Our Centers for Ethics:

Weekly writing prompt

---

March 22 - 28, 2009 Testing Time As many schools in the nation are preparing for and taking tests, the pressure is on! This is great time for students to think about goals overall and determine how they will reach them.

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.

---

Elementary level

"If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If at first you do succeed, try something harder."
– Unknown

Focus Pillar: Responsibility
Your class has just been appointed the local poison control for your city. You are in charge of making people This is excellent advice, for tests and any kind of goal. Think of a goal you would like to achieve this week at home or school. Then write 2-3 paragraphs about how you will accomplish the goal. Be sure to include:

• Clear description of the goal so other students understand it
• Specific steps you will take to achieve the goal
• The Pillars you will need to model to achieve this
• A timeline listing each day of the week and what you will do

Secondary level

"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there."
– Charles F. Kettering, American inventor (1876-1958)

Focus Pillar: Responsibility
All goals lie in the future. You are thinking about that, since you are in charge of your school’s career fair. Students will be visiting booths to learn about different professions and what it takes to be successful in them. You will run a booth and have to prepare the literature for visitors. Choose a profession you are interested in and prepare a flier. The flier must include:

• A background of the profession
• The specific level of education needed to accomplish this task
• The Pillars necessary for success in this field
• Reasons why others should be interested in pursuing this profession

« Back to weekly writing prompt archive