CHARACTER COUNTS! ACTIVITIES AND VIDEO CLIPS
Reprinted with permission from his book Instilling Touchstones of Character – Connecting What Matters With Common Core and 21st Century Skills  by Gary Smit. (Available at Amazon & Barnes and Noble)

CHARACTER
1. Building a Better Me
Instructions:

Choose one person to come forward.

• Ask the student to hold out his or her arm straight to the side and resist as the teacher tries to push down on it. The challenge is for the student to not let the leader push the arm down.

• Now tell the student to look at the rest of the group and say 10 times in a row, “I am a bad person.”

• Have the others give a response as to what they think of the individual. I.e. Uncaring words.

• When this is over, ask the student to again hold his or her arm out to the side and to resist as the leader pushes down on it. You will find that the arm easily pushes down to his or her side.

• Ask the group what happened?

• Now have the person say, “I am a good person” 10 times. The rest of the group says positive things.

• At the end of the 10 times ask the person to once again extend his or her arm and resist while the
  leader pushes down on it.

Processing – Have students complete these questions:
1. I am thankful for my alarm that goes off early each morning because …
2. I am thank for the pile of homework I have each night because …
3. I am thankful for the responsibilities I have at home because …
4. I am thankful for the opportunities I have each day to …
5. I am thankful that I can …
6. I am thankful that I know when facing a difficult decision I am able to …
 

Discussion
• What did you do in this activity to overcome everyday obstacles or failure?
• How does this approach help overcome what can be perceived as obstacles or failures?
• Does this mean you are supposed to close your eyes to problems and obstacles in your life? Explain.
• How does one go about making good decisions?
 

2. Values Commercial
Divide the class up into table groups of six or less individuals. The job is to create a commercial that will sell their assigned value. The rules are:

• Review the components of your assigned value – chose what your group thinks are the most important parts to include.

• You may create a jingle, a little skit, something to teach and get others to buy into why your value is important.

• Think commercial – TV or radio – not documentary - It cannot be longer than 2 minutes

• Allow 20 minutes for each group to prepare the commercial. Then have each of the groups present their commercial to the entire class.

3. Character Questions
With a partner, use the question starters below to create complete questions. Exchange your questions with another team to answer.
Question starters:
1. How would you describe
2. What role does character
3. Does character
4. How honest
5. How do you decide
6. What would you do if
7. How would you feel if
8. What is the importance of
9. Do your actions

10. Who deserves
 

As a table group, choose one of the 10 questions to share with the class. Be prepared with a response. Others in the class can also respond differently to the question.
 

4. Significant Insight
Materials: One sentence strip or index card and marker for each student
Instructions:

• Distribute a sentence strip and marker or index card.

• Instruct students to reflect on what they learned yesterday, and to write down on the strip or card one of their “a-ha!” moments about character or what they have learned.

• Allow 3 minutes for reflection and writing. Have students share their significant insights.
  • Once everyone has read their insight, collect them and hang them somewhere in the room.
  • If using the index card, have students turn to a neighbor and share their insights with each other.

5. Pipe Cleaner Partner
Instructions:

• Students pair up to introduce themselves to each other. Tell students, they need to include in the introduction the pillar of character that best describes him/her.

• Each student forms a pipe cleaner into a shape that represents what the other person has told them
  about the pillar. Each student introduces partner and pipe cleaner to the class.

EXTENSION: Each member of the group gets one pipe cleaner. They form a shape that represents a pillar that they use to describe themselves. The shape can be literal or abstract. As they introduce themselves to the group, they share their symbol.
 

Process and Reflection:
• What were the pillars that best describe the students in our class?
• Why did you think the pillar best describes you?
• In what way do you put that pillar into action?
• What choices do you face as a student?
• What would our school be like if no one lived by the pillar?
• What would our school be like if everyone tried hard to live by the pillar?
• What makes it difficult to always uphold a pillar of character?
 

TRUSTWORTHINESS
1. Balloon Game
Materials: One medium to large sized balloon for each participant
Instructions:

• Give participants a balloon and instruct them to blow up and tie off the balloon.

• Ask all participants to take their balloon and stand in a circle. Tell them their balloon represents a lie.

• Tell them that when you say “go” they are going to toss their balloons in the air toward the center of the room and try to keep theirs in the air. If their balloon touches the ground, their lie has been discovered and they are “out”.

Process and Reflection

• What was it like trying to keep your “lie” going?

• What strategies did you use to keep your lie going? Did any of you have someone get in the way of you keeping your “lie” aloft? Did it result in your “lie” hitting the floor or did you try to keep away from them? Did anyone purposefully try to get your “lie” to hit the floor?

• Describe how this activity relates to your life at home, school, work, with your friends.

• Ask them how when an untruth is discovered it will influence the perception of others about your worthiness of trust.

• Ask them if they believe there are different “levels” of lies—are some worse than others? Why or why not? Ask them if they did something dishonest that was unlikely to be discovered for years how that would feel? What if it was never discovered? What if it was discovered but years later? How would that influence the perception of others?

2. Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave
Materials: Ball of yarn
Instructions:

• Arrange ahead of time to have a student help you with this demonstration. Secretly ask the child to give false answers to each question that you ask. This will begin after he/she has taken a seat in a chair front of the class.

• Ask your seated child a simple question such as, "Why didn't you get your homework done for today?" As she answers with a lie, such as the dog ate my homework, wrap a long string of yarn around her once.

• Then ask a follow-up question based on her reply, such as "How did the dog get your homework?” As she makes up another answer, wrap the yarn around her again.

• Continue to ask follow-up questions until she is entangled in a web of yarn. After the class has observed the situation, explain that you asked this person to make up answers to all your questions.

Process and Reflection

• Ask them if they can see what telling lies can do to someone. Emphasize how one lie usually leads to another and how quickly we can become trapped and embarrassed by lie.

• Ask them what will be experienced by the person who always tells the truth (not having to what your last lie was or how to cover it up, peace of mind, and feeling good about oneself.)

• Ask the students to tell about a time when they were caught in a lie and had to tell another lie in order
  to cover it up.

• Ask why it is important for us to always tell the truth (trust, respect, because it's the right thing to do.)

3. The Honest Mouth
Materials: Black licorice
Instructions
Ask the students if anyone knows what happens when you eat black licorice? (Put a piece in your mouth. You may want to put extra black food coloring on your piece before visiting the classroom; this will enhance the effect.) A mouth that has eaten black licorice turns black. (After chewing, open your mouth to show the result). Not only does your tongue look horrible, but soon your teeth and even your lips get black. It takes a long time before your mouth returns to its normal color. Dishonesty has a lasting effect on you, just like the black licorice. Like licorice that leaves our mouths black for a long time, we can see the results of telling lies long after we've told them. Others will lose their trust in us, privileges will be taken away, and friendships will be lost. Telling lies will leave a black ugly mark on you--just like the black licorice. Remember: It's always best to be honest and true, don't let the stain of dishonesty leave its mark on you.

Process and Reflection
• What does our mouth look like after eating the black licorice?
• Finish the sentence, “It will take a long time before …
• What dies this say about being dishonest?
• What do others think of us when a lie is discovered
• How many times can one lie to you before you would consider them a liar?
 

4. The Tower of Flour
Materials: Flour, dime, hard plastic cup, newspaper, butter knife, paper plate
Instructions:
Begin by spreading newspaper on a table. Place the dime in the center of the bottom of the plastic cup. Scoop flour into the glass. Pile it to the brim and press down firmly to make it compact. Place the paper plate on top of the glass and turn them over together on the newspaper. Tap the glass gently, and carefully lift it off. The flour will remain standing in the shape of the glass with the dime on top.
 

Process and Reflection

• Explain that the dime represents the trait honesty.

• Next, take the knife and carefully slice off the edge of the “flour tower’ being careful not to cut too deeply. This represents what happened when we tell lies. Our reputation is weakened. Others will not trust or respect us, and eventually the tower of trust falls.

• Notice how each time more flour is removed the dime’s position becomes more precarious.

• Continue until the dime drops in.

5. The Cover Up
Materials: Bucket or large cooking pot (about 8 inches across), one quarter, and enough pennies for each student to have one.
Instructions:
Fill the bucket with 6 – 8 inches of water and put the quarter at the bottom in the center. Begin by saying that telling a lie may seem like a simple way out of a problem. However, usually when we tell a lie we end up telling even more lies in order to cover up the first lie. (Give an example, either made up or from your own personal experience.) Explain to the students that their challenge is to cover up the quarter by using a penny. Have students come up one at a time and try to drop their penny (from at least 2 inches above the water) into the bucket and try to cover up the quarter.
 

Process and Reflection
• How well did the penny cover the quarter? How many actually landed on the quarter?
• How does this activity compare to trying to cover up a lie that we told?
• Does someone have to tell more lies to cover up the first lie?
• What happens when you are caught lying?
• How easy is it for others to trust you again?
• Why is telling the truth easier than lying even if the truth may get you in trouble?

6. Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions:
Ask each person to think of two true statements about themselves and one that is false. When ready, they turn to a partner and say the three statements in any order. The partner’s job is to guess the false statement. Then they switch places and the partner does the same.
 

Process and Reflection:

• Was it easy to guess the lie? Why or why not?

• Was it easy to say a lie?

• Were the things we lied about important?

• What do we call those kinds of lies? (white lies or fibs)

• When is lying wrong?

• What if I told you one thing today and something different tomorrow? Even if it is an unimportant thing, would it break our trust and make you wonder if anything else I had said was true?

RESPECT
1. $1 or 100 Pennies
Materials: A one-dollar bill and 100 pennies in a clear zip-lock bag
Instructions
Show the dollar bill and coins. Divide chart paper in half, using the heading of “Same” on one side and “Different” on the other. Ask the class to brainstorm ways in which the dollar bill and 100 pennies are different and ways they are the same. Even though they are different in many ways, what is true of the dollar bill and the pennies? They are equal in value. Make the comparison to people. Even though we are different in many ways, we are all of equal value or worth. Also, the 100 pennies being held can still have a positive level of self-respect because of the value one has.
 

Process and Reflection

• Are there more differences or similarities in the people we meet?

• What does this activity say as to how we should treat others we associate with or come in contact with on a daily basis?

• Why is it hard to treat everyone as if they have the same worth?

• Why is it important that we do?

2. Playing Card Hierarchy
Materials:
• Deck of playing cards
• 4 sheets of paper (8½” x 11”) - Make 4 “signs” from the sheets of paper to represent the four hierarchy groups. Label each sign as follows and place them around the room:
A, K, Q,         J 10, 9, 8        7, 6, 5         4, 3, 2

Instructions:
Pass out the cards face down (one to each participant) and tell them not to turn them over. Be sure not to allocate a low card to anyone who is perceived by others or themselves as being a low card in real life.
 

Say: “Don’t look at your card. . When I say ‘Go,’ place your card on your forehead so others can see it. The higher your card is, the more “popular” you are. Everyone must treat and react to others based on their cards. For example, if someone is a King, show that you want to hang out with him or her. That person must in turn respond to you based on your card.
 

Process and Reflection

• How many questions did it take before you knew which group you were in?

• What verbal responses did you get? What non-verbal responses did you get?

• Ask each of the four groups: “How does it feel to be in your group?”

• How does this activity relate to respect?

• How is this activity similar to what happens in a school or community?

• How do such judgments show disrespect and prevent people from getting to know others?

3. Accepting Differences
Instructions:
Choose 5-8 categories with four options for students to consider.
Ask students to complete this sentence: I am a student who _______________.

• After they have done this, ask them to complete the same sentence 10 different ways.

• Ask each person to place his or her list (written side down) on a table and pick up some else's.

• Debrief by calling out various categories and asking for examples from different lists.

Here are some suggested categories:
• activity level (e.g. playing outside)
• age
• birth order
• ethnicity
• family type (person from a large family)
• gender
• reading interests
• personal characteristic

• physical characteristic (e.g. tall)
• interested in
• hobbies
• favorite food
• grade in school
• playing an instrument
• player on a team
• favorite school subject
 

Process and Reflection

• Did you notice as you changed from one group to another as various categories were presented that there were different people in each group

• How often do we categorize people either by race, national origin, background academics under they titles and them assumptions as to what they are like?

• What does this say about how we should treat others, particularly those we do not know well?

4. Link Up
Instructions:

• One person stands and talks about himself/herself.

• When someone in the group has something in common with something they’ve said, they get up and link arms with the person speaking person. Only one person at a time.

• They declare the thing that they had in common and then begin talking about themselves until someone else comes up with something in common with them.

• The activity continues until all group members are “Linked Up.”

Process and Reflection:

• What did you learn about your fellow students?

• What does this activity have to say about respect?

• Who should we respect in our class?

• Why don’t we at times value each other even though we have the same worth?

RESPONSIBILITY
1. Filling the Jar
Materials: A clean empty jar; a container with enough ping pong balls to fill the jar to the top; a container with enough uncooked rice to fill the jar once the balls are inside.
Instructions:
Begin by stating that the jar represents the amount of time you have available in a day. The balls represent responsibilities or duties and the rice represents the fun things they want to do. If one chooses to do the things he/she wants to do, all the rice is dumped in the jar. Then one realizes the day is mostly over and tries to add the balls or responsibilities. It isn’t long before the day is full and responsibilities have not been done. Then dump everything back out and suggest an alternative scenario. Choose to take care of responsibilities first, and then do the things one wants to do. As the balls are put in first and then the rice is added, everything fits.

To make things concrete for younger students, have them suggest what responsibilities some of the balls represent. (e.g. doing homework, walking the dog, practicing the piano) and what some of the rice could represent (e.g. playing a video game, talking on the phone, going to the movies).’
 

2. Agreements
Materials needed: One sheet of chart paper, one marker
Overview: Write the letters T R R F C C vertically down the side of a sheet of chart paper, to represent The Six Pillars of Character. Announce that the group will discuss behavior guidelines for each Pillar.
Then, everyone will come to an agreement on the best rules for the class. The rules will be called “agreements.” Have the group brainstorm two rules per Pillar that they can agree to follow during their time together. Write down the rules related to Trustworthiness next to the T on the chart paper, and then continue through the Pillars. When finished, ask if there are any rules by which they can’t abide.
 

Reaching a consensus serves two purposes. First, consensual agreement increases ownership, so participants will be more likely to follow the rules than if they were merely imposed from above. Second, on the off-chance that someone is disruptive, you can remind them of the agreed-upon code of conduct.
 

Classroom application: All students can sign the chart paper indicating their agreement with the rules. Parents could also sign off on it, if desired. Older students could write a narrative citing positive Six Pillar behaviors they want to see in the classroom from both students and teachers.
 

3. What’s On Your Plate?
Materials: Paper plate and markers
Instructions:

• Start the class by giving everyone a plate and some permanent markers.

• Have them write on their plate in pictures, words, or phrases the things and responsibilities in their lives that fill up their time as a student. Students can even make it into a pie graph.

• Students then pair up with another class mate and tell what’s on their plate.

• ALTERNATIVE SHARING: If the group is too big for everyone to explain their plate individually, you can have them raise their plates to various categories. Like “Who has the pillar of responsibility on their plate?”, “Who has ______”, etc. .

Process and Reflection:

• Which pillars are represented in how a student fills his/her day?

• What do choices one makes have to do with the pillars of character?

• How did you decide what goes on your plate?

• What is most important value to you? Why?

FAIRNESS
1. Making Fair Decisions
Materials needed: Handout of scenario
 

Overview: Say: “Pretend you are a classroom teacher with one candy to give to a group of students. Who is the student who fairly deserves the candy?”
Distribute the handout and read through the descriptions of each student together. Participants are likely to ask you to provide more background info. Instruct them to make their decisions based on the information available.
 

Suggested discussion questions:

• Was your decision easy or difficult?

• Did everyone in your group agree from the start?

• Did you find yourself defending certain students? Why do you think you did that?

• How was your group able to finally arrive at a consensus?

Scenario:
Younger students may find it easier to relate to a scenario in which a teacher is deciding which child to give a special treat to. The scenario would look like this:
• Juan is the smallest, but he is the one who works the hardest and does the best work in class.
• Kishara is older than Juan, and is competent. She has very few friends and is the one who needs the most praise to help with her poor self esteem.
• Benny is the oldest and is graduating this year.
• Keara is a natural leader and has a the best attitude. She is always willing to help.
• Ricky is a good student and the principal’s son.
 

2. Where’s My Candy?
Materials: Bags of mixed candy (include at least one piece of chocolate in the mix)
Instructions:

• Divide the students into groups of 6–10. Tell the groups to form circles.

• Tell them they’ll have five minutes to divide the candy fairly (do not say “evenly”). Without answering any questions, allow the groups to work out their own solutions.

Process and Reflection:

• Ask them to raise their hand if they thought their group achieved a fair solution.

• Ask some groups to share their strategy for dividing the candy.

• Ask if anybody went along with the decision to avoid causing a fuss. If so, how did that feel?

• Relate their sharing to the theories of fairness. Did any group make a decision based on Merit? Need? Might? Equality? Seniority? Effort?

• Ask what strategies they use to ensure that tasks, benefits, time, etc., expected from members of groups they lead are handled fairly.
   

CARING
1. Caring Heart
Materials: Sheet of red construction paper cut into the shape of a heart.
Instructions:

• Hold up a large red construction paper heart.

• Ask students to share words they have heard said which are hurtful and unkind. As each word is shared, fold down a piece of the heart until it is folded into a small shape. This is how we feel when we have been hurt.

• Then ask students to share words that might be said that are kind and encouraging. As each is shared, unfold a piece of the heart until it is back in shape. Reiterate that we can say encouraging things that make others feel better.

• Ask them what they still see on the heart – the wrinkles or scars are left. Even if we say we are sorry, we can still leave lasting scars with hurtful words.

• Then ask students to think of a teacher in their own education that was kind and nurturing. Think of how it felt to be in that person’s room. Then think of a teacher they were pretty sure didn’t care about them. How did it feel to be in that teacher’s room?
  Share the quote, “They may not remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” – Carl Buehler

Process and Reflection

• How do you feel when someone says hurtful or unkind things to you?

• What are the most uncaring words that you have ever heard?

• What are the most caring words you have heard someone say?

• Do you remember what others say? Why or why not?

2. What a Tangled Web
Materials: A ball of thick white yarn
Preparation For Activity: Ask the kids if they think people can spin webs like spiders. This question usually stirs up the curiosity,and next comes the rules of the game.

• Join group in a big circle (sitting down) and show them the white yarn.

• Explain that you will begin spinning the web by holding the end of the yarn ball tightly in your lap and then picking a friend to toss the remaining ball to.
  • “I pick John to help spin our web”.
  • When John catches it, share something you like about him (i.e., “I like how John shares with others”)
  • Remind John to hold the yarn string tight in this lap, as he tosses the ball of yarn to someone else.
  • The activity proceeds until the ball is complete.

3. Pepper Experiment
Materials: Bowls half full of water, small bags of pepper, sugar, and pieces of soap.
Instructions:

• Put a small bowl half full of water on the table, a bag of pepper, a bag of sugar, and a piece of soap.

• Have a student sprinkle the pepper liberally on the water. The pepper represents all the people with whom you interact – family, friends, teachers, coworkers, etc. How we get along with these people depends on what we do and say when we are with them. Talk about the power of words and actions and how they can be respectful or hurtful, rude, or unkind.

• The soap represents the hurtful, rude words. Have a student hold the soap in the middle of the pepper. The soap will repel the pepper and make it move to the sides of the bowl. Relate this illustration to what happens in life with people to whom we are hurtful or unkind.

• Next, pour the sugar in the center of the water. The pepper will move towards the sugar. Again, relate this to real life and how others react when we are kind.

Process and Reflection

• What is said that can be rude, demeaning, hurtful or uncaring?

• “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Is this true?

• Why do some flakes of pepper remain on the outer edge of the bowl? What does that represent?

• What happens in life with students to whom we are hurtful or unkind?

• What conclusions can you draw from this activity?

4. Rotten to the Core
Materials: Apples, Knife, Cutting board
Instructions:

• Before the class begins, the teacher will slightly bruise an apple by rolling/banging it on the floor.

• Teacher asks students how many of them have heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” How many of you believe this statement is true? The teacher then states, “Words do hurt us.”

• We may be able to tell how a person is feeling by their facial features and body language. Other times, we may not be able to tell how negative words hurt someone.

• The students are then instructed to share a time that someone did or said something mean to them. After the student has made the comment, the apple will be dropped. After the apple has been dropped, the student will pick up the apple and pass it to their right.

• The teacher then picks up the other apple. This apple will be used for positive statements.

The teacher then asks students how they feel when a positive statement is made to them. It makes us feel happy when we are given a positive statement. The students are directed to say something positive that someone did for them or said to them.

Process and Reflection:
The teacher then cuts the apple that had negative words to it in half vertically. The other apple, which was given positive words, is cut in half horizontally so the apple looks like it has a star in the middle.

• What did the apple that was dropped when negative words were said, look like on the outside?

•  How about the inside?

• What did the inside of the apple look like that was used when we said nice things about each other?

• What does that tell us about words others may say to someone else?

CITIZENSHIP
1. Ridiculous Rules
Materials: One sheet of colored paper per student (use multiple colors)
Instructions:

• Distribute colored paper to students and instruct them to write down a rule or law they consider ridiculous (for example, “This pillow tag is not to be removed under penalty of law.”) Laws or rules from school, home or community may be used.

• After each person has written what they consider a ridiculous rule, instruct students to make a paper airplane out of the paper they wrote on, and then form a circle.

• With the group in a circle, have each person sail their airplane, then pick up a landed airplane and sail this one.

• Repeat one more time; then have the students choose a plane of a color different than their original, and take it to their seats.

• Ask students to open up the plane they have and read the rule on that plane. There will be more than a few who think the rule on the paper they now have is not “dumb.”

• Develop the thought that we do not have the option of only following the rules we think make sense. If, by chance, everyone agrees that all the laws written down are “dumb,” challenge students to imagine why such laws or rules were created.

Process and Reflection:

• The person or people who made the rule did not intend to create a rule that makes no sense.

• You can also contrast the necessity to obey just laws with the practice of civil disobedience, in which someone disagrees with the fundamental morality of a law and disobeys it as a form of protest, in order to bring attention to the law and hopefully change it.

2. Partners
Learning Objective: To help people see the benefit of working together
Materials: Per team: 1 piece of paper; 1 newspaper sheet and rubber band; 12 inch piece of yarn; 1 balloon
 

Instructions: Have everyone in the group get a partner. Each of the tasks that are assigned, must be accomplished while holding one of their partner’s hands.

Task one: Make a paper airplane with the sheet of paper
Task two: Tie a bow with the piece of yarn
Task three: Roll up a newspaper and put a rubber band around it.
Task four: Inflate a balloon and tie the end.
Task five: Both of you do a somersault at the same time, remembering that you can’t let go of your partner’s hand.
 

Process and Reflection:

• How easy was it to do the tasks that you were given?

• What problems did you experience when completing the task?

• Would the tasks have been easier to complete if you were doing it without your partner’s help? Why or why not?

• What can this activity teach us about working together?

• How hard is it to do some things as a group rather than by yourself?

• What are some ways when working with a group that you can keep from having problems?

3. Incorporations
Instructions: The teacher calls out a description of a kind of group and the students must respond by forming groups to match the teacher’s descriptions. Once the teacher stops the action, a character question is given for the group to quickly discuss. Then, another group is called out.
 

Here are group configurations to consider:
• Groups of three
• Groups of three plus one
• Groups of five in which each person in the group must have one item of clothing which is the same color as that of someone else in the group.
• Groups in which all members share the last digit of a phone number
• Groups of eight in which members have to arrange themselves so as to form the letter H with their bodies.
• Groups in which everyone shares a birth month.