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OCDE>CharacterEd>The Lost and Found

The Lost and Found

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Grade Level: 3

Character Education Focus: Integrity and Respect

Summary

Students create a character study of two of the main characters from the story "The Lost and Found." Through discussion and self-reflection, students demonstrate their understanding of the characteristics of integrity and respect.

(40 minutes)

Materials Needed

  1. Teague, M. (2003).  The lost and found. In J. Cooper & J. Pikulski, Houghton Mifflin Reading: A Legacy of Literacy Grade 3 (pp. 20-45). Boston , MS : Houghton Mifflin. 
  2. Student journals  
  3. Large poster with definitions of integrity and respect(see definitions in “Lesson Procedures” section)

Academic Character Education Objectives

Students will:

  1. Be able to explain the definition of integrity and provide examples from the story characters and their own lives that illustrate integrity.
  2. Explain the definition of respect and provide examples from the story characters and their own lives that illustrate respect.
  3. Describe in their journals why and how they think Wendell and Floyd exhibit characteristics of integrity and respect.
  4. Share their ideas aloud with partners and then to the class.
  5. Find examples in the text to support why they think Wendell and Floyd exhibit characteristics of integrity and respect

California English-Language Arts Standards Addressed

Reading

2.0 Reading Comprehension

  • 2.2  Ask questions and support answers by connecting prior knowledge with literal information found in, and inferred from, the text.

3.0 Literary Response and Analysis

  • 3.3  Determine what characters are like by what they say or do and by how the author or illustrator portrays them.

Writing

2.0 Writing Applications

  • 2.2 Write descriptions that use concrete sensory details to present and support unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.

Reprinted, by permission, California Department of Education

Lesson Procedures

  1. Discuss the meaning and traits of integrity and respect with the whole class. Have students provide examples of each character trait and state why this example exemplifies the definition.

    2. Integrity:  Having the courage to do what is right, even when it’s hard.

    Respect: Treating others the way I want to be treated.

    Respect for others:  Being considerate and honoring the feelings, opinions, and property of others.

    Self-Respect:  Being good to myself and not putting myself down; taking care of myself.

  1. Students read “The Lost and Found” with a partner.
  2. Students individually write in their journals why they think Wendell and Floyd are examples of people who show integrity and respect.
  3. Students turn to their partners to share their journal entries.
  4. Students and teacher engage in a short discussion of integrity and respect.  Ask students to share how the characters showed integrity and respect. Review the definitions of integrity and respect.
  5. Using the Think-Pair-Share strategy, have student partners review the text to find specific examples where Wendell and Floyd demonstrate integrity and respect.  Students record the examples in their journals.  Then, have student partners pair up with another two students to share and discuss their examples from the text.
  6. Encourage students to share examples from their lives where they have shown integrity and/or respect or where they have witnessed others do so. 
  7. Teacher reviews the information gathered by students.  Students are given the opportunity to share any thoughts, feelings, or conclusions they developed during the lesson.
  8. To assist students in processing their interaction with their partner have them respond to these prompts, While working with your partner today, what did you do that showed your integrity? What did you do that showed respect? What did your partner do to show you respect?.

Academic – Character Education Assessment

Academic Assessment: Student examples of integrity and respect produced during discussions and recorded in their journals.

Character Education Assessment: Can students provide examples from their own lives illustrating integrity and respect?  Ongoing assessment can focus on the actions of students in and out of the classroom that illustrate integrity and respect for self and others.  

Reflective Journaling Prompts

  • You find $2.00 on the playground.  What should you do?
  • You need some crayons and can’t find yours.  Your classmate is not at his/her desk. You want to borrow the crayons.  What would be the respectful way to handle this situation?
  • You are hungry and forgot your snack today.  You see a snack at the back of the room with no name on the bag. What should you do?
  • Your book report is due and you didn’t finish it in time.  You want to pretend you’re sick so you can stay home and finish it.  How should you handle this situation with integrity?

Extensions and Variations

Students can write for the Dear Abby column and give advice to others on how to handle difficult situations.  An example:  You find $20. What should you do?  You see your friend cheating on a test. What should you do?  Another classmate rarely brings his/her lunch and is always asking other classmates for items from their lunches.  This bothers you. What should you do?  You witness one student calling another student names on the way home from school. What should you do?

Have students act out different situations they may encounter at home or school that provide opportunities to show integrity and respect.

Based on a lesson by Jenny Watson

Edited by Mary Wilson

© 2005 Orange County Department of Education