Overview on Character Strengths - Intermediate High
Lesson Information
Positive Psychology Learning Outcomes
Students will...
- be able to define a characteristic.
- recognize character strengths.
- recognize personal character strengths.
- recognize character strengths in others.
Language Learning Outcomes
Students will...
- connect content to background knowledge.
- connect context to meaning.
- use context and background knowledge to infer meaning of unfamiliar words.
- actively participate in conversations through proper responses.
- predict what information will follow.
Materials Needed
- VIA Website about character strengths: Find Your 24 Character Strengths | Personal Strengths List | VIA Institute (viacharacter.org)
- Printed out handout Handout Overview Lesson .
- Print and cut each character strength out so they are separated.
- Virtue Charts in Activity 1.
- Video: Peter Rabbit.
- Character Strengths Survey
Overview
Explain that today we will talk about specific character strengths. Have students make predictions about what the phrase “character strengths” means.
Activate Background Knowledge
Ask the students what characteristics are.
- Ask the students if everyone has the same characteristics. Hopefully they say no. Guide them to the decision that everyone has different characteristics that are stronger in them than others.
- Explain briefly that there are 24 character strengths, and everyone will have different ones that they are better at than others.
Activity 1: Speaking
Before showing students the following chart, ask them if they know what a virtue is.
- Definition: a particular good quality in someone’s character.
Show the virtues chart, and ask them to predict what kind of character strengths or characteristics a person with each virtue might have.
- Have them predict with partners or create six groups, and have them discuss character strengths for one virtue.
|
Virtue |
|
wisdom |
|
courage |
|
humanity |
|
justice |
|
temperance |
|
transcendence |
- After they discuss, write some of the characteristics they thought of on the board for each virtue, and have a class discussion.
- Show the following chart and ask them if any of their predictions were correct.
|
Virtue |
Character Strengths |
|
wisdom |
creativity curiosity judgement love of learning perspective |
|
courage |
bravery honesty perseverance zest |
|
humanity |
kindness love social intelligence |
|
justice |
fairness leadership teamwork |
|
temperance |
forgiveness humility prudence self-regulation |
|
transcendence |
appreciation of beauty and excellence gratitude hope humor spirituality |
Activity 2: Vocabulary
Have students look up or study one of the virtues by learning about all of the character strengths within it. They should work together to write a brief description of their assigned virtue and the character strengths it contains.
- Students can use this website (Find Your 24 Character Strengths | Personal Strengths List | VIA Institute (viacharacter.org)) that has all of the virtues and character strengths listed in a table. Students can click on “learn more” on a particular strength, and it will go into more detail.
- Students may also use the dictionary to look up words they don’t know.
- Have each group share and discuss as a class when finished.
Activity 3: Speaking
Explain that we will “spotlight” the virtue of temperance.
- Ask the students what temperance means (maybe specifically ask the group that focused on it in the previous activity).
- Separate the class into four groups .
- Use the Handout Overview Lesson . Give one temperance character strength to each group.
- Each group should think of a person they know who exemplifies that character strength or think of an experience they have had that exemplifies that character strength.
- Pass the character strengths around until each group has had the opportunity to discuss each one.
- Discuss as a class.
Activity 4: Listening
Ask students to look for good and bad examples of temperance in the following video: Peter Rabbit
- After the video, have them discuss what they saw with a partner.
- What characteristics did you notice?
- Discuss as a class.
Homework
Have students take the survey to see what their character strengths are, and write a reaction paragraph or record a video explaining their thoughts about the results.
- Questions to guide their reading or speaking:
- What were your top 5 character strengths?
- What were your lowest character strengths?
- Were you surprised about some of your character strengths? Why or why not?
- What did you learn about character strengths?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- How do you think you can improve your lowest strengths?
- How can you use your character strengths to help others
Follow-Up
Tuesday:
Have the students discuss with a partner what their character strength results were from the survey.
- Have partners tell each other if they have noticed their partner practicing any of their character strengths.
- Have students share with the class, if they are willing.
Wednesday:
Share the following quote with the class:
“Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul.”
-- Frances E. Willard
- Go over what moderation, abstinence, and foul mean.
- After helping students understand those words, ask them to read the quote again and think about what it means.
- Discuss as a class.
Thursday:
Ask the students how learning more about personal character strengths can help them in their own lives.
- Discuss with a partner.
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