PurposeFull People
PurposeFull People is a Social-Emotional Curriculum that teaches students ten essential character traits. These traits help students navigate through all the challenging obstacles life may present. I am excited to share these resources with you! Look below for weekly character traits, lessons, family links and more.
Character Trait #1: Courage!
What is Courage? (Video for Grades K-2)
Do you have to wear a cape to show Courage?
Is Courage the same as being brave?
Do you think having Courage is important? Why or why not? What are some things that scare people, that might keep them from feeling courageous? What scares you?
What is Courage? (Video for Grades 3-5)
Who is someone that you think is really courageous and why?
When have you done something courageous? How did it turn out?
What did you learn the last time you were really courageous?
How does Courage look, sound, feel?
What does Courage look like?
Character Trait #2: Gratitude!
What is Gratitude? (Video for Grades K-2)
Is the girl grateful for her camera in the beginning?
The camera becomes broken and the girl throws it away. Does that mean she isn’t grateful for it anymore?
The camera finds a new way to make pictures. Why is the camera grateful for the girl?
Does something have to be “good” or “unbroken” for us to be grateful for it?
What is Gratitude? (Video for Grades 3-5)
Kid President starts by saying that, “some days are hard.” So he made this list of things he is thankful for. Why do you think that making or sharing that list helps on hard days?
What are you most grateful for today?
What would you add to your list today?
Kid President is grateful for a lot of different kinds of things. What did you notice about the categories he was thinking about when it came to Gratitude? Why is writing out what you are grateful for important?
What does Gratitude look like?
Character Trait #3: Perseverance!
What is Perseverance? (Video for Grades K-2)
What the Llama is facing. What is the Llama’s goal? What gets in the way?
Have you ever felt like the Llama? In what way?
How does the Llama work through this situation even though there are obstacles in the way? Did the Llama have other options?
What is Perseverance? (Video for Grades 3-5)
What situation is this girl trying to work through? What do you think she is feeling?
What challenges or obstacles is she facing? What is her attitude like? Is there something in your life where you have a similar attitude?
What did she experience at the end of the video? What makes her reaction important? How is she being supported? How is she being independent?
What does Perseverance look like?
Character Trait #4: Kindness
What is Kindness? (Video for Grades K-2)
There are some people who are black and white and some people that are in color. What’s the difference between the two?
What did Kindness look like in the video?
What was your favorite act of Kindness?
How did you see the definition of Kindness come to life in the video?
How does Kindness spread with these characters? How can it spread in your class? Our school?
What is Kindness? (Video for Grades 3-5)
What do you notice about the man at the beginning of the video? What does it mean to be “indifferent?” How is that different from being “mean?” How can it be unkind?
What changes the man? Why is that important?
The man discovers he has the ability to help. What happens next? What does this tell us about Kindness?
How does the video bring the definition of Kindness to life?
What does the man do at the end? What does it teach us about how Kindness can spread?
What does Kindness look like?
Character Trait #5: Creativity
What is Creativity?
Get a big piece of paper and start by writing the definition of Creativity shown above. Think about what “imagination” looks like. When you hear the word “imagination,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? What does your “imagination” look like? On the piece of paper, create a giant “Imagination Representation” where you draw your own version of the word or what it means to you.
Reflection Questions:
How might your "imagination representation" look different compared to someone else?
What does that tell you about imagination? About Creativity?
How can we use imagination to solve problems? What problems do we want to solve in your class? In our school? In this world?
How did making the poster exercise your Creativity?
What does Creativity look like?
Character Trait #6: Empathy
What is Empathy? (Video for Grades K-2)
How do Mark and Murray define Empathy?
What feelings does Mark feel that Murray also starts to feel?
Did Murray go through the exact same thing as Mark in order to feel those feelings?
What are you feeling today? This week?
What is Empathy? (Video for Grades 3-5)
How does the younger person feel at the beginning of the video?
What happens that causes the younger person’s feelings to change? What does it teach us about Empathy?
At the end of the day, the older person looks drained. What do you think they are feeling? Have you ever felt that way? Seen others feel that way?
What causes the older person to be “colorful” again? How does this teach us Empathy?
How do you understand people who aren’t feeling as “colorful” as you?
What does Empathy look like?
Character Trait #7: Respect
What is Respect?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Respect as: an act of giving particular attention, high or special regard, the quality or state of being esteemed. But we know that the core value of Respect in action is so much more than that. It’s about treating people with courtesy, using good manners and appropriate language, solving conflicts without violence, and accepting and celebrating differences. Simply put, it’s treating others the way we want to be treated (and how they want to be treated)!
What Respect is not is treating others the way they treated us. No, the Golden Rule does not work in reverse. It was Martin Luther King, Jr, who told us that hate cannot drive out hate.. What does the Golden Rule mean to you, your friends, or your family?