Core Curricular Resources

Educators use these curricular resources to seamlessly integrate values and skill-building strategies into their lesson plans. Whether you use one resource or a combination, these materials can maximize the impact your character education initiative.

Contact us at customerservice@charactercounts.org or 515-271-4840 for more information on how our curricular resources can support your efforts.

Way To Go Journal

Student Resource           Grades 3-12      1 Journal per student            

The Way To Go Journal engages students in personal reflection activities, small group discussions, or whole group conversations about character and leadership.

Each page contains images to engage your learners visually and includes inspiring character quotes and thought-provoking questions. You may give students a choice to answer any prompt on a page or use one question as a journal reflection and the others as a discussion topic.

The multiple uses make this a must-have for any school committed to infusing social and emotional learning into the curriculum. 

Today Counts

Educator  Resource           Grades K-12      1 flipbook per educator            

Are you looking for a way to engage students in an interesting conversation about values, mindsets, and beliefs?

The Today Counts flipbook offers quotes with discussion prompts to supplement each quote. Teachers may have students reflect on questions individually, as a think-pair-share, or as a small or whole group discussion. The powerful prompts get students thinking and conversing in a unique way and allows them to interact and embrace multiple perspectives.

If you want to create exciting, engaging, and meaningful discussions in your K-12 classroom with zero prep time, this is the resource for you. 

Good Ideas

Educator Resource           Grades K-12      1 book per educator          

The Good Ideas book is full of engaging lessons and activities designed to infuse character development into your classroom.

The variety of lessons allows teachers to customize and select instruction based on the learning needs of their classroom. Each lesson can be done as a stand-alone activity, in conjunction with other lessons, or as a supplement to your already established character education program.

Good Ideas is available in print or digital. 

CHARACTER COUNTS! App

Educator  Resource           Grades K-12      1 license per educator            

Enhance your character teaching with built-in, engaging learning resources. Content is quickly accessed and provided in multiple forms, including lessons, stories, video clips, inspirational challenges, quotes, and more!

The mobile and web-based applications are comprehensive and dynamic, yet simple and easy to use. Content is provided in multiple forms to help match your teaching style.

The Essentials

Educator Resource with Student Guides           Grades 6-12  

This digital series features ten critical skills for character development and positive school culture. 

The series is research-based, and the modules are aligned with the Six Pillars of Character and the core CASEL Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies of self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Modules include:

  • Facilitator Guide: Includes a lesson script, extension activities, additional research, and alignment to the Six Pillars and social-emotional skills (29 pages)
  • Student Workbook: Includes a student assessment (7 pages)
  • PowerPoint: Follows the lesson script and can be customized to meet your needs

Early Childhood Kit

Grades PK-2      1 kit per classroom            

Our Early Childhood Kit is designed for PK – 2nd-grade students. These resources are easy to integrate into your curriculum and offer students more opportunities to practice the Six Pillars of Character.

The Early Childhood Kit includes:

  • A teacher’s guide
  • Twenty-eight lessons and activities with corresponding handouts (340+ pages; in a binder)
  • Family pages that align with each of the 28 lessons (provided in English and Spanish)
  • CHARACTER COUNTS! Strikes A Chord children’s music (CD or digital music file)
  • Six Pillar posters
  • 30 Family Guide booklets to help support character development at home (available in English or Spanish)

Student Planners

Grades K-12      1 per student           

The CHARACTER COUNTS! student planners offer character lessons and challenges for each of the Six Pillars of Character to create a positive school environment. 

They also feature ample writing space, colorful designs, study tips, planning helpers, and more.

Three planner versions are available: Primary (Grades K-2), Elementary (Grades 3-5), and Middle/High School (Grades 6-12). 

Supplemental Curricular Resources

Use these supplemental resources to further fulfill your character development needs.

7 Yards - Film and Lessons

Educator Resource with Student Guides           Grades 6-12  

Chris Norton’s incredible journey from paralysis to walking down the aisle at his wedding illustrates important lessons about resilience, responsibility, caring, and many other important character skills. 

These valuable lessons are enhanced by a new series of curricular resources for middle school and high school students which supplement the film. The research-based strategies provided in each lesson will help students advance their character skills. 

The six lessons connect the Six Pillars of Character (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) to sections of the 7 Yards movie. Additionally, the lessons cover topics like goal achievement, growth mindset, communications strategies, and overcoming adversity. 

Each of the six student handouts also includes an Optimal Performance Assessment so students can reflect on how well they are demonstrating character skills and what they could do differently in the future.

Resilience and Inclusion Lessons

Educator Resource with Student Guides           Grades 6-12  

Resilience and Inclusion Lessons provide secondary students with critical resilience strategies to address personal adversity (like injuries and mistakes) and societal challenges (like lack of equity and inclusion). These four digital lessons include research-based resources that students can apply to all aspects of their lives.

This resource features four lessons:

  • Stress Management and Mental Health
  • Overcoming Obstacles with a Growth Mindset
  • Creating an Inclusive Culture
  • Taking Ownership of Your Actions, Decisions, and Mistakes

More Good Ideas

More Good Ideas

Educator  Resource           Grades K-12      1  per educator            

These digital addendums to the Good Ideas book will provide you with additional good ideas on how to infuse lesson plans and activities into your classroom. 

 

Mortal Kombat Series

Educator Resource with Student Guides           Grades 6-12  

Using the Six Pillars of Character, the Moral Kombat book digital series meets the specific needs of helping at-risk teens overcome decision-making, substance abuse, truancy, parenting, life skills, and criminal behavior. Each book in the nine-book series focuses on a specific topic. Books can be utilized as an entire series, or on a stand-alone basis. Facilitator guides and student workbooks are available for all nine titles.