CHARACTER COUNTS! Kindness 101

Open-Mindedness - A Tough Teacher's Alter Ego

Approaching the world with a sense of open-mindedness has a big impact on how we view and treat the people around us.

Open-mindedness
Grade Level: K-12
 
Character Skills
  • Caring
  • Fairness
SEL Skills
  • Relationship Skills
  • Self-Awareness
Academic Skills
  • Curiosity and Passion
  • Self-Direction and Engagement

Definitions

Caring
  • Be kind.
  • Be compassionate.
  • Express gratitude.
  • Forgive others.
  • Be considerate of others’ feelings.
Fairness
  • Play by the rules.
  • Take turns and share.
  • Be open-minded. Listen to others.
  • Don’t take advantage of others.
Relationship Skills

Create positive relationships and meaningful connections with family members, classmates, and teachers.

Self-Awareness

Identify and understand emotions, values, attitudes, motivations, mindsets, and personal attributes.

Curiosity and Passion

Enthusiastic to understand more about themselves, others, and the world around them.

Self-Direction and Engagement

Fully engaged in the educational process and connected to the school community.

Learn more about our character, SEL, and academic outcomes.
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The Ray Center at Drake University
CBS News

Students will learn that people’s identities are complex, and we don’t always know someone’s full story until we take the time to get to know them.

Download Google Slides
activiate prior knowledge

Activate Prior Knowledge

  • What does the phrase “you can’t judge a book by its cover” mean to you?
  • What does it mean to be open-minded?
    • When we are open-minded, we are willing to consider new ideas.
Kindness 101

Kindness 101 Video

discussion

Discussion Prompts

  • What are some things that you couldn’t learn about someone (e.g., a peer or teacher) by simply looking at them?
  • What is the danger of making assumptions about someone? How did we see this play out in the video?
  • How did the students in the video change after learning about their teacher’s volunteer efforts outside the classroom?
  • What is the power of staying true to yourself, even when others make assumptions about your character and personality?
materials

Activity Materials

  • Paper
  • Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, etc.)
  • Optional: mirrors or access to front-facing cameras
activity

Activity: More Than Meets the Eye

  • Ask each student to fold a piece of paper in half horizontally (so it resembles the size of a book or greeting card).
  • Students will draw a self-portrait on the outside cover of the folded paper.
    • You may decide to give students access to a mirror or front-facing camera.
    • Encourage students to draw their faces as they see them.
  • Ask students to write things about themselves on the inside of the folded paper that others may not know.
  • Remind students that everyone is more than what meets the eye, and they are all unique.
  • Give students the option to share with the larger group.
  • Follow-up question:
    • How does it feel for you to share your unique characteristics with others?
journal prompts

Journal Prompts

K-5

  • What are some unique things about you that others may not know?
  • How can you get to know someone better? What questions would help you learn more about someone?

6-12

  • How did this video change your perspective on how you view other people?
  • What is one thing you can do differently in regards to how you treat people you may not know very well?
family connection

Family Connection

Educators: Copy the Family Connection and email it to parents, or click here to download a PDF version to email or print.

Watch

Discuss
Use these questions to start a meaningful conversation on open-mindedness.

  • What do you wish you knew about our family members?
  • What do you wish we knew about you?
  • How can we work on assuming the best in each other? What could stop us from assuming the best?

More Kindness 101

CHARACTER COUNTS! Lessons and Activities

 

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