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 The League.

Anticipatory Set:

Explain to the learners that an organization called "Giraffe" exists to recognize people who "stick their necks out" for the benefit of others. Distribute print copies of the page from Giraffe.org of stories of "teens who care," or display the web page for all to see (see Materials and Bibliographical References). Ask the learners to read the brief stories of Giraffe heroes.

• Ask the learners to consider why the young people would get involved in these activities. Discuss why they think these young people would "stick their necks out."
• Help the learners come to the conclusion that teens might get involved in these activities because they "care."
• Ask the learners to brainstorm as many words as they can think of that are synonyms for care or caring or are ways that people demonstrate caring. They should think about "How do we care?" (Words like love, sympathy, concern, compassion, worry, concern, confrontation, etc.) Note the words in a display area, leaving space between/around each or put each word on a separate chart paper. Save these words for use in Lesson Two.
• If  the words alturism, empathy, and selflessness have not already been suggested by the learners, introduce and define the words as additional aspects of caring: 

Altruism: selfless concern for the welfare of others

Empathy: identification with and understanding of the feelings of another person

Selflessness: putting others' needs before one's own

• Save these words in the display area also.
• Ask the learners to list in their journals five things or people (either individuals or groups) that they would "stick their necks out" for or that they "care" about (not necessarily in order of priority).

Stories of teens who care from www.giraffe.org. Select "Find Giraffes" and then search for state- and age-specific stories by choosing a state location and "Teens."