Creating character: Respect
http://college.usc.edu/vhi/creatingcharacter/lesson/respect/index.html
A lesson plan for Grade 6 Guidance, Social Studies, and English Language Arts
In this lesson, students work in pairs to examine the ways that they demonstrate respect – and disrespect – to the people and institutions around them. During this activity, students watch testimonies from Felix Sparks, a liberator who believes in racial and religious tolerance and Michael Abend and Sarah Friedman, Jewish survivors who recall the humiliation they endured during the Holocaust. Small group work and creative writing activities in this lesson engender respect for ideas and differences.
Students will:
- Develop an understanding of the concept of respect
- Identify respectful behaviors and the impact of such behaviors
- Work with visual history testimonies
- Use visual history testimony to identify examples of respect and disrespect by evaluating the actions of others
- Evaluate their own beliefs regarding respect
Shoah provides a list of materials necessary for completing the lesson, discussion questions, links to the video archives, graphic organizers, handouts, and step-by-step instructions for how to complete the activities.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Guidance (2001)
Grades 6–8
- Goal 7: Acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and interpersonal skills to help understand and respect self and others.
- Objective 7.01: Develop a positive attitude toward self as a unique and worthy person.
- Objective 7.03: Classify and appropriately express feelings.
- Objective 7.10: Establish that everyone has rights and responsibilities.
- Objective 7.11: Respect alternative points of view.
- Objective 7.12: Recognize, accept, respect, and appreciate ethnic, cultural, and individual diversity.
- Objective 7.17: Demonstrate respect for self.
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 6
- Goal 7: The learner will assess connections between historical events and contemporary issues.
- Objective 7.01: Identify historical events such as invasions, conquests, and migrations and evaluate their relationship to current issues.
- Objective 7.02: Examine the causes of key historical events in selected areas of South America and Europe and analyze the short- and long-range effects on political, economic, and social institutions.
- Goal 8: The learner will assess the influence and contributions of individuals and cultural groups in South America and Europe.
- Objective 8.01: Describe the role of key historical figures and evaluate their impact on past and present societies in South America and Europe.
- Objective 8.02: Describe the role of key groups and evaluate their impact on historical and contemporary societies of South America and Europe.
- Goal 10: The learner will compare the rights and civic responsibilities of individuals in political structures in South America and Europe.
- Objective 10.03: Describe rights and responsibilities of citizens in selected contemporary societies in South America and Europe, comparing them to each other and to the United States.
- Objective 10.04: Examine the rights, roles, and status of individuals in selected cultures of South America and Europe, and assess their importance in relation to the general welfare.
- Goal 11: The learner will recognize the common characteristics of different cultures in South America and Europe.
- Objective 11.01: Identify the concepts associated with culture such as language, religion, family, and ethnic identity, and analyze how they both link and separate societies.
- Objective 11.02: Examine the basic needs and wants of all human beings and assess the influence of factors such as environment, values and beliefs in creating different cultural responses.
- Goal 12: The learner will assess the influence of major religions, ethical beliefs, and values on cultures in South America and Europe.
- Objective 12.01: Examine the major belief systems in selected regions of South America and Europe, and analyze their impact on cultural values, practices, and institutions.
- Goal 13: The learner will describe the historic, economic, and cultural connections among North Carolina, the United States, South America, and Europe.
- Objective 13.01: Identify historical movements such as colonization, revolution, emerging democracies, migration, and immigration that link North Carolina and the United States to selected societies of South America and Europe and evaluate their influence on local, state, regional, national, and international communities.
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 6
- Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn from personal or related experience.
- Objective 1.01: Narrate an expressive account (e.g., fictional or autobiographical) which:
- uses a coherent organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context.
- tells a story or establishes the significance of an event or events.
- uses remembered feelings and specific details.
- uses a range of appropriate strategies (e.g., dialogue, suspense, movement, gestures, expressions).
- Objective 1.02: Explore expressive materials that are read, heard, and viewed by:
- monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard, and/or viewed.
- analyzing the characteristics of expressive works.
- determining the effect of literary devices and/or strategies on the reader/viewer/listener.
- making connections between works, self and related topics.
- comparing and/or contrasting information.
- drawing inferences and/or conclusions.
- determining the main idea and/or significance of events.
- generating a learning log or journal.
- creating an artistic interpretation that connects self to the work.
- discussing books/media formally and informally.
- Objective 1.03: Interact appropriately in group settings by:
- listening attentively.
- showing empathy.
- contributing relevant comments connecting personal experiences to content.
- monitoring own understanding of the discussion and seeking clarification as needed.
- Objective 1.04: Reflect on learning experiences by:
- describing personal learning growth and changes in perspective.
- identifying changes in self throughout the learning process.
- interpreting how personal circumstances and background shape interaction with text.
- Objective 1.01: Narrate an expressive account (e.g., fictional or autobiographical) which:
- Goal 2: The learner will explore and analyze information from a variety of sources.
- Objective 2.01: Explore informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
- monitoring comprehension for understand of what is read, heard, and/or viewed.
- studying the characteristics of informational works.
- restating and summarizing information.
- determining the importance and accuracy of information.
- making connections between works, self and related topics/information.
- comparing and/or contrasting information.
- drawing inferences and/or conclusions.
- generating questions.
- Objective 2.02: Use multiple sources of print and non-print information in developing informational materials such as brochures, newsletters, and infomercials by:
- exploring a variety of sources from which information may be attained (e.g., books, Internet, electronic databases, CD-ROM).
- distinguishing between primary and secondary sources.
- analyzing the effects of the presentation and/or accuracy of information.
- Objective 2.01: Explore informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
- Goal 4: The learner will use critical thinking skills and create criteria to evaluate print and non-print materials.
- Objective 4.01: Determine the purpose of the author or creator by:
- monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard and/or viewed.
- exploring any bias, apparent or hidden messages, emotional factors, or propaganda techniques.
- identifying and exploring the underlying assumptions of the author/creator.
- analyzing the effects of the author's craft on the reader/viewer/listener.
- Objective 4.01: Determine the purpose of the author or creator by:



