Contents

New Product Survey
Theme of the Month
Lessons and Activities
Character Education Tips and Resources
In the News

We're looking to add more great guidance products to our catalog, but we need your help! Please take a moment to complete our new product survey, and guide us toward selecting the products that will help you and your students the most.

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Caring is not just a way of feeling, it's a way of behaving. Caring people respond unselfishly to the needs of others and treat people with kindness, concern and generosity. We become caring people by doing caring things.

One of the programs in our new character education series based on the Six Pillars of Character is CARING. The series will be available in late December.

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Elementary School
How to be a Caring Person
Kids learn about caring through questions and activities inspired by the loveable Popcorn Park Puppets. In this episode, Burna faces a tough decision as to whether she should play soccer or participate in a community project.

Giving Game: Let the Games Begin!
Students play a game teaching them about performing acts of kindness and the value of caring for others.

Kindness Counts!
This activity gives students a chance to come up with their own ideas about what acts of kindness are and how to perform them. (PDF)

Celebrating Caring and Kindness
After the class breaks up into small groups and brainstorms ways to be caring, they get the opportunity to look for others' acts of kindness in addition to their own.

Middle School
Exploring Philanthropic Motivations: The Drive
Students will learn about and discuss the motivations for giving. They will explore applications of these motivations to their own lives while exploring the different sectors of the economy.

You Have to Live in Somebody Else's Country to Understand
This article teaches middle school students about compassion and understanding with writing assignments and discussions about feeling isolated or left out.

How to Treat Others With Respect
Treating others with respect is a great way to show you are a caring person, and it requires little effort. This lesson from Big Changes, Big Choices includes many discussion starters in the form of questions, activities and writing assignments.

High School
Teaching the Young to Empathize With the Old
Sometimes listening to or watching an example of others being kind can prove to be a great starting point for discussions and critical thinking. Listen to a story of teenagers empathizing with the elderly as they step into their shoes.

Exercising Character
When critical thinking and discussions have been exhausted or before they get started, get students up and moving around with this different take on musical chairs. This activity from Character Counts! will show the effects of exclusion and teach tolerance. (PDF)

Power and Potential to Make a Difference: The Drive
Students read about and discuss individuals who have made a difference. They also get the chance to analyze the characteristics, skills and sacrifices associated with philanthropic acts and reflect on their own ability to make a difference.

Are You a Caring Person?
Students get the opportunity to discuss what it means to be caring and deconstruct some of the stereotypes associated with teenagers and their willingness to care for others. This lesson from In Search of Character also includes activities and writing prompts intended to get students thinking critically about caring.

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Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was formed to inspire and facilitate the practice of kindness. The emphasis of the Foundation is to create and strengthen communities by inspiring local coordinators, individuals, educators, schools, faith groups, service clubs and other groups to share kindness with others and to participate in kindness activities.

Thanksgiving Food Drive
November marks the arrival of Thanksgiving and a great time to emphasize caring for others. Drop canned goods and other non-perishables off at any DHL location through Friday, November 17th, and they will deliver donations to over 200 local Food Banks and food distribution centers within the America's Second Harvest network, ensuring that each of over 50,000 local soup kitchens, shelters and other food distribution locations nationwide recieve the generosity of their surrounding community.

Food on Foot
Food on Foot began in March 1996 as one man's response to the hunger he witnessed among the poor and homeless of Hollywood. What initially began as the distribution of meals from the trunk of a car has grown through the dedication of its volunteers and now serves more than 500 meals each week to homeless, disabled, elderly and low-income adults and children. In addition to feeding the less fortunate, Food on Foot also helps secure jobs within the community for underprivileged teens and adults.

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Use these articles to gather ideas about how to build good character at home, work, and in your community!

America's Largest Student-Run Food and Clothing Drive
The Drive was created by a national, non-profit youth service organization called The League. This year, they expect to generate more than one million dollars in food and clothing, setting a new record. The League is open to everyone, and The Drive takes place November 7th through 21st.

A Valet for Venting, Friendly Travelers, and Rush-Hour Removal
Here are three stories from three individuals who were on the recieving ends of strangers' kindness and generosity.

Flyaway Hood, Lost Keys and Overheated Seniors
Three more stories about the caring of strangers.

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Please send us your comments, suggestions, character education stories, and any other ideas that you think would be of value in helping us improve our newsletter. E-mail us today!

This newsletter is provided as a service to educators by Live Wire Media: Resources for Character Education, Guidance and Lifeskills. © Copyright Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc. All rights are reserved.

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