Daily Leadership and Character Development Resources Provided by the AACPS Office of Student Leadership Development and Office of School Counseling September 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 September 1, 2010 Accepting Myself/Others Have students complete this activity to learn about acceptance: “Accepting yourself and others begins with evaluating what you think about yourself, your abilities, and your potential. An important part of this is recognizing what things about yourself you can control, for instance, choosing the words you use with others, and what you cannot control, like the color of your eyes.” -Have students make a chart of the things they can control and the things they can’t control. -Inform students that just because they can’t control something now doesn’t mean it will always be that way. Students should focus on the things they can control like how they treat others and their grades. Also, encourage students to recognize in others the things that they also have no control over and be accepting of those traits or qualities. Things I can controlThings I can’t control

Thursday September 2, 2010 Multicultural Awareness Build Your Multicultural Awareness Test your diversity/multicultural awareness! Go to the EdChange Multicultural Pavilion at and take one of the Awareness Quizzes designed to challenge some of the false information floating around about difference and equity in the United States and the world.

Friday September 3, 2010 Here is a quick activity to help students understand what creates barriers between groups of people and how they can be proactive in creating a inclusive group: 1.Divide students into groups and give each group a set of paper doll cut-outs. 2.Instruct groups to write something that they see as a barrier to harmony/unity in groups of students on each doll. For example: “clothes students wear,” “culture,” “language,” etc. 3.Once each group has written words on their dolls, tell the students that the only way to break down these barriers is to use “healing” actions or words. 4.Provide each group with a handful of band-aids. Ask them to write on the band-aids all the ways they could break down the barriers they identified. 5.Have students join their paper dolls together in a chain using the band-aids to connect each doll. 6.Discuss how the “healing” actions or words written on the band-aids can help create unity in a group, school, or community. Band-Aids Adapted from Jane Suberg More Leadership Lessons

Monday September 6, 2010 On the first Monday in September 1884, the Knights of Labor, a labor organization in New York City, organized a parade to celebrate working people. The tradition caught on around the country and in 1894 Congress established Labor Day as a national holiday. Even though there is no school today, take a moment to share the history of Labor Day with students. Help them identify why it is important to honor everyone who contributes to our society in a positive way. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss with students diversity in our work force and the different ways members of society can contribute to the overall good of our country and the world. For a collection of Labor Day resources, visit Education World’s Labor Day resource site at: Labor Day

Tuesday September 7, 2010 Knowing Yourself Help students learn about themselves by completing this quick activity: Oprah Winfrey said, “As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around.” -What do you think she meant by this statement? -Think about a time that you made a bad decision because you didn’t understand your ability to do something, either positively or negatively. What would you have done differently if you had known more clearly “who you really are”?

Wednesday September 8, 2010 Looking for a great ice breaker to help students get to know each other? How about an energizer for a long lesson or meeting? Need something to refocus a group’s attention? The Association of Washington School Principals’ The Art of Icebreakers: Learn, Laugh, and Lead ( ) is an online resource containing 50 example icebreakers and energizers. These quick activities are designed to increase energy, refocus attention, and increase comfort level within a group. Why not try one today? Break the Ice

Thursday September 9, 2010 Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. Even though there is no school today, take this opportunity to discuss with students the fact that many cultures and religions around the world celebrate different holidays. Remind students that part of being a leader or member of a group is respecting that other members may have different beliefs or customs than you. Educating yourself about those beliefs and customs can help you better understand group members’ perspectives. Rosh Hashanah

Engage in a computer activity that helps define what diversity means! -Have students complete a web search for words that mean the same as “tolerance,” “acceptance,” and “diversity”. -Then, have students go to to create a word cloud about these character traits.. -Print out the word clouds and create a diversity display or quilt of the students’ creations. Friday September 10, 2010 Diversity Word Cloud

Monday September 13, 2010 Developing accepting and inclusive environments are an important part of any society or group. Check out Tolerance.org ( from the Southern Poverty Law Center for : -resources -a searchable list of classroom activities for PreK-12 -AND MORE! Teaching Tolerance

Tuesday September 14, 2010 Primary Election Day is the chance for voters to elect candidates to represent their political party in the General Election. Even though there is no school today, take this opportunity to discuss with students the history of political parties. Remind students that political parties were initially created to give a collective voice to groups of people who had common beliefs about how our country should operate. -Ask students to identify groups in their school or community who share a common interest (sports teams, various clubs, etc.). -Then, ask students to brainstorm ways that these groups could work together to improve their school or community. Primary Election Day

Complete this activity to help students identify stereotypes Place your name in the center circle of the structure below. Write an important aspect of your identity in each of the satellite circles -- an identifier or descriptor that you feel is important in defining you. This can include anything: Asian American, female, athlete, Taoist, scientist, or any descriptor with which you identify. Name a stereotype associated with one of the groups with which you identify that is not consistent with who you are. Fill in the following sentence: I am (a/an) _____________________ but I am NOT (a/an)_____________________. For example, “I am Hispanic, but I am not an immigrant.” Lead students in a discussion on how these stereotypes can harm students both in school and in the community at large. Wednesday September 15, 2010 Circles of Self

Thursday September 16, 2010 Looking for quick leadership activities, workshops, or ideas? Visit the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Office of Student Leadership Development’s Student Leadership Resources page. -Go to -Click on Students. -Click on Student Leadership/CRASC. -On the left hand menu, select Student Leadership Resources. -OR VISIT -Browse resources by category. -Click on a resource to download to your computer. -Submit your own resource for inclusion! Student Leadership Resources

Connecting Diversity and Acceptance to Literature Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman is a children’s book about stereotypes and self-image. -Have students read this story, or a section of it. -After they have read it, have students develop a plan to teach someone else about the importance of understanding how stereotypes can limit individuals’ access to opportunities. -Students could create a brochure, TV commercial, poster, song, etc. to showcase their plan. Friday September 17, 2010 Literary Connection

Engage students in a multi-media approach to reflecting on diversity Consider this quote from Maya Angelou: “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” Using a medium of their choice, have students create a visual display that reflects what Maya Angelou is describing. Monday September 20, 2010 Tapestry of Life

Put Acceptance into Action While You Eat! November 9, 2010 is Mix It Up at Lunch Day Visit to learn more about this activity and to begin planning your school’s participation this year! Many resources are available for your use both in the classroom and school wide. Tuesday September 21, 2010 Mix It Up

Ralph Sockman said “The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.” -Have students think of a time when they have been in the minority. Ask them to remember what that felt like and how it shaped their behavior. -Then have students think about a time when they have been in the majority. How did they behave differently towards people who were different from them when they were in the majority? -Lead students in a discussion or have them create a list of the different ways that they can work together to make sure all students are accepted in their classroom, school, and community. Wednesday September 22, 2010 Being in the Minority Being in the Majority

Image from Use images to help students visualize and discuss diversity -Have students look at this image (or an image like it). If you Google “diversity images”, it is one of the first images to appear. -Ask students why they think an image like this is common when searching for the term “diversity.” What other images could show diversity? -Have students use cameras to take pictures, cut out pictures from magazines or newspapers, or use computer graphics/images to create a collage showcasing what diversity means to them. Thursday September 23, 2010 A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Pacer Center’s Kids Against Bullying Visit the Pacer Center’s Kids Against Bullying Website (and site for teens) at The Pacer Center, which serves as an advocacy and resource center for students with disabilities, put together Kids Against Bullying to help students understand and accept differences. The website includes: -Interactive stories -Polls -Videos -Celebrity Videos Friday September 24, 2010 Kids Against Bullying

Learn the History Behind disABILITY in our society! Visit the Museum of disABILITY History’s Teacher Resource Center at: This website has resources about our society’s history in the treatment of people with disabilities including: -Lesson Plans -Videos -Activities *Please be sure to preview the content for appropriateness before sharing with students, as some images or information may best be suited for older audiences or strictly as background information for the adult(s) working with the students. Monday September 27, 2010 disABILITY History

Build an Electronic Book for Students with Diverse Needs Visit the Center for Applied Special Technology’s BookBuilder Project at: This website allows users to create and share electronic books that can be used by all types of learners, including those with special learning needs or English- language learners. -Discuss with students the supports some students need to simply read a book (pictures, text-to-speech, larger font, etc). -Have students design their own book and make it accessible for all students using the BookBuilder. -Students could recreate their favorite story or write a book about a topic they learned in class that they would like to teach others. Tuesday September 28, 2010 Build a Book- Build Acceptance

Arthur can help your younger students understand cultural diversity in their world! Visit Arthur’s (Marc Brown) World Neighborhood at: This website has: -Downloadable resource guides -Activity sheets -Lessons -Online activities -AND MORE! Wednesday September 29, 2010 Let an Aardvark Do the Talking! I wonder where Marc put my glasses?

Thursday September 30, 2010 Thank you for viewing the September 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?