This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills.  For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to generationon.org.

Anticipatory Set:

Remind the students of the previous lesson by reviewing the meaning of caring [feeling concern, showing interest] and from the acrostic made by the class.

• Say, "Caring involves showing concern for the feelings and needs of others and doing what we can to make others feel better. One of the ways we show caring is by performing acts of kindness."
  Discuss how one person doing small acts of kindness repeatedly or a group of people doing small acts of kindness can have an impact on a community.
• Ask, "What effect can our acts of caring have on our community?"
• Discuss what effects acts of caring may have on the giver (develops a habit of the heart, builds self confidence, self-esteem).
• Give each learner a piece of paper cut in the size and shape of a bookmark. Tell them to write the phrase "Perform Random Acts of Kindness" attractively on their bookmark. They can decorate the bookmarks at school or home using markers or collage materials.
• As homework, have them ask their families for ideas of simple acts of kindness they can perform. They write a list of ideas on the back of the bookmark and bring the bookmark to the next class period.