This lesson leads the learners to investigate and expand their understanding of caring and to determine those things or people that they care about.
One 20-minute lesson
The Learners will:
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.
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
Ask the learners to discuss five things or people that they care about with friends and family.
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."
Lesson Developed and Piloted by:
Betsy FlikkemaAll rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.