Teacher Notes and Calendar

This interdisciplinary social skills unit should be presented in September. It is important to establish classroom rules and create a safe, caring, supportive, learning environment at the beginning of the school year. Lessons will be presented over a four week period. This is a suggested time frame as there are always those "teachable moments" that take you and your students to deeply explore a topic. Ideally the character education and conflict mediation concepts presented in this unit will be addressed and reinforced on a daily basis throughout the school year.

First Week of School:
-- Lesson 1: After deciding on classroom rules, these and consequences for breaking the rules are reviewed and reinforced daily for several weeks during classroom meeting
-- Lesson 2: Introduce character traits

Second Week of School:
-- Lesson 3: Read and discuss "Forbidden Friendship" and continue to expand characterization vocabulary and concepts

Third Week of School:
-- Lesson 4: Create self portraits and display on bulletin board
-- Lesson 5: Explore positive character traits of historical figures and post completed biographical character sketches on bulletin board
-- Lesson 6: Present conflict resolution techniques

Fourth Week of School:
-- Lessons 7, 8 & 9: Prepare role plays, meet with second grade reading/bus buddies, present skits, create posters and display in cafeteria
-- Lesson 10: Reflect on unit by responding to writing prompt(s)