Regrow food from scraps

Celery growth after 3 weeks

There is a neat trick that you can do with celery, you can Regrow it. This is a great project for kids too. It can teach them just how amazing nature is; it perseveres and never gives up.
Here are the easy steps.

1. Buy a whole celery stalk, with the root bottom still intact. Cut the bottom off leaving 2 inches of stalk attached.

2. Place the bottom in a bowl of water. Don't completely cover the stalk.

3. Place in a sunny spot and wait approx a week. You will begin to see the middle of the stalk sprout.

4. When your stalk is well established, you can either plant it in a pot indoors or you can start it outside once the danger of frost has passed.

You can keep your own supply of celery growing all year.

 

** You can also do this with romaine, pineapple, and lettuce

 

Song to get little one's excited about character building

A character coach in MD came up with this song and it really is a great way to get kids excited about character education.

The tune is to Disney's song "Zippity Doo Dah"

Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Ay;
My oh my, I'm a winner today
Plenty of Good things heading my way
Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Ay.
Good character makes you a winner;
Keep your head up,
You won't fall,
Do what's right and you'll stand tall.
Zippity Doo Dah, Zippity Ay
It feels good to be a winner today!
 

(lesson created by Vin Brown)

Do you realize how special you are?

Self-esteem, self-love, and self-respect are all tools that children need to become successful adults. Looking at Preschoolers you will see that most are very proud of themselves and their accomplishments. As children enter grade school and beyond often this feeling is lost and replaced with self doubt and self loathing. When a child begins to doubt themselves it leaves a hole in their life that can be filled with unhealthy things: bullying, drugs, alcohol, sex, eating disorders, cutting, etc. The list of problems related to a low self-esteem is long and painful.

The following activity is designed to remind students just how special they really are:

Put a large mirror in the bottom of a big box with a lid on it. Have the students line up. Have them look into the box one at a time and promise that they will not share with the other students what they see.  Tell them that they will see "something special" when they look into the box.

Once all the students have looked in the box and returned to their seats, have them write on a piece of paper three things they LOVE about themselves. Allow the student to share what they wrote if they want.

Ask them how thinking about what they love about themselves made them feel? Thinking positive thoughts about oneself is a great tool to help get through difficult times. Tell the students to keep the paper in a safe place and look at it whenever they feel sad or someone has been mean to them.

( adapted from lesson created by Mary Ann Gleason)

Every decision you make has one intented consequece...

Every decision you make has at least one intended consequence and at least two unintended.

Youth do not automatically have the brain development for critical thinking and seeing the bigger picture. It has to be taught. In a world of instant gratification the art of thinking before acting is often lost. The decisions made without thinking things through can be the cause of things to happen that are unattended. The problem arises when people feel that because it was not done on purpose that therefor they forgo any responsibility for the outcome. Just because you didn't mean to do it doesn't mean that you are not responsible.

Work with the kids on the following examples. Have them tell you the intended consequence and at least 2 unintended consequences. Let the kids steer the discussion. The age brackets of your students will often dictate how deep the discussion goes. When students bring up the more difficult subjects in society, such as drugs, rape, pregnancy etc.; I acknowledge them by saying "good point" and leave the subject alone.

Some scenarios to think about:

• A student cheats on a test. The intended consequence is a better grade. What are two unintended consequences?
• A couple of friends are home alone and decide to take out the 4-wheeler into the field even though they are not allowed to take it out when no one is home. Intended consequence: to have fun running the 4-wheeler. What are two unintended consequences?
• Two girls tell their parents that they are spending the night at each other's house. They then walk to a party down the street. Intended consequence: to enjoy a party they wouldn't have been allowed to go to. What are two unintended consequences?
• A group of boys have a sleep over and decide to drink the parents alcohol. Intended consequence: to experiment with alcohol. What are two unintended consequences?
• A teen isn't allowed to date and told her mom that she is hanging with friends at the mall and meets a boy to go to the movies. Intended consequence: to go on a date. What are two unintended consequences?
• A friend tells you a secret, you promise not to tell, though you are worried you decide not to tell. Intended consequence: You keep your promise. What could two unintended consequences be?

Ask the students for examples of things they have done or that they have heard happened where the people should have thought things through more.  (Remind the students that you want NO NAMES and that what is heard in the room, stays in the room.)

Colors of the Rainbow.

Teaching young ones the character trait of self-respect can be daunting. They don't understand abstract concepts and need concrete examples.

Some examples of how little ones can show themselves self respect are:

• Eating healthy
• Brushing their teeth
• Getting a good night's sleeps
• Picking up their toys
• Treating animals nice
• Not being mean to nature (squashing bugs, destroying leaves on a plant, etc.)

 Here's an activity that kids will enjoy that teaches the need for a healthy diet.

Eating the Colors of the Rainbow.

Depending on the age of the children they can either draw a rainbow themselves or you can make copies of a black and white rainbow to be colored. Here is a link to a rainbow that can printed off

http://www.kindbook.com/maths/7_rainbow_maths.gif

With each color of the rainbow have the kids name fruits and vegetable that match each color.

Some examples

• Red: Apples, Strawberries, Rhubarb, Watermelon, Cherries, Raspberries
• Orange: Oranges, Squash, Carrots, Cantaloupes, Sweet Potato
• Yellow: Pears, lemons, peppers, bananas, pineapples
• Green: Peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, Brussels sprouts
• Blue/Indigo: Blueberries, Plums
• Purple/Violet: Grapes, Raisins, blackberries

Challenge the kids to eat something new. Express that it's OK if they don't like it, but they still need to try it.  If the school allows it, bring in samples of the different colors.

For older kids, share with them the healthy benefits that veggies and fruits have. Kids like to know that carrots help the eyes.

Personal Responsibility

Personal Responsibility is one of the main keys to good character development. When people do not acknowledge their own actions and feelings for good or bad, it creates a victim like mentality. By teaching children to recognize the dual nature within them, we help to end the cycle of “It’s not my fault!”

Read this Cherokee Tale to the class:

Two Wolves - A Cherokee Tale

A Cherokee is telling his grandson about a fight
that is going on inside himself.
He said it is between 2 wolves.

One is evil: Anger, envy, sorrow, regret,
fearful thinking, greed, arrogance, self-pity,
guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies,
false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is good: Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity,
truth, compassion and faith.

The grandson thought about it for a minute
and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."

~ Author Unknown ~

Activities:

·      Ask the student for examples of when they have feed both wolves. Give your own personal examples. This helps the students understand that everyone struggles with emotions.

·      Have the students draw both of their wolves and list examples of behavior for each of their wolves.

·      What things can the students do to keep the good wolf well fed so that the bad wolf stays away?

·      Is it easier to recognize which wolf is active in other people or yourself? Why?

Class Rules

It is important to set up class rules immediately. The character class has to become a safe place for students to share and learn.

Here are some basic ground rules:

• Emphasize that the classroom (or where ever you are teaching) is a safe place. We are here to share and learn from each other.
• Don't speak when someone else is speaking. Raise your hand when you want to be heard.
• Respect other students by really listening to what they have to say. Don't judge yourself or anyone for what is said or shared.
• No Names are to be mentioned. If you tell a story about what someone said or did, just say "this person" instead of their name.
• NO GOSSIPING! Do not repeat what you heard about other students to anyone. You don't want anyone repeating what you have shared.
• It is okay to talk to others about the lessons you have learned. By sharing character lessons, they too can become character teachers.