First 6 weeks period:

WEEK 1: Education

Discussion questions
1. What are your educational goals?
High school, GED, college, technical school, etc.

2. What career path might you follow?

3. Where could you get career advice?
Counselor, 9th grade assessment, etc.

4. What is your public education teaching you?
How to work with others, how to follow instructions, cooperation, how to think, etc.

Activity options
1.  Write or draw where you will be in five years or at a certain age.  Include your personal, educational and career goals/dreams.

2. Research possible future careers and present to class.  Include the following information:
training and how long it will take
  average salary
 any helpful resources
 

 WEEK 2: Choices: Creating Our Future

Discussion questions
1. What choices have you made that will affect your future?  Give positive and negative examples.
Problems with the law, job while in school, drivers license, etc.

2. How do people make good choices?
Learn from past mistakes, ask others for advice, and think before choosing

Activity options
1. Create a poster showing how you are creating your future by taking care of your Body, Brain, Heart and Soul.  Refer to pg. 206 of your 7 habits book.

2. Plan a budget for the future you created last week.

 WEEK 3: Choices: Choosing What’s Right

Discussion questions
1. Are you a prisoner of your past?
Addicted parents, siblings in gangs, abusive parents, missing parents, etc.

2.  How do you break the cycle for you and your family?

Activity options
1. Read poem on pg. 26 of your 7 habits book.  List your “pot holes”.

2. Take “pot hole” list of each student and destroy the list.  Make a visual reminder of your “pot holes”.

Examples: Place lists in a box and bury the box.  Plant a flower or have students make a headstone.

Shred the lists and use as “stuffing” for a stress ball or pillow.

“Lock” lists away and have students create a lock to represent the past and a door to represent their future.

 WEEK 4: Courage and Confidence: Overcoming Obstacles

Discussion questions
1. How do you overcome obstacles?

2. How do you climb a mountain?

3. How do you walk across America?
Step by step, do a little each day; establish a goal or objective

Activity options:
1. Establish a goal for the week.  Make it attainable, but challenging.  You may want to set a goal that helps you to avoid or overcome one of your “pot holes”.

2. Start a new habit this week.  Choose a habit that will help you avoid or overcome one of your “pot holes”.  This habit may also help improve your Body, Brain, Heart or Soul.  You could eat breakfast everyday, turn off the TV/Radio by 10pm every night or do ten push-ups a day.

 WEEK 5: Courtesy and Manner: Rules for Living

Discussion questions
1. Have I been courteous to you the past few weeks?

2. If you work, are you required to be courteous?

3. Have you ever been courteous and kept yourself out of trouble?

4. How do you talk to your friend’s parents?  Why?

Activity options:
1.  Teach students positive responses to others in different situations.

2. Role-play different scenarios using taught responses.  Possible topics could be: asking a parent for money or to borrow the car, telling a friend why you are mad at them, asking your boss for a day off, asking a sibling to leave your room.

3. Be courteous to a parent, sibling, co-worker, teacher etc. everyday this week and report the outcome to class on Friday.

 WEEK 6: Diversity: I’m Unique and Unrepeatable!

Discussion questions
1. How are you different from your parents?

2. How are you different from your siblings?

3. How are you different from other students in your class?

Activity options:
1. The Great Discovery – pg. 258 in your 7 habits book.

2. Create a poster about you and your special talents and interests.
 

Second 6 weeks period:

Week 1: Diversity: Contagious Humanity

Discussion Questions:
1.   How are you the same as the other people
     in your classroom?

2.  How are you different than the other
     people in your classroom?

Activity Options
1. Humanity Quilt (see attached for directions)
Suggested prompts: same values, different values, family dynamics, wants, needs, goals etc.)

2. Class Slogan (with activity to follow)
To create a contagious act of humanity (example: Hands Across America)
 

Week 2: Education: Doorway to Success

Discussion Questions
1. Where is your education taking you?
 

Activity Options
1. Review several job applications, resumes…

2.  Create a list of 3-5 questions someone may ask a person looking for a job.  Ask for two volunteers.  Have one pose as the potential employee and one as the interviewer.  Record the interview on a tape recorder if desired.  Discuss body language, tone, feeling, and first impressions.

2. Research jobs/careers on the web or in Occupational Handbooks.  Present info. from one job to class
 

Week 3: Knowledge is Power

Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the power that knowledge can give you.

2. Does power always have to come from formal education?
~ Discuss alternatives to four-year degree tracts

Activity Options
1. Teach the class something you already know.
~ Display new found knowledge and other items of ‘trivia’ students have shared on a Knowledge Board in the classroom
 

Week 4: Friendship: Understanding Self-Others

Discussion Questions
1. Friends are…?
~ Parents are…
~ Siblings are…
~ I am…

2. Who is your best friend?  What character values do you admire in that person?  What values do you possess that make you that person’s best friend?

Activity Options
1. Revisit the “Melons, Grapes, Bananas, Oranges” activity from Lingo of Learning class (p. 187 in 7 Habits Book).

2. Do “True Colors” exercise (attached) to discover personality types?  Discuss different qualities of each individual
 

Week 5: Goals, Dreams, Genius

Discussion Questions
1. What are your dreams for the future?

2. What goals do you need to create to make those dreams a reality?  (Do dreams really come true?)

3. Brainstorm the meaning of the word genius.   Look up the word in the dictionary.  Do you have to have an IQ of 130 to be a genius?

Activity Options
1. Live for this week as if you have reached a certain goal of yours.  Report to the class what you have ‘done’ to reach that goal (education, accomplishments, etc.) ~ this will require some research ?

2. Break down Habit 7 (Sharpen the Saw) Break students into four groups.  Each discuss a concept about sharpening the saw (brain, body, heart and soul).  How can these concepts help you in reaching your goals?
 

Week 6: Rules for Success

Discussion Questions
1. Why do we have rules?

2. What would a society with no rules look like?

Activity Options
1. Revisit Character Quest ~ have a discussion about the rules and why each is used.

  ~ How do we use our habits to build character?
2. Choose a current event that illustrates someone’s decision to
break a rule.  Draw a “stone” on a dry erase board (this will represent the decision).   Surround it with all the ripples (effects) that are created from that one stone…
 

Third 6 weeks period:

 Week 1: Kindness and Courtesy: Weakness or Strength?

Discussion Questions:
1.   How does kindness or courtesy help you?

2.  Do you see kindness and courtesy as a weakness or strength?
 

Activity Options
1. Re-visit the behavior-loop.

2. Create an Act’s of Kindness book.  Have the students write stories, poems, etc. and draw or find pictures of act’s of kindness they have experienced.  Laminate and share their books.

3. Read the fable, The Lion and the Mouse.  Have students write their own fable about kindness and courtesy. – activity included
 

 Week 2: Thanksgiving Week: Gratitude

Discussion Questions:
1. What does gratitude mean?

2.  What are you thankful or grateful for?

3.  How can you show or express gratitude?

Activity Options
1.  Turkey Hand – Have the students write what they are grateful for and decorate the hand like a turkey.  (See template)

2. Make a Thankful or Grateful Chain.

3. Create a class grateful quilt. (See template)
 

 Week 3: Moral Courage: Choosing What’s Right

Discussion Questions:
1.  What does a hero look like?

2. Would you steal something if no one were looking?

3.  Would you turn someone in if you knew they had done something wrong?

Activity Options
1.  Heart Transplant – activity included

2.  Consider playing Scruples.

3. Review Integrity (Level 4) of CQ - Walk your walk and talk your talk!
 

Week 4: Overcoming Obstacles: Stepping-Stones or Stumbling Blocks?

Discussion Questions:
1.  What are common obstacles for people of your age group?

2.  How do you handle these obstacles?

3.  Are you creating stepping stones or roadblocks?

Activity Options
1. 7 Habits Book – Discuss Habit 3: Put First Things First
The following pages are stories or sections that deal with overcoming obstacles, 42-43, 56, 121-123 and 127.

2.  Yeah, but… - activity included

Movie Options
1. Pete Gray – one armed baseball player
2. Helen Keller
3. Rudy – Notre Dame football
4. October Sky – coal miner kids become scientist
5. Monty Stratton – pitcher loses leg and then pitches again
 

Week 5: Persistence & Determination: Tools for Success

Discussion Questions:
1.  Define persistence.

2.  Can you think of anyone with determination?

3.  Was there a time when you were persistent or determined?

Activity Options
1.  Give It Your Best Shot – activity included

2.  Be Smart About Goals – activity included

3.  No Such Thing as Failure - activity included
 

 Week 6: Winter Holidays: Peace and Charity

Discussion Questions:
1.  What does peace mean to you?

2.  How do you find peace?

3.  When was the last time you showed charity?

4.  What did you do?

Activity Options
1.  Have a canned food drive

2. Have students make holiday cards for hospitalized or nursing home patients

3.  Have a winter clothes drive – hats, gloves, sweaters, etc.
 
 
 

Forth 6 Weeks period:

 WEEK 1: Positive Attitude (Keeping a)

Discussion questions
1. How are a positive attitude and pro-active similar?
2.  Do you know anyone with a positive attitude?
3. What are some characteristics of positive people?

4. What is your usual attitude?

Activity Options
1.  Have students make a ladder of success. As a class or individually.

2. Have students write positive thoughts on balloons or draw cartoon characters with positive thought bubbles.

3.  7 Habits book
Read pg. 63-65 - Can-do attitude
Read pg. 16-18 – Paradigms
Read pg. 59-61 – Becoming a change agent
These can be good discussion starters and examples of the affects of a positive attitude or paradigm.
 
 

Week 2: Proactive, Productive, and Proud

Discussion Questions:
1.  What is proactive?

2.  What is productive?

3.  How is pride related to being proactive and productive?

Activity Options
1.  Activities That Teach – Lifeguard p. 210 (copy included)

2.  Discuss Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind
Have student try to put puzzle together.
Variations: have students work in groups
take a piece away
 

Week 3: Respect: Honoring Those Who Can Teach Us
Week 4: Respect: Respecting Self and Others
Week 5: Respect: The Golden Rule

We saw lots of overlap so decided to give you questions and activities that applied to all 3 weeks.  You can choose how and when you use them.

Discussion Questions:
1.  Define respect as a class.

2.  How does the tone of your voice communicate respect?

3.  Does respect have anything to do with rights?

4. How is being disruptive disrespectful?

5. What does respect look like in the classroom?  At home?  In a relationship?

6. How does respect apply to the Golden Rule?

Activity Options
1.  List all the people you have learned from or taught something to.

2.  Read “I have a dream…” by Martin Luther King
(MLK curriculum is floating around)

4. Activities that Teach – Liar, Liar Pants On Fire (copy included)

5. The Value of Self Respect packet (copy included)

6. Activities that Teach – Group Treasure Hunt and Line Up
(Copy included)

7.  7 Habits book - Personal Bank Account (PBA)
Week 6: Responsible Citizenship: Helping Others

Discussion Questions:
1.  What does citizenship mean?

2.  What are the basic expectations of all citizens?

3. What have you done this week to benefit others?
At school? At home? In your neighborhood?

4. How do you feel when you do something that benefits others?

Activity Options
1.  Review Level 6 of CQ

2. Scan newspaper for articles on citizenship.

3. Discuss the citizenship responsibilities of a president.
(You may want to do a President’s Day activity)
 

 Week 7: Role Models: Who’s Influencing Whom?

Discussion Questions:
1.  Think of a person who made a positive difference in your life.  What qualities does that person have that you would like to develop?

2.  Why are role models important?

3.  How does having a role model help you follow the 7 Habits?

Activity Options
1.  More Activities That Teach – Heroes p. 186 (copy included)

2. Write 5 questions that you would like to ask your hero.

3.  7 Habits Book
 Read Becoming a Change Agent – pg. 59-61

Fifth 6 Weeks period:

 WEEK 1: Self-Responsibility: The Choice is Yours

Discussion questions
1. What does responsibility mean to you?
2. What does self-responsibility mean to you?
3. How are they different?

Activity Options
1.  Read – A Lesson in Growing Up.  Answer and discuss questions.

2. Watch the movie Rudy and have students keep a timeline of Rudy’s college career.

3.  7 Habits book – PBA Chapter pg. 31-46

4. Read the poems – Don’t Quit and Start with Yourself
These can be good discussion starters and examples self-responsibility.

 Week 2: Self-Worth: Dealing With Our Anger

Discussion Questions:
1.  What are some typical situations that make you angry on a regular basis?

2.  How can being pro-active help reduce this anger?

3.  How is anger related to being re-active?

Activity Options
1.  Activities That Teach – Blow Up p. 210 (copy included)

2.  7 Habits Book – Read Human Tools in Action pg. 68-70
Have students complete Baby Steps on pg. 71-72

3. If you come to school already upset or angry how can you turn it around and be pro-active?
Role play some of the scenarios the students come up with.

 WEEK 3: Success in School: Just do it!

Discussion questions
1. What are you doing to be successful in school?
2. What are your academic goals for this grading period?
3. What are your academic goals while here at the ACT program?

Activity Options
1. Attendance and not asking for help are two things that cause students to not be successful.  Have students problem-solve these issues and then come up with tips for being successful at school.

2. More Activities that Teach – Goals pg. 306
 

 WEEK 4: Success: Doing Our Personal Best

Discussion questions
1. What does success look like to you?
2. What would you have to accomplish to feel successful?
3. What are your academic goals while here at the ACT program?

Activity Options
1. Dallas Stars Curriculum – You should have these, Chip usually copies these from the newspaper and distributes them.  If you need a copy, see Chip or Angela.

2. Activities that Teach – I’ll bet you can’t pg. 144

3.  Chicken Soup Story – Follow Your Dream (included in packet)
 
 

 WEEK 5: Tolerance in Our Global Village

Discussion questions
1. How are respect and tolerance related?
2. What is the difference between tolerating and celebrating people’s differences?

3. How does synergy relate to tolerance?

Activity Options
1. Read The Cold Within – 7 Habits book pg. 192

2. Activities that Teach – People Jump pg. 174

3. More Activities that Teach – What’s Inside pg. 329

4. The 7 Habits book has a section on differences and synergy.
It starts on pg. 183.   Copies of handouts you might want to use with it are included.
 

 WEEK 6: Conscience and Character: Guides to Success

Discussion questions
1. Are you living up to your mission statement?
2. What are your academic goals for this grading period?
3. What are your academic goals while here at the ACT program?

Activity Options
1. 7 Habits – Win-Win – have the students discuss what this habit looks like.  What are the choices?

2. More Activities that Teach – M&Ms pg. 221

3. More Activities that Teach – Overtime pg. 233

4. 7 Habits – pg. 68-69 – story about Dermell Reed

5.  Design the perfect friend or mate.  What qualities would they have and why?
 

Sixth 6 Weeks period:

WEEK 1: Gratitude Attitude

Discussion questions
1.  What is gratitude?

2. What are you grateful for?

3. Who are you grateful for?

4. How do you show gratitude?

Activity options
1.  More Activities that Teach – What’s Inside? Pg. 329

2.  More Activities that Teach – Grass is Greener pg. 184
 You will need a copy of The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss.

3.  Have students keep a Grateful Journal all week.  They can even make their own journals.

WEEK 2: Brotherhood: Working for Peace

Discussion questions
1.  What is brotherhood?

2. What can you do to create peace or brotherhood in your classroom?  At your home school?

Activity options
1.  Conflict Resolution – Included

3. Doves – Have students write what peace means to them. – Included

2.  Confidence Power – Building Friendships pg. 63-76 - Included

4.  Watch Ghandi – Virginia can order it from Polk.

 WEEK 3: Wisdom: Educating the Heart

Discussion questions
1.  Define wisdom.

2. What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?

3. What does it mean to educate your heart?

4. How can you educate your heart?

5.  Why is it important to educate your heart?

Activity options
1.  7 Habits book – Habit 7 Sharpening the Saw - Have the students read Caring for Your Heart pg. 228–233.  Review PBA.

2.  Imagery Readings – Included

3. Have students keep a log of how they educate their heart.
 

 WEEK 4: Goals, Dreams and Genius

Discussion questions
1. What are your dreams for the future?

2. What goals do you need to create to make those dreams a reality?  (Do dreams really come true?)

3. Brainstorm the meaning of the word genius.   Look up the word in the dictionary.  Do you have to have an IQ of 130 to be a genius?

Activity options:
1.  7 Habits book – Have students read Begin with the End in Mind pg. 74-80 and answer The Crossroads of Life questions.

2.  More Activities that Teach – Rat Race pg. 243

3. Have students try to put together a blank puzzle. – Included
Now have students try to put together a puzzle that has an “end in mind”.

4. Break down Habit 7 (Sharpen the Saw) Break students into four groups.  Each discuss a concept about sharpening the saw (brain, body, heart and soul).  How can these concepts help you in reaching your goals?
 

 WEEK 5: Choices: Creating Our Future

Discussion questions
1. What choices have you made that will affect your future?  Give positive and negative examples.
Problems with the law, job while in school, drivers license, etc.

2. How do people make good choices?
Learn from past mistakes, ask others for advice, and think before choosing

Activity options:
1. More Activities that Teach – Auction Block pg. 64

2. More Activities that Teach – Choices and Consequences pg. 100

3. Create a poster showing how you are creating your future by taking care of your Body, Brain, Heart and Soul.  Refer to pg. 206 of your 7 habits book.
 

 WEEK 6: Choices: Choosing What’s Right

Discussion questions
1. Are you a prisoner of your past?
Addicted parents, siblings in gangs, abusive parents, missing parents, etc.

2. How do you break the cycle for you and your family?

Activity options:
1. Read poem on pg. 26 of your 7 habits book.  List your “pot holes”.

2. Take “pot hole” list of each student and destroy the list.  Make a visual reminder of your “pot holes”.

Examples: Place lists in a box and bury the box.  Plant a flower or have students make a headstone.

Shred the lists and use as “stuffing” for a stress ball or pillow.

“Lock” lists away and have students create a lock to represent the past and a door to represent their future.

3. More Activities that Teach – Say It And Do It pg. 253
 
 

 WEEK 7: Last Week of School: Have a Safe and Fun Vacation!