“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.
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| Link to Character Chart Also, if you click the image, you will see an enlarged view. |
As students build their learning to learn skills, dispositions, and behaviors, we will focus on the attributes of character.
We will also focus on these attributes as we study STEAM stars beginning with George Washington Carver and Admiral McRaven.
At first, I thought the Learning to Learn lessons would stand on their own, but now I realize I have to embed those lessons into our content study in order to find the time to do both.
For character, we'll review the attributes as we read and discuss George Washington Carver.
Then students and our Friday STEAM Inspiration teacher will review the attributes again as they listen to and discuss Admiral McRaven's speech.
After that, students will take home a mini character poster assignment (an enlarged version of the chart at the top of the page). For homework they'll work with their parents to add an image that shows how they display each attribute of character in their daily lives.
Finally, we'll complete the character discussion sheets in the Learning to Learn units, continue to discuss the attributes each time we meet a new STEAM star in person, video, or through books, and use a chart of character traits as we problem solve, resolve conflicts, and make decisions in school life.
Developing character is a life long pursuit, one that requires explicit instruction, mentoring, modeling, and practice. Our focus will help children develop important attributes of character throughout the school year and beyond.
