Character Education
Informational
Handbook & Guide
Courage:
Attempting things that are
worthwhile;
following your conscience rather than the crowd;
bravery
Short Lessons
• Give students a list of
situations. Have them decide which reactions are courageous and which
are foolish. (Examples: Walking away from a fight vs. fighting,
jumping off the roof vs. not jumping even if your friends call you
“chicken,” making fun of someone vs. standing up for
someone.)
• Talk about courageous acts
that are required during times of war. If possible, show video clips
of battlefield heroism or of persons hiding Jews during World War II.
Have any of your students had a brush with death? Ask them to share
how they felt.
• Bring in foods from a
different culture to share with the class. As they are trying the
foods, talk about how it takes courage to try something new that
you’ve never eaten before.
• Tell the story of Joan of
Arc and the Trojan Horse. What did Joan do that was so
heroic?
• Videotape a clip from the
news about a person in your community who showed courage. Show it to
the class and talk about what caused that person to be
courageous.
• Talk about the courage
required by the early settlers, pioneers, and immigrants who founded
our country. Does it take courage even today to move to a new place?
How many of your students have lived in other states or even other
countries?
• Ask students to share what
they found out when interviewing someone from another
country.
• Talk about the clothes that
students wear. Does it take courage to dress differently from the
crowd? What do they think of people who dress differently?
• Read stories from your
students about times when they were courageous. Ask students to guess
which student wrote the story. Throw in your own story of
courage.
• Talk about when we feel
afraid. Have any of your students had to walk home late at night?
Been alone in the house on a dark night? Discuss ways to feel
courageous.
For Students
• Write a poem or short story
about courage. Develop a character who has to make a choice that
requires courage. Remember that there are many forms of
courage.
• Write a personal story about
a time when you were courageous. Be sure to tell your teacher if your
story is too personal to be read aloud in class.
• Imagine a world in which
everything is different. (For example, maybe you got dropped onto an
unknown planet from a Star Trek spaceship.) Write an essay about what
you see. How do you feel? Imagine your courage as you explore this
new world.
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