Lesson 13: Character Virtues
Aim
* to learn that good means to develop virtues in our character
* to introduce the names of different virtues
Materials
* story – Living Rocks
* picture cards and words of virtues – determination, compassion, respect, responsibility, courage, gratitude, honesty, self-discipline, courtesy
* keys words – character, virtue,
* worksheet to colour
Lesson Outline
1. Review the first blessing
2. What does it mean to be good?
3. Identifying Virtues
4. Read and discuss the story “Living Rocks.”
5. Activities – worksheet, memory game, charades, snakes and ladders
6. Conclusion
7. End with a Prayer
1) Review the First Blessing
The first blessing is about becoming an ideal person, a person who grows to be like God. It means our mind and body should unite centered on God.
Our mind has two parts, our thinking part and our feeling part. Depending on how we think and feel we do something with our body. To be like God means we think, feel and do as God
would. Another way to say it is to know what is good, love what is good and do what is good. When we do all three them we are truly good.
2) What does it mean to be good?
Explain the words character and virtue. Our character is the kind of person we are inside our mind and heart and how we behave. A virtue is a good quality in a person’s character. For
example, kind and generous. To be a good person means to develop these virtues in our character. We need to know what kindness is, to love being kind and do kind things for others. When we do all three the virtue of kindness becomes part of our character.
3) Identifying Virtues
Show pictures of different virtues and ask the children to identify each one.
4) Story and Discussion
This story mentions three virtues, self-control, respect and obedience.
Living Rocks
It is about a boy called Jackson. At school he has a ‘show-and-tell’ day, when each child can bring something in special to school to share with the class. His mother gives him a collection of old
coins. At school he happily shows his collection, but most of the class are far more interested in one boy’s ‘living rocks’. When they are placed in water they grow and become mountains.
When his mother picks him up after school, Jackson isn’t happy. He calls the coin collection ‘silly’ and only wants to buy his own living rocks. Even though his mother says he cannot, when he is in a store he asks again to buy them. In the evening his father talks to him about his attitude and that he needs to apologize to his mother. He didn’t have self-control, was disrespectful and disobedient.
Three virtues he needs to learn are self-control, respect and obedience.
Ask the children some questions
How did Jack make his mother sad?
What should he have done?
What did Jack do to make his mother happy again?
What does self-control mean?
What other virtues did his father want Jackson to show towards his mother?
4) Activities
* worksheets – solve the code and write the correct virtue under each picture
* memory game – using picture cards
* charades – using picture cards
* snakes and ladders – go up the ladder when you land on good behavior (virtue) and down when you land on a bad behavior (vice).
5) Conclusion
Ask each child what they could learn from today’s lesson. Refer to the lesson aims:
* to learn that good means to develop virtues in our character
– our character is the kind of person we are inside
– a virtue is a good quality in a person’s character
* to introduce the names of different virtues
compassion -respect -responsibility -courage -gratitude -honesty -self-discipline -courtesy
6) Prayer
