Character Education
| Definition | History | Activities/Lesson
Plans | Curriculum | Grants/Funding |
| Organizations | Other
States | Parents | Resources |
|
Character Education is about celebrating what's right |
What Is Character
Education?
"Character education is the development of knowledge, skills, and abilities
that enable the learner to make informed and responsible choices. It involves
a shared educational commitment that emphasizes the responsibilities and rewards
of productive living in a global and diverse society. Character education enables
students to come face to face with the realities of life. It encourages them
to think critically and then act responsibly. Instructional materials, methods,
and strategies, when developed into interdisciplinary curricular themes, empower
teachers to create meaning while allowing students time for purposeful exploration
and self-reflection. Character development provides a foundation upon which we
can build respect for human dignity and create twenty-first-century schools that
will empower students to achieve excellence." (From Urban
Programs Resource Network.)
What is the History of Character Education?
| "Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks, no form of government, can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people is a chimerical idea." --James Madison |
| "To educate a man in mind and not morals is to educate a menace to society." --Theodore Roosevelt |
| "Education has for this object the formation of character." --Herbert Spencer |
| "Property may be destroyed. Money may lose its purchasing power. But character, health, knowledge and good judgment will always be in demand under all conditions." -- Roger Babson |
| "How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in your life, you will have been all of these." -- George Washington Carver |
| "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." -- Anne Frank |
| Thoughts and additional quotes on character. |
| Boxful of Character | This lesson plan can be used with any of Shakespeare's play. |
| Character and Sports | Grades 7-12 - Discussion questions and activities for coaches to use with athletes. |
| Character Counts | Good ideas for all ages - updated every 2 weeks, includes sample activities for character education. |
| Character Education | Character education lesson plans - contains many links to lesson plans for K-12. Character matters - an educational, inspirational resource devoted to issues of personal qualities. |
| Character Education Theme | Character education lesson plans K-12 - a sizable collection of lessons categorized by subject area. |
| Parents & Teachers | Cultural/social diversity appreciation and understanding activities. Social and emotional development activities. |
| Hero Quest | Exploring what qualities make a hero, using the six values of character education. Use the links below to help you establish the qualities of your personal hero. |
| Lesson Plan Page.com | Character education lesson on giving, as well as, many other thematic lesson plans. |
| Life Skills assembly programs and lesson plans in character education for children in grades K-6. | |
| North Carolina Department of Education | Lessons in all subject areas including: grade level, subject area, and character traits. |
| Strategies for Empowering Students | Interdisciplinary character education lesson plans for primary, intermediate, and upper elementary students. |
| TeachNet.com | Contains top 100 Web sites for teachers with lesson plans, worksheets, and lots more. |
| University of San Diego | Online course in character education. |
| Wise Skills | Character building programs for grades K-8, including WiseWords (K-2) and WiseQuotes (3-5). |
| Character Education Network | For students, teachers, schools and communities to facilitate character education. This site is dedicated to providing quality, ready-to-use curriculum, activities and resources that integrate with and enhance the classroom experience. |
| Core Attributes | The Heartwood Institute creates ethics curricula for children from preschool to grade six. Based on fine multicultural children's literature, the curricula are designed to introduce a language of ethics and to foster literacy, good judgment and moral imagination. |
| Creative Spirit - Character Education | Programs train educators and students to manage aggressive behaviors, build self-esteem, resolve conflicts, encourage diversity tolerance, practice core values, and promote character education. |
| Good Character | Free character education resources for K-12 teachers, coaches, and youth group leaders. Includes discussion questions, writing assignments, learning activities, opportunities for student action, and lots of teacher support materials. |
| Kidder and Company | Provides newsletters, brochures, and character curriculum for schools across the United States. |
| Syndistar | Videotapes, publications and software. |
| Teaching Values |
Resources for parents and teachers on character education and teaching children family values with accelerated learning techniques. |
| 21st Century Community Learning Centers | The focus of this program, re-authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the No Child Left Behind Act, is to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing schools. In addition this program provide youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music and recreation programs, counseling and character education to enhance the academic component of the program. |
| The Partnerships in Character Education Project Program |
In this U.S. Education Department program, an eligible entity may apply for a grant to design and implement a character education program that: (a) is able to be integrated into classroom instruction and is consistent with state academic content standards and (b) is able to be carried out in conjunction with other education reform efforts. |
| Association for Moral Education | Provides an interdisciplinary forum for professionals interested in the moral dimensions of educational theory and practice. |
| Character Counts! | The Josephson Institute of Ethics' official site for Character Counts!, a nationwide initiative to support nonpartisan character education. |
| Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence | Profiles the character education program offered in schools by the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service. |
| Character Education Partnership | An organization committed to developing civic virtue and moral character in our youth for a more compassionate and responsible society. The purpose of character education is to help students develop good character, which includes knowing, caring about, and acting upon core ethical values such as caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for self and others. |
| Character Education Resources | National Center for Youth Issues is a provider of character education resources to educators across the country. |
| National Character Education Center | Character education program for schools. Includes information about national seminars and discussion board. |
| California | The California Department of Education's Character Education Web site contains a variety of resources, including reviews of character education materials, information about model programs and professional development, an annotated bibliography, and links to other character education Web sites. |
| Georgia | The Georgia Center for Character Education is a project of the Georgia Humanities Council in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education and serves as a resource to assist educators, school boards, school personnel, organizations, policy makers, parents and communities in meeting the General Assembly mandate for character education. |
| Hawaii | Kamali'i Elementary School has been selected as one of seven schools in the state of Hawaii to be part of a pilot project to infuse character education in the school curriculum under the Improving America's School Act, Fund for the Improvement of Education, Title X, Partnerships in Character Education Pilot Projects. This is a three year project that will be taking a proactive, comprehensive approach to promoting core ethical values in all phases of school life. As a pilot school, Kamali'i will be supported with funding for resources, training support, and technical assistance. |
| Illinois | The Illinois Cooperative Extension Service provided leadership training to educational leaders, teachers, school board members, representatives from community agencies, police officers, mayors in small communities, parents and friends of education. |
| Kentucky | Character education Information related to national organizations and classroom resources. |
| Maine | “Instructors of youth in public or private institutions shall use their best endeavors to impress on the minds of the children and youth committed to their care and instruction the principles of morality and justice and a sacred regard for truth; love of country, humanity and a universal benevolence; the great principles of humanity as illustrated by kindness to birds and animals and regard for all factors which contribute to the well-being of man; industry and frugality; chastity, moderation and temperance; and all other virtues which ornament human society; and to lead those under their care, as their ages and capacities admit, into a particular understanding of the tendency of such virtues to preserve and perfect a republican constitution, secure the blessings of liberty and to promote their future happiness.” Maine Law, 1821, as amended. |
| Michigan | Michigan State University Extension is a CHARACTER COUNTS! coalition member and offers training and curriculum for adults and teens in several locations across Michigan. The CHARACTER COUNTS! youth education initiative is a project of the Institute that involves schools and nonprofit organizations working with millions of kids across the country. |
| North Carolina | In 1996, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction received a three year grant from the United States Office of Education to fund a partnership in character education. North Carolina joins 28 other states in receiving grants for this purpose from The Fund for the Improvement of Education. North Carolina was funded on the second attempt in the second year of the competition. |
| Utah | The Utah State Office of Education's Character Education home page is intended as a resource for Utah educators, parents and others interested in how character education is part of the education framework in Utah public schools. The page contains numerous examples of how Utah schools and districts are implementing the character education initiatives as well as including many resources, links to other sites, and funding information. |
| West Virginia | Schools are selected to implement character education programs during the kickoff of the Safe Schools Conference. West Virginia Department of Education will have 25 Character Education Lighthouse pilot sites selected over a four-year period. These pilot sites are being funded through a $1 million grant from the US Department of Education to incorporate and integrate character education in the school environment and curriculum. |
| Character Development and Education Bibliography | A list of books available for adults and children that focus on character development and education are listed on the Web site. These books can be found in libraries and bookstores. |
| Michigan 4H Youth Development | Michigan State University Extension is a CHARACTER COUNTS! coalition member and is offering training and curriculum for adults and teens in Michigan. |
| Teaching Values | Resources for parents and teachers on character education and teaching children family values with accelerated learning techniques. |
| Timely Tips for Families | When it comes to character, courtesy counts. Teaching young people about manners and being polite goes beyond old-fashioned notions about charm and etiquette—it’s about respect. |
| Timely Tips for Families | Suggestions to help parents manage what children get from television. |
| Active Citizenship: Empowering America's Youth | A curriculum unit developed by California teacher John Minkler, Ph.D., which teaches the rights, responsibilities and civic values of U.S. citizenship, and includes a group project in which students research and develop a solution for a real problem in their community. This site has information on civic values, an excellent presentation on service learning activities for middle and high school students, a free service learning guide and many links to other sites related to service learning. |
| American Promise |
This Web site is based on common themes about Americans as presented in a series of related episodes on Public Television dealing with freedom, responsibility and participation. The series, along with activities and lessons, has been used in more than 20,000 classrooms nationwide to provide lessons in government, civics, and history. Sponsored by Farmers Insurance, it includes sample lesson plans for government, U.S. History, Social Studies, Civics, Economics, Law, World History, and Service Learning. |
| Bonner Center for Character Education and Citizenship | This Web site, at the California State University, Fresno, provides a variety of character education programs in California's Central Valley. The site gives information on a variety of character award programs, materials and resources, links to area school districts, and ideas for both public schools and colleges of education. |
| Center for Civic Education | The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational corporation dedicated to fostering the development of informed, responsible participation in civic life by citizens committed to values and principles fundamental to American constitutional democracy. The center specializes in civic/citizenship education, law-related education, and international educational exchange programs for developing democracies. Programs focus on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; American political traditions and institutions at the federal, state and local levels; constitutionalism; civic participation; and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. |
| Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character | The center serves as a resource for administrators, teachers and parents as they seek to fulfill their responsibilities as moral educators. |
| Character
Counts! |
Character Counts! is a nationwide initiative to support nonpartisan character education. The coalition has established six pillars of good character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. This Web site includes a description of the Character Counts! Coalition, training opportunities, a youth character awards program, upcoming events, and curriculum suggestions. |
| Charactered | The Character Education Network is a place for students, teachers, schools and communities to facilitate character education. This site is dedicated to providing quality online, ready-to-use curriculum, activities and resources that integrate with and enhance the classroom experience. It allows schools and students to network together by sharing ideas and experiences with others in their community and nationwide. |
| Character Education Materials | Lists of organizations that provide character education materials. |
| Character
Education Partnership |
"The Character Education Partnership (CEP) is a nonpartisan coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to developing moral character and civic virtue in our nation's youth as one means of creating a more compassionate and responsible society." The CEP has grown to be an umbrella organization for national character education efforts. It provides a National Resource Center that distributes information, provides school support for school boards, teachers and administrators, publishes publications and announces annual meetings. |
| Children's Books | A list of books for young people, compiled by Kate Harrington of the Albuquerque Public Library. The site specifies which of the “Six Pillars of Character” is emphasized. |
| CIVNET |
CIVNET is an international gateway to information on civic
education providing a vast library of civics teaching resources, discourse
on civil society, information on organizations and programs, and links
to other Web sites. This Web site includes book-length documents, articles,
and lesson plans contributed by educators, authors, organizations, and
a discussion group. It also includes specific links to: • A cyberlibrary of important historical documents of interest to students and teachers of civics, democracy, constitutionalism, tolerance, human rights, liberty, and justice. • Lesson plans, syllabi, and bibliographies for teaching civics in grades kindergarten to 12. |
| Don't
Laugh at Me |
Don't Laugh at Me (DLAM) offers free curricular resources for grades 2-5 and 6-8. DLAM is a gateway program that fosters the transformation of schools and classrooms into safer, more respectful and nurturing environments for children. |
| The
Four Virtues |
Justice, temperance, fortitude, and prudence. |
| Freedom Forum | The Freedom Forum is devoted to describing and preserving First Amendment rights. It offers detailed information on the First Amendment, and on a range of related topics including the free press, free speech, religion, technology, journalism, and education. |
| Giraffe Project | This is a literature project devoted to spreading the word about people who "stick their necks out for the common good." Its Standing Tall Curriculum teaches children how to stick their own necks out through a three-part plan instruction: "Hear the Story" in which children read and are told stories about more than 800 real-life heroes; "Tell the Story" in which children find out about and speak or write about the real-life heroes in their local communities, and "Be the Story" in which children put into practice their own plans for being helpful. |
| Good Character | This Web site is loaded with free resources to help the educator teach good character. |
| I Care | Some ideas and activities that are useful for implementing a Resource Manual K-12 - I CARE program. |
| Institute for Global Ethics | Based in Camden, Maine, this organization has curriculum materials available for middle schools, high schools, and much more. |
| Michigan State University Extension | Presents definitions as well as information about the Six Pillars of Character. |
| Studies in Moral Development and Education | This site at the University of Illinois, at Chicago is edited by Dr. Larry Nucci. Its goal is to connect educators who are interested in the "developmental/constructivist" conception of moral development and education. The site contains excellent articles and other resources. |
| Utah Department of Education: Character Education Partnership | Utah was one of the first states funded under the U.S. Department of Education's Character Education Partnership Grants. This Web site describes the history of the project, its progress over two years, curriculum plans, evaluation of progress thus far, lesson plans, the theory and history of character education, and links to other related sites. |
