Using the Discovering the Real Me Series

Student Textbook and Teacher’s Manual

6

Discovering the Real Me:Student Textbook 6: A World of Choices

• Original stories

• True to life

• Ages 11 to 12 years

• Dilemmas, conflicts, choices, resolutions

Character Education’s Goals:

• To know the good — head

• To care about the good — heart

• To do the good — hands

Each Story Has Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Goals

Educating the Head, Heart, and Hands

Chapter 4: A World of Choices“Tommy the Tortoise”

• Tommy is not a gifted student

• Still, Tommy wants to be the top in the class

• He thinks he can do it if he works hard enough

“Tommy the Tortoise”• Tommy’s best friend

doubts him• He thinks Christa,

the “atomic brain”, will beat Tommy

• Tommy says he’s the tortoise in “The Tortoise and the Hare”

“Tommy the Tortoise”

• Tommy wins the award of being “number one student” in the class

• He says, “Slow and steady wins the race!” like the tortoise versus the hare

“Tommy the Tortoise”: Cognitive Objectives

• Students will understand that hard work, sacrifice, and effort are necessary both to maintain talents and to develop them

“Tommy the Tortoise”: Affective Objectives

• Students will be cheering for Tommy and his ability to achieve seemingly impossible goals through hard work

“Tommy the Tortoise”: Behavioral Objectives

• Students will state the maxim “Slow and steady wins the race”

• They will describe “tortoise” and “hare” situations in real life

“Tommy the Tortoise” — Discussion Themes

• The relationship between talent and hard work

• Small group discussions about being a tortoise or a hare in real life

“Tommy the Tortoise” — Activities

• Learn or review the fable “The Tortoise and the Hare”

• Write and illustrate a story

• Exercise: What do students dream of achieving?

“Tommy the Tortoise” — Activities

Questions for Reflection done in small groups

• Focusing on Tommy’s character

• Focusing on Tommy’s sacrifices to attain his goal

Chapter 7: A World of Choices“Mr. ‘Perfect’”

• Robert is a perfectionist, trying to do everything just right

• He is defensive when criticized

• He gets angry very easily

“Mr. ‘Perfect’”

• Even his teachers don’t like to point out Robert’s mistakes

• Other students fear him

• Robert’s worst fear is coming true—he is not doing well

“Mr. ‘Perfect’”: Cognitive Objectives

• Students will understand the concept of perfectionism and how it can lead to frustration, anger, and feelings of low self-worth

“Mr. ‘Perfect’”: Affective Objectives

• Students will want to relax perfectionism; they will forgive themselves for mistakes; they will be willing to strive if perfectionism has been holding them back from trying

“Mr. ‘Perfect’”: Behavioral Objectives

• Students will identify perfectionist behavior

• They will use tools to counteract the stress of perfectionism and anger

“Mr. ‘Perfect’”—Discussion Themes

• Perfectionism versus striving for excellence

• Forgiving ourselves

• Allowing ourselves to try even if we might fail or make a mistake

• Handling anger

• Reflective listening

“Mr. ‘Perfect’”— Activities

• Exercise: Are you a perfectionist? Self-test

• De-stressing—deep breathing and visualizing

• Questions for Reflection on anger and fear

Chapter 12: A World of Choices“My Best Friend?"

• Melodie and Susan are best friends

• Melodie is very good at math; Susan is not

• They have a big test coming up next week

“My Best Friend?”

• Melodie offers to tutor Susan

• Susan asks her to let her copy in class

• Melodie refuses • Susan gets a good

grade without cheating

“My Best Friend?”: Cognitive Objectives

• Students will understand that cheating is wrong, even for your best friend

• True friends don’t ask you to do things that are wrong

“My Best Friend?”: Affective Objectives

• Students will feel anger at cheating

• They will feel anger at false friends

• They will want true friends and to be true friends themselves

“My Best Friend?”: Behavioral Objectives

• Students will identify true and false friends

• They will describe different ways of cheating

• They will interpret cheating as unfair to those who have worked for a reward

“My Best Friend?”— Discussion Themes

• Is something only wrong if you get caught?• Cheating includes copying from a book or

the internet, someone else’s test answers or homework or bringing a “cheat sheet” to school

• Cheating is unfair to both the cheater and the people he or she copied from

• Cheating is a form of stealing

“My Best Friend?” —Activities—

True or False Friend?

• Tricia found some matches

• She’s afraid to light them herself

• She asks Kelly to light them

• Is Tricia a true friend to Kelly?

“My Best Friend?”—True or False Friend?

• Clive found a cigarette on the street

• Peter says, “Let’s not smoke it.”

• Is Peter a true friend to Clive?

Utilize the Power of Story through Discovering the Real Me

Storytelling:

• Is a classic way to pass on culture

• Helps the young experience things vicariously

• Imparts wisdom

• Binds people together