Daily Leadership and Character Development Resources Provided by the AACPS Office of Student Leadership Development and Office of School Counseling December 2010

How can I use this calendar? Whether you are a student, teacher, extra-curricular advisor, or administrator, these simple activities and resources can be incorporated, where appropriate, into curriculum, meetings, or events. Opportunities for developing leadership and positive character traits are ENDLESS. Use these tips to help develop them in the classroom, on the playing field, in our community… EVERYWHERE! The tips presented in this calendar are merely a collection of resources and ideas for stakeholders to consider when working with students of all ages. As always, it is important for those working with students to know the abilities and maturity level of the group in order to select appropriate activities. Content should always be previewed for appropriateness before presenting to students.

Wednesday December 1, 2010 Defining Service Service is defined as … -work done by one person or group that benefits another -an act of help or assistance -a company or agency that performs a public service -employment in or work for another -military service Share the above definition with students. Then, have them brainstorm a list of words that they associate with service. Finally, go to to create a visual wordwww.wordle.net/create cloud of all the words associated with service.

Thursday December 2, 2010 DO SOMETHING Tap into technology by using Do Something.org ( ) to access a searchable database of organizations and activities that students can become involved with. Simply enter your zip code and a custom list of opportunities is generated. Do Something.org also awards $500 grants for student service projects. Be sure to check out the Action Matrix for project ideas and guides.

Friday December 3, 2010 We’re Making a List… and Checking it Twice Looking for a great student activity to promote service? Stop all your web searches and download the 69 th Annual National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities The purpose of the National Advisory List is to provide information to assist principals, teachers, parents, and students in making decisions regarding participation in a wide variety of program opportunities. It is approved by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The National Committee on Student Contests and Activities reviews all programs based on: educational value, financial support, organizational structure, promotional accuracy, fairness, and appropriate adjudication.

Monday December 6, 2010 “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank Anne Frank is famous for the diary she wrote as a teenager during the Holocaust while her family was in hiding from the Nazis. Have students think about the above quote. Then, break students into small groups. Have each group discuss: -What does this quote mean to you? -Why do you think it’s important to not waste “a single moment before starting to improve the world”? -What do you think would happen if everyone “waited”? Don’t Waste a Moment

Tuesday December 7, 2010 Literacy and Service “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better, it’s not” - Dr. Seuss from The Lorax -Have students read The Lorax. This book has become a symbol for individuals interested in environmental issues and protecting our earth. -After students have read the story, have small groups brainstorm environmental issues that they think are important. Encourage each group to come up with solutions that they can implement as young adults and/or children. -As a culminating activity, have each group create a PowerPoint story, along the same lines as The Lorax, about their environmental problem and what could be done to solve it.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people than feed just one.” -Mother Teresa Free Rice is a website where users play various educational multiple choice games to fight world hunger. For every question the user answers correctly, 10 grains of rice are donated. Have students go to towww.freerice.com play along and help end world hunger with a simple click of the mouse! Wednesday December 8, 2010 End World Hunger With Your Computer

Thursday December 9, 2010 Serve up a Thank You Oftentimes, service to others can go unnoticed, especially at school. Help students recognize people in their school who serve others! -Have students brainstorm a list of Service All-Stars, people in the school who engage in some type of service each day, such as: cafeteria workers, janitors, secretaries, teachers, parent volunteers, etc. -Organize students into small groups and assign each group a certain number of Service All- Stars. -Have each group create cards or small handmade presents to give each All-Star. -Allow time for students to present each Service All-Star with their award or invite the All-Stars to a small recognition ceremony.

Service Can Be Practiced Anywhere! A lot of times people think of engaging in service in the community, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or donating clothes or toys; however service can be done anywhere! Help students realize this by having them brainstorm ways to serve in their school. For example, could they help tutor after school, help a new student around the building, or organize the library books in the media center? Encourage them to look for things that they can do to improve their school community EVERY day! Friday December 10, 2010 Serving At School

Monday December 13, 2010 If service had a face, what would it be? -Ask students to identify a person that they associate with the term “service.” -Have students find a picture or pictures of this person in a magazine, newspaper, or online. -Then, have students make a poster or collage about this person and why they associate him/her with service. The Face of Service

Tuesday December 14, 2010 Think Outside of the Box Help students get creative about service with this hands-on activity! -Break students up into groups and give each group a plain cardboard box. -Ask students to look at the box and brainstorm how they could use this box in service to others and their community. -Encourage students to get creative by telling them that their solution CANNOT be to use the box to collect something to give to others. -Have students share out their ideas with each other. A Box of Service

What does ‘giving’ mean? Help students reflect on their own understanding of giving by having them answer the following questions: -When you think about "giving,” do you think about gifts or physical things? -In today’s society, do you think most people appreciate someone giving their time or a material object like money or donations? Why do you think this is? -What kinds of behaviors or things are easier to give than others? Why? -What kinds of behaviors or things are harder to give than others? Why? Wednesday December 15, 2010 What it Means to Give

Thursday December 16, 2010 Unwrap the Many Types of Service Use this quick game to help students explore service in their world! During this time of year, many people exchange gifts. Take a series of empty boxes. Write down a quote about service and put it inside each box. Wrap each box with multiple layers of bright wrapping paper. Have students sit in a circle. Inform them that they are going to be playing a version of “hot potato.” Turn on some music. When the music stops, the person with the box has to remove one layer of wrapping paper and identify one type of service that they see in their school or community. Turn the music back on and continue the game until the last person opens the box and reads the quote inside. Have the group discuss the importance of each quote and what it means to them. Wrap Up Service

Create a masterpiece of service Allow students to use the lens of a camera to capture service in action -Give each student or group of students a camera (disposable or digital) to take pictures over the course of the week that depict service in action. -Have students use the pictures to create a collage, PowerPoint presentation, or movie about service and what it means to them. Friday December 17, 2010 Smile for Service

“People don’t care how much you give, until they know how much you care.” -Read the above quote to students. -Have them reflect on what the quote means. -Ask students to identify a time when someone’s actions made a difference to them. How did this show that the person(s) cared about them? What would have happened if the person(s) hadn’t acted in that way? Monday December 20, 2010 Caring to Make A Difference

A little girl and an old man were walking along a beach covered with starfish. The old man watched as the little girl began picking up starfish one by one along the shore line and throwing them back into the pounding surf. Despite the girl’s efforts, each crashing wave washed another group of starfish onto the sand. Still, the girl continued to pick up one starfish at a time and throw it back into the ocean. After a while the old man asked the little girl, “Why are you throwing the starfish back one at a time? Surely, you’ve noticed that each time you throw one back even more get washed up onto the shore. There are so many starfish on the beach you can’t possibly be making a difference.” The little girl smiled, picked up another starfish, threw it into the ocean, and said, “It made a difference to that one.” Read the above story to students. Have them discuss the message of the story and how they can make a difference in other people’s lives. Tuesday December 21, 2010 It Made a Difference to That One!

Wednesday December 22, 2010 Thank you for viewing the December Leadership and Character Development Calendar. We hope that you have gained valuable resources and ideas regarding student leadership and character development. Don’t forget to download next month’s tips by visiting: Submit your own resources by ing Please share this calendar with family, friends, students, etc. What’s Next?