Our Centers for Ethics:

Weekly writing prompt

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January 24-30, 2010 Gratitude, to the Letter January is National "Thank You" Month -- the perfect opportunity to talk with students about the importance of letting people know they are appreciated. These prompts help students express gratitude through letter writing. Read about this and other themes for lesson plans at www.teachervision.com.

Write or discuss it! Foundations for Life gives teachers an easy way to improve students' critical thinking and composition skills. Each of these weekly prompts comes with a maxim illuminating an ethical issue. Students can analyze it and apply it to current events and their own lives, through discussion or writing. Each prompt also references at least one of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. As a result, students can easily tie the author’s words to community values. Suggestions for using the prompts:

• Read the biographies in the Teacher’s Resource.
• Present the maxim to the students.
• Briefly discuss:
  •   What did the author mean?
  •   Can you think of ways the statement applies to something in your life?
• Point out the Pillar related to the maxim.
• Present the writing prompt to the students and have them answer these questions in their draft book or other format.

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Elementary level

"Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds. Fill it with sunshine, Kind words and kind deeds."
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (1807-1882)

Focus Pillar: Caring
Help warm someone's day this winter. Write a letter to a friend, teacher or family member thanking them for the nice things they do for you. Include the following:

• Heading
• Greeting
• Body
• Closing
• Signature

Read more about this idea at www.abcteach.com.

Secondary level

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
— Oprah Winfrey, African-American talk-show host, actress and entrepreneur (b. 1954)

Focus Pillar: Caring
Write a business letter of appreciation to an organization in your community that positively impacts lives. Be sure to include:

• Heading
• Inside Address
• Greeting
• Body
• Complimentary Closing
• Signature

Read more about this idea at www.englishplus.com.

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