Integrate Character Education with expository and narrative writing . . . reinforcing the requirements of standardized tests! Character themes provide the content of the lessons. Writing provides the product and assessment.

Each lesson begins with Setting the Stage for the Learning, followed by Shared, Guided, and Modeled Writing, and an Independent Writing Assignment on 6 ability levels, thus differentiating assessment for all students. The levels of difficulty for assessment 1) might be differentiated to meet individual ability; 2) serve as a scoring guide by assigning a numerical value to each level; or 3) serve as models - using lower levels for shared and/or guided writing - before assigning a higher level as the independent writing assessment.

Monthly character themes include Respect, Responsibility, Cooperation, Caring, Sharing, and Kindness, Ambition and Goal-Setting, Honesty and Trustworthiness, Courage, Effort and Perseverance, and Self-Control and Patience. The lessons are planned as scaffolding for writing instruction for an entire school year; however, you may use each lesson independently. Graphic organizers help visual-spatial learners organize thoughts.

Summer activities focus on specific authors. Burris provides 100s of novels and picture books to choose from as students read about character traits, change, prejudice, and growing up. Letters to authors are summer writing products.

Sample Pages from the book. (In .pdf Form)
Sample Pages from the book. (In .pdf Form)

CLC0267
3rd - 6th
80p.
Reproducible
ISBN 1-931334-04-8