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Character Education Lesson Plan

Teaching Determination with Flight School

by Lita Judge

Grades: K-2

CASEL Standard: Self-Management- The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations.

Character Education Lesson Objective: To understand what determination is and how to identify it

Materials:

Part 1: 

  • Have you ever wanted to do something so badly that you would do anything to make it happen?
  • Do you know what determination means?  Determination is not giving up on something that you have decided that you want to do. 
  • When you wanted to do something so badly that you would do anything to make it happen, you had determination.  For example, you really wanted to learn how to read, so you read with your parents at home, your teacher in school and practiced your sight words every day.   
  • How can you tell if someone is determined?
  • When you see someone working hard who is very focused, they are determined. 
  • You are going to get a worksheet that has information about different people and how they are behaving.  Circle the people who are showing determination.  When you are done, we will go over the answers.
  • Work through the worksheet with the younger students and allow the other students to do it independently.  Then, go over the answers pointing out the people who were determined and how you knew.

Part 2: 

  • We are going to be reading a book called, Flight School by Lita Judge.
  • Read the book.
  • Why does Penguin want to learn how to fly?
  • Why do you think Teacher lets Penguin stay even though penguins cannot fly?
  • What happens when a brokenhearted Penguin starts to leave?
  • How do all of the birds feel when Penguin is flying?
  • Why does Flamingo say, “Eeep!” when Penguin brings Ostrich back and says, “Ostrich has the soul of a swallow?”
  • Why do you think Flamingo was determined to help Penguin fly? 

Part 3: 

  • Penguin and Flamingo were both determined.  Penguin was determined to fly and Flamingo was determined to help. 
  • Think about a time that you were determined to do something.  You are going to be drawing a picture of what you looked like when you were determined. 
  • You will then write a few sentences describing what you wrote.
  • When you are done, you will have a chance to share.
  • After the students are finished, allow them to share.  Point out the different things that people are determined to do.

Related lessons:

View more: Character Education Lesson Plans

Written by Kimberly Greacen, Education World® Contributing Writer

Kimberly is an educator with extensive experience in curriculum writing and developing instructional materials to align with Common Core State Standards and Bloom's Taxonomy.

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