things I Love

Words Actions Words Actions

Caring Words and Caring Actions

Heart Shape Bird Feeder

What Will Show Growth

Trace Moroney The Book of Love

Raz Kids Books:

Dad and I For Mom

Show Some Love

Taking Care of Chase

Robert Munsch Love You Forever

Audrey Penn The Kissing hand

Audrey Penn Pocket Full of Kisses

Monica Sheehan Love You & Me

When something happens to someone, it is important to put yourself in his/her

-I was sad so Sam sat beside me.

Word Work Centre

How Would You Feel?